June 2020

Wow, it is June and Summer is unofficially here!  While we spent Spring safely at home, in quarantine with our families, we got to video conference via Zoom with our Arc of Abilities friends and that helped us stay connected.  Continuing the blog each week also keeps us in touch, and we're thankful for the pictures and videos everyone shares!  Here's what some of us were up to during the first week of June!  

We got a picture of Gladys this week!  She's Annmarie's betta fish who seems to be a little shy, over to the right of the tank.  What a lovely home for Gladys!

Sam was busy helping Coach Teri hang signs for their neighborhood Graduate Parade.  What a wonderful way to salute the 2020 graduates who are missing out on traditional ceremonies this year.

That poster looks perfect there, Sam.  As always, you are a big help!

After helping his mom hang the posters, Sam was treated to lunch from one of his favorite places, Noodles & Company.  We hear he likes Japanese Pan Noodles and Potstickers!  Yum!

Patrick and Alexis met at Freedom Park this week for a socially distant picnic and dog walking experience.  It was a beautiful day for friends to hang out, and it looks like Patrick's dogs, Zoe and Kona, enjoyed it, too!

Alexis also enjoyed outside time in her pool with her best little buddy, Haley.

Nan has been busy assembling some new learning games for us to play when we return to the center.  Thanks, Nan.  It will be nice to have some fresh activities!

We hear Xavier really enjoys seeing his friends when we have Zoom meetings, and he especially enjoys the dance segments.  We agree with you, Xavier!  It's been a great way to stay in touch.

Xavier has also been creative during quarantine.  This is the masterpiece he drew for Christina.  Very cool, Xavier!

Kevin visited his grandfather in Delaware recently and got to ride in Grandpa's new pontoon boat! 

Kevin loves seafood.  His dad's friend brought him some fresh-caught tuna sashimi and Kevin dug right in!  Way to go with the chopsticks, Kevin!

There was more seafood in Kevin's future this week, when his favorite restaurant, Harpoon Larry's, opened for outdoor dining!  😋

It was indoor dining at Kate's when she helped cook spaghetti for her family.

 Hey, isn't that your favorite dish, Kate?! 😋😋😋

Kate also took a walk this week and sent us a picture that marks a historical site.  Very interesting to learn that prehistoric Indian groups lived in her neighborhood long ago!

While outside, Kate spotted this very large turtle.  He (or she) wasn't too interested in smiling for the camera, though.

Speaking of large animals, look at the size of this catfish our friend Moose Patti caught in her neighbor's pond! She thinks it was about 40 pounds.  They relocated it to the Chickahominy River, so it would have more room!  Wow....it is huge!

We enjoyed our Zoom sessions this week when we learned about hip replacement surgery on Tuesday (Christina's operation was taking place when we met), and celebrated Emmy's birthday on Thursday.  She's our junior volunteer (and Becky's granddaughter) and she's smiling big in the middle picture on the bottom row because we were singing "Happy Birthday" to her!  Everyone else is smiling because we love a party!

On Wednesday we had an extra Zoom session called "Hang Out."  Carol and Lisa each hosted and only 1/2 of the gang was in each session.  They got to "chat" more and enjoy social time.   During the "Hang Out" with Carol, she played a video of "Uptown Funk" that got Drew up and moving!  He loves that song!

We got several pictures from Master Gardener Linda this week.  She encourages everyone to stop by the Botanical Garden at Freedom Park and check out the new growth.

Here's a close up of the Fairy Garden.  Linda says eventually they will give some of the sedum a haircut, and also plant portulaca flowers.  

There is monarda growing in this bed (aka bee balm) and it will soon show colorful flowers.  There is also cabbage growing here and gazania flowers at the other end.  This is where zinnias will be planted soon.  What a colorful bed it will be in a few weeks!

The onion plants are huge!  Linda says they hope you'll pull one up if you visit to see how big the onion root is and let them know (send Lisa a pic)!  It will still be good to eat even if it's small...and the green stalk is edible, too.  The garlic is still growing, and the MGs will let us know when it's ready to pick, probably in late June or early July.  The strawberries are under netting, but somehow the critters are getting to them.  Linda says if you find one, pick it and enjoy!

This is the trellis bed and it has a row of radishes that are ready to be eaten, so help yourself!  At each end of this bed is a new veggie for this year:  eggplant!  There are also pole beans planted here that will climb the trellis, and bush beans that will not.  Beans and eggplants are supposed to be good companion plants.  Remember, the MGs taught us that tomatoes and basil are good companions, too?!  

There is also Swiss chard in this bed and some spinach that is still too small to harvest.  If the AoA had been able to meet with the MGs this Spring, we would have helped to clean up these beds and plant and care for all of these plants.  We really hope to get to resume our sessions with the MGs in the Fall!

Our friend Jorie and all the others at Eaton are grateful for the "work from home" some of our guys were able to do during quarantine.  Jorie sent Eaton t-shirts for them to wear when working at home, as a token of their appreciation.

Here is Sam modeling the shirt.  It was a nice surprise!  

Patrick was surprised and happy to receive a shirt, too.  Our other "work from home" crew members were Alexis, Liz, and Laura, and they will also get shirts.  While we know all of the AoA gang would have chipped in, we couldn't logistically make it work during quarantine.  But we are SO PROUD of ALL of our guys when it comes to Eaton work, and we cannot wait to get back to it as a full and hard-working AoA Team!  Thanks, Jorie, and all of our Eaton friends, for your support of The Arc of GW all year 'round, and especially during a pandemic! 

We have this beautiful picture of Christina when Alexis and Lisa delivered her cheer package from the AoA on Friday.  She is recovering very nicely from hip replacement surgery, using ice packs (under her blanket) for pain management.  When asked how she felt, she said, "A little pain, but not nearly as much as last week!"  She's going to be running around as good as new before we know it.  We're so happy for you, Christina!  She also sends a big "thank you" for the thoughtful bag of goodies!  You're welcome, Christina!!

We'll wrap up this week's blog with a sign of better times to come!  Just look at this gorgeous rainbow that appeared out Carol's back door.  We sure hope that "somewhere, over the rainbow" lie brighter days for the AoA, The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, and all of our beloved families and friends!

In Peace,

Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang

p.s.  Here it is; we know you're humming it!