Another week has gone by and regular activities are still cancelled for the care center…but have no fear, the activities staff still brought the smiles and laughs to residents! Stacey, Noel and Aaliyah have been pulling out the stops as much as they can to bring joy, fun and games to everyone.

Monday morning, Noel gathered a small group together for a game of Bean Bag Toss, with folks spaced strategically around the dining room for maximum fun! Ivan Mason came in fourth, Kevin claimed third and Bill Joyner was second. Everyone cheered when Shirley Klinski was revealed as the first-place winner of the game! Much of the rest of the day was one-on-one conversations and room visits, which is always a wonderful way to spend a winter afternoon. Stacey and Noel set up Bingo in the dining room later in the day and sitting one person per table, residents earned piece after piece of yummy candy! 

Even though there was no morning Mass or afternoon church on Tuesday, that didn’t stop us from organizing a socially distanced hymn sing-a-long! Music is such a joy in our lives and singing together uplifts everyone’s spirits, for both staff and residents. It comforts the soul and warms the heart to sing hymns that were created to remind us of the love and joy of faith. After some lunch, Aaliyah was here in the afternoon to make delicious popcorn and pass out bags of the crunchy, salty kernels to residents. No one can resist fresh popcorn!

Wednesday morning, Noel went up and down the hallways, playing games with residents in their rooms and having lovely chats with anyone who wanted to visit. It is hard to not have our regular routine and activities but looking on the bright side of things: it is such a blessing to not rush and to have extra time for long conversations and interactions with residents! Lunch was served after the morning flew by and then it was time for Bingo in the afternoon. Once again, residents sat one to a table but we still had tons of fun, especially when we did Blackout Bingo and Jeff Halverson won the big jackpot of $1! Noel made a pan of fresh brownies earlier that morning and once the bingo game was over, it was time to tuck in to the chocolatey confection. Most residents washed down their brownies with a glass of ice-cold milk! 

There was more of the same Thursday morning, with Noel visiting residents one-on-one in their rooms and offering up puzzles, games and coloring to those who were looking for something to do. Once lunch was over, Aaliyah went around to all the ladies, offering manicures to those who were looking for a little pick-me-up! She always does such a beautiful job and seeing the gals delighted with their fresh, sparkly nail polish is always so joyful to see. Manicures took up most of the afternoon but once supper had come and gone, it was time for a familiar Thursday evening activity: Pokeno!

Friday morning brought the snow and cold temperatures, but we stayed warm with an exciting game of bowling. While outside it was all “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” inside the care center it was “Let Us Bowl, Let Us Bowl, Let Us Bowl!” We had a small group for the game, but we were not short on fun as Shirley Klinski claimed fourth place, Milda Bautch came in third and Kay George won second. We had a tie for first place: Kevin Bauer and Jeff Halverson! The snow continued to fall throughout the day and the entertainment continued inside after lunch with a laid-back Happy Hour as Noel traveled room to room passing out blueberry, glazed donut holes and fruit punch. Happy Glazed Donut Day everybody!  Supper was enjoyed a little later and then we cozied up to a Friday night movie “The Secret Garden;” there’s really no better way to end a blustery snow day than staying warm inside with a movie!