December 22, 2017
Dear Everyone:
As I have mentioned in the past, I’ve been going to the
Martinez
Senior Center on Tuesdays to participate in their weekly “Craft
Workshop”. This takes place
in a large, multi-purpose room in the Center.
There are many tables set out, with various handcrafts involved.
Some people create quilts,
complete with bringing their own
sewing machines
and irons.
Quilting takes a lot of space, since you need to spread all the
pieces out in order to make sure they’re going together correctly.
So lots of folding tables in a large space is definitely an
advantage.
Another set of tables is taken up by people who prefer to
knit,
crochet,
embroider, do
needlepoint,
and/or make
jewelry. This is where I
generally sit, working on one crochet project or another.
I might work on one project that I can easily take with me on
Tuesdays and alternate Saturdays, and work on another project in my
living room, where I can leave multiple parts lying around.
Naturally, I couldn’t do that if I had any family, or cats, living with
me. But I don’t, so I do.
And what happens to all these projects when they are completed?
They are donated to the Senior Center, which sells them to happy
customers, with the proceeds going to support the Center.
Sometimes a particularly nice product will be used as the prize
in a raffle.
And that brings us to Molly, the
Christmas
Moose.
Last month, someone created a cloth figurine, shaped (with a little
imagination) like a moose, about eighteen inches high, if it were
standing. They then created
an outfit for Molly, the Moose, specifically for Christmas.
Molly has Christmas-themed drawers, with green ribbons, a ruffled
petticoat, and a green dress, also ruffled, with a matching bow around
her antlers. (Never mind
that only male moose have antlers.)
She also has a little, wooden bench to sit on; and came
accompanied by a bottle of (non-alcoholic) wine, festooned with a
violin Christmas
ornament. In all, Molly, the
Christmas Moose, was valued at about $75.
So they made Molly, the Christmas Moose, the raffle prize at the early
December Pancake Breakfast.
Molly sat (on her bench) on a table in the Main Lobby, with a large
basket for raffle tickets.
Anyone could buy raffle tickets before the big Breakfast and place them
in the basket. The drawing
would take place at the end of the Breakfast.
“Marni”, who first told me about the Senior Center during one of our
every-other-Saturday Needle Arts Meetings at the Martinez
Public Library,
confided to me that she thought “Jeannie” would appreciate getting a
Christmas Moose for her birthday.
So I bought $20 worth of raffle tickets.
Whether or not I won the prize was immaterial.
It was just a donation to the Senior Center, like all the
projects that I’ve given them.
It’s a Good Cause,
tax-deductible,
and a way for me to hand off the projects once I’ve finished them.
A couple of weeks ago, I received an excited phone message from
“Ermengarde”, who volunteers at the front desk of the Center, that I had
won the prize. Frankly, I
think “Ermengarde”, “Lenore”, and “Marni” were more happy about it than
I was. They all frequent the
Knit/Crochet/Embroider/Needlepoint/Jewelry table that I sit at.
Although I’m sure that the Quilting Ladies would have just as
pleased if one of their number had been the winner.
I collected Molly, the Christmas Moose, along with all her baggage, the
following Tuesday. And
presented them to “Jeannie” for her birthday.
“Jeannie” was entranced. She
loves Molly. And so does her
kitten, Benedict (Benny), who is convinced that Molly’s nose would be
very tasty indeed if he could just jump high enough, and at the correct
angle, to bite it off. So
far, he hasn’t been successful, but he keeps trying.
For the record, “Jeannie” also got a (desperately needed) new
lightweight vacuum cleaner for her birthday.
Things will be very busy next week, so this will be the last Letter for
this year. Everyone have a…
Happy Hanukkah!
Happy Kwanza!
io Saturnalia!
… and a Safe and Happy
New Year.
Love, as always,
Pete
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