St. Andrews Place’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Oktoberfest, has become an annual highlight for the community of Port Angeles. This year was no different, and the turnout was fantastic – helping us to raise the money needed to remodel our kitchen.

When walking through the doors, our guests were immediately immersed with authentic Polka music performed by the Hometown Band.

Our Emcee, John Ozimkowski, kicked the evening off with a toast and the dinner buffet was opened. Guests were treated to delicious German foods such as Bratwurst, Spaetzel, and hand-made pretzels.

During dinner, the guests browsed the silent auction tables to place their bids on the beautiful items. Some of the more popular items included round trip tickets to Victoria on the Coho and 3/4 of a pound of fudge each month for a year from We Do Fudge!

After the silent auction had closed, the live auction began. Our auctioneer, Tim Nichols of Westsound Auction & Estate Services, returned from last year due to popular demand. Some of our fantastic live auction items included a flight over Puget Sound and an excellent package with gift certificates and room stays from many of the Washington casinos.

When the live auction had completed, the dessert buffet (sponsored by Canterbury Manor) was opened. Many guests raved about the delicious desserts that included German chocolate cake, berry swirl cheesecake, and bread pudding with vanilla cream sauce.

Our guests left with full stomachs and smiles on their faces. Many complimented us on another great year and were excited for next year.

Without the generous support of our amazing sponsors, Oktoberfest would not be the fantastic event it is. This year our Sponsors included Drennan-Ford, Jim’s Pharmacy, Primary Care Solutions, Harper Ridgeview, First Federal, and Dungeness Courte. We also want to extend our thanks to our incredible team of volunteers and all of the local businesses who donated and sponsored items for our silent and live auctions. We are lucky to live in a community that can rally together to support our mission to helping seniors age in place with dignity.

Early in September to my surprise, I discovered that many of our residents had never had the opportunity to experience the glory and grandeur of Olympic National Parks Hurricane Ridge. We waited for a perfectly crisp and clear late summer day to fill our bus to capacity and make the journey directly up from St. Andrews Place. It was wonderful to have our volunteer driver Jim Ude at the helm as we made our way to the top. I had the opportunity to speak with the residents about their love for nature and the mountains. We all talked about places in the world we have lived where the mountains made an impact on our everyday lives and were a staple of the landscape. Once at the top we stayed on the bus and gazed out at the magnificence of the Olympic range. It was a heartwarming feeling to watch some of the residents taking in the natural beauty of the mountain that we look up to every day for a feeling of seclusion and comfort. The trip back down was full of conversation about the Olympic Marmot (rodent part of the squirrel family) and the amazing variety of wildflowers and a conversation piece for the days and weeks that followed.

Thanks,

John Ozimkowski

Activities Director

360.417.3418

stapactivity@olypen.com

A little over a year ago, resident Pat moved into St. Andrew’s Place with the encouragement of her children. Pat has always lived a very active lifestyle – even as a senior. She has been president of the board at the senior center and also used to spend time greeting visitors at the community center once a week.

When she began looking for an assisted living facility, St. Andrews Place was at the top of her list due to the encouragement of a resident that she knew from the senior center. After taking a tour, Pat decided St. Andrew’s Place was the best. “I liked the family atmosphere,” she says.

Pat has always considered herself a “people person.” For 25 years, she worked at the local hospital. She started as a housekeeper and worked her way up to become a billing clerk. She worked hard and is proud of the accomplishments she achieved.

She has belonged to many ladies auxiliary lodges including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Eagles.   “I worked my way through the chairs and became president and enjoyed it very much,” she remembers.

Pat still enjoys going out into the community. Her daughter takes her out shopping often, and this summer her favorite thing was the concerts on the pier. Pat also took the opportunity to attend Oktoberfest this year.

Pat enjoys the full activities schedule that St. Andrews Place offers. She likes that she can choose to be as active as she decides without being pressured to do too much or not offered enough. Being a social person, she also says she appreciates the smaller atmosphere as it’s easier to get to know the people around her.

Our menus will change to reflect the season. We will add some heartier offerings as the weather gets colder such as stews and thicker soups. We will add seasonal vegetables to the menu. And, as long as weather permits, Jim, our Maintenance Director, will continue with the BBQ Thursday lunch – grilling up chicken, burgers, and steaks.  Although, we won’t be surprised if Jim is out there in a snow storm grilling away.

It’s only October, but we are looking ahead towards the holiday season.  Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings is on the menu.  We are looking forward to playing with pumpkins to create the absolute best pie and other yummy desserts (the residents do love their desserts!).  Guests are welcome for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner – please call 360-417-3416 by November 18th to sign up.

Bon Appétit!

Melissa

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.”― Julia Child

The fall seasons brings a new variety of activities, smells, sights, and flavors. At St. Andrew’s Place we believe as you age one of the most important things you can do for our health is remain active, that’s why we offer a variety of purposeful activities. A new season brings an opportunity for more fun.

Plans for outside includes:

• Going for walks in the parks or in town to enjoy the fall foliage. We will breathe fresh, crisp air, and “ooh and ahh” over the leaves changing colors.
• Visiting a local farm to either pick apples or pumpkins which we will later use for decorations and/or making treats.
• We will build a campfire on the porch. We will enjoy the blaze, reminisce about fall time of past, and perhaps get out the s’more making materials (it’s not just for summer!).
• Visiting local bazaars during the holidays. Perhaps get some ideas to do our own crafts.
• And, of course, weekly shopping trips!

Plans for inside activities include:

• We will explore the fall colors in different art projects. Decorating pumpkins, creating Thanksgiving centerpieces, and Christmas stockings. Art allows us to work with our hands, engage our minds, and do a little socializing.
• The knitting club will resume on Tuesdays.
• Tai-chi geared towards senior will return on Thursdays.
• Decorating of St. Andrew’s Place. First Halloween, slowly transitioning into fall colors for Thanksgiving, and then, Christmas.
• We will gather on Sundays for the Seahawk football games in the activities room for snacks and to watch the game together.
• Halloween we will be throwing a Monster Mash party in the morning along with a costume parade and spooky bingo in the afternoon.
• We will be making Christmas cookies for the community to say “thanks” for the support over during the year.

Please stop by and join us for activities.

Flu season has officially started. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect from the flu. The flu activity peaks between December and February, and in some years can last as late as May.

At St. Andrews we work hard to keep the flu at bay and encourage everyone to get a flu shot – although, it is not required. Recently, Jim’s Pharmacy was at St. Andrew’s Place to give the annual flu shots to all residents that chose to participate. For employees, our RN, Kim, provides the flu shot to all that wishes to be immunized.

Other preventative measures include disinfecting all door handles, tables, and furniture in the common areas; encouraging residents who are sick to remain in their apartments; not allowing employees who are sick to be at work; using face masks for residents that are sick that must be out of their apartments; and reminding residents and staff to wash their hands.

All year we offer a healthy diet and a water station to keep our residents nourished and hydrated to help the immune system. A good immune system helps fight against any infections.

A gentle reminder: We ask family and friends not to visit if you are ill. The flu can be deadly to a senior. Note: if a child is too sick to go to school, is running a fever, or has an uncontrollable runny nose – please don’t bring them to visit St. Andrew’s Place.

Stay healthy,

Jamie