Hi folks! It’s been a long time since you last heard from me! April wasn’t a very good month weather-wise with all the freezing rain, cold and windy conditions. Here’s hoping the month of May is different. We should have enough moisture for a while if the wind behaves itself. We do hope everyone can get their crops in and have a fruitful harvest this fall. Well, to begin, we had our intergenerational children here, and we made Easter bunnies to hang on our doors. They were nicely made and we enjoyed making them with the children. We enjoyed the Huberty Band again with their great music and singing. We all enjoy singing along with them. Then, one Saturday morning we had a group of dancers called “Just for Kix” come to perform. They were a group of kids through fourth grade. What a lovely bunch of girls, we so enjoyed them. Maynard Nathe came one afternoon with his music and singing. Later, he visited with the folks and enjoyed coffee and cookies with us. Every Friday morning we have devotions and communion services. It’s wonderful to end our week with song and thanks. Our intergenerational children came for the last time and we had a party and played games together. Each resident got a hug from their boy or girl when they left. We hope they all pass their grade in school. They truly are a nice, well-behaved bunch of children. Have you heard about Johnny Pineapple? Well, he was here to entertain us one afternoon. What a hilarious man! He sang, played guitar and told jokes. Everyone had a great time and many good laughs that afternoon. That day was also our Hawaiian Day celebration. We wore our grass skirts and leis and had a Hawaiian dinner. A nutritionist from Willmar came to talk to us about nutrition, what we eat and what is good for us to eat. It was a very educational meeting. Mary Haag comes during our supper hour one evening a month to play her wonderful music for us on her hammer dulcimer. The residents colored Eas-ter eggs to sell one afternoon. The residents enjoyed coloring them and visiting together. Then, on Saturday, we had our Easter egg hunt outside in the yard. The children all had a great time looking for the hidden eggs. There was a huge crowd here that day. We also had Misty and Friends Zoo here. They brought a donkey, pot-bellied pig, sheep, baby goats, ducks, chicks and rabbits. The children as well as the adults enjoyed the animals. Then, everyone was served juice and cookies. We also had a live Easter bunny walking around with a basket of goodies for anyone and everyone. We have seven residents with birthdays in May. We hope they all enjoy their special day with their loved ones. “Happy birthday” to all of them. We also have a few new residents who have come to stay with us and we wish them all a hearty welcome to our home. The residents played some mystery Bingo. Different amounts of money were tucked inside of plastic Easter eggs. Residents won whatever they found inside the egg. In the end, everyone was given an egg even if they didn’t have a Bingo. It was lots of fun and we thank the Eden Valley Hawks for their wonderful donation so that we could have so much fun. An auxiliary member of the Eden Valley unit came and gave each of their members an Easter gift. We thank them for remembering us here at the Hilltop. The IMPACT group came out one afternoon to bowl and have horse races. A group of 4-H children from Kimball performed a short skit for us one Saturday. It was a wonderful performance that we all en-joyed. The Cantacle Singers came one Sunday. What a lovely bunch of songs they sang. It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to hear them perform and we thank them for coming. We celebrated with a birthday party for our April residents with cookies, cake and ice cream. We’re on the road again with our first spring ride out into the country. It was terrific just to get out and see what everyone has been up to. Not many farmers were out in the fields, but with the sun and a little breeze the fields should dry up so the spring work can begin. Happy Mothers’ Day to all dear mothers. Have a wonderful day. Well, this is it for the month, everybody. Hope you enjoyed it, and until next time, let’s see what Ole is up to. Lars Gutormson, one of Ole’s old buddies, was getting feeble and was put in a retirement home. He was just getting used to the place when one of the nurses noticed Lars sitting on a bench, tipping to one side. She rushed over to straighten him up, fearing he would tip over. Soon, Lars was tipping to the other side, so the nurse hurried over to help him up again. This went on all morning. Ole came to visit Lars in the afternoon and asked him how he was adjusting to the home. “Don’t like it,” said Lars. “Vhy not” asked Ole. “Becoss,” says Lars, “dey von’t even let me lean over to pass my gas!”
