St. Luke Living Center
By SUE GUTSCH
St. Luke Living Center correspondent
Dec. 19-26
Many of us enjoyed an outing the evening of Dec. 19 when we toured the city and county lake to view the beautifully decorated homes, yards, churches, etc. A special thanks to Al and Gloria Ash for their part in giving us this opportunity.
I expect our home was no different than hour homes as Christmas approached — busy, busy, busy. Wednesday morning Dick Pracht was here for prayer group. At 2:30 we welcomed the Marion Elementary School kindergarten students who invited us to join along as they sang Christmas songs they'd learned.
Later in the afternoon the Rainbow Riders of Valley United Methodist Church arrived, sang for us, played some piano solos, and also had a handmade cinnamon tree ornament for each resident. We had no more than finished our evening meal when dear friends Jim and Carol Hett and Ellen Darrow appeared to spend the next hour or so singing and playing for and visiting with us.
Shirley Bowers was our hymn sing leader Tuesday morning. After the lunch bunch and their chauffeurs returned from their excursion, a large group got together with Khrista and made an even larger "group" of peanut clusters.
Guess what? Since Friday mornings are the regularly scheduled baking days, we mixed up, baked, and ate cookies!
In the afternoon, Gene Vinduska and his accordion provided lots of Christmas music for residents and families.
We welcomed St. Nicholas who gave us a brief autobiography, read the beloved Christmas story from Luke, and passed out presents to residents and visiting children. Nick even allowed us time for a photo-shoot.
Just as these festivities were winding down it was time for the evening meal. Our dietary department provided three kinds of soup, fruit salad, and drinks. Families brought sandwiches while residents and staff provided Christmas goodies. And everyone participated in an evening of fellowship.
Our Christmas Eve guests for the Sunday afternoon service were Don Mashburn and members of his congregation from Strassburg Baptist Church. Two children played piano solos and there was a flute solo. The Rev. Mashburn read the Christmas story according to Luke and the Krispense family portrayed the holy family.
Christmas morning we gathered in our warm, sunshiny dining room with the Guidepost Christmas Treasury. We read wonderful stories of Christmas which ignited memories of our own to share.
At noon we were served a delicious meal of pineapple-topped ham, scalloped potatoes, peas and carrots, warm rolls, cubed Jell-O salad, and peppermint ice cream. Residents who had guests for dinner were Frances Kottwitz, David Bowers, Don Viets, Amelia Vinduska, Helen Bailey, and Pauline Schimpf.
The weather was cooperative and many residents spent the day out of the facility with family. Some of us who remained spent part of the afternoon doing a variety of Christmas-themed puzzles and games. We attempted a word search, word scramble, crossword puzzle, dot-to-dot, color by number, maze, and some riddles and jokes. We will have to be truthful (being Christmas and all), Happy Slifer put the rest of us to shame. She is very good at these.
Categories was the game of the day Tuesday as we made lists of singers or singing groups, sports, and spices, which was actually our shortest list — go figure! Sometimes we get mired down and on this day Karon Hess stopped in to jump start us.
In the afternoon we eagerly rejoined the Ingalls family on the banks of Plum Creek and reacted with various emotions as the wayward ox, Pete stepped through the sod roof of their dugout home.
We need to thank the carolers from MSYG and the older young men from Lost and Found high school ministry who were here at different times before Christmas. To any groups we've not mentioned, we enjoyed your songs and appreciated you thinking of us.
