Meadowlark is alive. That was obvious from the moment we walked in the door.
Supporting Communication: Tips for Communicating with Adults Facing Speech Challenges
May 16, 2025
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Are your home or office walls a bit … well, naked? Perhaps you’d like to replace a mass-produced piece with an original.
SNW Gallery in the HEART of downtown Manhattan is ready to help turn voids into vivid views that speak to you, and in the process, support the efforts of Meadowlark Memory Program. Plan now to attend Art Mingle: Hidden Gems on Friday, March 7, at SNW Gallery and Union Hall, 328 Poyntz Ave. A portion of gallery sales that evening benefit the memory program, which offers FREE activities and support for those living with memory challenges and their care partners.
When I was young, I thought the season of Lent and Ash Wednesday was for Catholics. In fact, I knew little about either tradition until my second internship for my master’s program. My supervisor was a bubbly, young All-Faiths chaplain who oversaw the spiritual care for a two-building campus that consisted of a retirement community and trauma hospital.
We camped at the mouth of Waterfall Creek, which comes down from the lakes we had hiked from. Jim fished for trout in the river, caught two 20-inchers, but it was only catch and release. Jim always used barb-less hooks, which do very little injury to the fish. We made Jello® for dessert. I put the pot in the creek, which was cold enough to gel the hot solution in 15 minutes!
Do you have your tickets for Art Mingle? No?! There's no better time than right now to secure your spot at this artful fundraising event, set for March 7 at SNW Gallery and Union Hall, 328 Poyntz Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Art Mingle 2025: Hidden Gems, presented by Community First National Bank, promises to be a delightful evening in the HEART of downtown Manhattan. Your ticket includes savory and sweet options, libations, and lively music by Bell Family Trio. This event benefits Meadowlark Memory Program.
![[Stock image] Bighorn Crags, Idaho: View of Terrace Lakes from pass above Heart Lake.](https://www.meadowlark.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/blog/2025/02/2025-02-13_terrace_lakes.png?itok=C0liUzj-)
In January of 1972, Jim Dix and I began plans for a backpacking trip in the summer of that year. He had grown up in Caldwell, Idaho, and wanted to hike in Idaho. During lunch one day we examined a highway map of the state, looking for lakes in the mountains. We found Ship Island Lake to the West of the towns of Challis and Salmon. We ordered the national forest map for the area, which arrived in a few weeks. We opened it up and there were many lakes and trails! We ordered the U.S. Geological topographic sheets of the same area and began planning for late July.
I treasure the first time I was motivated to look past the surface of a wild scene, to ponder the meanings, the fates, of the natural structures or wild organisms I was watching. It was the first time that I tried to consider the meanings, the ramifications of the interactions between the organisms in my view. Perhaps you have known the same joy.
Mark your calendars! Meadowlark Foundation’s 7th art-related fundraiser is set for Friday, March 7. Art Mingle: Hidden Gems, which benefits Meadowlark Memory Program, returns to 328 Poyntz Ave. with an earlier start time and, taking event-goers’ feedback into consideration, more seating! This Poyntz Avenue location in the HEART of downtown Manhattan is home to SNW Gallery & Custom Frames and Union Hall, which are located inside the historic, 127-year-old Eames Building.
Meadowlark Foundation provides opportunities for private giving to further the person-directed mission of Meadowlark, a local not-for-profit (501(c)3) organization enhancing senior lifestyles.
In January of 1970, in Bartlesville, Okla., I was happy and content with the way my life was going. I was married to the love of my life, we had four young children, I had graduated with my PhD and had a very good job supporting the family. I knew I belonged with my family and would never go backpacking. But… Karen told me that “You are like a caged animal. You need to get out there.” I decided to go on my first backpacking trip. I called Bruce Miller. He advised hiking the Escalante canyon via Hurricane wash and Coyote gulch.
My mother and father, Conrad and Laurene Erickson, moved to Meadowlark from Autumn Wood, a retirement community in Lincoln, Neb., in 1997. They had moved to Lincoln from their farm near Wahoo, Neb. about 10 years earlier. I don’t think Autumn Wood had the level of care that Meadowlark has, so my brother encouraged them to move here.