After a relaxing autumn weekend, what better way to kick-start the week than with an energizing Monday Movers exercise routine! Residents gathered after breakfast to move their arms and legs in gentle, yet effective, exercises all from the comfort of their chairs. Once they cooled down, the music was cranked up and Karaoke Sing Along began. We sang all the classics: “The Band Played On,” “Sweet Rosie O’Grady” and many more! Lunch and mail delivery came and went, and then it was on to the afternoon activities, beginning with Crafty Corner. This week we celebrated the harvest season, crafting scarecrows to adorn the dining room. They turned out great and each has its own personality! There was plenty of time for a game of Tic Tac Toss, but we almost ran out of room as our group that gathered was huge: 15 players! Bill Joyner grabbed fourth place, Ivan Mason came in third and Shirley Klinski was second place. Carol Campbell was our first-place champion this week! Our four rounds of the game flew by and before you knew it, it was time for supper. The tables were cleaned off in time for Monday night Bingo with Marie Berger here to help set up, clean up and pass prizes. Thanks for all your help Marie, we appreciated it! 

Tuesday morning after breakfast, Father Jojo was here to lead residents in a quiet and contemplative Mass service. Many folks and their visitors gathered to hear the weekly message and to pray together. Lunch was served soon afterwards and then Aaliyah came to make fresh popcorn for our Popcorn Social! Residents look forward to popcorn throughout the week and it is always a hit, as fresh popcorn is a snack that most everyone loves. There was plenty of time to visit and socialize once the popcorn was passed out and folks munched and mingled happily! Later in the afternoon, Pastor Darren from Lund Mission Covenant Church stopped by for church and residents came together to worship and listen to his word. Once supper was served, enjoyed and cleaned up, it was time to gather folks together for an evening of games with Aaliyah!

Wednesday came and with it…the bowlers! Residents assembled after breakfast in the dining room for our weekly bowling game, along with Plum City Elementary student helpers Emma and Elizabeth. We had a great game of three rounds and residents put on quite a show for all who gathered to watch! Bill Joyner, Kevin Bauer, Beryl Anderson and Shirley Klinski all came in fourth, Milda Bautch was third and Alice Brantner and Dorothy Pfaffe tied for second. Mary Matzek was this week’s first-place winner! Lunch was well deserved after the game and once the tables were cleaned off, folks came back for an afternoon game of Fruit Bingo. Julie Tschumperlin and Lana Ingli joined us to help with clean up and passing prizes; thanks for everything ladies! Barb Grewe was our blackout bingo winner this week! It was National Cappuccino Day so during our Mid-Week Social we snacked on French vanilla cappuccinos and butterscotch chip cookies. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Kathy Shingledecker swung by the care center Thursday morning to read us the local news and share a cup of coffee with us. We always love seeing her smiling face and laughing with her while catching up on what has been happening in the community! After lunch, a staff member paid a special visit to each of our veterans, commemorating and thanking them for their service in honor of Veterans Day. Aaliyah arrived in the afternoon and got right to work, giving all of the ladies manicures and freshening up their nail polish for the week. They always love the pampering they receive and most stuck around for extra visiting while they waited for their nails to dry! Stacey was also in the dining room, strumming her guitar and singing songs for all to hear. More room visits wrapped up the afternoon and after supper, Aaliyah brought the gang together for Pokeno!    

Fitness Friday activities are our newest gateway to the weekend. This week, Movers and Shakers joined Activities staff in shaking homemade maracas to the beat of tunes like “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “The Beer Barrel Polka!” After a brief water break, we rolled out the Shuffleboard mat and our large group of competitors completed two rounds before it was time for lunch. Shirley Klinski made fourth place, Kay George came in third and Judy Thorn was second place. Carol Campbell and Mary Matzek tied for first place this week! Once lunch had come and gone, yummy ranch seasoned pretzels were made at Snack Makers in preparation for Happy Hour in the afternoon. We brought out the cold drinks and crunchy pretzels once Jim Sexton came to entertain us with live music at Happy Hour! The party wound down just in time for supper and then we pulled the blinds and dimmed the lights because it was time for Movie Night. This week we watched “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” starring Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Esther Williams!