In his book “Journey by the Book: A Guide to Tales of Travel”, Northfield resident and author Dan Van Tassel discusses a vast sampling of travel literature. If the story uses a voyage, pilgrimage, or journey as essential for its meaning and structure, it will figure prominently in the stories he shares.

The book discusses a range of travel reading and writing from imaginary journeys to very real ones, including:

• The Odyssey
• Gulliver’s Travels
• Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• Road trips by Twain and Steinbeck
• And assorted other tales of travel

Please pre-register for this free class, which is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13th at 1:30 p.m.by calling Buckham West at 332-7357.

Salsa Making Contest

The best thing about summer is the abundance of fresh vegetables that are available. Well now is the time to put that fresh produce to good use and enter our salsa making contest!

There are two ways to participate. One is to enter the contest by submitting your own salsa. The other way is to come and taste the salsa entries and help us choose the winners.

There will be two groups of entries: Buckham West Members and invited local celebrities. Full contest details are on the entry form which is available for pick up at Buckham West or on the website at buckhamwest.org. There is no fee to enter and there will be prizes awarded which are sponsored in part by The Depot.

The taste-testing and voting will happen on Wednesday, September 14th from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Buckham West. Join the fun and submit your own entry. Outside of the celebrity entries, we ask for Buckham West members only, please.

Special Appearance by Chef Labeau

In addition to Buckham West members that will be competing in our upcoming salsa contest, we are happy to announce that we will also have a special appearance by The Depot’s renowned chef, Jeff Labeau. Chef Labeau, along with his culinary staff, will be sharing their own homemade salsas for our sampling. They will also be doing a cooking demonstration while they are here.  Please make sure that you are in attendance for this special event.

There will also be more celebrity cooks in attendance that are willing to share their own salsa recipes. A representative from the Faribault Fire Department, Faribault Police Department, Faribault Parks and Recreation Department and Rice County Administration will be competing against each other for a prize, along with bragging rights!

Please mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 14th from 10-11am.

Labor Day

Buckham West and Senior Dining will be closed on Monday, September 5^th for Labor Day. We will resume our regular schedules again on Tuesday, September 6^th.

Bridge Marathon

Members of the Buckham West bridge marathon group are seeking individuals who are interested in being on a list of substitutes. If you are an experienced bridge player, who is a Buckham West member, and would like to get on this sub list, please call Connie at 334-4257 (do not call Buckham West to be placed on this list).

New Members Welcome

As an incentive to add new members for the remainder of 2022, we are kicking off a special Membership Drive beginning September 1st.  If you are 50 years or older, we would like to invite you to become a member for the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023 for only $45. Next year’s individual’s dues are $40 per year, so for just $5 more you can join for the last 4 months of 2022 and all of 2023. Look at this as a way to support this important non-profit and save yourself some money.

If you are already a Buckham West member, your annual renewal process will begin in November for the 2023 membership year.

Plastic Recycling

On Friday, September 2nd between 9:30-11:00am, the Faribault Lions Club will be at Buckham West to accept your donation of household plastics.  This Plastic Recycling Project is a fund-raiser for community projects. Once they have collected enough materials, they will be made into a bench made from composite materials. The plastics must be clean, dry and free from food and another residue.

Please note the times that the Lions volunteers will be in the building so that you do not miss your drop off with them. Also, we ask that you do not bring bags in on other days, as we will not be storing them here. If you cannot be here on Friday, they will be back again on September 28^th.

Medicare 101

If you are turning 65 or going on Medicare soon, here is an opportunity for you to get the information you need. “Medicare 101” will be held at Buckham West on Tuesday, September 27th from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

The workshop will cover the parts of Medicare- hospital, medical and drug options; including original/ traditional Medicare, Medicare supplements, Medicare advantage plans, Part D prescription drug coverage and preventive benefits.

The class instructor will be a certified State Health Insurance Program Counselor and specialist with the Senior LinkAge Line®. This is a free event which is open to the public. There is a minimum of 10 participants for this class to be held, so sign up is necessary by calling 332-7357

Powerful Tools for Caregivers

Are you caring for a family member, friend or neighbor? Caregiving responsibilities are broad, but those routinely helping or caring for someone near or far-away, are considered caregivers. If you are a caregiver and in need of support, consider signing up for “Powerful Tools for Caregivers”.

Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022 from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Buckham West, along with Catholic Charities, is hosting a free, six-week wellness program, designed for those who provide care for a loved one. Workshop sessions will be held at Buckham West each Tuesday for six weeks.

In this workshop you will learn practical skills proven to reduce stress, communicate more effectively, improve self-care, make effective decisions and access community resources for caregivers. Participants also benefit from meeting other people with similar challenges and learning how to cope together. Registration for this program can be done by calling Buckham West at 332-7357.

Trips Added

Buckham West is now partnering with the Owatonna Senior Center for all trips. Please sign up by calling 507-444-4321. There are flyers with all details available at Buckham West.

• Treasure Island with Bingo Option on Sept.14, 2022 and again on Nov. 9, 2022
• Fall Sightseeing River St. Croix River Boat Cruise on Sat., Oct. 8, 2022
• Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the MN Zoo on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022