St. Luke Living Center
By SUE GUTSCH
St. Luke Living Center reporter
Since the living center bakers had prepared the turkey for roasting Wednesday, Thanksgiving morning it was Evey's assignment to maneuver the bird into the oven by 7:30. After breakfast, some residents watched the parades on television, others added yummy butter, brown sugar, and marshmallows to a large pan of sweet potatoes, all the while enjoying the unmistakable smells of a Thanksgiving meal cooking.
By noon we had arranged the dining room tables into one large family-sized table, covered with lace runners. We set up additional clothed tables in our commons area. Even though some residents accepted invitations to dinner outside the facility, many others invited family and friends to share the traditional meal with us.
Following a prayer of thanksgiving, Amelia's son Ken Vinduska and wife Bonnie carved and served the turkey to residents, guests, and staff.
In the spirit of thankfulness, we'd like to mention the women's barbershop sextet that was here Tuesday to entertain during our evening meal. The group included Lou Roberts, Anita Weber, Connie Fisher, LaDonna Sherbert, Celia Byer, and Betty Crumrine.
Our bakes got right back into the kitchen Friday morning and made a "blue ribbon" sugar cookie sprinkled with orange decorator sugar. We enjoyed the easiness of making these small sweets and it was suggested we make them again, adding a lemon or orange flavor or maybe experiment with coconut or even maple flavor.
That afternoon we played bingo with Pat Smith calling. We made room at our tables for Lillian's grandson, Chris Heidel and family of Wyoming. I enjoyed their participation.
We bid farewell to fall Saturday afternoon while reading poems, recollections, reflections, chronicles, and quotes from Ideals magazine. Three of them were "The Smell of Burning Wood," "Something Told the Wild Geese," and "The Hush of Snow," which was especially appropriate as the first of the season had fallen earlier in the night and morning. Interrupting the lovely thoughts and words of nature, we watched as a small group of juncos harvesting some dried flower seeds right outside our courtyard door. Talk about arriving on cue!
Our "batty" mental muscle inched forward also with help from information and pictures in October's Ranger Rick magazine. In addition to fig eating fruit bats, we know there are the fishing greater-bulldog bats, tiny spix disk-winged bats, and long-tongued nectar lapping bats. And that's only the tip of the iceberg.
Th Marion High School chapter of FCCLA has been responsible for seasonal door decorations on residents' rooms this fall. Most recently they arrived with polar bears at the North Pole.
One door closed, but another opened for us Sunday when the Strassburg church could not be here for afternoon services. But Dean and Bettie Batt's daughter, Shelly Batt Weist was here visiting and provided lovely piano music to mark the Sabbath.
Monday afternoon we welcomed Judy Priest and her violin, who had come to share listening music only stringed instruments can provide. We will look forward to a visit again next month.
The three members of the DeSmet school board, which included Pa Ingalls, arrived unanswered at school Tuesday morning and demanded decorum return to the out-of-control classroom. Some in our group remember when proper behavior was demanded.
In the afternoon, with Magdalen Dvorak's help, we sorted through our supply of greeting cards. Some residents matched envelopes with cards while others signed the Christmas greetings to be mailed at a later date.
After reading the Marion County Record Wednesday afternoon, residents are making a mental list of the "can't miss" homes they want to view on the Christmas lights outing Dec. 20. The Versch home, with the lighted gifts, really caught our eye on newsprint.
This week the lunch bunch, Olinda Meier, Mel Brewer, Lillian Stenzel, Dave and Shirley Bowers, Jan Erpelding, and Rick and Khrista Branson, ate indoors Thursday at the Wagon Wheel Express. Later, outings were taken around the reservoir where a multitude of ducks could be seen.
