SEM Haven - Monthly Update

Monthly Update, March 2009

HOUSEHOLD HAPPENINGS:
Kugler Woods - In March we are looking forward to 3 activities on most days to keep everyone active and happy. Please let us know if you would like to help out or just join in the fun. We had a great Valentines Day party with Ray Heckman singing and playing the saxophone and a very nice lunch outing to Magianno's, Little Italy. We also had a great birthday party for our 101 year old, Marie Stoecklin! Again, another fun and fast moving month.
Ripple Ridge - Our family dinner on Feb. 12 was a huge success. Thanks to Kelli for cooking all the good food! We wished Nan a happy "100" birthday and celebrated with her favorite meal of meatloaf, baked potatoes and macaroni and cheese. We enjoyed our bingo valentine party and lunch at Red Lobster. We are doing our annual spring cleaning on March 25^th at 1:00 to help residents remove unwanted items from their rooms. Families are encouraged to assist, or, if you are unable, to please pick up their items. We are planning more activities on the household and are in need of donations of craft supplies. We will be going to Bob Evans on March 12th.
Shumard Rehab - Our Valentine's Party was lots of fun with goodies & Valentine Trivia. Our Almost out to lunch was McDonalds, & we had Happy Hour with wine, beer, cheese & crackers. Next month we plan to add some games, a devotional, & music enjoyment with Bill.
McCormick Landing - We went to lunch at the Iron Skillet in Newtown and we were lucky to have many family members join us. We had a Valentines lunch and party and several staff members brought in homemade dishes. The residents helped prepare a meal for Lee's retirement: fried chicken, real mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni & cheese, green beans and dinner rolls. The residents decided to give Lee a plaque that he could hang up and keep forever as a reminder of his McCormick Landing family.
Milcroft Manor - The winner of our Valentine basket was Haydee Rivera! The money we made went to decorate our kitchen. Thank you Toni and Michele for being our design team! We are planning a trip to Bob Evans in March. We had beautiful memorials for Ginny Pierce and Thelma Barat given by Chaplain Bill. They will be missed.
Gatch Grove - In February we had a successful candy sale and a fun Valentine's party. The household planned and cooked breakfast for supper. We also went to lunch at Bob Evans. Harley Riddle played guitar and sang for us one morning. March is scheduled to be just as busy with an outing to the Schoolhouse Restaurant and candy making for sale at Easter. We had a Pampered Chef party on the household to earn some tools to help with all the cooking and baking we do.

EASTER EGG HUNT - Our annual Easter Egg hunt for children/grandchildren/friends of our residents and staff will be on Saturday, April 4 from 2:00-4:00 PM. There will be food, games, prizes and lots of fun! We even have pictures with the Easter Bunny. Please mark your calendar. If you would like to donate candy or prizes please leave them at the reception desk.

A LOVING PARTNERSHIP: SEM HAVEN AND THE MILFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT
In honor of Valentine's Day, SEM Haven residents delivered lunch and homemade cookies to the Milford Fire and Rescue team. Mary Deasy, resident, read a poem written especially for the guys and gals who have made an impression on the residents and staff at SEM Haven. The residents are comforted knowing that we have such a great team of EMT's and fire fighters who come at the drop of a hat to help when we need them. The fire fighters help out each year for Senior Olympics. They run the games and are there each day for the events. The interaction between residents and the firefighters is awesome to witness. Staff look forward to the fire safety training provided each year by the fire department.

2008 DONATIONS - We received gifts totaling $9,921 from over 60 donors to the SEM Haven employee, activities and capital improvement funds. We are very appreciative of those who designate SEM Haven as a memorial for a loved one and to those who remember us in their will. This shows that you believe in our mission and the good work that we do. SEM Haven is a non-profit charitable corporation, so you can be assured that your gifts benefit our residents or staff directly.

STAFF NEWS - We welcome back Gail Morehead (Kugler Woods) and Elaine Plank (Milcroft Manor) from LOA. Congratulations to Toni Teeters who just completed her RN degree. We had a retirement party and roast for Lee Bolin who will continue to work PRN. I would like to commend our staff on the extra effort they made to care for our residents during the bad February weather.

NAN TURNS 100 - On Friday, February 20 Nan McMannon turned 100. She gets around just fine and is still quite witty. At her party her family shared some "Nanisms" about aging.

"It used to take you a long time to get this old"
"Same old, same old" (96^th birthday)
"I'm starting to feel what it's like to get old" (at 97)
"It's not too distressing when you get close to death because you want to know how it'll turn out."
When asked how old she would be on her birthday, "I don't know it's either 300 or 100."

Nan's loving daughter-in-law, Karen McMannon writes:
On February 20, 1909, Nan McMannon came into our world in Flaherty, Kentucky. Her parents, Benjamin and Marguerite Lancaster, her brother Ted, sister Francis, and later her sister Bennie, came to know a gaily spirited wisp of a girl. Numerous beaus sprinkled her youth and her girlfriends were friends for a lifetime. Nan graduated from Ursuline High School for girls in Louisville. Suffering hearing loss due to a childhood illness, she studied lip reading as a young adult. Undaunted, Thomas McMannon finally won her heart.

Nan and Tom were married February 1, 1941 and moved to Cincinnati to establish their home. Their son, Larry came to them in January 1942 and then son, Mike in March 1943. Because of her typing skills, Nan easily found work. Among her employers were the Court Index and the Internal Revenue Service. She was known for her ability to accurately read undecipherable penmanship. After long work days and bus travel, Nan relaxed with library book after library book. Her unmatched vocabulary created a formidable Scrabble player. Her pride is her family. She relished in the success of her sons. She is greatly loved by her six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, who endearingly refer to her as Grand Nan.

Among her life's adventures, to name a few, was growing up above her parents' grocery store in the country, almost being run over by a horse and buggy, participating in a play in black face completely breaking up the audience, getting sunburn sitting in the rumble seat on a youthful trip to Chicago, traveling by row boat from New Richmond to downtown Cincinnati during the '55 flood, almost going off the road with her sister in New Mexico in hot pursuit of a Road Runner bird, sitting atop the Worlds Trade Center and dining at almost every restaurant in Cincinnati. Nan lived in Hyde Park prior to moving to SEM Laurels, SEM Villa and now SEM Haven. Perhaps you can't take the country (or all that southern charm), out of the girl. We have gotten to know her gracious cheerfulness.

BETTY TURNS 100 - Betty Konrad turns 100 on March 31! - More on her special day next month.

SOCIAL EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS - March 5^th - Men's almost out to lunch; 12^th - Linda Valery's Music; 19^th - St Patty's Dance with McNicholas High School at 7PM; 26^th - Miami Valley Christian Academy Visit

Highlights for Kugler Woods: March 3, 17 & 31 - 3:30 Cocktail Hour and appetizers; 10 & 24 - 2:00 Music with Ruth Schaeffer; 4^th - Family devotions with Bill; 18^th - History with Bill; 20^th - Songs for Seniors with Mike Pendell; 26^th - lunch outing to Longhorn Steak House.

Barb Wolf,
Administrator

Happy St. Patrick's Day