On The Mark: Music and dancing bring joy to center

Last week, residents of Cromwell's Cardinal Court and Villa Vista care complex were treated to the rousing music of Florian Chmielewski's accordion and his banter between numbers. Lots of laughter, giggling, and smiles. Such periodic events at the Villa are coordinated by Julie Hedin, the Villa's social director. Rod Walli and I like to go, both to visit residents and to dance, if it's appropriate.

And dance we did: polkas and waltzes, surrounded by residents and guests. I haven't mastered the schottische yet. But Rod's former Cromwell-Wright school teacher colleague, Lindsey Lally, was delighted to join him for that. The schottische requires a lot of hopping, which they accomplished with panache. Lindsey is a daughter of the founder of the Villa, Ebba Hedin. Retired, as is Rod, so they're free to join these afternoon events.

Florian is a phenomenon. He loves to talk. He tells corny jokes. He gives credit to the countries of origin of his songs. Probably everyone over 50 reading this has encountered and enjoyed his music, whether they dance or not. Some of you will remember his stint in the Minnesota Senate, to which he was elected in 1970 and served until 1996. He's received nine Minnie Grammies from the Minnesota Music Academy and was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame and the Ironworld USA Hall of Fame.

These social and performance events offer family members a time to join their elders for an afternoon, always capped off with a delicious Villa-made cookie and coffee. I usually meet someone I've never known before, since I did not grow up here. It helps that Rod grew up in Wright and taught math and psychology at the Cromwell-Wright school for years. We're usually about the last to leave the Villa, engaged in conversation with others.

Columnist Ann Markusen is an economist and professor emerita at University of Minnesota. She lives in Red Clover Township north of Cromwell with her husband, Rod Walli.