Jamie and Michelle went to Alex and Ila’s home to complete their pre-move in assessment. Alex and Ila had been married for over 60 years and had lived in their farmhouse for about as long. Since Alex would be moving into Mary B’s and Ila into Assisted Living, the change was giving them a little anxiety. As they were chatting, Alex said, “Although Bickford is a beautiful place, I can’t take that with me.” He was pointing to a massive red brick wall in their living room. Alex had built that brick wall with his own two hands and was very proud of it. The next day, Jamie and Michelle went to Home Depot and purchased removable wallpaper that looked just like that red brick wall. It took some time to install, but the red brick wallpaper became the focal point in Alex’s apartment and the kitchenette backsplash in Ila’s apartment. When Alex got to Bickford and saw the brick wallpaper he got tears in his eyes. Jamie and Michelle let him know that their masonry skills were nowhere near his, but they hoped he liked it.

We recently lost a dear resident, Evert who had a strong friendship with his neighbor Laura. Laura was very sad at the loss of her friend and had some very difficult days following his death. One day at dinner, Laura asked our chef, Claudia if they could talk. Although Claudia did not have the time right then, she told Laura that she would come in early the next morning so the two of them could talk. Claudia not only came in early but she brought donuts and coffee for her and Laura to share. Claudia was the listener that Laura needed and ever since then, Laura has been more at peace with losing her good friend.

Rose Marie recently moved to Bickford from another community. She is a very soft spoken lady who is quite reserved at times. We found out that several years ago, Rose Marie was an avid quilter but after she had a stroke she could no longer quilt. Slavica decided to try having her make fleece tie blankets. Rose Marie enjoyed is so much she had a smile from ear to ear the entire time. Later that day, she called her daughter to let her know what a fabulous time she had making the blankets. For that moment, she had felt happiness like before her stroke.

One of Joan’s favorite past-times is watching the variety of birds that visit her bird feeders everyday. Unfortunately Joan had to go to rehab for several weeks. After visiting with her and seeing how much she missed being at Bickford with her friends, Diane and Leslie brought a piece of home to her. They pulled her Finch feeder from her window at Bickford and placed it in her window at the rehab center. They weren’t sure if it was allowed, but they wanted Joan to know how important she is and that they were with her no mater where she was. Joan was ecstatic when she saw her Finch feeder outside her window with Finches on it! She was so thankful to know that Bickford cared about her.