Aberdeen Village
OCTOBER 2020
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Esther Minter
Remembering ‘back-to-school’
Pat Pelot
Patricia ‘Pat’ Pelot happy to settle into her new home
New resident Patricia “Pat” Pelot had to delay her move by five days when she moved to Aberdeen Village. Her furniture, however, arrived right on schedule.
“I’ve been here since July 15, 2020, and my furniture has been here since the 10th of July,” Pat said. “I was supposed to move in at the same time, but due to COVID, I couldn’t do that. So I had a little vacation at my nephew and niece’s home in Perry.” Aside from the unexpected vacation, the move to Aberdeen Village has been smooth, Pat said, and she’s come to feel comfortable in her new home. PELOT - continued on page 5
As students return to the classroom under the most unusual circumstances, we asked our residents to share some of their favorite memories from their youth. It was a great way to look back on our own experiences and consider all the changes we’ve seen in education over the years. And it’s always nice to remember those special memories from our past. Esther Minter I went to a rural, one room school: one teacher, eight grades and eight months. We started the day after Labor Day and got out at the end of April. We had the same number of days as now, but we used grade cards for reporting our progress instead of parent/ teacher conferences. We had fewer holidays and no professional days. In our longer summer, we had plenty of enrichment days. Every SCHOOL - continued on page 4
Aberdeen Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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These recipes pair well with cooler temperatures Oh, the flavors of fall! Our dining services department shared two of our favorites for cooler autumn temperatures.
2 1/2 teaspoons chicken base
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Butternut squash soup is a wonderful appetizer, or it can be served as a main dish with sandwiches.
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (save some to put on top of frosting for decoration)
Directions: Bake squash until it is tender. Puree it in a food processor in batches until smooth. In a large saucepan, sautĂŠ onions, garlic and celery in margarine until tender. Add flour, stir for 1 minute at medium heat, then add hot milk, chicken base, butternut squash puree, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, black pepper and ground cloves.
For the frosting: 1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes, then serve. Carrot Cake
Butternut Squash Soup 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup (1 stalk) celery, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped 1/2 cup margarine 1/4 cup flour
The carrot cake at Aberdeen Village is delicious! We were fortunate that they shared the recipe with us so we can make it, too. For the cake: 4 eggs 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil 3 cups finely shredded carrots 2 cups flour
10 cups hot whole milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups cooked, peeled and pureed butternut squash
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained RECIPES - continued on page 3
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Community Matters 913-599-6100 â—† Fax: 913-599-3810 17500 W. 119th St. Olathe, KS 66061-9524 AberdeenVillage.com
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | October 2020
is published monthly for residents and friends of Aberdeen Village by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: soehlert@pmma.org Tim Allin, executive director Stephanie Oehlert, director of sales and marketing
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Our life enrichment department, from left, Rouba Sawaf, Ellen Petelin, David Nelson, Sandy Barnes and Rachael Esau.
Celebrating our strength In August, we celebrated Activities Strong Day at Aberdeen Village.
We simply take one step at a time, and find progress however we can.
Our life enrichment staff have been working hard to keep our residents active and upbeat as much as possible, while maintaining physical distance and preventing groups from gathering for activities. It has been a long five months, and no one is sure when we will return to normalcy in the world or at Aberdeen Village.
“We feel we have become closer with our residents thanks to all of the individual conferences and assisting them with video chatting with their families,” said Sandy Barnes, life enrichment director. “It is our pleasure to have the job we have, and we will continue to be here for our residents and their families.” ◆
This T-shirt commemorated Activities Strong Day.
RECIPES - continued from page 2
flour mixture and mix well.
before frosting.
4. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots.
To make the frosting:
Directions: To make the cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two cake pans. 2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
5. Using a large wooden spoon, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well. 6. Pour into the two cake pans evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add 7. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes
Mix cream cheese until smooth with a mixer. Add the butter and mix for 30 seconds – 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Frost the cake and decorate with chopped walnuts or pecans. ◆
Aberdeen Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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SCHOOL - continued from page 1
task around home or the farm involved measuring, weighing, counting, calculating and/or recording.
definitions and grammar. We learned to write using cursive.
Mom gave me a nickel to get a treat at a small grocery store across the street from school. We could get a big candy bar, and it was great. Life was good. ◆
We had no kindergarten. To be able to start first grade, we had to know how to: - Tie our shoes - Count to 10 - Say the ABCs Everyone brought their own lunchbox or pail. We ate outside in nice weather. On rainy days, we played games on the blackboard or had contests in spelling, geography, math or made-up games. We had a wind-up record player, so some games involved “music.” We had stick pens and a bottle of ink and several ink blotters. Everyone had a Big Chief tablet. There was no electricity, so we had no lights. The three long windows on both sides of our classroom provided our light. Our heat was a coal-burning parlor furnace. The water we drank came from the cistern. The water source was the runoff after a rain from the schoolhouse roof. The teacher filled the coal bucket and water container before school started.
Mary Lou Niebling We always attended a teacherled class in grade school, high school and college. Kindergarten through 8th grade – my grade school housed the wonderful St. Louis City Library, an unusual city arrangement! Many educational buildings were very well built, and they still look very well maintained today in 2020.
Each child had his own tin cup that hung on a nail hook. Sometimes my brother and I rode our pony to school, but more often we walked. Aileen Moise
Kay Ruen
We read more books. We did not have computers or cell phones to help with homework. We did a lot of research using “National Geographic” magazine and encyclopedias. We used the dictionary to help with spelling,
When I was in elementary school, no food was ever served. School was dismissed for one hour. We walked home for lunch and came back. Our principal taught all morning. His office was across the hall, and we had no teacher
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all afternoon. We had so much work to do, and we didn’t dare move! I really liked him. Of course, there were no TVs or electronics. Recess was on our own with no supervision, but it worked.
COMMUNITY MATTERS | October 2020
PELOT - continued from page 1
“These people are just like family,” she said. “I feel very much at home. The people here are family—joyful people wanting to help each other. I feel at home.” Pat’s recent move was her first in nearly 60 years. “I was married in 1955, and my husband and I moved to Kansas City,” she said. “We lived in an apartment, then built a little home on Hays Street. In 1959, we moved into our new home and we lived there until he passed in 1994. Then I lived there until July 10, 2020. Most people don’t stay quite for that long. I had a good relationship with the neighbors. It was a great spot to be.” Throughout those years, her husband Edward worked as an electrical engineer and Pat worked as a surgical nurse for three different surgeons. She enjoyed the work—and her co-workers—so much that she kept working part time after her retirement. “I love working with patients and people,” Pat said. She’s found a number of satisfying ways to keep busy at Aberdeen Village.
“I enjoy sewing, working with people, playing cards, reading, doing a big puzzle,” Pat said. “I just enjoy many things. Eating is one of those things. Being here at Aberdeen Village, eating is something you don’t want to miss. But it also adds pounds to the body. I accept it, but I’m going to have to quiet that down.” Though formal activities largely have been sidelined during the pandemic, Pat said she’s already thinking about what she’ll do once restrictions are scaled back or lifted. “When we get COVID resolved, one of the first classes I want to take is art,” she said. “I like art very, very much. I like doing things like that. I’m amazed when I sit down to doodle when something comes out of it—and I wonder if maybe that would work out if I took an art class.” She’s currently enjoying the opportunity to walk outdoor and experience some of the happenings on the grounds. “I walk every morning. I love exercise. I love swimming,” Pat said. “I just keep getting older and older, so now I go out with my walker. I find entertainment. There are about four different companies doing work. One is putting in new
decks, another is doing heating and cooling and another is working on electrical. It’s very interesting. That’s what I see, besides fresh air and nice weather.” Pat was raised in Wathena, Kan., a small town about 5 miles west of St. Joseph, Mo. Growing up on a large farm outside of town, Pat said she learned how to keep herself entertained. “We would go to old fashioned outdoor movies when they came to town,” Pat said. “Or we’d visit friends. We were Catholics, so church was a lot of activity. I loved to sew, and I would sew my own dresses. I had the ability to make dresses without a pattern. That was a gift. I had so much fun doing that.” That experience helped her pass the time during her required 14day quarantine upon moving to Aberdeen Village. “I didn’t mind it,” Pat said. “I had just sold my house, and there’s a lot to take care of for a house you’ve been in that long, lots of decisions to make. All of that was a little bit of a strain. I was glad to sit down and not have any activities for a while.” Join us all in extending a warm Aberdeen Village welcome to Pat! ◆
COVID-19 updates continue
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, you can count on regular communication from your PMMA community and PMMA leadership. PMMA’s President and CEO Bruce Shogren’s latest letter to residents and families are posted to your community website, AberdeenVillage.com/covid-19. If there is a COVID-19 outbreak (positive COVID-19 test) at your community, your leadership team will contact employees, residents and their designated family representatives via telephone, email or mail with information about the outbreak and the recommendations of the local health department. ◆ Aberdeen Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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17500 W. 119th St. Olathe, KS 66061-9524 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight As part of Aberdeen Village’s ongoing customer service initiative, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight.
This graphic highlights some of the survey results. All scores are given on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest score.
high scores in safety and security, demonstrating dignity and respect, ease of the move-in process and cleanliness.
and services we provide, and we encourage them to participate honestly when contacted by Pinnacle Quality Insight.
Between July 2019 and June 2020, Aberdeen Village residents and their families gave the community
We greatly value the opinions of our residents and their representatives about the care
All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service. ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | October 2020