Exercise doesn’t have to be boring and we certainly proved that to be true at Monday Movers seated exercise group on Monday morning! Residents joined in a circle to kick around a hover soccer ball; we had so much fun that we played right through Karaoke for the second week in a row. The laughter was loud enough that we continually had to make the circle of chairs bigger because more and more folks were drawn to the fun in the dining room! Lunch and mail delivery flew by just as quickly as the morning and soon it was time for an activity-filled afternoon. Crafty Corner artists came out to create sun and rainbow hangers that created bursts of sunshine and color in the dining room that you can’t help but smile to see them! Our weekly game of Tic Tac Toss followed craft time and per usual we had a huge group assembled to compete for first place. Judy Thorn came in fourth place, Alice Brantner and Shirley Klinski tied for third and Kevin Bauer was second place. Dennis Schuh was the first-place winner this week! The afternoon flashed before our eyes and after a delicious supper, folks lingered in the dining room for Monday night Bingo. Thank you to Kathy Luebker and Teresa Fedie for their help with set up, clean up and passing prizes!

As the heatwave began Tuesday morning, folks gathered in the dining room after breakfast for Mass with Father Jojo. I think we all sent up an extra prayer or two that the impending heat and humidity this week wouldn’t be too unbearable. Lunch followed Mass, as well as delivering mail, and our afternoon activities began with baking! Tuesday was National Sponge Cake Day, so naturally we just had to make a yummy sponge cake to be enjoyed the next day at our Mid-Week Social. Pastor Palo from Arkansaw Methodist arrived soon after for church and then it was time for supper as well as evening games with Aaliyah!

Crashing pins, rousing cheers and laughter galore … sounds like a Wednesday morning at the care center! Bowlers assembled on the “lane” (aka the dining room) for our weekly Wednesday game and put on quite a show! Judy Thorn was the fourth-place winner, Bill Joyner came in third and Mary Matzek was second place. Kevin Bauer won first place by a single point this week! We worked up quite an appetite for lunch and once the meal concluded, it was back to the dining room for Fruit Bingo. We had a very excited group of bingo players this week and even some visitors played along with their family members! Volunteer Harriet Rothe called numbers, as well as helped set up and clean up, and we are so thankful for all her help. Kevin Bauer was our lone blackout bingo winner this week! After the big game, residents and their guests hung around for the Mid-Week Sponge Cake Social to snack on slices of sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Yummy! 

Thursday morning, Lana Ingli stopped by after breakfast to read us the latest news from local papers; it was wonderful to share conversation and a cup of coffee, as well as stay up to date with what’s happening in our community. Lunch and mail delivery came and went and then time for a little pampering with manicures for our ladies. It’s always fun to see which cheerful colors they choose; a sparkling topcoat of polish also adds a little pizazz and glamour to their nails! This afternoon we had an extra special guest stop by: Rylee Sabelko, a real-life rodeo queen and this year’s Miss Minnesota High School Rodeo! She came dressed in her rodeo best and presented residents with photos of her experiences in rodeo and even signed autographs for everyone! As the sun set, supper and a game of Pokeno with Aaliyah capped off the day.

Friday is always one of our favorite days of the week and this Friday was no exception! We began immediately after breakfast with a game of Shuffleboard where a small but mighty group assembled to compete for first place. Jeff Halverson came in fourth place, Judy Thorn was third place and Dorothy Pfaffe was second. Alice Brantner and Bill Joyner tied for first place this week! Lunch, mail delivery and visiting with friends kicked off the afternoon and soon it was time to prepare for our afternoon activities: Snack Makers and Happy Hour! A small yet dedicated group of residents helped prepare savory Ranch Roll Ups at Snack Makers and before you knew it, The Earneys arrived for Happy Hour! Residents sang along to classic tunes and laughed at the entertaining antics of The Earneys. Supper came all too soon and then we pulled the shades and dimmed the lights for Movie Night. This Friday’s flick was “Daddy Day Camp;” what a great way to end a busy (and hot) week!