Aberdeen Village Community Matters – April 2023

Art is Ageless in full swing at Aberdeen Village

The Art is Ageless® competition is in full swing at Aberdeen Village!

You can see our display in the Art Gallery until April 28. We will also be having a Reception and announcing the winners on May 2 at 3 p.m.

We had a special visit from KMBC 9 at the end of February. They came to find out more about the program and interviewed our own Executive Director, Tim Allin and our two now-famous residents, Jo Henderson and Esther Minter.

If you didn't catch the story you can still see it here https://www.kmbc.com/article/art-contest-kansas-city-area-seniors-ageless/4 …or you can go to the KMBC website and search for Art is Ageless. It is the first story that is listed. Congrats to all of our incredible artists! u

Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Robert Giffin, chaplain at Topeka Presbyterian Manor®.

APRIL FOOLS’No Foolin’!

By Robert Giffin, Chaplain

What is it about the first day of April that brings out the “prankster” in people? You know, things like putting a rubber snake on the bathroom floor; taping open the handle on the kitchen sink sprayer; being sent on an errand to retrieve a left-handed pipe wrench; or with a straight face, telling a co-worker there is an IRS agent in the lobby asking for them (that time of year you know!). You’ve probably been the victim, the perpetrator, or both, of pranks on April Fool’s Day!

I know I have been. My dear wife loves garage sales. So, when I saw my neighbor doing some “spring cleaning” in his garage on April 1st, I told her that that our neighbor was having a garage sale. She went right over to the neighbors’ home and started looking at the items from his garage sitting out on the driveway. In a few minutes, our sweet neighbor let her know he was simply cleaning out his garage!

I love popcorn. Being honest, I don’t think anyone makes a better perfect batch than me. Seizing an opportunity to even the score, my

TIM ALLIN

JO HENDERSON

ESTHER MINTER

PMMA celebrates history with Founder’s Day

PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America®) employees will observe the founding of the senior living system this month as the company celebrates its 74-year history of serving seniors in Kansas and Missouri.

PMMA’s roots go back to 1947. Alice Kalb, a widow from central Kansas, appealed to a Presbyterian Church organization to establish a home for seniors. Her vision laid the foundation for the first Presbyterian Manor community in Newton, Kan., and inspired others to do even more. Through the many decades, PMMA® remained true to the spirit of Alice’s vision, providing quality senior services guided by Christian values.

Each Founder’s Day, staff members re-commit to live our mission by signing the “WE PROMISE” board that lists the pillars of the mission: respecting that seniors retain their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; assisting residents with specific needs; providing compassionate service; serving as a trusted resource; and advocating for seniors.

“Our nearly 2,000 employees view

what they do as a calling,” said Bruce Shogren, president and CEO. “Our dedicated employees make it possible for us to sustain PMMA’s mission, as well as its heritage. I believe Alice is watching over us today knowing that we’re carrying on the legacy that she established more than seven decades ago.”

Alice Kalb’s dream has turned into a network of 15 senior living communities and two hospices across Kansas and Missouri. A new senior living community is under construction in Colorado Springs.

PMMA remains true to its core and mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. u

Alice Kalb, the visionary who imagined a home for seniors.

Alice Kalb participated in the groundbreaking of the first Presbyterian Manor.

Ingredients

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

5 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1-2/3 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Thin lemon slices, optional

Lovely Lemon Cheesecake

“I am always looking for new recipes to tr y for Easter, especially for dessert. Last Easter I made this lemon cheesecake and it was so delicious! It was pretty easy to make too. My family absolutely loved it and requested that I make it from now on.

The way they recommended decorating it was just simple with twisted lemon slices, but you could certainly add some Easter specific decorations too if you like.

- Stephanie Oehlert, Sales and Marketing Director

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 10-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan.

2. In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon; stir in butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan; refrigerate while preparing filling.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.

4. Bake 70-80 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled.

5. Remove rim from pan. If desired, top cheesecake with lemon slices. u

Chaplain – continued from page 1

same sweet wife added vinegar to my special popcorn cooking oil and, boy oh boy, did I regret sending her to my neighbors’ house!

According to “History.com”, April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582 in France when some people were slow to convert to a new calendar system. So, instead of celebrating New Year’s Day on January 1, they celebrated it on April 1. They became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” Over time, the fun, the pranks, and the jokes spread throughout Europe and eventually

to America where there is apparently no end, or limit, to the April Fools’ Day pranks. They happen in baseball, politics, and fast food! History.com records:

“In 1985, Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton tricked many readers when he ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.

In 1992, National Public Radio ran a spot with former President Richard Nixon saying he was running for president again…only it was an actor, not Nixon, and the segment was all an

April Fools’ Day prank that caught the country by surprise.

In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.”

Those are fun and innocent pranks that make people look foolish. On April 1st, make sure you are not the fool by the way you talk about others. In the Bible, Proverbs 10:18 (NIV) says:

“Whoever…spreads slander is a fool”. If you talk bad about others, the joke will be on you! u

Resources: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/april-fools-day

New resident Ann Havenor is settling in nicely at Aberdeen Village

Ann Havenor loves to bake cookies.

“It was one of the basic food groups for my children,” she joked. “They didn’t always get them when they wanted them, but I made more than my share.”

Havenor, a stay-at-home mom from 1968 until 1998, is also a former teacher, with a great love of Kansas history. Her son and daughter, four years apart, now live in Indiana and Connecticut. She has eight grandchildren and a greatgrandchild.

Her son was a Marine and one of his sons is now in the Corps.

“I’ve been very blessed,” she said. “I loved being a mom. I made dance costumes, was a scout mom. You name it, I was involved.”

Her husband, who passed away a few years ago, went to the University of Missouri.

“We always had tickets for Missouri football for many years,” she recalled. “The kids loved that.”

She went to Ouachita College, south of Little Rock in Arkansas.

The pair were very active in church over the years, even singing in the choir together.

“Music was one of our first loves,” she remembered.

Welcome to Aberdeen Village, Ann! u

17500 W. 119th St. Olathe, KS 66061-9524