[Gpdd] Silly : My story of Christmas, or Haunicka, or Kwansa (So Very Sorry if I offend, just to start! Kinda Funny)

[Carly Austin]

I work at a long term skilled nursing facility, that
happens to be Catholic.  Well, we now have a Jewish
woman living there, has been for a few years now, and
I think she had felt left out of the "Season" since
she was surrounded by Christmas. And being a small
Midwestern town we have been a mostly Caucasian
population of residents and staff, but that has
changed recently as college kids have come there to
find good jobs, and people are generally moving away
from the larger cities to small town life ( of all
races,) but in my nursing facility we now have a few
African American residents and staff (again, I do not
mean to sound offensive, sorry if I do)  Anyway, that
is the situation... 

I work in the recreation department, and am in charge
of coming up with activities there for 109 residents
for all different cognitive levels from all different
backgrounds.  Our past "Christmas" programing
consisted of only Christmas things. Til this year.  A
few years ago there was a commercial on TV that
combined the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
"Christma-Chauni-Kwansica"  it was called. Well I used
to say it as a joke, and no one else could say it. In
fact in such a P.C. world I was amazed it made it 2
years in a row on T.V.

But this year we actually threw a party celebrating
those cultures, we researched foods, (Like the Jewish
Kosher Cooking) and Music, and made it a theme day.
Trivia in the morning, lunch was themed with
traditional foods, and then musical entertainment,
dradle and just had a good time.

So that is how we solved the great debate in our
nursing facility!

Carly,
THe Four pigs
Aeva Emma Dharma and Froders

Remembering Liam and Smeagol Walking with Poo Shooos
after eating their parsley tree

P.S. Now, I could't figure out a way to incorporate my
Buddhisim in there at all, but I figgured I don't
count as I was only staff!  Ha Ha
Again sorry if I offended anyone, but it was truly a
blast, and this way everyone felt special, like they
got to shine and share in thier culture and heritage!
(Everyone but me, the Polish midwestern guinea pig
loving, poo scooping at the Humaine society, hippie,
vegan, Buddhist!) :(  

Hope your what ever you choose to celebrate this time
of year was wonderful. We are missing Liam, but he is
watching over us, Aeva has gained back the weight she
had lost back a few months ago, and I convinced Steve
to let me take in a foster or two!  (Yup those pigs
have that man whiped!  I think it is their pig lips!)