By Lisa Bloomquist, Activities Supervisor
What a busy month for everyone at North Shore Living.
We decked the halls, had our famous yearly bean auction and ate homemade lefse hot off the iron made by our very own Hilja Iverson. We enjoyed happy hour with great music performed by our exuberant Tom Novotny. We had really cute kindergarten and first graders from GES kids come over and sing fun songs and we had our annual craft and bake sale. The Activity office was in a flurry of chaotic fun with staff signing up to be a secret Santa, cookies and cards were being dropped off, gifts were piling up and all of a sudden it all came to a screeching halt just like Santa in his sleigh landing on a black topped run way in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Yes Iris there is a Santa Claus
I had asked a few sorta portly men to be our secret Santa before it hit the fan as Covid struck North Shore Living for the first and hopefully only time. These sorta portly men were already running around like a one legged man in a butt whopping contest so no sorta portly Santa was enlisted.
A few days before our Christmas party I was trying to think of new ways to be creative as we had engage with residents room by room. This may be the only time I am thankful for Covid as we knew what we had to do from past experience.
On Thursday, December 21rst residents played Bingo from their doorway with Activity staff and a volunteer using their cell phones from each hallway to communicate. Prizes were bags of coal which residents got a good laugh over.
Usually at our Christmas party all the secret Santa gifts are overflowing under one of our Christmas trees. We have tables decorated and cookies were abundant as almost every resident gathers for this joyful time of year. As residents needed to stay in their room this holiday season, Hilja came up with the idea of doing a hot cocoa bar for our room to room party. Hilja and Mary Tank passed out cookies made by Barb Wright along with hot cocoa that included choices of marshmallows, sprinkles, whipped cream, candy canes and even peppermint schnapps.
To make things merry and fun I enlisted a really skinny Santa this year. Dani Meyer is one of the thinnest people we have on staff. She rocked the Santa suit and only had to wrap Santa’s belt around her waist two and a half times. Dani had help from many elves passing gifts to all of the residents delight. Tom Hedstrom received scratch off tickets, AEOA bus passes, candy and a Viking stocking hat from his secret Santa. Tom exclaimed with a huge grin on his face, “Santa doesn’t know me at all.”
Wild and Whacky New Year’s Eve
The day before New Year’s Eve residents were able to come out of their rooms. The thought of freedom reminded me of calves being let out of the barn with their heels kicking high in the air. We decided to have a wild and whacky New Year’s party to celebrate. Tom Novotny played delightful tunes including Christmas music which we missed out on. We had delicious snacks and played some nonsensical games including a reindeer antler toss. Mary Glassnap donned reindeer antlers and went around near each resident in hopes they could get the rings on the antlers. A few got a ringer. Iris Shepard thought she was all that and a bag of chips as Mary crouched low and her antlers were easily within reach. Iris simply leaned forward gingerly placing her rings on the antlers with no effort. The pleasure on her face was priceless. Another game was for each resident to put a plate on their head and draw a snowman without looking. The only drawing that resembled a snowman was the resident that cheated and looked while they were drawing. I won’t mention Iris’s name.
We also had a tray filled with big red solo cups with prizes inside them. Each resident got two chances at getting a fabulous prize. Some received lots of chocolates, gummy worms, an apple, grape jelly or crackers. We did a ball drop at the end of our party. Each resident had a ping pong ball and tossed it into a bucket. If they made it they got a surprise. Tom’s surprise was a bit of chocolate and an onion.
The goofiest game we played was being blindfolded and having to scoop cotton balls with a spatula and put them on a plate. There were lots of laughs at these antics as you didn’t have a clue if even had a cotton ball on your spatula. I loved how all the residents were great sports with all our nonsense. A great time was had by all and that’s what matters.
Birthday celebrations and Thank you
Ruth Lovaas and Gloria Martineau along with three other residents celebrated birthdays in December. One resident, who turned 100, had a big family and friend lunch in our multi-purpose room.
Though our annual Christmas party and the week leading up to it had to be revised residents still had fun. They were excited to get their gifts. Some still thank me every day for their gift and have to show it to me.
Thank you kitchen staff for all the extra work of finding coffee cups and all the extra work of getting trays ready for family members who dined with their family members. Thank you Activity staff for making sure presents got opened, labeled and for spreading some holiday cheer. Thank you to Mark and Mary Glassnap for helping out with our NYE party. Thank you to our laundry crew for all your extra work getting clothing and blankets labeled.
Thank you to North Shore Health staff and volunteers for your giving hearts helping our residents have a great holiday. Thank you residents, staff, and our community for helping us keep the Covid incident short lived and not run through our whole facility. Our staff, volunteers and community are truly a blessing.
We would really like some teenagers who are interested in going into the health care field to come in and volunteer to see what it is like spending time with the elderly. Please give me a call if you are interested in getting to know our residents. 218-387-3518. We hope you had a great holiday and have a wonderful NEW YEAR. Sending you love from us at North Shore Living. Remember old age ain’t for sissies and we sure proved that in December.