“Nature itself is the best physician.”
– Hippocrates
Getting outside is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the natural beauty that’s present all around us. There are also some tangible health benefits to being outdoors, particularly for seniors.
Extensive research reveals that outdoor locations and activities can significantly improve seniors’ physical and mental health. In addition, the researchers concluded that seniors who spend lots of time in green and blue areas outside, like nearby ponds, lakes, or parks, feel a greater sense of connectedness and renewal.
Summer at Milwaukee Catholic Home is always exciting-there are countless ways for residents to enjoy Mother Nature to participate in new activities and engage in some tried-and-true favorite pastimes. Here are just a few of the many ways residents of Milwaukee Catholic Home will be spending their summer!
Milwaukee Boat Cruise Sightseeing Tour On Friday, July 8th, MCH residents had the chance to explore Milwaukee’s past and present from our rivers and Lake Michigan during a 90-minute tour. Experiencing unforgettable views and learning about Milwaukee’s history and architecture is a great way to enjoy the outdoors this season!
Patio Pops What better way to take advantage of summer (and all the many health benefits attained from spending time outside) than listening to live entertainment with a drink in hand? Our annual Patio Pops summer concert season is always a favorite activity among residents, and this July, there are TWO live concerts to look forward to! Residents and friends listened to the lively music of the Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra on Wednesday, July 13th, and the jazz and pop standards will be expertly performed by the Carolyn Wehner Trio on Wednesday, July 27th. Patio Pops this year and every year at Milwaukee Catholic Home an excellent way to take advantage of the great weather.
Raising Monarchs at Home MCH residents can learn how to identify monarch eggs and caterpillars at the Catholic Ecology Center on Sunday, July 24th. They will discover information about their life stages from egg up to adult, the best tips and tricks for successful care, how to identify harmful diseases and how to find eggs near their MCH home.
MCH Dog Days of Summer Spending time with a dog is ALWAYS a great way to improve your mood at any time of year, but it’s always a little more enjoyable in the summer weather. That’s why you and MCH residents should Save the Date for Thursday, August 18th . For the MCH Dog Days of Summer event! Join us on our beautiful Patio as we celebrate and honor our four-legged “best friends”! Bring your well-socialized/behaved and leashed pup for our pooch parade, doggy show & tell, specialty awards/treats, and root beer floats for the two-legged types!
Fellowship on the Farm September is a beautiful time of year to enjoy Clare Gardens-and we have TWO events to prove it! On Thursday, September 1st, residents can attend Fellowship on the Farm! The day will include a tour of the beautiful grounds and garden, and the Catholic Ecology Center, our partners on this land! They will also have the opportunity to harvest/learn with lead farmer, Anna Metscher, and enjoy a lovely farm to table “lunch al fresco”.
Then, on Saturday, September 17th, YOU have the chance to enjoy a day on the farm during the Annual Partnership Event! The day includes Mass, a chance to visit the Holy Chickens, greenhouse, and beehive, tomahawk throwing demonstrations, Mass, and live music by Paul Cebar! For more information or to request an event invitation, contact Caitlin Elftman at celftman@milwaukeecatholichome.org.
Resident Picnic at the Lakefront! Every year, residents and staff head down to the lakefront to enjoy the beautiful vistas, sunshine, fresh air and fellowship! Fresh off the grill brats and burgers, wonderful picnic sides and refreshments are the order of the day! There’s cornhole toss, surrey rides, music and all-around outdoor fun for everyone! Residents express every year just how much they enjoy the opportunity to come down by the lake and soak up the beauty and invigorating and transformative energy this experience brings! Our picnic is scheduled for July 17th this year and we can’t wait!
Musical Mondays at Lake Park! While MCH has Patio Pops, there are countless outdoor musical opportunities throughout Milwaukee! One such location is right in our neighborhood at Lake Park! Every Monday evening Lake Park hosts a different musical performance and we thought it’d be fun to get a change of scenery and check it out! Lake Park is a beautiful and vibrant landscape, offering so many ways to commune with nature, including enjoying music amidst the trees and stars, with fireflies adding their own special element to the performance. Magical! On Monday, July 25 we’ll be enjoying the R & B Cadets lead by Paul Cebar, Robin Pluer and Jonh Sieger! The show starts at 6:30 PM.
Garden Party! Impressionist Claude Monet once said: “My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” We have many passionate gardeners at MCH who enjoy creating their very own masterpiece with their garden plot in our raised garden beds. There are gorgeous flowers, butterfly/bee gardens, herbs and vegetables planted in these wonderful, prolific resident garden spaces, and it is most definitely something to celebrate! At our Garden Party on July 29th we’ll tour each of the gardens and hear from the resident gardeners themselves about their “masterpiece”. Lemonade, iced tea and garden treats complete this multi-sensory experience!