The Village is into its 3rd year of existence. It was Arnold S. who was the first to move in. At the time, air conditioning was limited, however, caregivers were always present. Only his and one other apartment was cool. The remaining villagers waited until later so as to receive the cool air that hot August. Arnold S. still lives in the same apartment but spends time in the dining room playing "Whist" or "Rummy" with his neighbors or sometimes Clair Crawford when he comes to visit Mom. Have you ever seen yellow watermelon? R.N. brought one from her family residing near Omaha, Neb., for us to taste. We did question what the yellow fruit was on our table. We thought cantaloupe but it had black seeds. The taste is no different than the popular red watermelon that’s so good this year. In celebration of National Spam Day we had Spam and crackers one day after bingo. The little square cans are still available. We recalled how we fried slices with potatoes or chopped it for eggs or a hot dish. Still tastes the same. They must have the same recipe. Even before coming to the Village, Erma had a spelling bee at Tuff Home. She continues today for residents enjoy it and are really good at it. The ex-school teacher couldn’t just go over and ask the group to spell elephant. No, she creates question and answer games. Like, what word has five letters and starts with C, meaning a two-door hard top car. Answer: coupe, now spell it. Or she has true and false questions regarding the same word. Now, do you know the only three words in the dictionary beginning with DW? Identify and spell them or what is the only word with three sets of double letters in it? School must have been fun if you were in Erma’s second grade class. The bell she received upon retirement sits on our table as a centerpiece for school is now open. We’ve had lots of visitors coming and going. We are saddened to know many of them came to see Ruby out of respect for her husband. Emil passed away at 93 years of age and we, too, wish to extend our sympathy. There have been other visitors, too. Marie’s daughter, Ardyth, has come to enjoy dinner with her on occasion. Palma’s sons visited from the Cities. Berdella’ sister came from California. Jim and Linda Elliot are with Linda’s parents, Alta and Dave Olson, and the Palisade Lutheran Church ladies came to see us, our building and Martha, who is a member of that church. Carolyn Schubbe Randal came for her H-BC class reunion and visited Mom. We’ve been comparing ears of corn. There have been some from Harvey Metzger who resides right over the Minnesota/Iowa line, some from the field behind our building and from caregiver Roze’s farm. The little kernels we’ve been eating are now hard and dented. Fall is here. Once again Alice made pickles from five big grocery bags the Beyenhof’s brought. We have been blessed with beautiful flowers and plants. A tall green plant was given as a memorial to Jeanette Jellema. I’m sorry I don’t know its name but it is in a most attractive planter as well. A spray of blooms of every kind sits in the entry as a remembrance of Emil and Katherine Fikse brought a bouquet from her garden of zinnias exactly like the one she brought last week. We thank them all. Oh yes, have you come up with the answers to Erma’s questions? The DW words are dwarf, dwell and dwindle. The word with three sets of double letters is bookkeeper.I’ll keep you posted.
