Blog

Please join the Cottage in welcoming our new Resident Service Director, Rebekah Valkavitch! Rebekah began working with us at the end of June.  She brings to the Cottage over 20 years of nursing experience.  In Rebekah’ is not here spending time with residents and staff, you will find her spending time with her grandchildren.  Rebekah enjoys gardening and being outside whenever she can.  She is also an amazing baker and we are all excited to try one of her delicious cakes!  Please feel free to stop on by and say hello!

Dreams are quite complex, aren’t they? The other morning, I awoke from a deep sleep and remembered sitting by a small lake in Erie, Pa with my grandfather. It was a sunny afternoon day in August and Pop-Pop decided to take my brother and I to the local fishing hole. Well, the fish were not biting so my brother and I quickly found other things to do – like skipping stones on the water. We had a competition to see who could skip the farthest and who had the most skips. Well, I came in last and was quite upset since I was the only one who plays baseball. Since Pop-Pop won, he said he had something special for us. My dream skipped around for a bit, but I remembered us going into my grandfather’s church and we all started to set up for a dinner event. My brother and I had to wash down the tables and set up chairs. After that, we were asked to peel the carrots and potatoes. My dream then took a weird turn and the last thing I remembered was that I was running to school to take a math test which I hadn’t even studied for…. Crazy, right? I share this quick story because it reminded me of the saying, “…like the ripple effect when a stone lands in a lake, so your kindness extends beyond your own initial effort...”. Basically, when you do something for someone else, you forget about your own troubles. That’s the thing about giving – making that positive difference for someone today leaves a legacy of kindness that can be passed on to others. Making a difference in someone’s life can be as small as sitting down and talking to someone or as big as volunteering to build a much-needed community project. Therefore, I encourage us all to examine the positive difference you make in other’s lives, and begin to build your legacy today!

This month we celebrated the birthday of the Blue Jean (May 20 th). We collected blue jeans from staff and recycled them into a collaborative art piece: hanging denim feathers off a stick. The tedious task brought lots of conversation time, laughter, and fine motor skill exercises. The end result was beautiful and can be seen on the front office door. Be sure to check it out next time you visit!

Our residents love getting together on Friday afternoons and singing along to some of their favorite songs. The hardest part is trying to remember what we want to sing! If you have any song suggestions, mom’s/dad’s old favorite singers or songs, please feel free to drop off a list.

Life around the Cottage isn’t always serious. At times, we can be a little silly. Here are some candid pictures to share the funny! Recycling the completed Jumbo Crossword board into a crown for our Crossword Queen Pat. Showing our patriotism with our Red, White, and Blue car display in the parking lot. There was that one-time Christine drew a picture for the word “fat” during Pictionary and it accidentally looked like Fred. Shark attack! I guess we had more rain than we thought if a shark could get in!

Our ladies really enjoy arranging the fresh flowers they receive bi-weekly from Three Peas In A Pod. It’s a time to be in touch with nature, reminisce, and bond with good friends. They really enjoy sharing the joy by creating arrangements for other residents. The smiles on everyone’s face is priceless!

I have truly been blessed to have had a job I LOVED for the past two years here at Columbia Cottage. Every resident has held a special place in my heart, and it has been a great honor getting to know them and their families. As my time here has ended, I want to thank everyone for their love and support over the years. The donations of supplies, words of encouragement, shared stories of past and present, hearing how the residents light up when talking about their day’s activities has been the greatest gift I could receive. I will never forget our time together: the laughter, the noodles, the art, and the love. So, it’s not goodbye, but see you soon. With all my love ~Christine

Sunny Days are here and so are the Backyard Games! (Ok, Cottage Kitchen Games) Residents enjoyed playing Cornhole, Ring Toss, Washers, Lawn Darts, and "Beer" Pong - Christine Style.

Don Jones is the 86-year-old gentleman, physicist, commodities trading expert, writer, father of four, and partner to Betty living in Suite 19 at Columbia Cottage in Collegeville, PA. Don was born outside of Cameron, Missouri in 1932. As a child, Don moved around quite a bit with his Dad, Clifton Jones, before settling back in with his Mom, Veda Jones, and his younger sister, Jody, in Denver, Colorado. It was in Denver that Don went to high school, became a member of the high school wrestling team, and the ski team. He also discovered his love of automobiles and motorcycles. He attended University of Colorado, located in Boulder, Colorado, and graduated with a B.S. and a Masters in Physics. He spent several years in the U.S. Navy before returning to Boulder to complete his PhD in Physics from the same university. Don then started working for The National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado as a physicist and a researcher. While these writings did not make the NY Times Best Seller List, he completed 3 important pieces of research for the Bureau – “Strong Blast Waves in Spherical, Cylindrical, and Plane Shocks,” “Microwave Doppler Measurements of the Ionization Front in Cylindrical Shock Waves from Exploding Wires,” and “The Energy Parameter B for Strong Blast Waves.” In the late 1960’s Don left Colorado to accept a position with General Electric’s space exploration program in the labs located in King of Prussia, PA. He moved his family of 4 kids, 2 horses, and a dog to Limerick, PA. It wasn’t long before his entrepreneurial spirit got the best of him and he started dabbling in commodities research. In the late 1970’s he started Commodity Information Services. He moved to Chicago, IL to be close to the Chicago Board of Trade and his money management/commodities trading business took off. During that time of his life, Don wrote two books: Hedging Foreign Exchange – Converting Risk to Profit, and Value Based Trading: Using Overlay Demand Curve to Pinpoint Trends and Predict Market Turns. Don later took his business back to his roots in Denver, Colorado. He spent the last 25 years in Denver running his business, skiing and playing racquetball before fully retiring in 2015. Don has four kids that are very active in his life. Stephanie, Eric, Kit and Ashley. He has eleven grandchildren and one great, grandson. When asked what he likes most about living in Columbia Cottage, his reply was simple… “I enjoy my time every day with Betty and the exceptional care we both receive. The staff makes living here very enjoyable. We not only receive great professional care, Betty and I know that the staff truly cares about us, personally.”

Hello! I am Maggie Herrity the office administrative assistant of Columbia Cottage. I attended Drexel University where I received my Bachelor’s in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship as well as my Master’s in International Business. I have worn several hats throughout my professional career and enjoy that I utilize those skills through the various “projects” assigned to me. I love to travel, cook, bake, read, make crafts, and play with my two-year-old son. My husband also knows me as the one who likes to overwatch movies like “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “Elf.” I am grateful to the residents, staff, and families at Columbia Cottage for making me feel so welcomed and appreciated. Spending time with our residents is a such a joy and I feel privileged that one of my projects is to create their monthly calendar, hopefully creating joyful moments for them as well.

Columbia Cottage staff members gathered on the afternoon of December 12th to celebrate the holidays together. Staff were presented with gifts from the President of Columbia Cottage, Jim Burnham. Together they enjoyed a lunch catered by Three Brothers, a local Mexican restaurant. The staff would like to thank all the residents and their families for providing the opportunity to care for the residents of the Cottage. They are, after all, are the reason our staff are here. They would also like to thank all those residents and their families who kindly donated to the Staff Appreciation Fund. We are so grateful for your kindness.

On the evening of December 5th, Columbia Cottage hosted a festive and joyous holiday party for the residents and their families. A delicious dinner was served including prime rib, cheddar mashed potatoes, and green bean almandine. The array of desserts included cheesecake, white chocolate raspberry cake, chocolate mousse cups, and an assortment of freshly baked cookies. The entertainment provided by Erich Cawala and Cliff of the Uptown Band had our residents, staff, and families up dancing and singing. Thank you to Tom Kershaw, Columbia Cottage’s Maintenance Director, who was kind enough to dress as Santa. Also, a big thank you to Peter Devers, Food Service Director, Cheryl Mullins, Food Service Coordinator, and all the staff who put in the extra hours to make the night a success.