Bye, bye Becca!

The second week in May is done and we are looking forward to a restful weekend.  We worked hard this week on newsletter and Eaton jobs...and we are tired...in that "good tired" way!  Enjoy this glimpse into our fabulous week.

We began the week on Tuesday by traveling out to Freedom Park to work with our Master Gardener friends in the Botanical Garden.  We were excited to harvest the lettuce we had planted from seed just 4 weeks ago!! 

We also learned about that lovely pollinator, the hummingbird!  Did you know a hummingbird only weighs as much as a penny?!  We couldn't believe it.  Our Master Gardener friends enlightened us with lots of hummingbird facts, and then sent us a follow-up quiz which we aced on Friday!  For more interesting hummingbird facts, ask your associate!

Each week we learn about a different herb while at the Botanical Garden and this week it was basil.  We got to see and sniff five varieties!  When we learned how well basil pairs with tomatoes, we got a little hungry.  One day soon we are going to make a lunch dish and incorporate fresh basil!

Since the weather was so pretty, we got to plant in the garden.  Here, Kacie is planting a variety of tomato called "Chocolate Sprinkles!"  They are a type of cherry tomato that are brownish in color.  We hope they ripen before our sessions at the garden end in mid-June.

Liz planted cucumbers...pickles, anyone?!

When we returned to the center on Tuesday we whipped up some made-from-scratch brownies to celebrate Butterscotch Brownie Day.  Thanks to our new toaster oven, we had a tasty treat in no time...and we learned that the toothpick trick to test for doneness doesn't always work!  Even though they were super moist on the inside, we still enjoyed our celebration of the brownie also known as "Blondies."  

Looking back now, it's hard to believe how much we did on Tuesday.  (Forgot to mention that we had lunch and a nice walk at Freedom Park after our session with the Master Gardeners.)  But after popping our brownies into the oven, we sponge-painted these boxes that will be used for our Drum Circle next Friday.  Everyone is looking forward to drumming with Sandy in support of Drums for Cures.  Please refer to the note that we sent home about this opportunity to drum up some donations for a good cause!

On Wednesday we added more embellishments to our drums.  We send a big thank you to our volunteer Pam W. for coming in and lending her artistic talents to help us decorate.  Check back next week to see the final products and our drums in action!

Of course, Wednesday also meant Tai Chi!  This week Michael gave us a few other tips to improve our balance and continued to work with us on our "sitting stance."  For some of us, it's hard to squat a little just using our leg muscles and not leaning forward.  We will keep working on this, and also keeping our heads up and relaxing our shoulders!

We began working on a newsletter mailing job for the nonprofit group, Heart for Orphans, on Wednesday afternoon.  It took us a couple of days, but we completed almost 1,000 letters and they looked fabulous!

We must give a shout out to our amazing volunteers, Becky and Nancy (Meemaw), for their help with the newsletters!

We love being busy!  And busy we were on Thursday morning, volunteering for the school, and continuing to work on the newsletters.  Sorry, no time for pictures...the photographers will do better next week!  ;-)

A highlight on Friday was baking sugar cookies in our oven, and decorating them with frosting and sprinkles.  Becca, who has been working with Tracy at Parks & Rec (and has been a big help to us on many occasions, especially outings), is leaving to take a position in Recreational Therapy at Cumberland Hospital.  We invited her to our PB&J Buffet lunch and the cookies were a special treat.  We'll miss her...a lot!

Friday was National Limerick Day so we learned about poet Edward Lear, who didn't invent the limerick, but popularized it in 1846 when he published The Complete Book of Nonsense.  Then, we were inspired to write our own limerick about our group.  Not sure we like how it ends...but then again, it is supposed to be nonsensical!  Here's our final product:

There once was a group from The Arc

Who liked to take walks in the park

Til all of them fell

Down deep in a well

And that was the end of The Arc!

We finished up on Friday by preparing The Arc's monthly newsletter for mailing and then playing one of our favorite games, Disney's Scene It.  We expect next week to be a little less hectic...but we shall see!  We work together as a team and that's what we'll always do, whether it's a laid back or a whirlwind week!

Here's what we know for sure about the upcoming week...

Tuesday:  Bowling and Pizza Lunch!!  Please wear Arc shirts!

Wednesday:  Dress for Tai Chi!  Lunch on your own.

Thursday:  Lunch on your own but we will celebrate Xavier's birthday with gluten-free cupcakes!

Friday:  Drums for Cures fundraiser!  We will be drumming nonstop for 1 hour in hopes of "drumming" up support for cancer research.  It's also National Pizza Party Day (yes, pizza twice this week), and Devin Arnold, new member of The Arc's Board of Directors, is treating us to lunch!  Thanks, Devin!

Just for fun, here's an extra picture that shows what dedicated workers we are...Devin took it upon himself to relieve Soup of his floor cleaning duties!

Wishing all the moms in our Arc of Abilities family a Happy Mother's Day!

Lisa, Carol, and Nan