Love was certainly in the air this week at Farnham Mill as we reminisced about our past loves, weddings, families and those who are special to us. We were spoilt with musical performances this week as Terry James came to sing, the daughter-in-law of two of our residents also sang to us, which was a real treat, a pianist played on the second floor during the week and then one of our residents granddaughters travelled from Wales and played especially for her granddad. There was also time to fit in some art and crafts and a special Valentines lunch for our couples as well as a trip out to see the beautiful snowdrops. Such a special week with lots of memories made together.
Monday 13 February, the day started with garden walks and balloon games around the home. This is an excellent way to keep fit and use muscles we don’t normally use as we stretch and reach for the balloon.
In the afternoon we got ‘crafty’ as we made table decorations for tomorrows special Valentine’s Day lunch. We thought they looked very good and will certainly make the tables look that little bit more special.
Tuesday 14 February, there was a very romantic feel around the home today as the place was filled with red roses, hearts and plenty of love as we hosted a special couples lunch. Our Valentine’s trolley visited everyone, handing out roses to all our residents.
Wednesday 15 February, we started the day by making some ‘Queen of Hearts’ – jam tarts. We worked together as a team and rolled out the pastry, cut out the tarts, spooned in the jam and then added pastry hearts to finish them off. We must admit that they not only looked good, but they tasted good as well.
In the afternoon we had a new singer perform for us. He did a great mix of songs including Daydream Believer, Tie a Yellow Ribbon and then our favourite, Sweet Caroline which had us all joining in with the chorus.
Thursday 16 February, a group of residents enjoyed a song quiz with one of our activities co-ordinators in our activities room. It ended up being one big sing-a-long which we all thoroughly enjoyed.
In the afternoon some residents from Farnham Mill joined those from Hill House and went on a tour of the countryside to Ellisfield to see the snowdrops there. There was a carpet of white snowdrops which looked amazing and after being able to get out to see them close up, we enjoyed a cup of tea and biscuit in the minibus before taking the scenic route home.
We had the pleasure of Wendy Edwards, daughter-in-law of two of our residents, come and sing for us in the afternoon. She sang songs from the 30’s and 40’s which brought back special memories for us. She had printed the words so we could sing along with her. It was a special moment when Wendy’s father-in-law joined her for a duet.
Friday 17 February and as it had been such a busy week, we spent the morning enjoying hand massages and a foot spa. It certainly helped us all relax.
In the afternoon we enjoyed an afternoon tea and were able to catch up with our friends and enjoy a chat over a cup of tea.
Saturday 18 February, our card makers were busy making new cards to be sold for the company charity ‘Families Supporting Care’. We were very pleased recently to be able to hand over £55 to the charity that we had raised over the Christmas period by selling our Christmas cards. Please remember to have a look at our new birthday cards when you visit Farnham Mill.
We all agree, strawberries can be the food of love so in the afternoon we had a special strawberries and cream trolley tour the home serving our residents delicious bowls of fresh strawberries with cream. They were lovely and sweet just like the ones we used to remember picking on a lovely sunny June afternoon.
Sunday 19 February, our regular ‘Library Trolley’ toured the home. Lots of residents are taking advantage of this trolley and we are able to share reviews of the books and our favourite authors. Part of our collection this week were autobiographies although one resident told our activity co-ordinator about the books he had written about rowing and his family’s history with boatbuilding. These one-to-one chats are so important and it’s great to get to know each other better.
We were delighted to have the granddaughter of one of our residents play piano for us. She and her mother had travelled from Wales to visit him and after relaxing on the balcony in the sunshine together, she took the opportunity of using our piano to play for him.
After a delicious roast beef dinner, some residents took advantage of the glorious sunshine and sat outside together. The ducks and geese were busy and we could just see the daffodils starting to flower next to Rafael our Rhino.
We were pleased to join in and celebrate a lovely lady’s birthday with her family. There was plenty of cake for everyone.
