Work, Crafting and Other Things

Here it is almost Easter and I am finally getting caught up. Since early January I have had just one full week at home. If I make it though tomorrow it will make it the second week.

When I retired in October of 2010 I was asked if I would consider working on call. After a year and three months of not being called it all changed. Two cooks from different centers in the hospital while others taking vacations. I can now say I have worked all the counties Senior Centers. Maybe just 3-4 days a pay period but been working. It has been nice being back a few days at a time.

Problem is I have really gotten behind. Just managed this week to get out some Easter Decorations.

I have managed to get in a few crafts but not for me. I did 75 small Leprechaun Hats as table favors at the Adrian Senior Center. What fun they were to do.

This is what they started out as.

A stack of styrofoam cups

I placed them on a baking sheet and heated them at 250 degrees  in the oven til they shrank down to look like a hat. You need to watch very carefully.Once they start to shrink they will go fast. 

Here they are starting to shrink. Sorry the picture is not real clear. It was a bit hard taking pictures of something in the oven. 

Here are the hats all shrunk down. I then just painted them an Irish green added a black band and doted on a four leaf clover. 

And leave it up to me to forget to take a picture of them all totally completed. 

I am now working on center pieces to use on 8 foot tables for our Volunteer Banquet in two weeks. 

I will be finishing them this week end and share a picture of what I did. A very fun theme to work with  "Thanks a Latte  For  All You Do."

Colors, gifts, and all decorations are coffee based, Those of us working on the committee are having so much fun with the theme. 

I hope that everyone is enjoying the arrival of spring. I know I sure have . Got several flowerbeds raked and all my spring flowers and trees have bloomed way ahead of schedule. 

We have birds building their nests and our spring birds arrived 4 to 5 weeks earlier than normal. Weather has had several record setting days in March with a few days in the high 70's and low 80's. Just unheard of in Michigan. 

Total snow for winter here was not more than 8 inches. Not one day of cancelled school and just a coupe delays and that was more for fog and one day for ice. Warm rain and then froze over night causing back roads to become a sheet of ice.