It takes a certain amount of derring-do and old-fashioned chutzpah to schedule a picnic on Friday the 13 — especially in springtime Mississippi — but after an action-packed week of celebration, staff members and guests of Windsor Place nursing home weren”t about to let superstition or Mother Nature dampen their fun.

Storm clouds roiled and torrents of rain sheeted off the tent canopies scattered across the lawn, but administrator Mark Clay stayed at his post, scooping golden-brown hushpuppies from a steaming vat of oil and mounding them on trays alongside fried catfish, French fries, corn on the cob and coleslaw.

This is the 12th year Windsor Place has celebrated National Nursing Home Week, and without a doubt, the fish fry is the pièce de résistance. Last year, Clay cooked nearly 800 pounds of catfish for 1,200 people. This year, he expected to cook for only 1,000 because of the weather.

Inside, in “Helen”s Tea Room,” residents and visitors nodded their heads and tapped their feet to tunes like “Mustang Sally.” A few even “danced” in their wheelchairs. Outside, guests and staff members huddled against the unseasonable chill and ate while listening to “Nick” One Man Band.

Marie Blalock grinned as she leaned close and winked at her friends, Chesty and Glennie Bascon, who munched on catfish from beneath the shelter of an umbrella.

“They had some nerve, didn”t they?” she said. “We”ve always had beautiful weather.”

Blalock said the inclement weather couldn”t have stopped her from coming to the fish fry though. She and her husband, Jim, come every year. It”s their way of thanking the staff for the care her brother, Richard Owens, receives each day.

In 1999, when Owens had a series of strokes, she had no idea how to help her sibling. It was clear that he needed round-the-clock medical care, including lock-down supervision, but she wanted him to be safe. She wanted him to be happy.

The couple scoured the nation for a suitable nursing home, making visits and, ultimately, vetoing each place.

“There wasn”t a lot out there for stroke patients at the time,” she recalled.

When she walked into Windsor Place and saw the cheerful artwork, bright hallways, and patient/staff interaction, she knew her search was over.

“I liked how bright and cheery Windsor was,” she said. “They decorate nicely, and the care is good.”

Clay said that”s part of the mission of the facility, which houses 140 residents. They want people to be able to look at their Columbus campus and say, “Life in a nursing home is good.”

He said it takes a special type of person to work in a nursing home, and the fish fry is a way to thank the staff for the work they do. Earlier in the week, guests and employees enjoyed hot air balloon rides, a fishing rodeo, craft fair, bake sale and sporting events.

According to 2008 statistics, an estimated 1.5 million Americans live in the nation”s 16,000 nursing homes. The American Healthcare Association has designated a week in May every year to celebrate National Nursing Home Week.

Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.

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