Blog

As we celebrated Nurse’s Week in May, it was moment for us to reflect on the incredible dedication, compassion, and skill you bring to your roles every single day. You are the heart and soul of our facility, the pillars upon which our patients rely, and the shining examples of care and professionalism. Thank you for everything you do, for the sacrifices you make, and for the countless lives you touch. You are the true heroes of our facility, and we are endlessly grateful for the light you bring into the world. Thank you to our wonderful nurses, Robin, Angie, Brittnee, and Nancy!!

1909 Spokane Washington, a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, whose father was a Civil War veteran, raise her and her five siblings after her mother dies in childbirth.  The idea came to her in 1909 while attending a Mother’s Day sermon in church. She thought her father should have a similar church service to honor her father.  She went to local churches, the YMCA, and shopkeepers to drum up support for her idea.  Local religious leaders supported the idea, so she was successful: Washington state celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father's Day on June 19th, 1910, because her father’s birthday was in June.  In 1924 U.S. President Calvin Coolidge gave his support to the observation and in 1966 President Lyndon B Johnson issued A proclamation that recognized the day, and it became a national holiday in 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed legislation designated the third Sunday of June as Father's Day. It was originally largely a religious holiday; Father's Day has been commercialized with sending greeting cards and giving gifts.  Some observe the custom of wearing a red rose to indicate that one's father is living or a White Rose to indicate that he is deceased. Other males for example grandfathers or uncles who have assumed parenting roles have also often been honored on the same day this year we celebrate Father's Day on June 16th, 2024. It's almost like Father's Day is half Mother's Day because of its origin and start now here's a good question who remembers how Mother's Day started? Here's a hint North and South. So have fun remembering your father's and try to remember the origin of Mother's Day.

Catherine (Cathy) was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania and is a proud graduate of Reading High School! Her and her husband John welcomed one daughter, Santina, and then continued to be blessed with four grandchildren and a growing number of great-grandchildren!  Cathy enjoys knitting, going on walks, working with the schools, and attending her grandchildren’s sporting events.  Cathy continues to be a joy to have at Columbia Cottage and we are appreciate hearing her life stories and advice!

In March, we had the opportunity to facilitate a lot of Easter-themed activities: The residents enjoyed dying hard-boiled easter eggs, painting wooden easter eggs, painting bunnies, and spring flower arranging! We welcomed spring with so much delight.

We had a great view of the Solar Eclipse from our front porch! We were able to catch some neat glimpses of the (almost) totality between the clouds!

This Spring, Our Residents and staff members enjoyed caring for two baby chicks for two weeks! We were responsible for changing their food, water, and bedding daily. Residents had the opportunity to snuggle and play with the chicks anytime they wanted. The staff even found humor in naming the babies Dyson and Perdue! We were sad when they returned to the farm but we loved all of the joy they brought to the building! 10-week-old goat, Mickey, and 8-week-old lamb, Daisy, also visited the cottage from Swartz Farm. They both loved sitting on the laps of the residents! They were smothered with cuddles and hugs! We hope that they come back and visit us again soon!

Anna Mae was born on May 21, 1936 to Samuel Graeff and Edna (Kauffman) Graeff. She is the youngest of 3 children.  She had an older sister, Betty who was married to Vincent Riegel and an older brother, Earl Graeff who is married to Mildred (Smith), who was a sister to Anna Mae’s husband, Arthur.  Anna Mae and Arthur were married on April 2, 1955 and were married almost 66 years.  Arthur passed away on February 17, 2021.  (Arthur passed away on Ash Wednesday and their 66th Wedding Anniversary would have fallen on Good Friday).  Anna Mae has 2 children.  Her son, Kevin Smith is married to Susan (Newell) Smith and they live in Idaho Falls, ID.  Her daughter, Sherry (Smith) is married to Jeff Ricketts and they live in Bernville, next to Anna Mae’s former home.  Anna Mae has 5 grandchildren: Kevin Jr, Zachary, Alexandra, Samantha, and Douglas.  Anna Mae worked for the Tulpehocken School District for 25 years.  She first worked as a cook in the kitchen at Penn-Bernville Elementary School and later as a custodian at Tulpehocken High School.  Anna Mae and Arthur had a 55-acre farm where they raised beef cattle, chickens, ducks and even turkeys.  Years later they downsized to a significantly smaller farmette.  Anna Mae did a lot of gardening, so she was also very accomplished at canning fruits and vegetables.  In later years, Anna Mae expanded to using a dehydrator, so there were always bags of dried fruit in the freezer!

We would like to take a minute to honor Antonina Muga (aka Hercules) for all of the determination she has shown us in the last year! He ability to smile through everything that is thrown her way is something that we all aspire to! She is an inspiration to her coworkers and anyone who is lucky enough to know her! We look forward to working alongside of her and learning from her for years to come! So proud to have you as a part of our family!

Baseball is back! The residents have loved cheering on the Phillies during their Spring Training and are looking forward to the new season! Check for upcoming games on the schedule posted on the corkboard in the Country Kitchen! Go Phils!

Fastnacht Day 2024 was on Tuesday, February 13th. This food holiday is also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, which is why the delicious treats are often referred to as "Mardi Gras donuts". Fasnacht Day is the last day before Lent, the 40-day season before Easter begins on Ash Wednesday. The term “fastnacht” (also spelled fasnacht, faschnaut, faschnacht ) comes from the German words “fast,” a shortened form of the verb “fasten” meaning “to fast,” and “nacht,” which means “night.” Tradition holds that on this day, households use up all the fat and sugar in the house before Lent began. This practice also gives Fat Tuesday its name. This year, Columbia Cottage enjoyed a variety of fastnachts from our local neighbors at Plum Creek Farm!

This year we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a love-themed happy hour! We served love potion #9 and special Valentine’s Day treats! Residents enjoyed making a Nutella dipping sauce with cool whip and Nutella! We even danced along with live entertainment from the Piano Man. Earlier in the day we created our own floral arrangements to bring some love to the cottage!

We love any opportunity to celebrate and cut loose with our wonderful staff! The employees of Columbia Cottage work so hard all year long and it is a joy to see everyone come together and be able to spread joy and fun. The Staff Christmas party was a huge hit with lots of fun games and dancing and of course presents. No better way to spread Christmas cheer than with those you spend a significant amount of time along side of! Can’t wait to celebrate out staff again during our annual Staff Appreciation party in August!