The Connections campaign spaghetti dinner raised $1,200 and lots of fun! Here’s a shot of our youngest patron…what do you think?

Check out the socks on Jere and Steve, or the Wacky Wicketeers!

On Saturday, April 24 Messiah Village hosted our very first charity croquet tournament – Wicket on the Green! Yes, I said croquet! Unique, right?  Unlike a golf tournament, croquet can be played on our beautiful Nittany Lawn so there’s no need to travel. As a familiar backyard sport, croquet is something that can be enjoyed by all ages.

We hosted 21 amateur teams and 4 USCA professional teams! People came from Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland to play…and the winners went home with great cash prizes, thanks to our main event sponsor, Turkey Hill Dairies!

You could feel the excitement in the air as blue skies broke across the beautifully prepared green lawn.  Some players were all in white, looking very genteel. Others donned arygle sweaters or crazy rainbow socks to add some fun to the game.   From the youngest player to the oldest, everyone had a grand time playing croquet, enjoying gourmet sandwiches and french fries, and listening to a fantastic guitar ensemble.  Best of all, the event created awareness of the Endowment Fund for Benevolent Care.  Some of the professional players made donations to Messiah Village before they left because they appreciated our mission and wanted to help!

Mark YOUR calendar for next year’s tournament – Saturday, April 30, 2011. You won’t want to miss the fun and camaraderie of this wholesome competition.  This year’s players have all been energized and many have said they’re coming back next year – but not until they buy new croquet sets so they can practice!  Maybe you should dust off the old mallets in your garage or basement and get some wickets in the ground this summer.  You just might be a Wicket on the Green champion next year!

The Whackers team, seen here, went on to finish 3rd in the amateur division!

A bird's eye view of all 9 courses on Nittany Lawn.

Yesterday I took my son to school for his kindergarten test.  As we drove, I told him that he’d meet his new teacher and that she might ask him a few questions to get to know him.  (I tried to be very cool and not show that I was a little nervous about this milestone!)  As he sauntered down the long hallway, holding his teacher’s hand, I sat  in an empty office filling out paperwork.  A few minutes later, he came bounding down the hall, smiling, and holding a newly sharpened pencil.  In the parking lot, I asked him about “the test.” He said it was great and then proceeded to say, “Did you know Miss Jones is only 27 years old and that she lives one mile away from the school?” I laughed and laughed….why was my child asking his teacher all these questions when HE was the one there for testing?  Later, as I related this to my husband, we laughed again. And then I realized that my son is entering a new relationship. Come September, he’ll spend 5 days a week with this teacher, learning, laughing, and growing with her and his classmates. I guess it’s only fair that he ask her a few questions!

As we think about living and working at Messiah Village, it’s important to remember that good relationships are based on knowledge and a mutual respect of the other person’s stories.  And speaking of stories, our residents have great stories!  If we really want to embrace community life, we need to ask questions and really hear the answers. Maybe this week, you’ll meet someone new. You don’t have to ask them their age, but you could ask them about a favorite vacation, a beloved hobby, or a childhood pet.  Sometimes the simplest question starts a great friendship.

Since our almost-5-year old son has a short break from pre-school this week, we thought it would be fun to schedule a few days at Camp Grandma, also known as my mom and dad’s house in Northumberland County!  One of the best parts of being a parent is watching the special bond that has formed between Noah and my folks. They LOVE spending time together. What great memories they’ll capture during these otherwise blah January days.   Noah was so proud to pack his new suitcase and hit the road for a few days of big boy adventure with two of his most favorite people.

One of the reasons I love working at Messiah Village is that we are home to many remarkable people, many of whom are grandparents and great-grandparents! I enjoy hearing stories of how our residents have impacted the lives of their families and friends.  It’s a joy to serve them.  

Sometimes people ask me if it’s hard to work in a retirement community. Sure, there are sad times.  It’s not easy to say goodbye or watch someone struggle with declining health.  But working at Messiah Village is more than a job for most of us  – it’s a vocation… a calling… a ministry.   Working in the home of more than 600 wise and special older adults is an adventure.  If you take time to listen and learn, you can collect fantastic stories — the kind we all heard around our grandparent’s kitchen tables.  Stories of simpler times, sacrifice, hard work, and answered prayers. 

I think today I’ll try to have as much fun working at Messiah Village as Noah is having at Camp Grandma!