We have met new people who have had diverse backgrounds and have found them to be new friends which we can share our experiences with.
Outdoor Encounters
February 6, 2025
Local not-for-profit focused on supporting people in living their best lives
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.
“Great sale. Good customer service.”
“Everyone was sweet and helpful.”
“The ladies there are very pleasant and helpful. Thanks!”
“Friendly people!”
It’s the holiday season – a time for good tidings and grateful hearts. At Meadowlark Market, the merry and magic associated with Christmas appear to be experienced year-round. The comments above were sent to the Market team by customers during the past several months, and at least one frequent shopper and one Market volunteer echo these sentiments.
More than 1 million visitors are expected to visit Grapevine, Texas, (population 50,981) during its annual Christmas Capital of Texas celebration, and the Meadowlark Travelers were 38 of that number on Dec. 6 and 7, ready to experience some Texas-size fun. In addition to tour leaders Becky Fitzgerald and Monte Spiller, our group was composed of residents, Passport members, and family members.
Earlier this year, I attended the celebration-of-life service for an old friend. Hazel had died at age 103, but I first met her in 1943 when she was a young married woman and I was a 12-year-old new in town. Her passing meant the shuttering of yet another window through which I once could see “way back when.” The last living person who knew me during my childhood.
There once was a time when the order of my day included playing with my buddies, fighting with my sister (13 months younger), wishing mightily that this fourth year of grade school were over, doing a couple of assigned farm chores, and putting off homework as long as possible. That arithmetic workbook was the sinkhole of my existence.
I have a confession to make. I don’t like Halloween, and I never have. Even as a kid in the Chicago suburbs, it was not a big deal for me. It was a day to get through. Oh, I participated in the school parties, school parade, and trick-or-treat time in the evening, but I never got excited about it like some kids did.
We have met new people who have had diverse backgrounds and have found them to be new friends which we can share our experiences with.
2121 Meadowlark Road
Manhattan, KS 66502
Directions & Map
Call: 785.537.4610
Email: info@meadowlark.org
February 6, 2025
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February 12, 2025
February 12, 2025