September 1st was a lovely day for a drive, so we climbed into the van and headed north to Parkersburg where we enjoyed an exceptional lunch at the Victorian House. On our way home we checked out Parkersburg’s Historical House and Parker Place, a new assisted living residence still under construction.

On the 2nd Stan Dreier’s country western voice along with Vi Collins ability to play anything on the piano made for a very enjoyable afternoon of entertainment.

We had a Resident Council meeting on the 3rd. Later we pulled out all of our Scrabble boards. I realized how dull my brain has become & how bright many of our residents are!

We tried out some new entertainment on the 8th. They are The Old Timers Band from Des Moines. Our residents loved them so we scheduled them again next month.

On the 9th our dining room was full of friendly faces, friendly chatter and lots of treats, the Methodist ladies were here.

Our second outing was on the 10th. We drove to Iowa Falls for a wonderful luncheon at the Court Yard on 410 tearoom. On the way home we stopped by the Sac Fox Overlook for a beautiful view of the Green Belt and the expansion bridge over it. We then drove by Pine Lake and through Eldora to see how the hail damage cleanup was going. We were happy to get back to our beautiful home where all the windows are fully intact.

The kick off for National Assisted Living Week was on September 13th which just happened to be Grandparent’s Day. Throughout the week we enjoyed lots of entertainment and also special time spent with family and friends.

We had a large assortment of prizes to choose from for bingo which made for a fun afternoon on the 14th. That evening we were entertained by the wonderful musical abilities of David and Colleen Jefferson.

JoAnne Nibbelink, Erma Klaasen and I led a hymn sing before lunch on the 15th. Our residents joined in with the most spirited singing you can imagine! After lunch Evie Haupt was here to show us lots of fun items from her store, the Brick Bungalow. After her presentation we had time to browse and shop.

As usual, Sue was here on Wednesday to do our hair and make us beautiful. After lunch we gathered around the microphone & reminisced of days gone by. I asked the questions and everyone else gave the answers. Some of the answers were quite enlightening.

On Thursdays we make our own sundaes. There’s a large variety of toppings to choose from so it’s a treat we look forward to every week. After lunch many of us went to our apartments to get ready for our big night, but some of us met in the private dining room for a friendly game of poker. Leroy showed us all up and ended up being the big winner! By 5:00 p.m. Arlington Place was deserted. We were all at the Grundy Center Community Building for our family pot luck. It was a great time including a feast of delicious food and wonderful entertainment. Gerald Strickler led us in prayer before the parade started towards the buffet table. After we were full to the gills the Johnson Strings gave a marvelous performance. They are a home schooled family from the New Hartford area who excel in musical talent. We thank everyone for attending and for bringing food. It is such a treat for our residents to again enjoy some of the home cooked recipes that they used to make!

We ended our busy week with the music of the Big Band Era by Dean Anderson.

We celebrated Adolph’s birthday on the 19th. His family provided a beautiful birthday cake for all to enjoy.

The Grundy County Foot Clinic was here on the 21st. This gives us the ability to chat with many of our friends from the area as they come in for their appointments.

Once again the 1st Pres. Coffee Clique brightened our day with their monthly visit on the 22nd. That afternoon we met our new 3rd grade friends as they visited us for the first time this school year. We were impressed with what a nice group of children are in that class!

Cynthia Ziesman gave another one of her high spirited song and dance performances on the 23rd.

We relaxed as we sipped our wine or, if preferred, sparkling grape juice during our candle lit dinner on the 24th. Beanbag baseball was on the agenda that afternoon. Doc and Adeline were our two big winners!

We had lunch at Mc Arlingtons’ on the 29th. The entre was freshly grilled hamburgers with all the fixin’s, onion rings, salad and malts. After lunch we played Name That Tune with Rosie Benenga.

At any time you might find us playing cards or dominos, putting puzzles together, exercising as a group or individually on the stationary bike, Wii bowling, spending time in our gardens, taking walks or just having coffee with a friend. What a wonderful life!

As September faded away so did our warm weather. The harvest is underway and we look forward to watching as the fields empty into the bins. See you then!