Unit 27 Activities
Sue Case
In last month’s article, I gave a brief overview of the various things our Unit 27 residents were doing in late March and April, as the social distancing requirements from COVID-19 became effective. This month, I want to share the adventure of one of our unit families, as described by Carole Drango. I have made some edits, but the story that follows is Carole’s.
“Our son, his wife, and teenage grandchildren, along with their youthful, 65-pound dog, came to SaddleBrooke to vacation during spring break. They had intended to stay a week. However, during that week, the virus situation progressed, and they expressed their concern for our safety. They decided to extend their stay rather than return to Oregon. Our granddaughter and her boyfriend were attending CalTech in Pasadena. The school and dorms were closed suddenly, so they drove here.
“Our son is employed by S & C Electric, which did not close, having been declared a necessary business, because they serve large power companies. However, the State of Oregon completely shut down and closed all outdoor facilities.
“Our son and daughter-in-law were always so helpful. They did the food shopping and cooked interesting dinners. Fred and I just worked behind the scenes.
“Our grandson is on his school’s tennis team and our younger granddaughter will be playing basketball at Whitman College in the fall. Both wanted to keep up their skills, which, early in their visit, was possible in SaddleBrooke. After the athletic facilities were closed, many Unit 27 neighbors offered to help keep the whole family busy. The activities included making greeting cards, making and decorating Easter cookies and other baked goods, picking fruit, and doing puzzles and playing board games. The dog was happy to lie in the sun on the chaise every day. Fred and I would retreat to the other side of the house when the grandchildren stayed up beyond our bedtime. We forgot that teenagers stay up late!
“The younger grandchildren started online school classes while they were here. They had brought their computers and each found a private area to work, while our son set up his office with the dog on the back patio.
“We celebrated four different April birthdays with themes. We also celebrated Easter and Greek Night. Actually, every dinner had a theme, which made it seem like a special time.
“We are so grateful for our friends and neighbors in Unit 27 who not only provided their time, but also provided sleeping accommodations for our son and daughter-in-law.
“In all, the family was with us for six weeks. We know that this has been a stressful, sad, and tragic time for many people and our hearts go out to them. However, we feel blessed to have had our family with us during this time.”
In other unit news, golf ace, Flo Weiler, got two holes-in-one during the month of April and pest control expert, Jan Talbot, killed nine rats.
Keep those stories coming, folks, and be well.