In August of 1896, gold was discovered in what is now known as Bonanza Creek, Yukon, which began the Klondike Gold Rush. We celebrated this Golden find with a Golden scavenger hunt, Golden oldies, and a Gold Rush Party with delicious Golden food. We had a Golden day!
The residents and staff at the Hershey Cottage wrapped up another great Assisted Living Week with visits from two baby kangaroos and 9 puppies!
September 1 was Apple Cider Day. The resident decided to make a batch of Apple cider cookies to celebrate. Apple Cider Cookie Recipe Betty Crocker Servings 40 Ingredients 2 tablespoons sugar 1 package of Apple Cider instant drink mix (do not prepare) 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar cookie mix ½ cup butter softened 1 egg ¾ cup finely chopped peeled apple STEPS Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix sugar, 1 teaspoon of the apple cider drink mix and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside In a large bowl, stir cookie mix, softened butter, egg and remaining apple cider drink mix and cinnamon with a spoon until a soft dough forms. Stir in apple slices until combined. Shape dough into 40 (1 ¼ inch) balls. Roll balls in a sugar-spice mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges are set and light golden brown. Cool 1 minute, remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely. Store covered in an airtight container.
What do you call the spooky season? Some might say "All Hallows Eve" or "All Saints Day," but most call it Halloween. Either way, the October 31 day goes by many names; it is the most beloved holiday in our country. But even though you have probably celebrated your whole life, there may be a lot you don't know about Halloween There is a reason why black and orange are associated with Halloween. Orange signifies the harvest of autumn, while black is a symbol of darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death Scarecrows symbolize the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday. The greek farmers created the first scarecrow. Crows being the primary culprit is how the name originated Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the US during the mid-1800s. When a flood of Irish immigrants fled Ireland during the great potato famine, they brought the tradition of Halloween with them The name Jack O' Lantern is rooted in Irish folklore about a man named Stingy Jack. The legend goes that he fooled the devil and, in turn, was forced to walk the earth with only a lump of burning coal in a hollowed turnip to light his way. So the Irish began to call him Jack of the Lantern, which became Jack O' Lantern. Candy wasn't given out until about the 1950s. There was a time when trick or treat didn't give out candy but instead pieces of cake, fruit, nuts, coins, and small toys. In 1950 the candy makers began to promote their goods for Halloween, so the tradition of candy to trick or treaters began. Did you know that skittles is America's favorite candy? And you may be able to guess the least favorite- Candy Corn.
On October 9, look for the full moon, Hunter's Moon. This moon is named because as Native Americans prepared for cold months, they looked to October's full moon to gather meat for the winter. The Hunter's Moon is similar to the Harvest moon. The Hunter's Moon rises on successive days for only about 40 minutes later than the previous day making the periods of darkness between sunset and sunrise shorter. The fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October, and hunters could easily see deer and fox that had come searching for fallen grains by the light of the moon.
There is nothing better then ending the end of summer with some cold cocktails, especially the new favorite drink – Peach Moscato. We are ending the summer on a fruity note and looking forward to see what new delicious cocktails fall will bring!
Meet our amazing therapists Amy and Gabby. They are our physical and occupational therapists from REHAB 1. Both these lovely ladies, work with our residents to increase their muscle strength, improve mobility and stamina, improve balance, and prevent falls as well as improve cognition and coordination thus allowing our residents to do more for themselves each day.
We are all excited for the arrival of fall and for Halloween! The cottage is all decorated for the spooky season. We are also looking forward to our upcoming Trick or Treat event. Our residents are hosting trick or treat on Friday, October 28 th from 6:30 pm to 8 pm here at the cottage. Please come on over and celebrate with us! Friends, family, children, and grandchildren are all welcome to wear their Halloween costumes and trick or treat up and down the halls while our residents hand out treats to all!!
They say laughter is the best medicine . . . so our residents took in a Comedy Performance here at the cottage the other night. There was some laughter and a few groans. . . but it was a unique way to spend the evening.
Puzzles are fast becoming the new pastime for our residents at the Cottage. No one can resist walking by our puzzle table and not adding a piece or two! We are working on a difficult chocolate themed puzzle now, and as you can see . . . no challenge is too big for our Betty! Look for the finished puzzle coming your way soon!
We live in an overstimulated society, where busy schedules lead to lack of connection, where many people go through life barely looking one another in the eye, where connection is summarized by scrolling down a Facebook newsfeed and clicking “Like” to show we care. Research shows that helping others can be good for our overall health. It reduces stress, improves our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health. Doing something nice for someone doesn't cost a lot of time or money. We have all been told that it's the small things in life that can make a big difference. So, if you are not already in the habit of performing random kind acts — or if it does not come naturally to you — start by thinking about what you like to do. It’s not about you being like, ‘Oh man, now I have to learn how to bake cookies in order to be nice’. It’s about, what skills and talents do you already have? And how can you turn that into an offering for other people? If you do nothing else today, keep an eye out for an opportunity to help someone with a random act of kindness or hold onto that warm feeling, when someone helps you. Here is a quick list of 10 things to consider: Read stories to school children. Hold the door open for someone. Smile at everyone you see today. Tape some coins on a vending machine for someone else to find. Leave a kind note in a library book. Donate an old toy to charity. Leave positive notes in random places. Help someone with their bags. Buy someone in the queue a coffee. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Remember, acts of kindness can be done all year round!
Join us at Columbia Cottage Collegeville on October 28th for candy, snacks, and tons of fun!
