Lights of the Lakes Shows – November

November continued October’s hectic pace for Lights of the Lakes programs.

11/7 – Elm Grove Woman’s Club

My first Lights of the Lakes show of the month drew one of the biggest audiences in a long time: 105 women. Except for a guy who was part of the catering team, I was the only male present. I joked about being the “token male.” This was one of the most alert and responsive audiences I’ve enjoyed working with in a while.

11/8 – Marla Vista Assisted Living (Green Bay)

Marla Vista is a small assisted living and memory care facility on the north side of Green Bay, WI. I visited this location on a bright but cold day in early November. About 15 Marla Vista residents enjoyed Lights of the Lakes.

At Marla Vista, I had a surprise guest: the house mascot, Monkey Moo. This friendly pooch came up to greet me as I was getting ready for the show. She must have been curious about the guy setting up all that strange equipment in the Activity Room. Quoting the Marla Vista web site,

Monkey Moo is a nine-year-old Shih Tzu/Poodle mix. She has lived at Marla Vista since May 2017. In her free time she enjoys visiting with elders, sleeping, eating and taking walks. Monkey gets along with everyone including people, other dogs, and kittens.

Marla Vista also featured Lights of the Lakes in their monthly newsletter:

11/9 – Pewaukee Public Library

Today’s journey took me to the Pewaukee Public Library to present Lights of the Lakes in a 6:00 pm public showing. The program had been promoted online and in local media outlets by the Friends of the Pewaukee Library. Library staff also created the flyer shown below, which resulted in a great turnout of around 60 lighthouse enthusiasts.

One elderly woman, Joyce Thompson, even brought a handmade quilt she had made and lighthouse artwork created by her late husband, Bruce. I brought a smile to her face by telling her she got “extra credit” for wearing lighthouse clothing.

I really felt like was on the top of my game at tonight’s show. The interested, responsive audience brought out the best in me during my presentation.

11/10 – Laurel Oaks (Glendale)

Under an overcast sky that was dropping the first snow flurries of the season, my final trip of the week took me to Laurel Oaks, an independent and assisted living community in Glendale, a North Shore Milwaukee suburb. Around 35 seniors attended Lights of the Lakes here.

Laurel Oaks had a balcony overlooking the great room where the show was presented. I went up to the second floor and took a picture of the setting at this location. Opportunities like this one bring out the photographer in me. I like to get shots from unusual angles such as this one.

11/13 – Ridgeview Highlands (Appleton)

To deliver this week’s first program, I traveled to Appleton, destination Ridgeview Highlands Senior Apartments. This was a large independent living senior apartment complex. A group of about 60 seniors gathered in a large special event room to enjoy Lights of the Lakes. They were a very interested and engaged audience, which brings out the best in me as a presenter.

11/15 – Bellevue Retirement Community (Green Bay)

On a wet mid-November morning, I headed out for Green Bay, destination Bellevue Retirement Community. The drive up was tolerable: light traffic and intermittent drizzle under overcast skies.

The client prepared a really nice flyer prior to the show, and even submitted it to the local press. Here’s the flyer:

Lights of the Lakes was presented to a rather small group, given the size of this facility – about 15 residents. Several left before the hour-long program concluded. Those who stayed thanked me and said they enjoyed the show.

The drive home was ugly: light traffic, but steady rain and mid-40s temps for the first half of my return trip. A strong crosswind had come up as well, making driving more challenging. By the time I got home, I was grateful for safe travel and for having had the opportunity to share another program with another audience in another place.

11/28 – Bella Vista (Oshkosh)

On November 28th, I traveled to Oshkosh, destination Bella Vista Independent and Assisted Living. The drive up was uneventful: mild temps and no precipitation—a pleasant day to go for a drive. Upon arrival, I found myself at an older apartment building near the shores of Lake Winnebago. Additions have updated it to become a modern, full-service senior living community.

When I arrived, I was surprised to literally see my name in lights. For the first time, my program appeared on an electronic event board.

As usual, I was there to present Lights of the Lakes to another group of seniors. I set up in the Lounge, an all-purpose gathering place. Around 20 people came to see today’s show.

11/30 – Waukesha Public Library

My last show of the month took place on November 30th at the huge Waukesha Public Library. The program had been promoted both online and via posters hung on bulletin boards at the library.

The pre-show publicity brought out a good crowd. 46 people attended the show, and they were a very responsive audience. I love presenting to a group that really gets into the program!

Well, that does it. I’ve survived another busy month presenting my lighthouse show. It’s taken me to new places, and I’ve met and entertained new groups of lighthouse enthusiasts. This is one of the rewards of the way I spend my retirement!