Author: St. Anne's Living Center

We just finished cutting up about 130 pounds of a green plant with red highlights.

Yes, it was rhubarb!

This was actually the second batch we received and processed within just a few days.  The generous donors of both batches sell one batch per year to a local winery, but had extra now to share with us.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Deacon Wally Dalman and his wife Colleen for their kindness!

We’ve begun to use their rhubarb already, making sauce, jam, and cake.

However, this really doesn’t put much of a dent in our supply, to which we added roughly 245 lbs. since this past Wednesday.  There will be plenty to provide for rhubarb desserts for months to come, which is good because our residents do enjoy them.

Due to the large quantity of produce, we had two “rhubarb cutting parties” today with our residents; one began after snacks, around 10 a.m.  The second was after dinner and lasted until supper time.  A few people came and went, but some stayed in our activity room for the entire afternoon of “festivities.”

Good conversation, camaraderie, and the satisfaction that manual work can bring,  make these parties an uplifting experience for our residents.

If you’re interested in joining in with future “parties,” please let us know and we can give you a call.  We’ll be having corn and apples come in as well during the coming weeks and would be happy to have you come and join us!

We have a job opening for a “Universal Worker.”
This individual would work about 27 hours a week (including every other weekend). Duties include laundry, personal care and a bit of evening receptionist work.
Interested? Visit www.stannesguesthome.org/employment.html or stop by St. Anne’s to complete an application.

Also, anyone who has not yet seen our video of photos from our 65 years in Grand Forks, you can view it below.

This year, as we mark her feast, we’re also hosting a celebration in honor of our 65 years in Grand Forks.  Please join on Monday. July 24th at 2 p.m. in our activity room for music, memories and a piece of cake.

You may read weekly posts on the St. Anne’s Scoop and be familiar with “St. Anne’s Guest Home,” but do you know who Saint Anne really was?

St. Anne is Mary’s mother, Jesus’ grandmother. Her feast day is July 26.

We do not know a lot about Anne and her husband Joachim, but legend has it that they were elderly and childless before Mary was born to them.

A statue near the reception desk at St. Anne’s Guest Home depicts St. Anne instructing her daughter (Mary) in the 10 Commandments. It was re-painted within the last couple of years by Dennis Narlock.  At the end of this post, you’ll find a poem about our patroness written by Sr. Christina.

Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming festivities.

Poem in Honor of Sts. Anne and Joachim,
parents of Mary

~ ~ ~
(based on early legends)
We make a special point each year
To honor Anne, our patron dear
When e’er her feast day comes around
Joy and fun times will abound.

This week we’ll honor Sts. Joachim and Anne.
They had a special place in God’s plan.
Though old and childless they’d become
grandparents of His only Son.

We don’t know much about this pair
but generous love they both did share.
With a special daughter they were blest
And ancient tales tell us the rest.

They were both from David’s clan,
This old woman and old man.
One eve while praying in the hills
Joachim heard news his heart to thrill.

At the same time his holy wife
heard some news that changed her life.
She was taking a garden stroll
when from her eyes great tears did roll. —

A nest of young birds she had seen,
making her sorrow very keen.
Seeing these babies pierced her heart
like a stinging little dart.

For she wanted a babe of her own
One to be her own flesh and bone.
For this favor the couple did pray,
pleading for it ev’ry day.

To both, separately, an angel did speak
Off’ring the favor both did seek,
telling then that their prayer’d been heard
though at their age it seemed absurd.

Anne was told a daughter she’d bear
who would be blest through ev’rywhere.
She then met Joachim at the gate
and with him did jubilate.

Mary was born, and at three years of age
her life’s story turned a page.
Now in the temple she would live;
Her life to God she’d surely give.

Her parents brought her there one day,
in God’s presence to work and play.
They gave her wholly to the Lord
whom they both faithfully adored.

Thus goes the story of that holy pair
Their longed-for daughter they did share.
And in due time they both became
Grandma and Grandpa, called by name.

Please pardon our stealing of the expression (from the national program broadcast on PBS each year), but we’re having a “Capitol Fourth” here at St. Anne’s today.

The celebrations started with a beautiful 9 a.m. Mass in our chapel, with a good number of residents and visitors gathered.

After this and a morning snack, residents were invited to take part in a Bible study, with singing and scripture reading, based off last Sunday’s readings.

If the weather is cool enough and people are interested, we’ll take a little walk after lunch.

At 2:30 p.m., we’re looking forward to a “Patriotic Name-That-Tune & Sing Along” with Sr. Christina providing piano music on the keyboard.

We’ll be serving patriotic cookies (red, white, and blue) for afternoon snacks.

This evening, our residents can enjoy the broadcast of “A Capitol Fourth” on our big TV.

To top it all off, Sr. Elaine is taking a few more mobile residents to the fireworks display by the river.  Sr. Christina will accompany others to the third floor of our building to enjoy the display (there is a lounge with windows there.).

We hope you have “a Capitol Fourth,” too!

What do great fellowship, peppy old-time music and tasty desserts have in common?  Well, you’ll find them all at St. Anne’s this Sunday.

Local accordion players will again be providing music.  A free-will offering will be taken during the event, held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Proceeds of the social go toward our activity department.  We’d appreciate if you can bring over a pie, cake, or monetary donation to help with the event.

You can let us know if you’re interested, or even donate online.

Please help spread the word!  We hope to see you there!

June is here! It appears that we’re jumping about forty degrees between the beginning of the week and now.

It seemed appropriate to share here some tips for keeping cool when it’s hot outside.  Hopefully you’ll find them helpful.

1. Make an ice cube necklace with nylons
2. Make a cold pack with a water bottle.
3. Run cold water over your wrists.  This is especially effective because of the location of your veins.
4. Take a cool bath or shower…brrrr!
5. Stay in your lower level – remember, heat rises.
6. Choose light weight and light colored clothes.  Think cotton because synthetics trap the heat while cotton absorbs your sweat.
7. Roll up and freeze pieces of damp flannel cloth.  When you get hot, take them out, unroll them and lay them on your forehead and cheeks.
8. Eat ice cream.  The perfect opportunity to do so it at our St. Anne’s annual Pie, Cake and Ice Cream Social Sunday, June 11.
9. Drink plenty of water or even chew on crushed ice.  Other frozen treats are options as well, though nothing quite compares with water.
10. Dampen your top sheet and/or pillow and stick it in the refrigerator.  Then, take it out and put it on right before bed.  You can also dampen clothing items and chill them to cool yourself off.

Resources:

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/11643563/19-tips-to-stay-cool-in-the-heat.html
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-191204/20-hot-tips-stay-cool.html
• http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/174914/11_wacky_ways_to_stay_cool/117800/11_pick_a_fight_with/11
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2702172/Cant-sleep-heat-Put-sheets-fridge-DONT-sleep-naked.html
• http://lifehacker.com/top-10-ways-to-stay-cool-without-air-conditioning-1782370303

 

 

 

 

Enjoy some “food for thought” from Sr. Elaine!

From time to time Sister Ann Marie, our Provincial Superior, comes to visit us.  She brings along Greek Yogurt to eat as her breakfast, adding lots of granola.  So when she planned on coming this last time I thought I would be hospitable and have some on hand for her.  Of course, I got the flavored version.  She brings the plain.

Just what is this Greek Yogurt?  There is French toast, Italian spaghetti, American apple pie, English muffin, French onion soup.  Why not Greek yogurt?  So as to appreciate this supposed delicacy I drove over to Hugo’s Grocery store to read the labels.

First of all, where in Greece is it made?  So I looked on the label – guess where?  No, not in Greece!  The flavored is manufactured for distribution in Lake Success, New York, and the plain in White Plains, New York.  It’s like that advertisement for salsa – “New York City”!

The label states it is an excellent source of calcium.  So, I looked up calcium in Webster’s book and it stated:  “Calcium:  a silvery, moderately hard metallic element that constitutes approximately 3% of the earth’s crust and is a basic component of most animals and plants.”

We want this in us?  I have also heard that calcium is good for our bones and teeth.  OK then.

The label also states yogurt has 7 live and active cultures.  Good grief! Where in us do they live?

In capital letters the label asserts Greek Yogurt is “PROBIOTIC”!  What in the wide world of sports is “Probiotic”?  Even Webster’s brand new 2 ½ inch dictionary did not have that word.  But, Google did.  Yes, it seems needed to aide one’s intestinal fortitude.

Too, the label sings Greek Yogurt praises stating, “Indulge – full bodied rich and creamy texture with every spoonful”, “Perfect as an alternative to sweet or sour cream, exceptionally delicious with smoothies”.  But – the clincher came when it declared, “Perfect as an alternative to ice cream”.  Do I ever beg to differ with that!!!  Nothing can take the place of ice cream!  Nothing!  In my opinion, not even American Greek Yogurt!

When Sister Ann Marie went back to our Provincial House she did not take the left over Greek Yogurt with her.  Consequently, I had fun trying different homemade flavors with her plain Greek Yogurt.  Try bananas, strawberries, blue berries.  Don’t have any?  Strawberry ice cream topping works.  Even caramel ice cream topping.  I figure since the caramel topping stands right beside the strawberry topping in the refrigerator it, through the process of osmosis, becomes fruity.  I did not try hot fudge yet.  But, I will.  Then add your granola and even a little French vanilla coffee creamer, and have a wonderful festive breakfast, and a great Greek day!