As the spring birthday season rolls on, we couldn't be happier about celebrating our friends. This week, the focus was on Devin B, who graciously shared his birthday on Friday with an Eaton work day...and it was so much fun (even as we said good-bye to Karryna)! We were on the go Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as well, working with the master gardeners, volunteering at GCOC, and learning about water and erosion with Mike at the Watermen's Museum. It was an outstanding week!
Tuesday
Time for spring session two with the master gardeners! We were missing a couple of AoA friends today, and the MGs were missing a few as well, but we carried on and had an excellent lesson!
First up, a tour of trees in the garden led by MG Rick. The first tree we saw was the white fringe tree, which is native to Virginia and is somewhat fragrant.
This is the American holly tree, and it has pretty white blooms. Rick said if the holly is in the sunlight, it will flower. The red berries will come later.
This tree is called winged sumac, and it produces berries which Rick said Native Americans used to make "sumac lemonade." He pointed us in the direction of a recipe, and we harvested a few berries so we could try making sumac lemonade...
This is a beech tree, which has bark that looks like elephant skin. Rick told us that beech trees can be somewhat hollow. Animals like squirrels and raccoons like to live inside.
Rick showed us many other trees, but the final one was the long-needle pine, which is not native to our side of the James River. This one was planted here in the Botanical Garden. Long-needle pine trees have the longest leaves of any pine in the eastern United States. The pine trees that grow tall in the garden, and have shorter leaves and smaller pine cones, are loblolly pines. Thank you for this great, and informative tour, Rick! You really know your trees and we enjoyed learning cool facts about some of them today!
When we checked the trellis bed, we saw that carrots were popping up a bit and arugula and lettuce were sprouting well, but the spinach seeds had not sprouted! Karen said they could have been bad seeds and she's going to sow some more seeds soon.
MG Rich, who takes pictures, and MG Carolyn, who creates the MG's Journal Page, shared this photo of a mother bluebird keeping watch over her babies in the birdhouse. We could hear the babies chirping, and we also saw the father bluebird fly in with a worm to feed them!
This is the thank-you poster we made for the Ford's Colony Garden Club, which gave the master gardeners a grant for $1000 to use in our program! We really appreciate their generosity.
Happy Zucchini Bread Day! Jay and Rick said our zucchini bread mini-muffins were very good! We were proud to serve today's snack, and give the MGs a baking break!
While having our snack, Karen told us about the herb tarragon. She said it has a licorice-like flavor. She gave us information sheets so we can further study it, and also a recipe for tarragon butter cookies! Hmmm...we checked and we actually have all of the ingredients on hand, including a jar of dried tarragon! We ended the session with Barb showing us some beautiful irises and a pretty peony from her garden. Then, she gave us the lovely bouquet to bring back to our center! Thanks Barb, Karen, and all of our MG friends for today's experience in the garden. We learned so much!
Later, we received a copy of the beautiful journal page MG Carolyn created using pictures taken by MG Rich. As always, it is a beautiful collaboration!
By lunchtime the sun was mostly out, and while it was a little cool, we still enjoyed eating outside at the park. We're not sure what they were discussing, but Kevin, Kate, Erik, and Michelle were having an engaging conversation!
Over at this table, Dev B, Sam, Adia, Patrick, and Dev T hammed it up for the camera!
We managed to play a game of bocce even though someone forgot to pack the white jack, which is the small target ball used in the game! We improvised with a stick...
Today's game ended in a tie after all players had two turns, so each team sent one player for a tie-breaker toss. Dev B hit the winning toss for the Bocce Celtics! It was a fun game!
After bocce, we took a walk and then came back to the center for Choice Time and Blog Check. Michelle pulled some of the sumac berries off the vine so we can try soaking them to make lemonade. This will be an experiment in progress, so stay tuned!
Wednesday
We are really enjoying our time volunteering at Grove Christian Outreach Center two Wednesdays a month. They have been very welcoming and now that they know us a little better, keeping us very busy, too!
Our first group to volunteer this morning consisted of Sweet T, Patrick, Drew, Abraham, Annmarie, Sam, Michelle, and Alexis. Our first task was helping Peggy and Joel bag up the toilet paper - two rolls, side by side, in a plastic bag and tied with a knot, then packed into the large box.
This group's second task was bagging canned and boxed foods into bags, securing with a twist tie, and then breaking down all the empty boxes when we finished. Peggy and Joel have become good friends, and we enjoy chatting with them as we work!
The second shift consisted of Erik, Dev B, Adia, Xavier, Laura, and Kevin. They were tasked with unloading a number of banana boxes from a truck. Here, they are showing how strong they are! The boxes weren't very heavy...they were filled with toddler toys, not bananas!
This group then unpacked and sorted lots of books, stuffed animals, games, and other toys for little ones. We aren't positive, but we think GCOC will save these for the holiday season.
Carol grabbed this shot of one of the hummingbirds that eats at our feeder. Remember, hummingbirds are the only birds that can truly hover!
Our latest read-aloud is Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh. It was one of Lisa's favorite books when she was young, and we are finding it intriguing as we learn about this young lady who seriously spies on people and takes blunt notes about them! Soon, we'll find out what happens when her private journal lands in the wrong hands, and word gets out about what Harriet really thinks about others... This is a longer book, and we have decided it will take April and May to finish it!
Speaking of our read-aloud, imagine Lisa's surprise as she was reading about Harriet spying on the Dei Santi family by hiding near a window sill in an alley, when suddenly there was a loud crash nearby! Michelle had accidently knocked over a cup of colored pencils and they hit the floor. While Lisa recovered, Michelle's friends sprang into action to help her quickly pick up the pencils!
Things were more calm when we moved on to our celebration of National Audubon Day, which gave us a chance to watch a video about the calls made by birds found in our area. There were 25 birds featured in our video, and we think at least 18 of them visit our feeders on a regular basis, including this cute guy, the tufted titmouse.
It was a little tricky, but we were patient and helped one another. Here are some of us with "a bird in hand," which is better than "two in a bush!" 😜🐦
Finally, we finished the oyster shell project we started with Sandra during Kate's birthday party last Friday. We sprayed the backside that we painted with a glossy coating, and once dry, they were ready to send home. Aren't they pretty?!
Thursday
We're in the midst of another on-the-go week, but first thing this morning we weren't sure we would get to go anywhere. Just as we were about to start our dance warm up, we heard an announcement to go into lockdown. We headed to the locker room where we remained quiet. We learned from the office staff that it was a precautionary measure due to a situation "in the area, not at the school." After about 25 minutes we were allowed to resume our regular activities, and even had a police officer tell us it was ok to head to the vans for our trip to the Watermen's Museum in Yorktown for a fun lesson with Mike. We are glad it was a short lockdown, and the county police were there to reassure us.
We were just a few minutes late getting to the Watermen's Museum, where we found Mike sitting outside awaiting our arrival. He was glad we didn't have to reschedule our visit with him again because he was ready to teach us a thing or two about soil erosion. Wow! How perfect of a lesson to go along with what we learned about soil and soil testing with the master gardeners!
We learned that erosion is when soil gets moved away, and that sometimes that's not good. There are four kinds of erosion Mike was talking about today: water, wind, impact, and human-created. Mike set up a demonstration so we could observe wind erosion by having Alexis blow on a pile of sand.
Adia helped us understand impact erosion, by sprinkling water over the sand so we could see the effect of rain pelting the soil. Mike explained that having a lot of trees can help prevent impact erosion because the leaves and branches slow down the force of the rainfall.
Mike poured a bucket of water into the grassy area here, so we could see that the grass helps prevent erosion. We learned that trees, grasses, and other plants are necessary to prevent too much erosion. Roots act as something like a net to help keep soil in place. So, we need to plant more trees to help control erosion, and for lots of other reasons, too! 🌳🌳🌳
Next, we went up to the carriage house for one of Mike's fun crafts. He asked if we knew that "April showers bring May flowers!" He showed us a simple way to twist torn pieces of tissue paper into flowers, and how to attach a pipe cleaner for a stem. We figured this had something to do with an umbrella that was hanging nearby...
Each table made several flowers, and at this table, Sweet T even said they smelled good! Mike said our flowers resembled carnations. Lisa and Carol thought they looked like peonies! 😍
Here's the umbrella Mike had hanging near our work tables. As we finished making flowers, he and Nan hung them on pieces of blue yarn, which represented rain. Voila! April showers bringing May flowers!
Mike said ideas like this come to him at 2 in the morning! We love our flower project and really appreciate Mike for thinking of such a colorful, and timely idea. We know just the spot for it back in our room at the center. Thank you, Mike! Today was educational and so much fun, as always!
Erik, Laura, Xavier, and Michelle agreed this is the perfect spot for our "April Showers Bring May Flowers" masterpiece!
After lunch we resumed our journey of making sumac lemonade, using the sumac berries we harvested from the garden after MG Rick's tree tour on Tuesday. Michelle had pulled berries off the vines, and we soaked them in water for a couple of days. This morning, she used a coffee filter to strain our sample.
After lunch, Adia and Dev B pulled up the recipe from the NPR website. We noticed that our sample wasn't as colorful as the one in the photograph. The recipe had called for a "handful" of berries. Maybe we didn't use enough. Tasting was next!
Most of us tasted a spoonful of the sample sumac lemonade, and most agreed it either tasted very "weak" (but like what, they didn't know), or it just tasted like water! We even added a drop of honey as the recipe suggested, but it was still not what we hoped it would be. Alexis and Erik suggested we needed more berries, and we think they are right! We're going to try again, using a really big "handful" of berries!
Today was National Poem in Your Pocket Day, which is a day to enjoy poetry and to share your favorite poems with friends as a way to brighten the day. We had a variety of poetry books from the JRES library, and everyone really enjoyed looking through them and sharing fun poetry with each other. Adia found a poem by Shel Silverstein that included a drawing of a bee stinging someone on their, umm, bottom...Sam and Dev cracked up when she shared it with them!
Dev B picked a poem by Jack Prelutsky titled, "Kevin, the King of the Jungle," and he definitely brightened our day when he said he wanted to read it in honor of our Kevin! Kevin loved it and Dev did a great job reading it aloud!
Friday
There was no way the windy, rainy day was going to put a damper on our spirits today. We had big plans to work at Eaton and celebrate our friend Devin B's birthday!
The rain let up long enough for us to schlep ourselves and our supplies to Eaton. Once there, we had a crew get started on PowerSlide Door assembly.
We also had a crew that sorted parts for gasketing and counted screws to be placed in plastic bags. We worked diligently all morning, hoping the time would fly by so we could celebrate!
Look who tried a new job today - inserting screws in the PowerSlide Doors - and mastered it like a champ! Yay, Abraham!!!
Look who tried to get out of work because it was his birthday! Haha! Just kidding! Birthday Boy Devin B works as hard as anyone, and is always willing to do whatever is needed.
Soon, lunch time rolled around and Devin's wonderful family arrived with fresh, hot pizzas and buttery garlic bread twists from Domino's. There was a lot of love at this table as Dev enjoyed lunch with his sister Hailey, parents Scott and Roxanne, Grandma Mary Ann, Grandma Sarah, and Grandpa Mike. His grandparents had come down from New Jersey, to celebrate Devin's special day, and Grandpa Mike's, whose birthday is today, too! Kevin was an honorary family member. Dev said there was room for "his friend" at the family table! 🥳💙🥳💙
Happy Birthday, Devin, and we hope all of your wishes come true! Thank you, Scott and Roxanne, for treating us to lunch today, and for sharing your sweet family with us. We really enjoyed the time spent with all of you!
As we wound down Dev's party, and got back to our Eaton work, we turned our attention to Karryna. She joined us for part of the day, and it was her last day with JCC Parks & Rec. She'll begin her new job at Sheltering Arms in Richmond on Monday. Karryna helped place labels on PowerSlide Doors, and also made sure to spend a few minutes with each of us before saying good-bye (for now)!
We wish you well as you spread your wings, Karryna! We'll stay in touch, and look forward to seeing you as you pop in from time to time to help with special events at JCC Parks & Rec! Thank you for everything you did to support the Arc of Abilities over the year and a half you were here! We appreciate your help, and your friendship!
Maybe it was the rainy weather, or all the hard work we did, combined with the delicious pizza party for lunch, but by the time Jaime had us relax for "Peace Out" at the end of our yoga session, we were goners!
Fortunately, everyone perked up after "Peace Out" and, just as we like, they headed home full of chill! We're looking forward to seeing them back here on Tuesday so we can kick off the month of May! Here's a look at our schedule for next week:
Tuesday: It's Bowling Day! Wear your Arc shirts and bring your gear. After bowling we'll enjoy pizza at the park for lunch, followed by a walk, and then we will stop by to see our friends at APEX PT and Movement Center, who have been collecting food donations all month in support of the Aktion Club's Food Drive! Thanks, Kelly, Scott, Kristin, Bret, and the patients and boxers at APEX PT! We appreciate your support! We will deliver the food donations from APEX to GCOC on our way back to the center.
Wednesday: We'll be at the center all day today where we'll prepare the May calendar and make up the lesson about earthquakes we missed last week. We'll also have fun with the topic of ghosts as today is National Paranormal Day! Lunch on your own. JRES Cafeteria is available and is offering something tasty, but the menu isn't posted online yet!
Thursday: It's time to send a crew to Pet Supplies Plus so wear your PSP shirts in case you're on the crew! Those who remain at the center will prepare pasta with marinara sauce and side salads for lunch. It's also Star Wars Day - May the 4th Be With You! Feel free to bring items from home to join in the afternoon festivities we'll have (or a shirt to change into if you have one)!
Friday: One of our favorite traditions will take place today: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo and Coach Teri's Birthday! This goes back to our first year of AoA, 2016, when Coach Teri brought us tacos and taught us how to place bocce. We've enjoyed celebrating with her ever since! Tacos (from Taco Bell) for lunch, courtesy of Coach Teri! Thanks, Teri, for keeping up this delightful tradition with us! Of course, we will play bocce and enjoy other birthday and Cinco de Mayo themed activities, too. We'll wrap up the week with yoga, so dress to stretch.
SAVE THE DATE!!!!!!!!!! 
Moose Patti has excitedly informed us that this year's Women of the Moose sponsored charity golf tournament, which benefits The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, Arc of Abilities, Mooseheart (kids), and Moosehaven (seniors) will take place at Kiskiack Golf Course on Saturday, August 5th! This will be the 8th annual tournament that Moose Patti has dedicated her time and talents to coordinating for us, and it is always a rousing success.
Let's support Patti and the WOTM! It's never to early to sign on to be a sponsor (hole, event, beverage cart) OR to form a team and play! This is ALWAYS a fun time and the Arc of Abilities will be there to assist Patti in making sure of that!
Please let Lisa know if you need more information, or if you're ready to support. Thank you, and we hope to see you on August 5th!
THANK YOU, PATTI AND THE WOTM (Women of the Moose) FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO The Arc of Greater Williamsburg and the Arc of Abilities. 💖💖💖
Enjoy the weekend,
Lisa, Carol, Nan, and the AoA Gang
