The entertaining stories of the life of the Ingalls family homesteading in the Midwest between 1870-1894 have captured the hearts and imaginations of children and adults worldwide for years. The collection of Little House on the Prairie books were even adapted to a popular television series in the late 70's and a beautiful culture has developed around them. So it's no surprise that Liberty residents were charmed recently by the visit of Jane Lazaritti who is an avid collector of Little House on the Prairie dolls. Residents and guests snacked on watermelon and refreshments as Jane's collection came to life as she related memorable passages from the classics. It was an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

On June 29, Queen City Hospice assisted us in recognizing our veterans. It was an emotional program for families and staff as we honored our veterans and wives of deceased service men. This year we paid tribute to around 25 residents and hope to make this an annual ceremony. Much appreciation goes out to Queen City Hospice in supporting and assisting us in this endeavor.

We strive to offer a wide variety of stimulating and fun scheduled activities for our residents. From card games and musical entertainment to out door days when the weather permits, residents have plenty of opportunities for exercise and socialization. Everyone has their personal favorites of course, but for Bobbi, a long-standing Liberty resident, arts and crafts always trump. She loves opportunities to let her creative side show and this artful collage with her favorite color was no exception.

Our wonderful therapy team works one-on-one to develop individualized treatment plans for each patient using our fully equipped therapy room or residents' rooms.Whether patients are recuperating from an illness or an injury, it's a team approach to assist them in restoring skill and function. Abbey and Jared, our licensed physical therapists, are committed to helping patients return to the most active and independent lifestyle as possible while maintaining a healthy and safe environment.

Everyone looks forward to our Friday Happy Hours where we enjoy refreshments and lively activities. Our most recent Happy Hour was no exception. Stacy Todd from the Van-Dells keeps 50s and 60s rock and roll alive at Colerain when he visits. From Doo-Wop favorites to Mowtown classics and everything in between, he always keeps his audience smiling, toe-tapping and clapping. On this visit he even gave out several copies of his new CD "The Highway". We can't wait for him to return!

Here at Colerain, our delicious food is considered its own activity. That's why we warmly welcome Sandy, our new Dietary Manager. With quite a bit of experience in the long-term care industry, she is getting plenty of smiles and compliments on her recipes. She's not only introducing new foods, but works closely each week with resident council to take special requests. We've been enjoying pepper steak, salmon croquettes, homemade potato soup and everyone's favorite... italian subs! We're so happy to have her as part of our team.

The week of May 13-19 was National Skilled Nursing Care Week. This annual event is an opportunity to recognize the crucial role that facilities such as ours play in communities across the country. We endeavored to have a full week's worth of activities to encourage residents, visitors and staff to enjoy getting to know one another better. Everyone kicked back for events such as our delicious ice cream social, salsa and nacho day, and a wonderful cookout. Of course challenging games and activities delighted everyone and kept us all on our toes!

We love culinary adventures, so it's no wonder that our recent Swiss Burger Day was a hit with residents and guests! Indulging in juicy, flavorful burgers was as fun as it was delicious. And, with a variety of toppings and condiments to choose from everyone was able to take their burgers to the next level. Paired with tasty onion rings, this lunch felt like a trip to Frisch's and kept our taste buds wanting more!

Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping quicker than our Quarter Auction Day. It encourages socialization and of course who doesn't love a bargain. Ramona, a regular volunteer here at Liberty, discovers and brings in a wide variety of collectibles that residents bid on with loose change. Stuffed animals and jewelry are always a big hit. As our lively auctioneer, Romana does a wonderful job of building the fun and excitement!

We decided to break Spring in with a lunch outing to one of our favorite places— Cracker Barrel! Getting out brightened everyone's spirit, but of course delicious comfort food really put the smiles on our faces. With all the joy and laughter, it was easy to tell that this outing was a great success. We're looking forward to many more surprise food trips! Stay tuned.