Spring Is Here
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March 2019 La Posada at Park Centre NUMBER 235 Spring is Here Art by Peg Robb The Resort Report Issue #235, March 2019 Editor’s Notes Table of Contents Spring is officially here and very welcome after so Page much cold weather. We had not one, but two mild snow 1 Spring is Here storms – the first appeared on New Year’s Day and the second a few weeks ago. Now we’ll soon be 2 Editor’s Notes complaining about the heat. 3 Don Berard Drawing Anne Lynch sent two photos of our second 4—5 A Woman of All Seasons snowstorm, and Jan Landis sent a photo of a little snowman, illustrating Carol Richardson’s snow poem. 6 Where I Live Boone Owens sent a photo of recent snow on a 7 Snowy Thoughts mountain, plus a sunset and wildlife at Madera Canyon. Marriage Assessment Closer to home are Boone’s wildlife photos of our Walls campus squirrels and the photos of a baby lizard with mom, and maybe dad, sent by Jan Landis who 8 Fan Letter photographed the lizards at La Vista. 9 La Posada Hiking Club There are two articles about residents that are fascinating. One is about Marya (Giesy) Dalrymple’s 10—12 A Unique and Memorable Cross- 1968 Powder Puff Derby flight, and the second about all Country Adventure! the careers and the many other challenging and varied 12 La Vista Library Notes activities that have kept Lillian Monson busy from childhood to life at La Posada. 13 Resident Council Highlights Natalie Barber takes us on a tour of Alaska reviving 14—15 Cruise to America’s Last Frontier memories for many of us. The article and photos of a recent La Posada Hiking Club hike impressively 16—19 Resident Biographies illustrates that La Posada has many very physically 20 Contributors active residents. The Resort Report needs more residents to contribute articles and photos. Please write about anything that interests you now or in the past. Just pick up your pen or turn on the word processor or get out your camera and give it a try. The next issue will be published at the end of May, and the deadline for submitting articles, poems and photos is Friday, May 17. Send them to me at my cubby: L J 66, or via email: [email protected]. Thank you. Ann Slagter Photo by Boone Owens 2 The Resort Report Issue #235, March 2019 Drawing by Don Berard 3 The Resort Report Issue #235, March 2019 A Woman for All Seasons hospitals with “snake pits” and again discouraged her. But Lillian eventually persevered and went into nurses’ training at a local hospital and then into the government–sponsored nurse cadet program during World War II. But life was to take a new twist when friends Alice and Myrtle introduced Lillian to Myrtle’s brother Archie Monson, a veteran who was a farmer at heart. He and Lillian were married, and she became a farm wife near Harlan, Iowa. Life there began with no running water and heating wash water on a cook stove. Lillian, who had saved some money, soon turned the farmhouse into a home with hot and cold running water. She learned all aspects of farm living. Children Tyrus and Paula came along in 1949 and 1951, respectively. Life was complicated by Ty and Paula contracting polio. The family moved temporarily to Florida to aid in their recuperation. Photo provided by Lillian Monson Paula recovered completely, but Ty was left with some paralysis. Son, Tom, was welcomed in 1960. Lillian Monson has been called the “Energizer While in Florida, Archie, who was a farmer/dealer Bunny” because, at 96 years old, she keeps going for DeKalb Ag Research, did such a fine job of strong in her varied interests and hobbies. She has an introducing the company’s hybrid chickens that he inquiring mind and the energy to put it to work on was offered a large sales region. So Archie left the challenging projects. Her home at La Vista is like a farm and moved his family to Yakima, Washington. museum with her many paintings, collections and late Lillian used her business skills to run Archie’s office husband Archie’s stunning turned wood bowls veined until he was promoted to company headquarters in with turquoise. DeKalb, Illinois. Lillian hails from Omaha, where her birth was In DeKalb, Lillian took art classes and began heralded by her three-year-old brother Frankie, who painting. She became chair of the DeKalb Women’s yelled from his porch, “You can’t have my baby Club art committee. Most years she took her artwork sister!” Being born to fanfare must be reserved for and Archie his decorative bowls to the Gold Coast special people. Lillian’s parents Frank and Bernice Art Fair in Chicago. Always looking for a new Schultz moved often since it was the beginning of the challenge, Lillian began cross-country and downhill depression and Frank needed to find work where he skiing. All the while she was continuing with her could. They tried California and El Paso, Texas but collections, particularly pattern-pressed glass. She eventually returned to Omaha and moved where the found many treasures at farm auctions. branches of Missouri Pacific Railroad took them. Problems with his back forced Archie to take early Frank was one of several generations of railroad men. retirement. In 1982 they came to Green Valley for a Lillian knew at some point that she was an artist at short visit and immediately fell in love with the area, heart, sketching and drawing at every opportunity. At settling here permanently in 1984. Archie loved the high school graduation, she wanted to become a GVR wood shop and singing in choral groups. commercial artist. Her parents, remembering the Lillian, who had taken classes in jewelry making and depression, encouraged her to make a career in silver-smithing, joined the lapidary studio. She business. Pyramid Life Insurance in Little Rock, continued painting, mostly watercolors, and became Arkansas hired her. When her parents left Arkansas active with the Green Valley Hiking Club. to return to Omaha, Lillian stayed in Little Rock, When Archie passed away unexpectedly in 1992, moving in with a friend. Lillian received a lot of support from Archie’s brother Another friend, Alice, wanted Lillian to join her in and sister and their respective spouses who lived a nursing career. Lillian’s parents, however, equated nearby. The hiking club became her passion. She 4 The Resort Report Issue #235, March 2019 continued scouting and leading hikes and started the club newsletter “Trail Tales”. She designed patches for those who completed 500 miles and became the first person to achieve the 5000-mile award. Lillian A sweeping sunset after several cold, snowy days also had two board positions during her tenure with the club, and in her honor the club named one of their routes “Lillian’s Fern Trail”. Family moved away, and Lillian eventually felt the need to consider a senior community. Her first introduction to La Posada was as a resident at La Hacienda while recovering from a broken femur and partial hip replacement. That injury, unfortunately, made it difficult to hike. But when Lillian moved to La Posada in 2011 she soon developed more interests. She expanded her fascination with photography and computers, and began contributing articles and photos to the Resort Report. La Posada trips were fodder for her pen and digital camera (later her iPad). Photos of the trips turned into smile boxes Dog and Daisies (a computer program that allows you to tell a story with photos and music) for her friends and family. Through devices classes, she was able to become an expert with the iPad. These days, Lillian has much to be happy about. She has five grandchildren and a new great grandchild, Peter, in whose honor she has been creating more smile boxes. Due to her ready smile and friendly manner, her circle of friends is ever widening. She is a dynamic example of the creative, energetic residents who help make La Posada very special. Carol Richardson Photos by Anne Lynch Photo by Carol Richardson 5 The Resort Report Issue #235, March 2019 Where I Live Holding doors for those with walkers, calling each other by name, inviting each other to laugh, greeting those residents and employees we meet or pass as we go about our daily business, expressing thanks to all those who work to make our elderly lives easier. That is what I see That is what I hear That is what I feel— It’s about heart. ©Margaret Ann Adams Photo by Marilyn Higdon 6 The Resort Report Issue #235, March 2019 Snowy Thoughts Fluffy crystal flakes Fall straight down like ice cream rain Turning dark to light Cacti wear nightcaps Lacy palm fronds are bent low In eerie beauty Stark mountains sparkle Like Colorado ski slopes With abundant ice Life seems suspended In an innocent silence The pureness of white But the sun prevails Sends its overpowering rays To begin the change Ice becomes water Washing slopes, returning them To natural gray Leafy trees rebound Daisies blaze orange once again Earth shouts in color! Carol Richardson Photos by Anne Lynch Marriage Assessment Walls (A Tanka) Walls divide, conceal (S)he’s not quite perfect, And protect us, tho perfector than am I. But walls can be halls I perfectly feel And halls connect us. that over the years, (s)he’s been Now, perfectly perfect for me. I can’t always be Richard Ramette On your side of the wall, But I’ll never be further Than just down the hall.