IRON MOUNTAIN — In the middle of my parents’ backyard, there is a rock. Growing up, it felt huge. At the top of their paved driveway, there is another rock. When we were kids, we affectionately yet very unoriginally named it “Big Rock.” While the rock in the backyard wasn’t nearly as big, it was still large, and far too heavy for us to ever move. As kids, we used to climb all over those stones, playing make believe and pretend. We’d deem ourselves “kings and queen” of the mountain, and we’d pick off the bright green moss that would try to take over its gray exterior. During those days, I usually was clad in jean shorts that went to my knees, a maroon Pocahontas tee shirt, and a curly ponytail that fell to my waist. My feet were typically bare, or in Chuck Taylors, and my hands were always dirty. Even though I was the oldest, I so desperately wanted to keep up with my brothers. The other day, while at my parents’ house, I took our new puppy out into the backyard and sat on the smaller big rock from my youth. Somehow, the largeness of it seemed less. I didn’t have to jump on it to reach the top, as I remembered, and when I sat on its peak my feet could be firmly planted on the ground, but despite the difference in time and occurrence, the memories were still there.

My parents’ house is a plethora of memories. When I walk in the door, while the walls are a different color from when I was growing up and the wallpaper in the kitchen is no longer the same, it doesn’t change the feeling I get when I turn the knob and step inside. Usually, my mom always has a candle going, and nearly all her candles smell of either maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin or apple pie. I know that I’ll be bombarded by dogs, and even though none of them are my Max, my first canine “brother,” they all remind me of how he’d greet me when I got home from school. I know that there will be jugs of water in the fridge, cribbage boards on the kitchen table, and ESPN announcers echoing from the neighboring room. I know that if I walk upstairs, even though my sister will have her makeup and bath robe strewn about the bathroom, the old clawfoot tub that washed me and my siblings will still be standing. I know that in my old room, on one very specific corner, I can peel a piece of the siding off the wall to make it into a walking stick or wand or “brother whacker” and then replace it and have it look as if it was never gone. Wild Mushroom Rice soup will always make me think of Friday nights in the dining room that used to be pink, with candles and the good china, and my dad saying it was too dark and turning on the chandelier.

The door leading to our basement has all of our heights marked as we grew, and is effective proof of the fact that I’ve officially stayed the same height of shortness since I was 14 years old. I know that there are so many magnets on the fridge you can’t fit any more, and that the cannisters on top of the wall paper towel rack that are filled with coffee and sugar and beans have been there for nearly 20 years. I can hear my family singing the “12 Days of Christmas” song if I walk into the Big Room, or my brother chanting as the Packers score another touchdown. The kitchen table still has marks in it from homework pencil pressures of days gone by, and no matter how many of us are at home eating supper, there are still the designated spots that we all cling to. I know that if I walk down the stairs and run my hand along the bannister, pictures will fall off the wall because my mom flooded it with photos of everyone. I can remember playing “monster” in the living room with my dad when we were all so small he could hold us all at once, and laying on their bed and putting all of his silk handkerchiefs on the ceiling fan so that he could turn it on and we could catch them as they fell.

It’s funny, how a place can hold so much history; history that doesn’t even make itself known all the time, but is still lingering and relevant. There are always certain places that hold bolder memories. My family has so many traditions and past times that it’s hard to pick just one memory, but no matter where I am, certain bits of life remind me of others. Rob and I live on a corner lot in town, and our corner has the only light on our block; when it beams, it glows an orangey yellow. Its hue reflects off the giant oak that surrounds it, and when I look at its color, I am reminded of the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor, because the lights there color the oak trees the same way. Especially during fall, when the crisp air begs a scarf and jacket, I can almost hear our laughs as kids running around the cabins playing kick the can.

When I go to my parents’ house, I don’t always intentionally think of my life there, but I inevitably remember, even if I don’t voice it, yet those walls don’t hold my stories — I do. Just how the light post outside my front porch makes me think of Copper Harbor, other bits and pieces of existence remind me of home. Any time I see a toad, I think about how I used to catch them in my mom’s rock garden. Any time anyone says the word “well,” I think of my Grandpa Clarence sitting at our dining room table for Sabbath dinner, saying “well, well, well, well, well” as he picked me up and put me on his knee, and when I hear my dad sing, I think about how I used to sit on top of the stairs and listen as my mom played the piano and he melodically rang out hymns. The place holds the memory, and the place is sacred, but the place isn’t required to evoke nostalgia. I know that one day I’ll have to let go of some of the “places” in my life that have meant so much, because as time takes its toll on this earth, it often takes places with it but no matter what happens to those sites, my mind will still preserve the beauty of the moments. Even though it’s hard, know that letting go of “things” doesn’t erase the memory. Life is a forever balance of holding and letting go — do both graciously. It’s a lesson I’m still learning. When you love what you have, and love what you had, you have everything you need.

——

Freeman

Kingsford

Scenes and sounds, 11:45 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

Sunday: Uno, 1 p.m.; dunking donuts, 2 p.m.; church, 2:15 p.m.

Monday: Pretty nails, 10 a.m.; library cart, 11 a.m.; brouhaha, 1:15 p.m.; ice cream, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Crafts, 10 a.m.; gardening, 11 a.m.; reminisce, 1:15 p.m.; Kentucky Derby, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: Room visits, 10 a.m.; rosary, 11 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Reading buddy, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 11 a.m.; what’s the word?, 1:15 p.m.; pokereno, 2 p.m.

Friday: Mass 11 a.m.; bunco, 1:15 p.m.; jigsaw brain teaser, 2 p.m.; happy hour, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Meet and greet, 10:30 a.m.; spinning records, 11 a.m.; Daily News, 1 p.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Iron County Medical Facility

Crystal Falls

Room visits, 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Exercise, 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Sunday: One-to-one church visitors, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Yahtzee, 10 a.m.; bingorama, 2 p.m.; Church of Christ, 3 p.m.

Monday: Crafts, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; Sunshine Club, 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday: CF library, 9:30 a.m.; Book Club, 10 a.m.; prayer, 10 a.m.; Walmart, noon; travel film, 1:30 p.m.; current events, 2 p.m.; mystery movie, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Animal king, 10 a.m.; getting pretty, 1:15 p.m.; men’s club, 2 p.m.; night bingo, 6 p.m.

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

Friday: Crafts, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; Garden Club/reminisce, 2 p.m.; romance movie, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Word search, 10 a.m.; how do you feel?, 10 a.m.; geri gym, 11 a.m.; intergenerational social hour, 2 p.m.

ManorCare

Kingsford

Wet your whistle, 9:30 a.m. daily.

Movie, 10:45 a.m. daily, and 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Gathering place, 11:40 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 11:40 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Popcorn Day Fridays.

Protestant Church service, 3 p.m. Sunday.

Exercises, 10 a.m. daily.

Sunday: Wet your whistle, 9:30 a.m.; just jokes, 10:15 a.m.; morsels and more, 1:30 p.m.; Protestant Church, 3 p.m.

Monday: Who, what, when, 10:15 a.m.; Crystal Hogan entertains, 2 p.m.; pokeno, 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday: Trivia, 10:15 a.m.; Resident Council/Food Committee, 2 p.m.; movie and a manicure, 5:45 p.m.

Wednesday: Remembering when, 10:15 a.m.; bowling, 2 p.m.; flip five, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday: Crosswords, 10:15 a.m.; “Deal or No Deal” bingo, 2 p.m.; Randy’s Magic Moments, 5:45 p.m.

Friday: ManorCare monthly, 10:15 a.m.; pokeno, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Current events, 10:15 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; movie, 3:15 p.m.

Maryhill Manor

Niagara, Wis.

Rosary, 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Parachute, 1:30 p.m. daily.

Monthly support group for grief and loss, 2 p.m. second Monday of the month.

Weekend pet visits.

Sunday: Rosary, 8:30 a.m.; Mass, 9 a.m.; penny ante 10:15 a.m.; bingo, 1:30 p.m.; Protestant service, 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Protestant service, 9 a.m.; Travel Club, 10:15 a.m.; lemonade social, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Bingo, 10:15 a.m.; archery, 2 p.m.; Yahtzee, 6:15 p.m.

Wednesday: You be the judge, 10:15 a.m.; Chaplet of Divine Mercy, 3 p.m.; fireside with Crystal Hogan, 6:15 p.m.

Thursday: Mass, 9 a.m.; Scattegories, 10:15 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; whammo, 6:15 p.m.

Friday: Yoga, 10 a.m.; trivia 10:30 a.m.; happy hour, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Jokereno, 10:15 a.m.; pamper and polish/coffee social, 2 p.m.; “Wizard of Oz” movie, 5:45 p.m.

Victorian Pines

Iron Mountain

Exercise, 11 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Coffee clutch, 9:30 a.m. daily.

Shopping days: 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, must sign up.

Sunday: Bible study, 1:30 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Monday: Bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Music with Pastor Jim, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Bingo, 2 p.m.; refreshments, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Communion, 10 a.m.; Rosary, 3 p.m.

Friday: Family picnic, 4 p.m.

Saturday: Movie and popcorn, 2 p.m.

Florence Health Services

Florence, Wis.

Sunday: Bingo, 10 a.m.; the Rev. Miller, 2 p.m.

Monday: Fishing with KAMO, 9:30 a.m.; music/memory, 2:30 p.m.; one on one time, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Bingo with Bette, 10 a.m.; music with Larry Jankowski, 2 p.m.; Senior Citizens Day party, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Resident Council meeting, 10 a.m.; horse races, 2:30 p.m.; room visits, 3:30 p.m.; Amber and Jason entertain, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday: Pastor Jason, 10 a.m.; manicures, 2:30 p.m.; reading, 6:30 p.m.

Friday: Catholic Communion, 10 a.m.; baking bread, 2 p.m.; happy hour, 3 p.m.

Saturday: Bingo, 10 a.m.; flippo, 2:30 p.m.

Pinecrest Medical Care Facility

Powers

Life connections, 9:45 a.m. every Monday.

Busy bee, 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rosary 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Sunday: Grace church, 10 a.m.; Uno, 10 a.m.; ice cream social, 2 p.m.; one-on-one visits, 2 p.m.

Monday: Beauty shop, 10:30 a.m.; rosary, 2:30 p.m.; mind joggers, 3:30 p.m.; ball toss, 6 p.m.

Tuesday: DeYoung Zoo, 10 a.m.; sensory, 10 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; social circle, 3:30 p.m.; word puzzles, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Outside social, 10 a.m.; Resident Council, 2 p.m.; one-to-one visits, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday: Cookout, 11:45 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; cards, 3:30 p.m.; movie night, 6 p.m.

Friday: Mass, 10 a.m.; sensory, 10:15 a.m.; Jerry Beauchamp entertains, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Hand massage, 10 a.m.; life stories, 10 a.m.; manicures, 2 p.m.

SENIOR CENTERS

Note: All centers ask for 24-hour advanced reservations for lunch. If you have meals delivered and will not be home, notify the center.

Alpha-Mastodon Center

906-875-3315

Noon meal every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Lunch at noon.

Bingo on Tuesdays.

Free meal drawing on Thursdays.

Breen Center

906-774-5110

Meals Monday through Friday.

Pasty sale every third Saturday of the month.

Cards and games available 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m.

Hostess on duty Monday through Friday.

Treats and coffee, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Center retail store is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday; volunteers and donations are welcome.

Birthdays acknowledged every day.

Evening meals are on the first and third Thursday of the month. Salad bar opens at 4 p.m., with dinner at 5 p.m. Donations are $4 for those 60 and older and $5 for 60 and younger.

Crystal Falls Center

Head Cook, Lucy Korhonen

906-875-6709

Meals will be served at 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the salad bar opening at 4:30 p.m. The dinner donation is $5 for those age 60 and older and $6 for those younger than 60. There is a $1 charge for take-out containers. All are invited.

Cribbage will be played at 1 p.m. Wednesdays and be concluded in time for dinner.

The center is closed Thursday through Sunday.

Monday: Soup, salad, chicken and broccoli alfredo, garlic bread and homemade dessert.

Tuesday: Soup, salad, pizza burgers, oven fries and homemade dessert.

Wednesday: Soup, salad, barbecue ribs, baked potatoes, vegetables and homemade dessert.

Thursday: Soup, salad, beef and broccoli over rice, and homemade dessert.

A site council meeting takes place at 3 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month.

A blood pressure reading can be taken by request at any time while the center is open.

Crystal Lake Center

906-774-5888

The center is closed on weekends.

Monday: Woodcarvers, 10 a.m.; mahjong in dining hall, noon; Les Artistes Art Club, noon; Bridge Club, 12:15 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday: Pinochle, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Billiards, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday: Spinning Spools Quilters Guild, 1 p.m., crafters, scrapbookers and others also welcome; knitting and crocheting class, 1 to 3 p.m.

Friday: Smear, 12:30 p.m.

Last Saturday of the month: Music jam starting at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Dances take place from 7 to 10 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of the month. Admission is $6; coffee is free.

The Photo Club meets 1 to 3 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month.

Evening meals are usually on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Salad bar opens at 4 p.m., with the meal served at 4:30 p.m. A donation of $4 is accepted for seniors age 60 and older but not required.

Home-delivered meals are for seniors 60 and older can be delivered seven days a week. Suggested donation is $4 per meal. For information, call Chris Tramotin at 906-774-2256, ext. 235.

Transportation is available from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call the center to book a ride.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Meals served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Bingo after lunch on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

A congregate jigsaw puzzle is done daily.

Aging and Disability Resource Center of Florence County

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Suggested donation for seniors older than 60 is $4 per meal. Residents younger than 60 must pay $7. Reservations and cancellations needed 48 hours in advance.

The ADRC can assist area seniors and those with disabilities with transportation Monday through Friday. Transportation reservation should be made with meal reservation.

The four senior dining locations are:

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

Meal at noon Wednesdays only. Reservations are requested. Cribbage and cards are available.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

715-528-4261

Meal is served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Jigsaw puzzles, cards, cribbage and board games are available. The coffee always is on as well.

Tipler Town Hall

715-674-2320

Serving lunch at noon on the second Thursday of the month.

Hillcrest Senior Dining Center, Aurora

715-589-4491

Meal is served at 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Jigsaw puzzles, cribbage, cards and board games are available. The coffee is always on as well.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Pam Haluska

906-498-7735

Meal is at noon Monday through Friday. Suggested donation is $3 for age 60 and older and $7 for those younger than 60.

Morning coffee is available daily.

Fifteen games of “fun bingo” are played each Tuesday and Friday, along with a 50-50 drawing.

Tuesday: Bingo, 12:45 p.m.

Wednesday: Cards played in the afternoon. Call ahead to see if a game will be going on.

Friday: Bingo, 12:45 p.m.

Monday through Friday: Walking in the gym, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A treadmill also is available.

Friendly interaction with other crafters.

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Meals served 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; a $4 donation is encouraged from those 60 and older, and a $5 payment is required from those younger than 60.

Thursday meal, 4 p.m. salad bar, with dinner at 4:30 p.m.

DICSA operates all meals and transportation out of the Iron River Center. Rides are $2.50 donation for age 60 and older, and $3 required for younger than 60. Call 906-265-6134 to schedule a ride

Niagara Northwoods Senior Cafe and Center

Corrie Maule, meal site manager, 715-251-1603

Jill Anderson, senior center director, 715-251- 4154

Noon meals served Monday through Thursday.

Transportation to the meal site from the Niagara, Wis., area is offered.

They welcome any senior groups that would like to use the meal site as a meeting place — join them for lunch and then stay for a meeting or social time.

Wii games, cards, puzzles and board games are available to play.

Other activities are in the works — suggestions are always welcome.

Those who have not been at the meal site/senior center are invited to give it a try. Those who haven’t been here in a while are encouraged to come back.

Norway Center

Director: Susie Slining

906-563-8716

Monday through Thursday: Meals served at noon, with salad bar. Soup also is available at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Milk, juice, bread, fruit, tea and coffee served daily. Meal donation is $5. Reservation for the meal should be made in advance.

Two special-themed meals take place each month, with bingo, prizes and a 50-50 drawing.

Two evening meals offered at 5 p.m. on the first Monday and third Wednesday of the month, with bingo, prizes and a 50-50.

If Norway-Vulcan are schools are closed due to snow days, so is the senior center. If the schools are on a two-hour delay, the center remains open.

Cards are played daily after the noon meal.

Craft and exercise classes: Mondays and Thursdays.

Ceramic and art classes: Wednesdays.

Puzzles always in the works.

A senior coloring class meets daily. All are welcome. Some materials will be provided.

Telephone reassurance is available for any senior who doesn’t get out much and would like a friendly daily phone check to see that all is well.

Tuesday — Dinner at 5 p.m. with lasagna, winter blend vegetables, garlic toast, soup, salad bar, fruit, juice, and dessert.

Thursday — Birthday club meal with beef stroganoff over egg noodles, green beans, soup, salad bar, fruit, juice and birthday cake. Add your pic to the birthday wall of fame for August.

Note: A CSFP food card (green card) is available to income-eligible seniors. Make an appointment to get signed up. File of Life packets available at the center.

Note: Ask about the Medicare Savings Program. This program helps people pay their Medicare part B premium. You may be eligible. The local MMAP counselor can be reached at 1-800-803-7174, or dial 211.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Meals: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11:45 a.m.

Cards: Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday.

Commodities every other month and quarterly commodities are every three months.

A puzzle table is available to enjoy.

Volunteers are always welcome.