Thanks, EATON Corporation...AGAIN!!!

👏👏 The Arc of Greater Williamsburg was thrilled this week to be the recipient of a Community Support Grant from Eaton Corporation!  This is the third time we've been fortunate to receive this generous grant.  Jorie was the main go-getter, but we appreciate everyone at Eaton for being behind it for us!  We stopped by on Tuesday after bowling to pick up the check, but Jorie couldn't be there.  (We should see her Thursday.)  Instead, we chatted and posed with Beth, Kesha, Shaunta, and Andy.  Thank you, Eaton.  This means so much to The Arc!  Working with you is a privilege and we are very grateful for the many opportunities you give us to show what we can do! 👏👏

Here's a look at the rest of our week...how did it become the end of July so quickly?!

Tuesday

We were about to head out for a garden check and bowling adventure, so after our dance warm up, we also did specific exercises to warm up for bowling, like these arm circles.

We stopped to check on the garden at Freedom Park.  Miss Linda told us to pick the trombone squash while it was young, and give it a try.  We will wait for others to get bigger and more mature, so we can compare the tastes of them with the younger one.  

We also got sad news from Linda...she and her husband Ed are moving to western Massachusetts in August.  Maybe they miss the snow, but they miss their kids and grandkids for sure!  We understand why she's leaving us, but we are definitely going to miss her when we work with the MGs at the Botanical Garden.  Thank you for years of fun, interesting, and educational lessons, Linda...and most of all, for your friendship and support of the Arc of Abilities!  We wish you and Ed all the best on your relocation to Massachusetts!

We will continue to work with our many other master gardener friends this fall, and we are thankful for that!  Our partnership with this group is a big part of the AoA's program.  Thank you to ALL of our MG friends, and we hope to see you in September!

Meanwhile, at the Williamsburg Botanical Garden, the pollinator plants are in beautiful bloom!  There is a lot of salvia and lantana in this bed, and it was buzzing with bees and a few butterflies!  Sooo pretty! 

We got this shot of a hungry tiger swallowtail butterfly, which is the state insect of Virginia!

Kate led us over to check the Fairy Garden, and she spotted a new rock that had been placed there.  We also think we spotted a couple of new birdhouses!  The succulents are filling in the bed very nicely, and it's another pretty element in the WBG.

Even though we got there early, it was warm and muggy in the garden.  We decided to follow the shaded trail on our way back to the vans!

It was very comfortable and cool at the AMF Lanes when we arrived for bowling!  Dallas set us up on lanes 7-10 today, which was a change for us, but we didn't mind.

Don't we look just as chill as the temperature is inside the lanes?!  There was plenty of cheering, too!

Here, Abraham had just bowled a strike and Liz was trying to get his attention for a big high five!

Speaking of cheers, we had some today for our lunch preparers, Ernestine and Kesha!  They really hustled to get our chicken tenders and fries done...they didn't even clock in until noon, but we were eating not log after that.  Everything was hot and tasty, too!  👏👏

Our smiles tell the story.  We like pizza, but it is nice to change it up once in a while.  We really appreciate Kate's family for sponsoring lunch for us.  Your generosity made our day!  Our guys really dig chicken and fries.  😋

Over at this table they were celebrating that they got ketchup AND honey mustard dipping sauce with their chicken and fries!  Ernestine and Kesha took good care of us!

At the end of the day, it was Alexis who had our highest score today, with a whopping 148!  (Kate wasn't too far behind though...she bowled a 143!)  Devin had to admit it:  Alexis had a great game!  The best part?  He was happy for her! 😍

Wednesday

The highlight of today was definitely making homemade bagels.  The National Day Calendar reported that Monday (July 26th) was Bagelfest Day, so we decided to make our own!  We found a simple recipe, divided into teams...and wondered what we would end up with.  Alexis, Patrick, and Michelle are shown with the simple ingredients:  nonfat Greek yogurt, unbleached flour, baking powder, salt, and Everything Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe's!

Annmarie, Abraham, and Sam mixed the dry ingredients first.  Xavier observed, as he avoids gluten.  Later, we would enlist him to take the pan to the oven.  (We had a store-bought gluten free "everything" bagel for him!) 

 Nan's group of Liz, Nancy, and Devin were ready to knead their dough.  It only took a few turns and then it was ready to be rolled into "ropes."

Kevin rolled his dough into a rope as Kate and Laura looked on.  They had already made their ropes into bagels and pinched the ends together.  

Annmarie demonstrates application of the egg wash.  That would help our bagels brown, and also allow the seasoning to stick to them.  This was a perfect task for her, as she loves to paint!

After applying the egg wash, we sprinkled the "Everything but the  Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend" on top.  We then flipped the bagels and repeated on the other side.

We were excited to pop these "babies" into the oven!  Our fingers were crossed that they would turn out well. 🤞  With only flour and yogurt for the main ingredients, we were skeptical. 

Voila!  Our bagels baked up beautifully, and were absolutely delicious!  They were "just right" chewy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.  These bagels only have about 1/2 the calories of store-bought bagels.  We highly recommend the seasoning blend from Trader Joe's, too!  (The bagel on the top right is Xavier's gluten-free one!)

We forgot to take a picture, but we added a smear of cream cheese for the bagels, along with fruit, sausage, and Nan's scrambled eggs to make our excellent lunch!  We'll be making bagels again!

We had movement in the gym earlier in the day, but after lunch, Choice Time, and listening to Lisa read to us, we needed to move a little more before our history lesson.  Our guys have some great dance moves!

We had two history lessons today.  First we learned that the Buffalo Soldiers were a black regiment formed after the Civil War that played a very important role in helping America settle the West.  July 28th is Buffalo Soldiers Day.  Click the photo below to watch a short video clip that helped us understand their very important contributions:

In our second history lesson, we learned that Amelia Earhart Day is observed on her birthdate:  July 24.  We watched a BrainPOP video about her, and after that, we played a quiz game where we answered questions about her interesting life and adventures!

We also found time today to make this cool "thank you" poster for Kate's family who treated us to chicken tenders and fries for lunch when we went bowling yesterday!

We also made a couple of cards to take to Eaton tomorrow to thank them for the Rita's Ice they treated us to the last time we went.  It was soooo refreshing!  We enjoy writing letters as a group.  We take everyone's ideas and form thoughtful messages that are definitely in our collective voices.

Thursday

Our Eaton work day went well, but there wasn't as much work as usual.  We've done a good and efficient job up to this point with unpacking, assembling doors, and gasketing.  So, we wrapped up a little early, and will take next week off.  However, Jorie said more inventory work will be starting soon!

Look at Annmarie and Laura stacking these parts and packing them (with a little help) neatly into the tub!  Laura was telling Lisa, who was taking pictures, to "Get back to work!" 😵 Thanks for the kiss, Annmarie! 😘

 

We paired Kevin and Drew for sorting today...about 8 tubs' worth!  They worked steadily, too.  So proud of our guys' work ethic! 👍👍

Nan, Alexis, Nancy, and Liz were the Gasket Gang today!  We remember when we first started this job, 5 years ago, and called it a "sticky situation."  Well, we have mastered it now!  👏👏

Patrick, Michelle, Sam, and Devin were working on the "doodads" and "thingamabobs."  There are small pieces (doodads) that need to be pulled off of large pieces, and even smaller pieces (thingamabobs) that need to be popped off after that!  These speedy workers finished off a giant bin that was over half-full when they started!  🙌🙌

Xavier and Abraham joined forces to unpack a bunch of parts, and then helped relocate some of the heavier tubs.  They put the "team" in teamwork!  👇👇👏👏

We also snagged Xavier and Abraham, as well as Annmarie and Laura, to be the Recycle Brigade.  Laura, we're sorry the photographer almost cut you out of the picture.  You were hustling right along.  But the photograper was in a hurry to "get back to work!" 😜😜

We heard Jorie was coming in for a meeting, so we gathered up the thank you cards and asked Kesha to bring Jorie and Shaunta over to "our" building...

By now the cards were being hidden behind our guys' backs.  They told Shaunta, Kesha, and Jorie to close their eyes.  (We love a surprise!) 

Shaunta, Kesha, and Jorie loved the cards, too!  We'll remember the Rita's treat for a long time!  It was so awesome!

 

Friday

We had a couple of highlights today, the first being it was Nan's birthday!!  Liz brought her a balloon!  That was very thoughtful, Liz!

Our second highlight was Cameron stopping in for a visit!  We were all happy to see him again, especially Kate who has been without a "table mate" since he moved!  Thanks for spending part of your Friday with us, Cameron!

We had a "Movie Morning" today.  We were supposed to watch a movie that Kate brought on DVD, which took place in Puerto Rico, our "country" of the week.  But we had trouble getting the DVD to play, even though we had tested it on Tuesday with no problems!  So, since the popcorn was popped, we logged into Netflix and watched a fun family flick called Yes Day.  The gang loved it...so, as is often the case at the AoA...all's well that ends well!

Tomorrow (31st) is Nan's actual birthday, and it's also National Avocado Day.  Ahhh, so NOW we know why Nan loves guacamole, which she made for our lunch today.  She was born to love it!  Sam also loves guac, so she enlisted his help as she showed us how to cut open an avocado, scoop out the flesh, and then mix it with a packet of seasoning mix for a simple, and very tasty, guacamole!

Here's our final lunch masterpiece.  We also made a rice and peas dish that's popular in Puerto Rico called "arroz con gandules" which was made with canned peas that are called "green pigeon peas."  It was a great side dish with our guac and taco salad!

EVERYONE was here today, plus Cameron, for Nan's birthday picture!!  We sang and then enjoyed cupcakes, and listened as Nan read all of her sweet cards!  

Sunday is the date for the 6th annual Women of the Moose Charity Golf Tournament, which benefits The Arc of Greater Williamsburg and the Arc of Abilities!  Liz, Patrick, Devin, and Alexis signed up to volunteer, so we made posters that they will use when greeting and thanking the golfers who visit them at their assigned holes!  Thanks for helping, guys!  It's gonna be a fun day!  (And don't forget to do a "no rain" dance!!)

Many thanks to all who ordered this year's golf tournament shirts!  Patti was so proud of the design with "The Arc of Abilities" on the back!!  We love them, too!!

Our day ended with yoga.  We got a couple of shots of our favorite pose, "telephone."  (Our foot is the phone...) 😀

Drew really loves this one!

Give us a call if you'd ever like to join us for yoga on Fridays!  We start promptly at 2:00!  😎

We're looking forward to welcoming the month of August next week.  We'll be busy with these activities:

Sunday:  🏌🏌🏌🏌 Several of us will be representing The Arc and Arc of Abilities at the Women of the Moose's 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Williamsburg National!  Thank you, Patti, for your hard work dedicated to making this one of The Arc's most successful FUNdraisers each year!  We are extremely grateful for your support and friendship!!!  💙😍😎💙

Tuesday:  We're hoping for a break in the hot temps, and no rain.  Our plans are to work on our August calendar and then head over to New Quarter Park for picnic and play!  Wear your Arc shirts and bring a bagged lunch.  Friendship Day was on the 1st, and Ice Cream Sandwich Day was on the 2nd, so we'll be celebrating those, too!

Wednesday:  Our country of the week will be Greece since the Olympics are taking place.  Our friend Liz is bringing samples of spanakopita and baklava and we'll add a Greek salad for lunch.  Thanks, Liz.  That sounds so delicious!  We'll also talk about the Coast Guard since National Coast Guard Day is pretty much the only thing going on the National Day Calendar for August 4!  (Plus, Carol's son is a Coastie and she always has cool stories to share!)

Thursday:  Today will be quirky.  We're going to observe National Oyster Day by learning about oysters, something we've never studied at the AoA.  It's also National Underwear Day, so we'll do some silly things to "celebrate" that - all G-rated!  Lunch on your own.

Friday:  We hope to end the week with some outdoor fun as we celebrate Water Balloon and Root Beer Float Day!  (Storms are in the forecast most of the week, so fingers are crossed.)  We'll prepare a breakfast casserole with fruit for lunch.  Plus, it's Friday...so dress to stretch for Yoga Club!

Enjoy the weeked!

Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang