On March 6th, 2025, Willow Pond Senior Care hosted a wonderful event to lift spirits and bring joy during the colder months! Lynn Futch,volunteer extraordinaire and daughter of resident Sally Deal, brought her creative energy to make this event special for the residents.
“I decided to spring fun and laughter to end the winter blahs, humdrums, and combat the 'blues',” she shared. “Are you feeling cooped up by the winter weather? Well, here's a cure: the Willow Pond winter blues!”
The day of the event, the residents were encouraged to put on their blue suede shoes, wear blue, and come to the Activity Room. A wintry backdrop with snowflakes falling and upbeat, feel-good Elvis Presley classic songs, like "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Blue Suede Shoes," created the perfect atmosphere to chase away the ‘blues’.
Snowball fights, blue ring toss, making homemade ice cream, and a special menu of Elvis-inspired sandwiches and cool blue punch added much joy with lots of fun and laughter.
To imitate snow and ice, they made homemade ice cream in Ziploc bags. Then they ate it with blue wrapped Oreos and blueberries.
Sara Chandler, Director of Life Enrichment at Willow Pond, shared her thoughts on the event.
"The residents at Willow Pond always surprise me with their enthusiasm to participate in the activities," Chandler said. "They literally had a ball engaging in the snowball fight and left feeling uplifted, connected, and energized. They enjoy a sense of nostalgia and fun experiences with others. I wanted to encourage socialization and connection with others, through interactive activities, provide sensory experiences with food, drink, and games, and lift their spirits creating lasting memories."
Futch concluded, "It's a great reminder that even in the coldest months, joy can be found in simple pleasures, activities, and socializing with others. We won't have the winter blues after today!"
Recipe for Homemade Ice Cream in a Ziploc Bag
Put these ingredients in a quart-sized Ziploc bag:
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
You'll also need:
- 3 cups ice
- 1/4 cup rock salt
- Put ice in a gallon-sized Ziploc.
- Seal and place quart bag inside the ice bag. Then add the rock salt.
- Then start massaging the bag for 10 minutes. It makes soft serve ice cream.
Thank you to Willow Pond Senior Care for its generous support of Grice Connect.
