SEM Haven - Monthly Update

Monthly Update, September 2008

HOUSEHOLD HAPPENINGS - Kugler Woods - In August we enjoyed lunch at O'Charley's and are now looking forward to Assisted Living Week!
McCormick Landing - Where did August go? We have been practicing for the Olympics and are looking for the GOLD! We went to Buckhead Mountain Grill for lunch; we started out on the patio but it was too hot so we moved inside to window seats. We were able to watch the boats and barges go up and down on the Ohio River. The view brought back many memories.
Ripple Ridge - We welcome Anne Sicurella to our family as our nurse leader. She has many years of experience as an assessment nurse as well as other management functions. On August 20^th we had Happy Hour and the residents liked it so much they decided that we should have it every month to celebrate birthdays. On September 4^th we will be going to see the Reds play one last time for the summer (we hope they win). We can't wait to go back next summer.
Shumard Rehab - We had our third cook-out of the season in August. It was intended to be the last; however residents & staff requested another in September. Connie Woeber is officially joining Shumard Rehab Center on September 2 as our nurse leader. We welcome Connie & look forward to working with her.
Milcroft Manor - Our annual Milcroft Manor cookout was loads of fun. We had great music and sing-a-long with Dave Hawkins. Many family members joined in.
Gatch Grove - We have been enjoying the vegetables from our garden - fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and eggplant parmesan. We had Brayden Weber's 1^st birthday party on Aug 23. Many of our residents enjoyed cake and punch and watching the little fellow devour his cake. He ended up wearing more than he ate! We had a USO Dance. Everyone enjoyed listening to the music and dancing to tunes from the WWII era. This month we are working for Olympic gold. We also will be going to the School House Restaurant on Sept. 18, and are planning an end of summer party and cookout. We will be starting our Cookie Dough fundraiser soon.

STAFF NEWS - Elaine Plank (Milcroft Manor) has a new grandson born August 3. Nicholas Andrew is named after both great-grandfathers. Reajean Gordon (Milcroft) also is a proud grandma of a new baby boy named Max. He weighted in at 9 lbs 14 oz.! Congratulations!

Our annual staff recognition banquet is scheduled for Friday, November 21, at Receptions Banquet Hall in Loveland. We sincerely appreciate the monetary and merchandise donations from friends, family members and vendors that make this night possible. We always have many great door prizes! Please make donations through Toni Tometich in the Business Office.

SOCIAL EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS - Sept 1^st - Labor Day Ceremony; 3^rd - Cheryl Pannabecker w/ John James Audubon Art; 10^th -Jim McBride's Music; 17^th - The Harkster's Gospel Music; 28^th - Steve Winch Concert.

Assisted Living: Sept 2, 16 & 30 - piano with Ruth Schaefer; 29^th - Dining Out at The 20^th Century Fox Theatre for Music and Comedian entertainment.

SEM HAVEN CARNIVAL - Our carnival on August 27 was wonderful! We had ring toss, fish pond, ball toss, face painting, popcorn & snow cones. We also had special guest appearances by three goats, two bunnies and several dogs - thanks to those who brought them in!

SEM HAVEN OLYMPICS - The households are practicing for the Olympics. They will be held September 22-26 at 2:00 pm daily. It should be a great time - please come and cheer your team on!

NATIONAL ASSISTED LIVING WEEK, "Filling Life with Love" - September 7-13
MONDAY SEPT. 8^th (Wear Red for Country Day) 2:00 Ho-Down with Jackie McCoy & her banjo
TUESDAY SEPT. 9^th (Wear Yellow for Back to School Day) 2:00 Entertainment by The Merry Moore's
WEDNESDAY SEPT. 10^th (Wear Blue for Picnic Day) 2:00 Dollar bingo; 6:30 -Resident/Family/Staff Annual Potluck Picnic in the Courtyard
THURSDAY SEPT. 11^th (Wear Red, White & Blue for Patriotic Day) 2:00 Patriotic Songs & Hymns sung by The Scott County Quartet
FRIDAY SEPT. 12^th (Wear Black & White for Black Tie Day) 2:00 Black Tie Affair with Ricard

RESIDENT OF THE MONTH by Chaplain Bill - Margaret Freudenberg was born March 30, 1910 in Branch Hill Ohio, and never lived over nine miles from her birth place, including SEM Haven. She was the oldest of four girls, and had six brothers, so her mom was a busy housewife, and her dad was a foreman in a machine tool company. They had fourteen acres, a small farm, but life was tough as it was for everyone during the depression. Margaret was 14 when her sister Avanella "Avie" (who visits often) was born and she became a second mother to her. Margaret graduated from Loveland High, and then took a stenographer course that helped her get a job at Cincinnati Milling Machine, later Milacron, where she worked for 31 years. She started during the depression, and worked thru WWII, and enjoyed every minute of it. She loves people, and is a natural teacher.

Margaret's husband Bill was a civil engineer. They traveled a lot to Florida to see the Reds in spring training, and often to Canada to get a fish sandwich, so they said. There was one memorable trip west to Oceanside California to a marine base in 1946 to see a brother. Margaret was a dare devil (per sister Avie) and a tom boy, who worked along with her brothers, even when they worked on the roof.

Her hobbies were horse back riding, knitting, quilting, and cooking. She did many pages of family research, and loves her computer. She keeps in touch with many nieces and nephews. They come from all over, (as far away as Hawaii), to visit her. Her church was the Branch Hill Church of Christ which her grandmother and mother helped start. She taught Sunday school, and was a great volunteer. She was such a wonderful volunteer for the police department, that on snowy days they sent a cruiser to pick her up. Margaret is a great story teller, and she shares some of her great stories with me. She has given me one which I will share with others when I preach around Thanksgiving. It is perfect for showing how God takes care of us in strange and often hilarious ways. She is such a fine willing worker, a passage I would give for her is: Matthew 9:37 and 38. "Then sayth he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few: (38) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest. That he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Margaret has been an inspiring laborer for her Lord all her life, now she is inspiring us!

Barb Wolf
Administrator