You know that we LOVE a parade.  Residents, our team from Community Services, some friends from Grounds and Marketing got to participate in the annual Halloween Parade in downtown Mechanicsburg.

Getting ready to ride in the parade

It was a blast to get out and wave to all the kids and parents. We wanted to share a picture with you from the event.

Food can do so much more than just nourish the body. It can lift our spirits and add pizzazz to our lives.

Last week, my husband and I had a birthday party for our son who just turned 5. The theme was “Star Wars”.  To make the event extra festive, my husband decided to make a cake for my son’s birthday. “Make a cake” seems a bit understated for what he ended up creating. It was a 24-hour labor of love that resulted in gasps, unbelief and a lot of excitement.

At the end of the night, my husband and I both agreed that it was the best party we’ve had. Why? Not much was different from other family birthday parties. That cake not only tasted great, but looked amazing. It set the tone for the party and brought a new energy to the celebration.

Over the last several months, I have also sensed a new sense of energy at the Fireside Grille as new changes are implemented. It is amazing to even see the ambience change as the hearthstone oven was added and as our chefs serve us in their bright white chef attire.

The daily menu specials of salmon, sliders, taco salads, specialty pizzas, paninis and more have also added to the energy. I understand the changes to the Fireside Grille have just begun! I hear we will soon be enjoying made-to-order salads, artisan breads, and new international flavors.

Next Wednesday, June 23 from 11 am to 2 pm there will be a Grand Opening of the NEW Fireside Grille. Many of the local merchants who supply food to the Fireside Grille will be on hand to provide free samples.

If you are around that day, stop by for some free samples of salads, pizzas, cookies, parfaits and more! Everyone is welcome.

What is your favorite new dish at the Fireside Grille? I’m a big fan of the salmon with the orange glaze and the sweet potato fries!

Early in February my husband, who is 91 but still very active, began complaining of a bad back ache. After as reasonable amount of time he visited his doctor. The doctor put him on a pill that was a combination muscle relaxer and pain pill, saying it was arthritis. This pill made him sick; the pain persisted and he became more and more miserable. In desperation, he asked me to drive him to the hospital emergency room. We spent an entire day there, had x-rays taken and he was once again diagnosed with arthritis. I wish I would’ve known, but my husband was being prescribed too many pills because I started to notice an unusual disorientation, confusion and weakness in him.

I then decided to call the reception desk here at Messiah Village to explain my situation to the receptionist and ask for help. Very shortly I received a call from Geli Losch, Director of Community Based Services, telling me she would like to visit and talk to us. Geli arrived shortly despite it being a Saturday and the second big snowstorm. She brought along the nurse on duty to help evaluate my husband. Fortunately, Geli knows my husband very well and could tell right away he was not himself. I proceeded to show them his medications and was told by the nurse to cease giving him the pills. They suggested we go to a different hospital by ambulance and get another opinion.

We agreed and after some discussion Geli called the maintenance people to clear our driveway. They were here before she hung up! She and the nurse then spoke with the hospital to inform them of our situation and the types of medications my husband had been taking. At this point I was concerned how we’d get home if we arrived via ambulance. Geli assured me that someone from the Village would be able to drive us home. I took along a list of my husband’s medications the nurse had written for us to give to the hospital staff.

The hospital discovered that my husband had a compression fracture of his lower spine and proceeded to give him correct treatment and got him off the other medications. He stayed overnight and the next day he was brought home by someone from the Village. Geli then worked to get him into Wagner, our rehabilitation neighborhood. He was there a few short days later and stayed about five days, receiving the care and physical therapy he needed.

I definitely feel that the preparation and efficiency on behalf of the Messiah Village employees helped us to get the care and attention we needed. He received out-patient physical therapy for the next week or so. Today he is nearly better and improving every day! Without Messiah Village and all the wonderful help and support we were fortunate to have, I don’t know what I would’ve done. So thanks to everyone involved and thanks to Messiah Village for being the wonderful place it is!

With all the excitement about the announcement that Messiah Village won the WorldBlu Most Democratic Workplace last week, little time was given to the big news that we broke ground in Mount Joy last Tuesday!

It may come as a surprise to some that  Messiah Village manages a small active adult community in Mount Joy called Mount Joy Country Homes. This is home to 50 residents living in 38 cottages.

Over the last year, we have been promoting the news that we are planning to transform the 8-acre retirement community to a 34-acre community with 114 cottages, a community center, assisted living, and commercial space. We are now ready to break ground on the first 10 cottages.

To see the site plan in detail go to: http://www.mjch.org/the-community/master-plan.php

What is so “funny” about this ground breaking is that it rained. I can’t tell you the number of events we have tried to hold a Country Homes this past year that were rained out! It has been a running joke. So, we really should not have been surprised when it rained 4 hours early and just in time for the ceremony.

Thankfully, it didn’t stop more than 50 people from coming out to witness the historic event.

Carl Ginder who is overseeing the expansion spoke a few words and then he was joined by a team representing many different groups who are excited to see this project get started.

Participating in the ground breaking ceremony:(Left to Right) Christine Stoltzfus, Senator Brubaker’s Office; Carl Ginder, Board Chair of Mount Joy Country Homes; Todd Newpher, Mount Joy Chamber President; Ken Barto, Mount Joy Borough; Dr. Emerson Lesher, President of Messiah Village; Alex Piehl, RGS Associates; Joe Wagman, President of Wagman Construction; James Lesher, Resident and Community Manager of Mount Joy Country Homes

It was an exciting day to finally see the project begin. Everyone enjoyed celebrating afterwards.

To learn more about the new cottages that will be ready this fall, visit www.MJCH.org.

I can’t count all the times I’ve been approached about what my job in Construction Services entails……many friends and family members are convinced I do maintenance, grounds or a hodge-podge of both.  Many are surprised to hear that at Messiah Village we have enough work to keep 5 guys in Construction Services busy all year long.  Perhaps I should keep a copy of the recent Echoes newsletter in my back pocket as convincing evidence of what keeps us busy day to day.  My good friend Nathan Shields took the time to highlight some of the statistics and projects that keep Construction Services humming:

• Last year we completed 93 renovations, varying in size and detail
• We renovated 13 cottages in the average time of 61 days
• 13 apartments were renovated in the average time of 50 days
• 61 assisted living rooms were revamped in the average time of 4 days

I love the variety of tasks that we perform on a daily basis; plumbing, electrical, framing and the always popular painting.  But what I love most is the look in a new resident’s eye when they see the finished product……..        we’re not just transforming spaces, we’re enhancing lives!