Catci Gardening with the Seniors

I had seniors waiting for me to arrive for this program. One woman was so happy to be able to do some planting, like she used to do when she owned her home. I had a couple of men join in too. We had a marvelous time talking about gardens, favorite plants and flowers and how beautiful the catci gardens were that they were creating. We had a pleasant afternoon, and each participant took home two catci to take care of.

Christie's Critters Visits the Newark Library

An excited room filled with children and adults greeted me as I began the show. The animals and reptiles get very active and expressive as they wait their turn to meet the children. This year, we had only one little guy that was afraid of touching the snakes, but with careful coaxing-he did and was so proud of himself afterwards. Moms and Dads get so much useful information regarding pets for their children, and their questions are great. The kids just love petting, touching and holding the menagerie of friends. Sprite, the bunny, continues to be the most popular with Torch, the Bearded Dragon in second. This time, I had many new babies and everyone had a blast getting to know them.

Furry Friends Visit the Seniors

Sprite, Mica, Clover and Tidbit came with me to visit seniors at an assisted living facility. The animals were greeted with glee! What joy is brought to my heart to see the love and cuddling the seniors enjoyed as they took turns petting, holding or talking to each furry friend. Mica, my baby guinea pig won't come out from under his hide at home because he is so young and skitish. He sure loved all the attention he received from the folks, and it's obvious to me that he is going to enjoy performing. Sprite, my bunny was the most popular and got a great many kisses and nose snuggles! We placed the cages of Clover and Tidbit, two types of hamsters on the table for the ladies to enjoy watching. A new resident who hadn't spoken the entire week she lived there, livened up and spoke to me and Mica, so that was a rewarding experience. I enjoyed bringing a bit of friendship to the residents.

Seniors and Valentines

A delightful group of ladies came to my first program at an assisted living facility. I was told to expect 2 or 3, and was surprised to find 8 women waiting for me. I found out later that I had one woman who had never wanted to join craft time the entire 4 years she has lived there, so that was a treat too!

The women enjoyed all the craft supplies and cards I brought, and spent a good hour creating a few cards for their loved ones and friends. One sweet woman made a card for her husband of 67 years!

The cards were beautiful and we had a pleasant afternoon creating together.

Chinese New Year At Irvington Library

On Wednesday, February 10th at 3:30, we will be celebrating the arrival of Chinese New Year by making dancing dragons. You'll need a ticket to attend, so come by the library one half hour before to get your free ticket.

Christie's Critters Welcomes Sid

Our newest addition to Christie's Critters is Sid, the Leopard Gecko. Sid is a brand new baby and is so tiny! He eats mealworms and he holds the side of the carpet in his cage when he sleeps.

Bird Houses and Pine Cone Feeders

At the Newark Library, we had a packed house of children ready to make their bird house mobiles. I taught about our backyard birds and the different birds that live in our local state parks. I also invited parents to take their children to many of our parks to explore and see the many birds I spoke of. My example mobile had the birds realistically colored so the children would recognize these birds in their yards. They had a great time designing their own birds and then moved on to the next craft of making a pine cone bird feeder. I had teens come in just for that part of the program, and they had a great time. One little girl decided to see if the peanut butter and birdseed tasted good enough for the birds. Dad and Mom decided that she'd probably eaten worse! We had a wait time for the late comers to get a space to create. This program is very popular.