Homemakers meet at library
Willing Workers of White Hall Extension Homemakers Club met Feb. 27 at the White Hall Library. Some members arrived early for a small craft workshop led by Vice President Dee Kindrick, according to a news release.
President Karen Needler welcomed everyone. Kindrick led members in the Homemaker’s Creed, Jay Needler read the Thought: “What lies behind us and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us,” from Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Tonia Dalby read the Handy Hint: “It is essential you keep a positive attitude.” Jim Wilson read the inspiration from Hebrews 6:10-11. Secretary Jo Ann Carr called the roll with members answering the question: Do you practice self-care?
Penny Scholes presented the program on “Creating & Using Affirmations.” She said this lesson was an activity-based guide to creating and using personal affirmations to boost mood and improve self-talk. She said self-talk is talking or thinking to yourself about yourself. Research shows that affirmations are more effective if they are specific, consistent and realistic, according to the presentation.
■ A specific affirmation allows you to focus your thought and energy on one thing.
■ The more consistently you use your affirmation the more automatic it will become.
■ Although you may want to build an affirmation that skips directly to the end goal, resist the urge. Build something that is more realistic or is a small, positive step toward a larger goal. You can get a small hand mirror and use paint pens to write your affirmation on the mirror or use post-it notes and stick it on your bathroom mirror.
For example, an ultimate goal of speaking more confident in meetings is to build your overall confidence across situations, you may be temped to use “I am confident” as an affirmation. There is nothing wrong with that affirmation but you may find yourself pushing back saying “No I’m not” in moments of doubt.
Using the more realistic incremental “I can speak more confidently,” allows you room to grow and helps you push back against resistant thoughts. Scholes provided more information from the handout on this subject.
In other business, Kay Cromwell, community service chairman, asked members to bring sugar, flour, or cooking oil to the March meeting for the White Hall Food Pantry. Canned soup and chili were collected at the February meeting. She also asked that members bring an item for Neighbor to Neighbor.
Kathy Wilson, Continuing education chairman, showed two new crafts that she had made and told of some craft shows going up in the area.
Birthday dinner was scheduled for March 18 at the Lady Bird Cafe in Sheridan to celebrate the birthdays of Elizabeth Wall, Scholes, Dalby and Jim Wilson.
President Karen Needler announced Walk Across Arkansas started March 11 and encouraged members to let Sarah Payton know if interested in being on the club team. She also encouraged members to turn in recipes for the Holiday Foods Cookbook.
Carr, Cromwell and Payton were hostesses for the meeting.
If you are interested in learning more about affirmations or would like a copy of the handout, or for details on Extension Homemakers, contact Mary Ann Kizer, Jefferson County extension family and consumer sciences agent at the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service, (870) 534-1033.