Loco Daze Parade!

This morning we all got up bright and early, but not because we had to; we were just too excited to sleep anymore! Today almost all of us participated in Dilworth’s Loco Daze Parade. And we had one of the most fun floats of the day! We all rode in a horse-drawn wagon and threw out candy to all the kids who came to see the procession. Esther Hilger and a few of the boys even rode through the whole thing with Serenity’s scooters! And Abbie Moe was certainly treated with luxury as she rode in style with Richard in Serenity’s golf cart. A few of us even had the chance to ride in a 1930s classic. We also had a blast simply looking at all the other floats in the parade; there were a lot of neat ones there!

Just take a look at these photos to get a glimpse of all our parade fun! Pictured above is our horse-drawn wagon! There were a lot of us that rode on this float: (L – R in rows) Sandy, Maren, Claryce, Henrietta, Simone, Bonnie, Emily, Marilyn, Mary Joan and Elaine. To the left is a picture of the ones who rode scooters in the parade: (L – R) Nathan, John, Jake and Esther. To the right is Tim who is driving Lois, Muriel and Florence in the 1930s classic. Below is a photo of Abbie and Richard in Serenity’s golf cart.

Dilworth's Health Fair A Success

Our health should always be a main priority in our lives. Therefore on Tuesday, July 28th the first ever Dilworth Health and Wellness Fair was held during Dilworth’s Loco Daze Celebration. With over 30 health organizations participating, the event was quite a success.

Those who came had the opportunity to visit with multiple regional health organizations ranging from the Alzheimer’s Association to local dentists and chiropractors as well as numerous others! Participants received everything from free blood pressure screenings to healthy eating tips, useful exercise suggestions to personal assistance with medications.

The Health Fair began strong at 9:00am and traffic remained steady throughout the morning. And the live entertainment was great! Minnesotan author and phenomenal speaker Eric Bergeson entertained with songs and heartfelt stories about local culture. A free lunch followed with music by local entertainer Ron Evans.

The Dilworth Health and Wellness Fair was co-sponsored by the City of Dilworth and Serenity Assisted Living. The sponsors extend a special thanks to all the organizations that helped make this event a reality.

Pictured above is local author Eric Bergeson entertaining the crowd with one of his many songs. To the left is the crowd enjoying Bergeson's performance; and to the right is a picture of a few of the ladies from Serenity who took a short trip to the Health Fair on their scooters!(L-R: Roni Schoephoerster, Marilyn McMaster and Esther Hilger)

John's Golfing Adventure

Those who visit Serenity know that John Grubb loves to golf; he just hasn’t had the chance to get to a course lately. Today we decided it was high time for John to get back to the game he loves so we drove to Fargo’s Thunder Road to practice putting on the Thunder Mountain Mini Golf Course. After the first hole I realized that John certainly hadn’t lost his touch over the last few years! He started by getting a birdie on a par three and slowly started working his magic on all the other holes. At first he contributed his skill to luck, but by the end of 18 holes I realized that John was truly talented. Though I thought I knew a thing or two about mini golf, John certainly made me look bad! He even got a hole-in-one after he figured out how the ball rolled on the fake grass! Needless to say, if you would like a challenge on the course you should invite John. He’ll certainly give you a run for your money!

Take a look at these pictures of John to see all the fun he had! To the left is John standing in front of the neat landscaping at Thunder Mountain, and to the right is a picture of John on the first hole!

A Trip to the Zoo!

Learning about new creatures is always fun; but it’s even better when you can see them for yourself. So when we decided to take a trip to the zoo today we knew it would be a blast! Henrietta, Bonnie and Sandy all climbed into the car this afternoon and whisked away to the Red River Zoo in Fargo. Once we arrived we were greeted by all sorts of fun animals just in the welcome building alone! We marveled at insects, lizards, toads, tarantulas, monkeys and so many more creatures we had never seen before. Henrietta was extremely impressed by the huge bright green snake she saw as she exclaimed, “Well, look at that!”

Once we finally headed into the zoo we noticed the energetic meerkats. Bonnie loved watching them play hide and seek with each other! We continued on and investigated everything from camels to wolves. Sandy really enjoyed the peacocks; and we were even visited by a little chick!

By the end of the afternoon we had learned everything we could about all the new animals we had visited. It was a great day to enjoy the beautiful weather and have an adventure!

Pictured above is one of the camels from the Red River Zoo!

A Visit With The National Guard!

It’s always nice to get out and enjoy the warm days of summer. And to enjoy a gorgeous afternoon, today a few of us decided it would be fun to visit the Red River Valley Fair. Lois, Simone and Flo all climbed into the car today and headed over the river into Fargo where they visited a number of booths and had a blast simply being outdoors. One of the highlights of the day was when they visited the National Guard booth as they were greeted with a very warm welcome. Lois, Simone and Flo had fun talking with the booth representatives and were even given National Guard visors to keep the bright sun out of their eyes!

Pictured here is Flo, Simone and Lois at the National Guard booth at the Red River Valley Fair. That’s a huge truck!

A Lip Smackin' Lunch!

Barbequing is one of the most anticipated aspects of summer for many Americans. It presents a time to enjoy friends, family, summer weather and (of course) delicious food!



Because Fargo knows that many of us here in the Red River Valley love barbequed ribs, it is hosting its annual Rib Fest this week. And after we heard about the “Lip Smackin’ Lunch Special” we just couldn’t resist. We loaded up two vehicles with anyone who didn’t mind getting their fingers dirty with a little barbeque sauce and headed to the Fargo Dome where Rib Fest was being hosted.

Upon our arrival we discovered that we were not the only ones looking for some good food (the place was busy!), but we soon collected our fair share of ribs. The delicious food was well complemented with two scrumptious side dishes and cold drinks. It was a tasty treat for everyone! Just take a look above at the picture of Hubert enjoying a juicy rib! To the right is a picture of Simone enjoying the warm day; and below is a group shot of the whole gang (with full bellies)!

Breakfast on the Farm

It was a big weekend in Hawley to kick off the city’s 50th Annual Rodeo Fest; and we couldn’t just let everyone else have all the fun. On Saturday morning we rounded up a few of us to go to “Breakfast on the Farm” which took place at the Hutterite Colony five miles west of Hawley. Hubert, Esther and Henrietta decided it was time to saddle up and enjoy the morning with hundreds of others who came to celebrate the occasion. Not only did we eat pancakes, sausage and eggs but we enjoyed all the various events that were happening all over the farm. There were horse and tractor rides for everyone, train rides for the children and many various booths set up to celebrate the occasion. Hubert especially enjoyed watching the kids ride around in carts behind the tractors! And once it was time to drive back home we all had the chance to talk about growing up on the farm as all three of those who came with on the trip had grown up on farms. It was an exciting way to start the weekend and an enjoyment for us all.

To get a better idea of our fun trip just take a look at this picture of Henrietta and Hubert as they enjoy their coffee at the “Breakfast on the Farm!”

Biggest Fan

Saturday, May 9th was a chilly 37 degrees with almost 15,000 runners of all ages lined up at the FargoDome. It was the 5th annual Fargo Marathon and these runners ranged from all ages. The crowd bustling around the streets of Fargo ranged in all ages as well.

Our own Abbie Moe braved the frigid temperatures to watch her grandson run a marathon he's been training half a year for. For those of you who aren't familiar with marathons, they are a whopping 26.2 miles long. Those training for marathons brave frequent blisters, sore knees and thoughts of "Why am I doing this?" Needless to say, Abbie Moe had a lot to be proud of!

Rising with the sun, Abbie was up and ready to greet the runners. We bundled up and nestled into our spot on the sidewalk to look for her grandson in blue. Dan Johnson, Abbie's grandson, was wearing a shirt that Serenity made just for the day. On the back it stated: "Serenity Assisted Living...My Grandma Lives There!" And even though Abbie's special shirt was hidden in layers of jackets and blankets, hers was a bright pink Fargo Marathon shirt that said: "I'm the Grandma!"

The proudest moment came at mile 15 when we quickly saw Dan stride by.

He yelled, "Hi Grandma! Hi Grandma!"

Smiles met the lips of both generations. What a boost for a runner at mile 15! Abbie was proud to go back to Serenity later that day and tell everyone at the lunch table how proud she was of her grandson and that she braved the chilly weather. This 96 year old lady is an inspiration herself!