"Happy Room" Update

Do you remember this? My cousin asked me to show a picture of the weird wreath I made. I finally remembered! That cartoon was one about a potato who (that?) went to the doctor for lab results. He was told his triglycerides and cholesterol were good, but that his carbohydrates were really high.

The day before I had this highly sophisticated and clever little one up there.

I try to change up the style daily. Sometimes it is medical humor, sometimes kid humor.

It is always clean humor,

never mean humor.

Well, I am happy to report that I think it is working well.

I've had several folks tell me they come by every day just to read the joke for that day.

My door is usually closed most of the way but 

I often hear footsteps stop by my door,

followed by chuckling.

That makes me very happy.

Laughter Allowed!

As I've told you, I have a new position where I work. It was the job left vacant when one of our own lost her life to suicide. Thoughts of that day leave us all with such a heavy feeling of sadness. No one else wanted to do the job I now do. There are several reasons for that. One of them was that it wasn't a happy thought to work in the little office that was her's. A few people even had almost a superstition about the room.

When I first started working in that room I didn't want to rush any changes. It seemed disrespectful to our friend. However, I didn't want that room to be a place of sadness. Sometimes, as I sit there, I wonder what she was thinking when she last sat in there. Other nurses who stop by have mentioned how the room makes them sad thinking of her.

The time has come. I have taken on a big project by trying to make that feel like a happy room, a place of peace and calm, and where laughter is as appropriate as tears. So, I started by crocheting. Yes, crocheting. Remember how I chased my styrofoam wreath around the Walmart parking lot? I never did catch it and I expect it is now somewhere in South Dakota. Anyway, I bought another and I crocheted a wreath shaped sweater for it.

I added a  big green bow and some dangling twine thingies. It sounds weird but it looks  ok. I superglued a tiny little decorative clothespin at the bottom. Sounds even weirder, huh? I took it to work and hung it on the office door. I am using that little clothespin to clip on a cartoon for the day...cartons such as this one:

...and this one:

A little quirky, yes, but I've seen people smiling. There were maybe even a few chuckles. That is all I wanted.

Now, I am working on some little personal touches within the office. It is a very small office so there isn't room for much. Really, it would be smallish even for a walk-in closet. Anyway, I am taking this vase in, just because it adds a pop of color and it can sit on the floor in a corner. It makes ME happy.

Additionally, I am making something with twine and fake pearls. I'm not certain what, but I already like it.

So, that's what I've been up to.  You?

It's a Bit Breezy!

 Yesterday, after work, I stopped by Walmart on my way home. I had a few little things to pick up but what I was most excited about was getting a couple of supplies to make a ribbon/wreath/bow thing for the door of my office. I had an idea of what I wanted to make and I wanted to do it tonight. Inspiration is like that. It needs immediate attention.

The main thing I needed for my craft was something like this...

It was styrofoam. It was lightweight.

I pushed my cart out of the doors at Walmart, a breeze (aka hurricane force winds) came up and the sack with my wreath form went whoooooshing off into the night. I don't know how strong the winds were last night but I know that today's forecast states there may be gusts over 60mph here. Anyway, I chased my foam circe down and stomped on the corner of the sack until I could pick it up. I tucked it into the cart and kept it secure as I made me way to my car. I put that sack into the trunk first and proceeded (I feel like I'm on Judge Judy. People are always "proceeding" on that show.) to set the other sacks into the trunk. 

I thought I had everything under control but the stupid wreath sack rose up out of the trunk like some kind of crazy ghost, gave a flutter wave and took off across the parking lot. I stashed everything else into the trunk, slammed it closed and darted after the wreath. I saw it stuck up under a tire of a truck in the next row. Of course, it turns out it wasn't quite that stuck and off it went again. I wandered through a couple of rows, looking under the vehicles, until I noticed a guy who seemed to be a bit afraid of me. Me! OK, I was acting a bit crazy.

So, I went to my car and drove it slowly up and down the rows, looking for my errant craft item. No luck. I finally realized that I was spending a lot of time looking for that $2 item. It was time to give up and go home. 

I spent the rest of the evening pouting because I couldn't complete my project. Maybe I will try again tonight but I may have to stuff the sack inside my coat or something. 

Is it windy where you are?