As it was National Ice Cream month we didn’t prove them wrong. Every chance we had we were eating ice cream. We had ice cream bars, ice cream cones, root beer floats,  and hot fudge sundaes to name a few.

Friday, July 1 was International Joke Telling Day. Laughter is one of the only tools that can get us through anything. When a day seems dark, a good giggle can give us a better perspective. Here are a couple of jokes for you. When you’re 20 and you drop something, you pick it up. When you’re 80 and you drop something, you decide you don’t need it anymore.

Two elderly women were eating breakfast in a restaurant one morning. Ethel noticed something funny about Mabel’s ear and she said, “Mabel, did you know you’ve got a suppository in your left ear?” Mabel answered, “I have a suppository?” She pulled it out and stared at it. Then she said, “Ethel, I’m glad you saw this thing. Now I think I know where my hearing aid is.”

“Grandpa, what were your good old days?”  Grandpa’s reply? “When I wasn’t good, and I wasn’t old.”

We have been enjoying the nice weather and have been going outside every chance we get. We’ve been playing games, drinking lemonade and taking in the fresh air. Sometimes it’s nice just to sit and soak up the sun.

Tom Novotny has been up entertaining us with his one-man-band. We’ve played Bingo like nobody’s business. Joyce Hagen, Delores Saethre, Nona Smith, Nadine Abel and Gloria Martineau and Char Anderson were our monthly coverall winners. They each get a certificate good for one free item from our General Store.

Iris Shepard, Delores Saethre, and one of our Bill’s all had birthday’s this month. Doug Sanders played the piano and we all enjoyed the music with Chocolate cake and ice cream at Bill’s request. Harold Husby turned 100 on the 12th. His family took him out and had a huge celebration for him. 

We’ve been enjoying Pokeno Club on Tuesday nights. We have good conversation over dinner then break out the Pokeno boards. We play the game like Bingo. Each win gets us a quarter. Sometimes we need to call in the National Guard to escort us home. 

July 8th Nadine Abel shared pizza from Sister’s with us for our happy hour snack. It was delicious. Thank you Mary and Nadine. We just got a few new patio tables complete with umbrellas. We tested these beauties out by making a few sticky messes and having a good old fashioned s’more on Friday, July 22nd. Irene Peterson was sitting enjoying the sun, visiting and eating her s’more. She said with a huge smile, “Now this is as good as it gets!”  Two residents were chatting away. One resident was talking and the second resident said, “You know, I just can’t understand you.” Without missing a beat the one talking says, “Neither can I!” Nona Smith said, “You know it’s good when you get the end of your nose all sticky!”  

Drink Coffee, Play Games and a little Perk Lesson

We are still drinking a lot of coffee, playing Uno and dice games, and even threw in a horse race as it was National Day of the Cowboy on Friday, July 29th.  The code of conduct for a cowboy or cowgirl is: 1. Live each day with honesty and courage. 2. Take pride in your work. Always do your best. 3. Stay curious. Study hard and learn all you can. 4. Do what has to be done and finish what you start. 5. Be tough, but fair. 6. When you make a promise, keep it. 7. Be clean in thought, word, deed, and dress. 8. Practice tolerance and understanding of others. 9. Be willing to stand up for what is right. 10. Be an excellent steward of the land and its animals.  Even if you aren’t a cowboy or cowgirl, it sure sounds like the perfect way to live.

Thank you’s, Bicycle Project and Volunteers

Thank you to our volunteers Diane Nowers for the fresh garden flowers, Barb Wright for all the delicious home-baked treats, and to Linda Harsdorf for all the kindness you pass around. Thank you, Chet Lindskog and Dick Bockovich for helping with Bingo, Penny Ortmann for reading to us, Doug Sanders and Tom Novotny for the wonderful music and to Sharon Brenner for getting us moving, giving us some good laughs, and serving us piping hot coffee as we know we can never get enough of that. 

We still are in the process of fundraising to get a bicycle built for two so we can pedal residents around for a change of scenery and some fresh air.  We are also still looking for volunteers. Do you have an hour to come play music, take a resident for a walk or assist with a game? Give me a call to learn how you can get involved. 218-387-3518. If you would like to donate towards our bicycle built for two please send money to: North Shore Health 515 5th Ave W Grand Marais, MN 55604 attention: Activities with bicycle in the memo.

Go tell someone a good clean joke. It feels so good to laugh. I hope we made you hungry for some ice cream, try a few of the cowboy code of conducts and as always Old Age Ain’t For Sissies.