As we marked the midway point in January, we enjoyed a somewhat slower-paced week. On Wednesday, we welcomed Lucy Gellerman, Business Office Manager, of Grove Christian Outreach who is excited to welcome us as volunteers, and we did our usual work experience at Pet Supplies Plus on Thursday. On Tuesday, we didn't have one of our typical outings, as Christina was originally scheduled to come to us for a painting activity, but had to reschedule for January 31st. So, in a first for us, we went grocery shopping! Check it out, along with the rest of our week!
Tuesday
Have you ever wondered where all the supplies and groceries come from that we use each week? Lisa and Alexis usually do the shopping over the weekend! This week we found ourselves without a plan to go anywhere in particular on Tuesday, and the forecast was calling for rain, so Lisa decided we would ALL go shopping for our groceries! We divided into groups, and had no trouble finding everything we needed in record time!
Kevin, Annmarie, Drew, Laura, and Michelle found oyster crackers to go with the soup we were planning to have for lunch today. They even comparison shopped and realized the store brand was over $2 cheaper than the name brand! 👏👏
Looks like Erik, Alexis, and Patrick found onions, which we will need on Thursday when we make shepherd's pie!
We'll also need ground beef, which Liz located!
At checkout, we discovered that many of our friends were familiar with scanning groceries. Adia had the machine going "beep, beep, beep" as fast as Laura, Xavier, and Kevin could pass the items to her!
As Kevin scans canned goods, his friends look on proudly!
We headed back to the vans with our groceries all bagged up, and we even beat the rain! What a fun outing!
After putting our groceries away, we checked the blog, had some dance time, and prepared lunch. By now it was raining and a little chilly, so our soup and grilled cheese really hit the spot!
We had our annual lesson on the reason for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. This year we learned that Dr. King's name was changed from Michael to Martin Luther after his father visited Germany and was inspired by what a famous German priest named Martin Luther had done hundreds of years ago to influence Christianity.
We ended the day by making birthday cards for our friend, Cameron. He's visiting tomorrow and we're going to surprise him with cards and cupcakes. His birthday is next week on Monday!
Wednesday
It seemed like Wednesday got here quickly, and it was time to volunteer at the JRES library again. There weren't as many books to shelve today, but Laura, Kate, Alexis, Michelle, and Erik made quick work of what there was!
A day we enjoy "celebrating" each year is Winnie the Pooh Day, which is on January 18, because that's A.A. Milne's birthday, and he's the author of books about Winnie the Pooh. Look at our best-dressed friends (Laura and Michelle) and the others (Alexis, Patrick, Kate, Liz) who brought Winnie the Pooh "spirit" items today. That makes our celebration even more fun!
Of course, a sing-a-long gives the celebration a great vibe, too!
This year we learned the history behind Winnie the Pooh becoming a children's story, watched a short video clip about Winnie and his friends, and then discussed some of Pooh's "wisdom" by looking at quotes from his stories. A favorite quote was, "A hug is always the right size." Another was, "The most important thing is even when we're apart...I'll always be with you." Everyone picked their favorite quotes, and used them to make inspirational posters, which are now hanging around our room!
It was such a nice day outside. We got in a brisk walk around the garden area before lunch.
Cameron was visiting and we were happy because his birthday is Monday...so we celebrated him today!
We are glad we've remained friends, and you can visit us from time to time, Cameron! Happy Birthday on Monday, and may all your wishes come true!
Since it was such a nice day, we spent more time outside after lunch playing New Year's Corn Hole Challenge Game #2! Here's Erik, on the Virginia Corn Thunder Team, taking a shot. He has really good aim, but is working on his power, as his throws often end up beyond the board. He's making adjustments that will pay off soon!
Liz is also making adjustments. She's putting more "lift" in her throws. All of our players strive to improve with each game, and they accept "coaching" very well. We're proud of them!
The Minion Corn Holers won their second game in a row today. Congrats to them!
Katie Patrick, the executive director from Grove Christian Outreach Center (GCOC) was scheduled to visit us this afternoon to discuss how we could volunteer at GCOC, but she had a family emergency. She sent their Business Office Manager, Lucy, in her place and we had a delightful visit (but didn't get a picture). After meeting everyone, Lucy needed to chat with Lisa and Carol. The gang formed small groups and did brain work while Lucy, Lisa, and Carol talked.
Lucy got to see how well our guys work together, and how smart they are! Lisa and Carol showed her pictures from the blog that showcased our work skills (and ethic!) at Eaton and Pet Supplies Plus. We didn't really need to show Lucy so much, as she said she could tell right away that we would be a good fit at Grove! Then, she told us she is a big fan of The Arc of GW and has volunteered for us in the past! We're looking forward to volunteering at GCOC...stay tuned to see what our future holds with them!
Finally today, we had to grab a shot of Liz and Patrick, who are the most friendly of rivals for tonight's basketball game between UVA and Va Tech! They sported their team colors today and wished each other's team the best...isn't that just grand?!?!? 🏀🏀🏀
Thursday
Today was a PSP work day, and the crew had soooo much to do at the store. But first, Adia, Liz, Sam, and Kate had to go "gaga" over the two cats that are available for adoption! No, we can't have one for our mascot at the AoA, but for everyone who reads our blog, here's an idea for ya!
Devin B, along with his family, including mom and dad, Roxanne and Scott, are visiting family in Arizona this week. We worked with Kendra (left) from the Chesapeake store, and new Lightfoot store employees Malaika (beside Kendra) and Morgan (behind Adia) today!
Our group chose dog beds and carriers of all sizes to showcase this week. They look very comfy and we know any pup would be happy to have one!
Back at the center, the Cooking Crew added a new task today: dish washing. Carol recently snagged these colorful plastic plates at a thrift store, and we are thinking about giving them a go in place of the paper plates we currently use (though not today). As some of you may know, our kitchen sink is cold water only, so we have to get hot water from the bathroom, or heat it in the microwave in order to wash dishes, so we generally leave most of that task to Nan, Carol, and Lisa. Today, Xavier, Laura, and Alexis did a good job washing the plates prior to their first use...they were not dirty from having been eaten on! They did a great job, too!
Our lunch for today was shepherd's pie and cheesy-garlic biscuits. Abraham did a great job browning the ground beef with onions, and then adding spices, broth, and mixed veggies! Nan worked with a group to make the mashed potatoes that go on top, but we forgot to get a picture. We were kind of busy! 😏
We got a quick pic of Chloe spreading the mashed potatoes over the meat and veggie mixture, and that was the last picture we took of our cooking adventure today. Sometimes, the camera just isn't handy! Our shepherd's pie and cheesy biscuits were delicious, though, and hit the spot after a busy morning for all of us!
We had some large marshmallows on hand so we found a quick craft idea. Our January theme for room decorations is mainly "snow," so marshmallows are perfect for crafting!
Look at these melting snowmen! Only their big, 'ole marshmallow heads are still frozen! Silly!
Our melting snowmen were just what was needed on the Snowman Wall!
Alexis got the Disney edition of the "Guess in 10" game for Christmas and she was happy to share it with us. The object is to guess which character is represented on each card after being given buzzwords to describe the character like "loyal, wacky, innocent." We can also ask yes or no questions about the character. It challenged us to think of the questions to ask, and we will play it again because it gets us thinking! Thanks, Alexis!
Friday
Time to tidy up again! We made today a movie morning, and showed Christopher Robin since we observed Winnie the Pooh Day this week. Most of the gang chose to watch the movie, which was fine, but we did give them the option to help organize if they preferred. (Thanks for sharing your DVD with us, Patrick!)
Kevin wanted to help organize, so we put him to work on the messy puzzle/game shelf. First, he needed to take these boxes off so we could organize them (and dust the shelf).
Soon, Chloe and Sam decided they could listen to the movie and help Kevin at the same time! Sam said "it's fun to be helpful." 💗
Adia also volunteered to organize, and she did an amazing job separating our herbs from our spices and arranging them in these tubs so they would be easy to find. She and Carol also went through the storage tubs and cleaned out, consolidated, and organized all of our pantry products! Adia is planning to take inventory of what we have next week...which will help with grocery planning! 👍
Xavier can multi-task, so while he watched the movie from his seat, he sorted some mixed up silverware pieces for us!
When the movie ended, and we turned on the lights, Kevin was proud to show off the tidy puzzle/game shelf!
Ahh, the end of the day...the end of the week...and time for yoga with Jaime. Today, we enjoyed an episode called "Nurse Squirrel and the Animal Hospital." (Nice form for your tree pose, Kate. So sorry Sam's arm hid your face!)
We were about to go into what Jaime calls "squirrel pose" so we had to get on all fours!
Jaime calls this "mouse pose" and we love the stretch this gives our lower back. After a Peace Out session, in which Jaime leads us through a guided relaxation, we were ready to start our weekend!
We have a jam-packed week to look forward to when we return on Tuesday. Here is a rundown of our plans:
Tuesday: We're going to the Mariners' Museum today for a lesson on the Mediterranean with Wisteria and Erika! That will be all we do there because, much to our disappointment, the Mariners' Cafe is still closed for renovations. We will return to AFCC for lunch on your own. JRES Cafeteria is serving Beef Soft Taco or Pizza. We'll celebrate Compliment Day (so much fun with our guys) and Peanut Butter Day (no bake cookies) in the afternoon. Please wear Arc shirts!
Wednesday: Chinese New Year began on the 22nd, and we never miss a chance to "celebrate" such a fun time. We'll learn about our Chinese Zodiacs, complete some brain work, and order take out for lunch. Please bring $10 for lunch, or if you don't wish to order Chinese takeout, feel free to bring your own lunch. We'll also work in the JRES Library today and make a unique thank you card for Sam's grandmother, our friend, Nina, who gave us a donation to sponsor pizza twice at bowling!
Thursday: Our artist friend, Jeff, is returning today! He will do watercolor art with us and join us for a lunch of pasta with red sauce, fresh veggies and dip, and garlic bread. We'll also have yoga today since we'll be at Eaton tomorrow, so dress to stretch!
Friday: We head to Eaton today so you know what that means: wear your Eaton shirt and bring a bagged lunch!
As always, we wish to thank everyone for their support of The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, and especially, The Arc of Abilities! We appreciate you!
Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang
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