We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Sherry Edwards and Lois Butcher take a quick break from their work on a holiday wreath. Lois was part of the class Sherry taught recently at the senior center about how to use pine cones to create holiday decorations.
A one-afternoon craft workshop was held last week at the Chinook Senior Center. The class focused on how to create holiday decorations using pine cones as the basic decorative material. Six locals attended the program presented by Sherry Edwards.
Asked why this class and why now, Sherry said, "I was thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. I know people enjoy special decorations for the holidays and many like to make the decorations themselves." She added, "We live at the Grande Villa and the yard was full of pine cones. There were plenty of materials easily obtainable." She gathered five shopping bags full of the prickly cones.
No stranger to using what's available to make interesting decorations, Sherry told about making fall wreaths out of sunflower blooms and corn leaves when she lived in North Dakota. She even tried making hanging wreaths out of kudzu (if you've not traveled in the south you might not know kudzu-an intrusive plant that covers everything, including utility poles and buildings). She explained, "The kudzu wreaths didn't work, the vines got too dry and fell apart quickly."
The class last week gave participants the option of making hanging wreaths, painting and decorating pine cones to hang or use as border with other decorations or creating pine cone Christmas trees. About half the class made a wreath using a Styrofoam form, gluing the cut cones to the form and adding decorations. For others cone decorations were painted to a desired color, then decorative leaves and other items would be added later. Sherry said she "really enjoyed" presenting the class.
According to Senior Center Board Chair Peggy Perry, "This class was part of our board's goal to expand the types of programs being offered at the Center." Several locals and visitors have made presentations about trips to or living in other parts of the world. The last Friday of the month all members of the center with birthdays that month are invited to be guests at a birthday party. Every Friday the kitchen band plays as well during lunch.
Some regular programs are ongoing, like bingo every Thursday after lunch. Yoga meets at 10am every Tuesday and cribbage has been added on Tuesdays right after lunch. Regular coffee gatherings are held five days a week at 9am and 3pm. And some special holidays are celebrated, like Valentines Day, and some off-beat ones, like St. Urho Day on March 16. Traditional lunch menus are often coordinated with the special holidays. And various other programs of interest to seniors, and others, are presented-like the recent talk by Dr. Carolyn Aks on oncology and the 'scams' presentation coming up in November, presented by Triangle.
As to the pine cone art workshop, Sherry Edwards said she would, "Love to do it again in the future." To learn the dates of programs already scheduled or to suggest a future program call the Center at 357-2648.
