March is a big birthday month for Dawn and Wendy
This week I found out that painting a wine glass is not easy. Loraine, from Cherry Hill Manor in Johnson, stopped by the Leon Mathieu Center to collaborate with us on a wine painting project. She brought with her wine glasses and water glasses, paints, and brushes. We first had to wash the glasses with alcohol to take off any film or oil on the glass. We all got a blob of assorted color paints on a paper plate and brushes and sponges. She then showed us how to make four left clovers on the glass. The washing was the easy part, the painting was not too easy. Our clovers did not look so good. I washed my off 5 times before I got one right. I finally decided to go with a three left clover which was a little easier.
I was not the only one that decided on a little different design. In the end we all had a good time and did end up with some good-looking glasses
March is a big birthday month for us. Mine was the seventh and my cousin Shiela’s the 11th. I have three friends that have the same birthday as mine and three more that are a day or two before mine.
On March 4th Luisa, a member of our senior exercise class, turned 90 years old. We don’t usually celebrate birthdays, but her fellow class members decided that turning 90 was special and Luisa deserved a little celebration. We all chipped in for a cake and balloons. We found that two other center member Claire & Tony, who were present that day also had March 90th birthday. Claire was going to be 92 and Tony 90. Of course we included them in our celebration. I hope when I get to 90, I have half the energy and fun spirit that these wonderful people have.
During the week Wendy and I received an invitation to return to Henry Winters Elementary School for their reading week. Jennifer Surmeian, Community School Resource Coordinator, set up a great reading program for the schools Reading is Magic week. Each day the students had a different theme for dressing, Monday was reading is magic dress with the colors of the rainbow, Tuesday teachers make reading fun dress like your teacher, Wednesday Wild about reading wear you wild cat gear, Thursday relax and read wear PJ, and Friday was vocabulary parade. For the parade you picked a word, made a sign for the word, and wore something about the word.
To go alone with different themes, she had a different reader come in to read to the classes. Wendy and I were there to read to the first graders on Thursday. As noted, Thursday was PJ Day. I decided to bypass the PJs and go with the magical theme. I know Leprechauns are magical so I dressed Wendy in her green shirt and green hat and I put on my green and headed to school. I found a book that was perfect for reading to first graders, “How to Catch a Leprechaun” by Adam Wallace.
We read to four first graduate classes. In each class Wendy was a hit. The children sat patiently listening to the story. Of course, there were a few references to Lucky Charms made by the children. At the end of reading the children sat in a circle and Wendy visited each one to get a little loving. We also got to talk a little about Wendy and dogs in general. I have learned over the years that when you talk to six- and seven-year-olds about dogs, they will tell you about every dog they have ever had, dogs that belong to other family members and every other dog that they have ever seen. It’s actually great fun.
Have a great week and if you see us “around town” be sure to say HI!