Red Cloud, NE: Joyful Christmas Memories
December is a very busy month with all the decorating and the holiday life enriching activities! We have been fortunate to have special music and carolers. Also, again this year, Heritage staff decorated Christmas wreathes that we judged. All of these things really put us in the spirit of Christmas! Friday evenings during the month were spent taking van rides around town to view the decorations and lights of the community. This is always one of the highlights for December! Marietta Garwood, volunteer, was here one afternoon during craft time to make Christmas candles. These were made out of tissue rolls, tissue paper, and battery operated votive’s. Everyone received one for a window decoration. Each candle was unique in color and so pretty. The local third grade class adopted a grandparent and they paid a visit on their usual Thursday afternoon. Following games of iN2L bingo and Christmas treats, the kids entertained with songs they performed at their school Christmas program. This is always a very special time to be together for each participant! A large crowd gathered for our annual Christmas open house on a Sunday afternoon this year. Music was provided by guitarists, vocalists, and brothers, Ivan and Steve Miller. Santa also provided a visit and stayed to sing a few Christmas carols with us! For their first time visit, the Progressor’s 4-H Club and their leaders prepared a gingerbread house for display at the nurse’s station. They chose to call and play bingo with us at this visit. We look forward to the next time they join us in January. Once again, Christmas spirit was spread around Red Cloud including Elm Street Senior Center and Cherry Corner Estates in the form of Christmas cookie plates. The dietary department baked the bell shaped cookies and the ladies decorated them individually with red, green, and/or white frosting. Santa made his usual visits to our home and shared that all were on the nice list this year. No one got coal so we knew that Santa wasn’t joking this year! The staff and resident’s Christmas party began with a delicious soup meal prepared by the dietary department.Good old St Nick led the group in singing Christmas carols after passing out gifts with help from the elves in attendance! It was decided that our resident council did a great job in selecting the meals for the party, for Christmas Eve, and Christmas! Several of our residents attended our local museum’s annual “Festival of Trees” tour where Heritage staff decorated Christmas tree. The “Elf” tree that was decorated last year was voted to return this year. With the assistance of resident council, we will choose another theme next year. Helen Waring Johnson entertained one afternoon with a Christmas “Helen’s Musical Hats” program. We were very grateful to have her lively and engaging performance as well as all of the local Christmas carolers and programs to end this year! We did celebrate New Year’s Eve with an afternoon party and evening iN2L bingo games. The singing of Auld Lang Syne and toasting to the old year and the upcoming new year were part of the festivities!
Submitted by Carla Boyles, Life Enrichment Coordinator Heritage of Red Cloud, Red Cloud, Nebraska
