Breaking ground

The third time was the charm when I went to the site of the future Hilltop Grand Village to take pictures. The previous two times it was raining and overcast. But the third time, Oct. 22, was nice. It was warm and the sun was out.

The third time I had to park and walk a bit because a big piece of equipment blocked the “road.” It’s more of a path where vehicles drive, not really a road.

I’ve been taking photos and videos from the front of the property along Highway 54 to chart our progress. Workers began clearing the site Oct. 19, and within a couple of days had progressed quite a bit.

The smell of fresh-cut wood hung in the air. The huge piles of mulch were testament to the work under way. Bulldozer tracks lined the black earth, but it was pretty level. It was easier to see where the new facility will go. It was quite different when it was just a wooded lot, tucked behind Home Depot. Now it’s looking like a construction site, ready for our new resort-style senior living complex.

It’s been in the planning stage for quite some time. So long, in fact, that it doesn’t seem quite real that it’s finally happening.

I’ve spent some time in the past few days making plans for our upcoming ground-breaking ceremony. Having never done this before, it’s a learning experience. We have to make decisions about who to invite and what we should serve and how we should commemorate it. It’s like party planning, but for a short gathering at an outdoor venue. Fortunately, the weather forecast is good for this time of year.

Good weather should help construction as well. We hope to be open by next August for residents to move into our resort-style senior living apartments.

You can follow our progress on our Facebook page for Hilltop Grand Village, https://www.facebook.com/HilltopGrandVillage.

Hilltop's first-ever hay ride

We couldn’t have asked for a better day for our first-ever Hilltop hay ride.

When we planned this outing at Hilltop Estate – more than a month ago – we weren’t sure about the weather. October can be fickle. Just because the calendar says it’s fall doesn’t mean it won’t snow.

We forged ahead with an idea to host a hay ride at the Estate, where we have land to traverse, a tractor, trailer and places to gather. It’s a beautiful property, with white picket fences, three horses, a dog and plenty of trees. We planned what we could do to make it fun for everyone. We bought 25 pumpkins from a local grower to decorate. Someone brought a nice corn shock. We made paper flower bowls to hold our treats.

The day finally arrived, and after a good deal of preparation, it was a great success.

Chief among our blessings was the perfect day. We didn’t need coats, although those who were just sitting appreciated a light blanket, hat or jacket. The hazy sun was warm and the breeze cool. It stoked the fire for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. We ate apple pumpkin bread, puppy chow, toffee bars and pretzels. We drank hot cider and coffee.

Shelly, our activities coordinator, dressed as a scarecrow and brought along her photo booth supplies. She encouraged everyone to wear funny hats and props to have their photo taken. We got some fun shots of residents, their families and even some staff members.

Several of us sang songs around the campfire, relying on our memories to get the words right to songs we sing every couple of weeks with Chuck the Piano Man. The old-time music is embedded in the memories of many of our residents, but some of us are only learning the words now. We did pretty well on standards like “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” but we weren’t as sure with “Don’t Fence Me In.” We muddled through.

The highlight of the day, of course, was the hay ride. We helped residents onto the trailer to be seated on bales of hay. There was room for a couple of wheelchairs, too. Once full, it was off for a slow putt around the property, past the house, down the hill, through the horse pasture and back.

We filled the trailer three times for rides. Even staff members and volunteers took a turn. It was relaxing to ride around in the afternoon sun, the hum of the tractor leading us.

As with all good things, it came to an end. It was time to go home or back to work. We picked up and packed up and called it a day – but a very successful one. I’m betting this won’t be the only Hilltop hay ride -- perhaps the first of many.

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Watch the video of the Hilltop hay ride and outing here.

Learn how to make paper flower bowls with this video.

Autumn in Wisconsin

We put away the patio furniture this week. We still have to take down the canopy from the garden area, but we need to get out the ladder to do it. We’ll put away the plant hangers when the mums purchased by a resident’s family member finally succumb to the frost.

The bushes and perennials we planted this year all survived summer. Hopefully, they will make it to spring. The rock beds sprouted more weeds. That’s a never-ending job, it seems. They can wait, though. Soon, they’ll be covered by a blanket of white.

Inside, the windows are closed and the heat is on. Fall items decorate walls and shelves. Our activities have featured apples, pumpkins, ghosts and jack-o-lanterns.

When we come indoors, we kick the leaves out of the way, but some still follow us. Our housekeeper vacuums and sweeps them up. The wind swirls them back in front of the doors again for the next time they are opened.

We’re planning the first-ever Hilltop hay ride at Hilltop Estate. It will be a chance for residents and family members to enjoy time together, featuring a hay ride, songs around the campfire, a photo booth area, treats and more. I purchased a couple dozen pumpkins this week to decorate outside. Someone else is bringing corn shocks. We’ll make our “famous” napkin flower bowls to hold pumpkin apple bread and other treats.

Of course, this all adds up to autumn in Wisconsin. We’re sad to see summer go, but the normal march of time turns the seasons. Let’s enjoy this cooler, prettier time, perhaps with a glass of spiced cider by a fire, and toast what lies ahead.

Birthdays are a big deal

It’s almost like you go backward in time as you age.

When you are a child and understand what a birthday is, you look forward to it. Being another year older is a good thing. You proudly tack a “half” onto your age as soon as you realize this is a possibility. Until you are an adult, you are striving to be older.

It probably helps that birthday parties are cool. You get cake, ice cream and presents, and everybody makes a big deal out of our day.

After you’re 21, there really isn’t another magic number you’re trying to reach. So you kind of coast. Once you hit adulthood, the appeal for birthdays slows. Birthdays might be a time to celebrate, maybe you go out with friends. Your parents and close friends might still send a card or gift, but most of your birthday wishes are just that. Parties aren’t a big deal unless you’re hitting a milestone and someone throws you a surprise party.

Most birthdays just pass you by until one day you realize you’re getting older and you can’t do anything about it. You can lie about your age, but someone, somewhere will know the truth. And at some point, you’ll probably look your age, too.

You probably don’t even have a party. If not for Facebook, would anyone even know it’s your special day?

And then something beautiful happens. Birthdays get to be a big deal. People who are lucky enough to reach older adulthood tend to look forward to their birthdays. They are proud to tell you exactly how old they are, the year they were born and probably anything else you’d like to know about their lives.

Maybe it’s because you start to have birthday parties again, with cake, candles, singing and cards. Maybe you’ll even get a gift or two and lots of good wishes.

You can go back to your childhood, when birthdays were fun and you couldn’t wait until the next one. That’s the way birthdays are at Hilltop. It’s a special day to celebrate. Here’s to the next one!

Lucille celebrates 96 years with a special birthday cake.