Friday, October 31, 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Halloween Happy Hour & Costume Party

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky,
They're altogether ooky,
The First Hill Family!

We hereby declare today's Halloween Happy Hour and Costume Party a howling success!

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Seattle Youth Opera Performance

What an amazing evening! The Seattle Opera's Teen Opera Players Studio is full of exceptionally talented young performers who put on an incredible show for our residents. Bravo!

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Friday, October 10, 2014

Pumpkin Carving

We're getting ready for trick-or-treaters! Tessa and Patrick helped with the carving of this year's crop of jack-o'-lanterns while our residents dictated the designs. We think the results are spooky great!

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"Man with a Gun" Presentation

Northwest author Bryan R. Johnston gave a fascinating presentation on the Kennedy assassination this past Wednesday, and had us hanging on his every word! 

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

October Greetings from Craig

Hello Friends and Family of Merrill Gardens at First Hill,

Ah, October! The month that truly signifies the fall season. I remember as a child the beautiful array of October fall colors that the trees displayed; like a richly colored quilt made of every color hue imaginable from an artist’s palette. I always seemed to want to pick the reddest leaves off the maple trees for my elementary school projects. And the mornings walking to school and seeing that the October frost fairies had touched every blade of grass with dew drop magic frost patterns. A fair warning that cold weather was soon to follow having our parents bringing out sweaters and coats, thicker blankets, and having the furnace checked out because soon there would be heating bills to pay.

I wasn’t worried about heating bills as a child; I was more worried about making my Halloween costume and trying to figure out where I could go this year to score the most candy from Trick-or-Treating! I also loved to make huge leaf piles (much to the chagrin of my parents, who just insisted on getting the leaves raked up off the yard and into the gutter), and I so enjoyed jumping in the huge piles all afternoon and re-scattering the leaves, as I threw them high up into the sky. Grandpa would supervise the burning of the massive leaf piles and the rich, musky aroma of the burning leaves would send tendrils of lazy smoke wafting into the October air. And I remember giant flocks of geese heading south for warmer nesting grounds and climates. I remember looking out into the famer’s fields and seeing that all of the crops had been harvested and the only things left standing were the corn shock sentinels, yellowed white and golden orange, and the small chickadees flying in and out to retrieve kernels of the rare corn cob left behind. To this day, if I smell burning leaves I am immediately transported back to October in Wisconsin and I can smell the smoldering burning leaf piles, the cool, crisp air changing from summer to fall, and my Grandmother’s bottomless pot of endless soups and stews, chock-full of our garden’s vegetables and the recently butchered chicken, cow, or pig. Grandma always said her soups and stews could ward off any cold or flu - and they were always yummy. I can still see her setting out several apple pies, fresh from the oven, onto the window sill to cool down before supper. There is nothing better than the aroma of freshly made apple pie on a cold October day - except having a huge slice of that pie with a dollop of vanilla ice cream melting down over it as you dig your fork into it and watch it magically disappear!

Speaking of which, we would like to invite you into Merrill Gardens at First Hill during October to sample our Chef Thomas’ incredible homemade soups and other delectable treats, and to also have a piece of his tasty apple pie, complete with that dollop of vanilla ice cream to boot!

Then take part in one of our many fun-filled October activities for the day with our talented activity directors, Patrick and Charlie, who are guaranteed to leave you laughing. Try out Wii bowling, bingo, swimming, playing cards, Chair Zumba, yoga exercise, or simply going along on one of our scenic drives. 

Please look over our October Calendar of Events and see if there is something there that tickles your fancy, and grab a friend and come to Merrill Gardens at First Hill and be our guests for a nice hot October lunch and some festive times.

Sincerely,
Craig and the entire staff at Merrill Gardens at First Hill

REMINDER: "Planning for an Elderly Parent" Seminar

RSVP by Friday, October 10th