NIAGARA, Wis. — After a very long wait this year, spring blew in on a hot summer wind. I am not complaining. It is always so good to see the last of the snow melt away and the trees start to green up — that special shade of green unmatched at any other time of year. It is my favorite season, second is autumn. Both are short seasons, but with a big difference; we know that a lovely summer follows spring. But autumn’s follower is a long, cold winter — the season to be endured, and the one that really tests our patience. Every season has its customs, but I believe that spring is truly the busiest. Spring cleaning is an event in our house — a long standing tradition that tests our endurance more with each passing year. And, as it turns out, this tradition has a storied history.

I was surprised to learn that the ritual of spring-cleaning dates back centuries. It has both cultural and religious roots, is affected by geography, and even has a biological connection. Back in the 1800s, people burned kerosene and whale oil in lamps to see at night and heated their homes with coal or wood which left residue everywhere. So, subjecting the home to a thorough cleaning top to bottom was necessary for healthy living.

In Iranian culture, it was customary to perform “khooneh tekouni” or “shaking the house” prior to the Festival of Nowruz — the Iranian New Year in March. Prior to Passover in April, it was customary for Jewish households to thoroughly clean the house. The Greek Orthodox Church encouraged spring cleaning in the first day of Lent, known as Clean Monday. In Chinese culture, the tradition encouraged cleaning bad luck and misfortune out of the home along with tossing rubbish and broken household items to align with Feng Shui practices.

In most northern regions of America and Europe, where the climate is quite damp, the custom of spring cleaning had a purely practical application. Late winter to early spring offered the best time to thoroughly clean homes because the weather is warm enough to let fresh air in and chilly enough to keep out any infestation. People no longer had to heat their homes and could finally get rid of soot and ash marks.

Finally, spring is the designated time for a thorough cleaning because we humans are naturally more motivated when we have more daylight. Melatonin levels in the brain naturally increase when exposed to more daylight, and our energy levels rise as a result.

Communities across our country organize litter pick ups in city parks and along roadsides. Locally, Kiwanis, and other service organizations, take advantage of the nice weather to get outside and clean-up; bags neatly gathered along stretches of roadsides are a common sight and greatly appreciated. There is an actual National Spring-Cleaning Week, designated as March 6-12, that began in 2003. It supports a thorough room by room and top to bottom cleaning of the home.

Advances in cleaning products and equipment have been made over time. Prior to the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of detergents, folks relied on elbow grease and homemade solutions. Some of the most common were lime juice, tea leaves, vinegar, salt and even gin! A cleaning manual from 1850 mentioned gin as a solution for cleaning mirrors. Today, we use it for recreational purposes after the cleaning is done. Lysol detergent was introduced in the late 19th century. It became known as a clever solution for restricting the Spanish flu. The first electric powered vacuum cleaner was put on the market in the early 20th century. Homemade cleaning products fell by the wayside due to the fat and oil scarcity as a result of World War I and World War II. By 1953, synthetic cleaning products were widely used.

My husband and I began our spring-cleaning ritual once we moved to Niagara in 1978. We burned wood for 16 years until natural gas lines were finally brought this far north in Wisconsin. We converted to a natural gas furnace right away, but after cleaning that thoroughly for so many years, it is a habit that has continued. We begin sometime in April — whenever the spirit moves us — and go room by room though the entire downstairs. We empty everything out and wash down the walls and windows as well as all of the pictures and put them back up onto clean walls. I dust the furniture, and my husband washes the baseboards. We wash the curtains, shake any rugs, and air out drapery on the clothesline. Once all of the rooms are finished, I vacuum and Swiffer the floors. I clean upstairs, but not to that extent because we rarely use the upstairs any longer. It takes us about a week and feels so good when we are finished. This time of year, I love the smell of lemon scented ammonia.

This year after we finished our house, we travelled to Minnesota to help our son and his wife get their house ready to sell. They are both very busy professionals and neither one of them see dirt. If they do, it doesn’t bother them. And, unlike my husband who enjoys completing handyman projects around the house, our son somehow never inherited that habit. So, we had our work cut out for us when we arrived with all of our favorite supplies in hand. I scrubbed while my husband handled the projects that required a tool or a paint brush. My daughter-in-law was on vacation the entire week, but our son had just started a new job so had no vacation time accumulated yet; he did jump in and help once his work day ended. My husband even made time to help grand daughter, Natalie, build hinged frames from which she will display photos during her upcoming graduation party. He asked her what kind of wood the frame material was and she answered, “lumber.” They had a good chuckle over that. It was all worth it. The house showed well and sold in two days well above their asking price.

We no sooner got home than it was time to clean and set up the deck for the summer season. Now my husband is into planting the flowers. I help pick out the plants, and we decide together what will go where, but he does the work. Next, he will be mowing the lawn for the first time. He was going to observe “No mow May” this year to give the bees a chance to pollinate… until neighbors on both sides of us mowed their lawns. He refuses to let our lawn have the longest grass — who am I to argue? As long as I keep cooking, the man keeps working. I have no complaints!

Happy spring, everyone — enjoy the sunshine!

——

NURSING HOMES/SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES

Freeman Nursing and Rehabilitation Community

Kingsford

906-774-1530

Freeman’s has resumed small group activities. Visitation is currently being allowed twice weekly with screening and COVID-19 testing required before entering the building. All precautions are still being taken to protect residents. Everyone has adjusted to this new normal; however, they are all looking forward to a great get-together when it is safe to do so.

Sunday: Church on TV, 9 a.m.; crossword, 10 a.m.; self-activity cart, 2 p.m.

Monday: Story making, 10 a.m.; dining room trivia, 11:45 a.m.; horse racing, 2 p.m.; hallway visits, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Exercise fun, 10 a.m.; music/dance, 11:45 a.m.; game of choice, 2 p.m.; group chat, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Exercise fun, 10 a.m.; trivia, 11:45 a.m.; lucky 7, 2 p.m.; room visits, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Exercise fun, 10 a.m.; music/dancing, 11:45 a.m..; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie time, 3 p.m.

Friday: Current events, 10 a.m.; trivia, 11:45 a.m.; game choice, 2 p.m.; noodle ball, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Color a flower, 10 a.m.; word search puzzle, 2 p.m.; “Antiques Road Show,” 6 p.m.

Iron County Medical Care Facility

Crystal Falls

906-874-1501

Sunday: Room visits, 9 a.m.; trivia, 10 a.m.; chair exercise, 11 a.m.; room visits, 12:30 p.m.; afternoon matinee with snacks, 1:30 p.m.

Monday: Cooking, 9 to 11 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; DT lunch, noon; room visits, 1 p.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; Riddler, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Room visits, 9 a.m.; book club, 10 a.m.; Catholic Mass, 10 a.m.; mystery ride, 1 p.m.; travel film, 1:30 p.m.; spelling bball, 2 p.m.; musical movie, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Coffee social/travel club, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; monthly birthday party – music and cake with Jan and Gino, 2 p.m.; night bingo, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Puzzler, 9:30 a.m.; bowling, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 1 p.m.; wildlife film, 1:30 p.m.; happy hour, 2:30 p.m.

Friday: Crafts, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; Wii fun, 2 p.m.; web browsing, 2:30 p.m.; western movie, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Puzzle pack/room visits, 9 a.m.; Pictionary, 10 a.m.; geri-gym, 11 a.m.; social hour, 2 p.m.

ProMedica (formerly Manor Care)

Kingsford

906-774-4805

The center is now open for visitation. There is no longer a need to call in advance of your visit.

Sunday: Go Fish, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; Flip-O, 1 p.m.; movie in lobby, 2 p.m.

Monday: Wet your whistle, 9 a.m.: exercise, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie in lobby, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Wet your whistle, 9 a.m.; chair yoga, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; Flip-O, 2 p.m.; movie in lobby, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Wet your whistle, 9 a.m.; manicures, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; sundaes, 2 p.m.; movie in lobby, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Wet your whistle, 9 a.m.; exercise, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; Yahtzee, 2 p.m.; movie in lobby, 3 p.m.

Friday: Wet your whistle, 9 a.m.; chips and chatter, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie in lobby, 3 p.m.

Saturday: “Family Feud,” 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; leisure room, 1 p.m.; movie in lobby, 2 p.m.

Maryhill Manor Nursing Home

Niagara, Wis.

715-251-3172

Church services are five days each week. Visitation is allowed as long as all infection control guidelines are followed, including wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing. Daily scheduled activities continue to be for residents only.

Sunday: Coffee and trivia, 10:15 a.m.; whammo, 2 p.m.

Monday: Rosary/communion, 8:30 a.m.; Protestant service, 9 a.m.; you be the judge, 10:15 a.m.; pamper and polish, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Rosary/communion, 8:30 a.m.; magazine scavenger hunt, 10:15 a.m.; entertainment, Jan and Gino, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: Rosary/communion, 8:30 a.m.; crafts, 10:15 a.m.; card club/Rummy, 2 p.m.

Thursday: Rosary/communion, 8:30 a.m.; Uno, 10:15 a.m.; joker-eno, 2 p.m.

Friday: Rosary/communion, 8:30 a.m.; Pictionary, 10:15 a.m.; happy hour / monthly birthday party with entertainment by Jim D., 2 p.m.

Saturday: Spelling bee, 10:30 a.m.; movie and popcorn, 2 p.m.

Florence Health Services

(formerly Golden Living Center)

Florence, Wis.

715-528-4833

Visitation is allowed seven days a week in designated areas only. Each visit is limited to 30 minutes and must be scheduled in advance. All visitors will be subject to health screening before entering the facility. There are no group activities at the present time.

Victorian Pines

Iron Mountain

906-774-5158

Sunday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 1:30 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Monday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; rummy, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo; 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; Lutheran Bible study, 1 p.m.; left-center-right, 2 p.m.

Friday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; movie and popcorn, 2 p.m.

Pinecrest Medical

Care Facility

Powers

906-497-5244

Sunday: Bunco, 10:30 a.m.; Lutheran services, 2 p.m.

Monday: Exercise, 10:30 a.m.; crafts, 2 p.m.; karaoke, 3:30 p.m.; one-to-one visits, 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Tea party, 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; cards, 3:30 p.m.; one-to-one visits, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Lunch outing, 10:30 a.m.; wine and cheese, 2 p.m.; Sorry, 3:30 p.m.; board games, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Movie, 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; cards, 3:30 p.m.; one-to-one visits, 6 p.m.

Friday: Bingo, 10:30 a.m.; Catholic Mass, 2 p.m.; games, 3:30 p.m.; mind joggers, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Ladder ball, 10 a.m.; Bingo, 2 p.m.; rosary, 3:30 p.m.

SENIOR CENTERS

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Now open for dine-in eating — serving at 11:30. Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Ham, potato salad and baked beans.

Wednesday: Poor man’s lobster, oven brown potatoes, peas and coleslaw.

Thursday: Lasagna, wax beans, garlic bread and lettuce salad.

Note: All meals include milk, bread and butter, fruit and dessert.

Breen Center

Kingsford

906-774-5110

Now open for dine-in eating — serving at noon. Night meals are on hold indefinitely. Carryout meals are available. Soup and salad bar are also available. Menu for the week —

Monday: Pastie pie and stewed tomatoes.

Tuesday: Chili and grilled cheese sandwich.

Wednesday: Meatloaf, baked potatoes and chef choice vegetables.

Thursday: Smothered chicken and mashed potatoes.

Friday: French toast, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes and ham.

Note: All meals served with a choice of skim milk or juice and fruit.

Crystal Falls Center

Head Cook: Sterling Peryam

Assistant Cook: Rocky Scarlassara

906-875-6709

The center is now open and is once again serving meals for dine-in or takeout — call the center by 1 p.m. to make reservations or to place your order. All food is purchased from local vendors. All dinners include salad bar, homemade desserts, coffee, tea, or milk. Salad bar begins at 4:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 5 p.m. Pickup for takeout meals is 4 p.m. – call ahead and leave a message with phone number. A volunteer will deliver meals to homebound citizens only. Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Ham and scalloped potatoes and vegetables.

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, tater tots and vegetables.

Dickinson-Iron Community Services Agency

DICSA

Iron Mountain

906-774-2256 ext. 230 or 235.

Home delivered meals only — call to make arrangements. Menu for the week —

Monday: Cabbage rolls, peas and carrots and dinner roll.

Tuesday: Meat ravioli, Italian blend vegetables and garlic bread.

Wednesday: Chili mac, broccoli and corn bread.

Thursday: Smothered chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes.

Friday: Ham and egg breakfast sandwich, hash browns, spiced peaches and treat.

Note: All meals include a choice of skim milk, juice, or no beverage.

For more information, call Christine McMahon at 906-774-2256.

Crystal Lake Center

Iron Mountain

906-828-1776

Schedule for the week is:

Monday: Spinning spools quilting, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Les Artistes’ art club, noon to 4 p.m.; wood carvers, noon to 4 p.m.

Tuesday: Cards — Pinochle and cribbage, noon to 4 p.m.

Wednesday: Bingo, 1 to 4 p.m., card cost is .25 per card, 10 games are played.

Thursday: Cards — Pinochle, noon to 4 p.m.

Friday: Cards — smear, noon to 4 p.m.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Now open for dine-in eating — call for serving times. Carryout meals also available. Menu for the week —

Monday: Shepherd’s pie, breadsticks and corn.

Tuesday: Philly steak and cheese sandwich, coleslaw and chips.

Wednesday: Bratwurst/hot dogs, French fries, baked beans and canned peaches.

Note: All meals served with skim milk or juice.

Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Restrictions have lifted at some centers — see below. Menu for the week —

Monday: Cook’s Choice – entrée, vegetable and fruit.

Tuesday: Pasty, three-bean salad and fruit.

Wednesday: Chicken tater bake, broccoli, fruited Jell-o, fruit pie and ice cream.

Thursday: Brat on a bun, sauerkraut, pasta salad and fruit.

Friday: Taco casserole, coleslaw, fruit and Mexican brownies.

Note: All meals served with whole grain bread, butter and milk.

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

RSVP for meal at 855-528-2372

Same as ADRC menu, served at noon on Wednesday only.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

RSVP for meal at 715-528-4261

Same as ADRC menu. Open Monday through Thursday serving at 11:30 a.m.

Tipler Town Hall

RSVP for meals at 715-674-2320

Same as ADRC menu, served at noon on second Thursday only.

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

RSVP for meals at 715-589-4491

Same as ADRC menu. Now open, served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Barb Peters

906-498-7735

Now open — information coming soon.

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Now open for dine-in eating — serving at 11 a.m., salad bar available. No night meals. Carryout meals also available. Menu for the week —

Monday: Ham and scalloped potatoes, carrots and dinner roll.

Tuesday: Mushroom Swiss burger, potato wedges and mixed vegetables.

Wednesday: Chili, corn bread and side salad.

Thursday: Stuffed green peppers, wax beans and dinner roll.

All meals served with milk or juice and a serving of fruit.

Niagara Senior Center/Café

715-251-1603

Now open for dine-in eating — dinner is served at 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Reservations are required one day in advance. Suggested donation is $4.50 for those older than 60 and $7 for those age 60 or younger. Bingo is played at the center on Wednesdays. Transportation is available.

Monday: Pork cutlet, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and clementine.

Tuesday: Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, rye bread and pudding.

Wednesday: Liver and onions, parsley-buttered potatoes, corn and apricot cake.

Thursday: Baked chicken, cheesy hash browns, stuffing and orange cranberry fluff.

Norway Center

Director: Joyce Oleksy

Head Cook: Brian Gutkowski

906-563-8716

Now open for dine-in eating served restaurant style beginning at 11:15 a.m. Salad bar available from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Takeout meals will remain available for pick-up from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Let staff know if you are dining in or picking up. Menu for the week —

Monday: Pulled pork, potato wedges and creamed corn.

Tuesday: Lasagna, garlic bread and Italian blend vegetables.

Wednesday: Liver or burger with onions, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans.

Thursday: Ravioli, breadstick and winter blend vegetables.

All meals include milk, juice, fruit, bread and dessert.

Center activity schedule:

Mondays and Thursdays — Exercise at 10 a.m. and card bingo after the meal.

Monday through Thursday — Card game 101 from noon to 3 p.m. Call Joe at 563-5587 for information.

Tuesdays — Quilting and sewing.

Wednesdays — Ceramics and crocheting.

Last Monday of each month — Book club at 9 a.m.

Second Thursday of each month — Birthdays and bingo.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Now open for dine-in eating — call for serving times. Carryout meals also available. Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Beef enchilada, corn bread, carrots and peaches.

Wednesday: Cobb salad with turkey and bacon, bread stick and mixed fruit.

Thursday: Hot dogs, corn, potato wedges and pears.

All meals served with an option of milk, juice or no beverage.