Mind Exercising, Art, and Horticulture at Mayflower

John Noer, an independent living resident in Grinnell’s Mayflower Community, volunteered to conduct an exercise in the Health Center recently—a brain exercise. After this word game, Health Center residents were off to physical exercise. Leslie Jaworski, Community Life and Wellness Director, assisted with the former and Jessica Hasenyager, Community Life and Wellness Coordinator assisted with the latter. Tracy Woolfolk was the official photographer. All are helping Health Center residents keep the whole body busy!

Meanwhile, in Mayflower’s Beebe Assisted Living, Jessica led an exercise to repot and propagate some pothos plants. Pothos are a trailing vine house plant with pointed, heart-shaped green leaves, which is native to the Solomon Islands. Residents are now watching several cuttings of vines root in water for a few weeks when they will pot them, creating new plants.

Residents Alice Breemer, Betty Anne Francis (not pictured), Suzy Raffety, and Deena Wellborn (not pictured) all have plants and vines in their apartments that they are watching grow. In addition, there are more plants rooting in the Beebe activity room. Tracy Woolfolk found a cache of terracotta pots that are being used for the vines.

In the Health Center, Grinnell College student volunteer, Aubrie Torhorst, returned to work with residents on drawings—this time self-portraits. Aubrie is a Wisconsin native and Art major and golfer for the College.

— Mayflower Community Life and Wellness Department