Music and More in Iowa

A facility in Iowa recently took me up on my Music and More offer, so off I went to a lovely little town just an hour past Dubuque.   The plan was to play my accordion, musical instrument of ages, and then retire to the dining room for an activity, namely, dying silk scarves with bleeding tissue.

As I arrived early I was given a tour of the facility by the Activity Director, Lisa.  We headed for the dining room where lunch was in progress.  I was immediately struck by the atmosphere in the dining room and couldn't help but comment.  As the lunch progressed the staff went about their business with pleasant smiles, while the residents ate and visited with each other.  When the staff did speak to the residents they spoke to them as if they were cherished friends, not a task to be accomplished.

After lunch, when the resident gathered for the music, they were full of care for one another as they got themselves seated.  When the music began the residents spontaneously sang along.  As for the activity, I decided to find a less cumbersome way to work with the scarves by eliminating the Styrofoam boards.  Yes we did!  That new and improved scarf dying method will be posted on this blog early next week.

Thanks to Lisa, the staff, volunteer Irene, and the residents for blessing me with a beautiful day.  How fortunate they are to live and work in such a caring facility.