Translate

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

What Kind of Fool Am I?










Who out there uses spray paint without putting on latex gloves or some kind of hand protection?
Who now has painted fingertips?
You don't have to answer, just raise your shiny black spray painted hands and I will feel a little solidarity!
Feeling really stupid, smelling like mineral spirits, and needing a good scrubbing right now.


So to answer the question, I am the fool with yucky hands!

(There are not my hands, but those arms look younger and kind of firm so maybe I should claim them)






This is the craft we put together today at Independence Place.  It is a wonderful haven for adults with special needs and I am so privileged to be able to volunteer there.  We made cell phone docking stations out of mushrooms containers, wood grained contact paper covered foam core and  card stock covered post it notes.  I just got this picture of Anthony's docking station for his dad. This is the best I can do for a picture.  Excess glue is always part of things we do there, but it is part of the joy.  Later I will post some pictures of other things I have had the honor of doing with them.

Have you ever volunteered for something and thought you had something to offer them, then realized exactly the opposite is true and you get so much more than you could ever give?

20 comments:

  1. I never put on gloves. But, I have never had that much paint on me. I realize every time that I need gloves after a few minutes and go grab a piece of Glad Wrap or foil to hold the can. Yes, I have gloves, but they make my hands sweat.

    Who took that picture? I know you didn't.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those are not my hands and I was not quite that painted. I just snagged a picture from images.
      I realized I should have put on gloves because I had to hold the edge of what was being sprayed

      Delete
  2. We all do things that we wonder what was I thinking.Hope it comes off for you. Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With enough mineral spirits and some scrubbing I am mostly as good as new

      Delete
  3. I can't wait to see/hear about what you were doing though! When I paint myself, I use a tablespoon or more of dishsoap and a scrubby and go to town. Peels right off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If I had a picture I would post it. I volunteer at an organization for adults with special needs. Most of them are 30 or under who need the social/recreational outlets offered there. Today we made fathers day gifts, and I had been saving my mushroom containers for whatever. I spray painted them matte black covered sections of foam core with wood grained contact paper for a divider. Punched out a small rectangle in the very back to make a docking station for their cell phone. Then we made small black cardstock covers with a contact paper border for a sticky pad, put a pencil in there and now their dads have a communication center . They actually turned out rather cute. The card to go with them looks like a cellphone with Happy Father's Day written on the screen and leans where the phone would be as it is docking. Since they have varied skills you always have to have something the least abled can do.
      Real wood would have been cuter, but this time I wanted to make the entire thing with supplies I had on hand.

      Delete
    2. I just got a picture of Anthony's dock. I updated the blog content and included the picture.

      Delete
  4. I'm with Sonya Ann. Curious to see what you were working on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suppose I could make a prototype and take a picture of it, but the paint is cleaned off my hands so I probably won't!

      Delete
  5. Oh yes. Each shift I do on the crisis line I am awed and humbled. I get a whole lot more than I give.
    And sigh on the black hands front. It would have been me too. And I would have decorated my clothing as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you think if the malcontents of the world would volunteer somewhere the world might be a little nicer place?

      Delete
    2. It couldn't hurt. They might learn something. As I do.

      Delete
  6. I will join in and raise my shiny black spray painted finger. Yesterday I spray painted the rails on our front steps with black spray paint. I never wear gloves and I now have a black finger tip and finger nail to show for it. You and me match!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for twenty-five years gave me so much. I watched the youngsters I taught grow up and go through the confirmation ceremony. So many of them smiled at me as they walked toward the altar. Those were beautiful smiles. I'm forever grateful for my students. I have never spray painted my hands, but I have used foam filler without gloves. It's extremely sticky and it takes forever to get it off. I am in solidarity with you because of the way it stuck to my nails.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah gooey hands!

      It is amazing how much you are given when you are supposed to be doing the giving, isn't it?

      Delete
  8. It's so great that you get so much out of volunteering. My aunt attends a place that sounds sort of like that and she absolutely loves it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jess, I get back so much more than I could ever give! I am so thrilled that places for adults who are differently abled are springing up everywhere. What I enjoy most is seeing such fresh, non-jaded views on life. They have helped me find a balance and outlook I never had before.

    ReplyDelete
  10. All of a sudden I find myself craving pizza, pretzyls, oreos and a hershey's kiss! Talk about a balanced meal - HAH! I love artwork like that - you keep seeing more every time you look at it! The bane of my existence when teaching students with special needs was GLITTER! Oh my, I still find specs of it in my carpets!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love his style and I think mostly his humorous approach to life. Hahaha, Glitter! . . . The Devil's personal invention!

      Delete

Hey y'all thanks for leaving a comment. They are much appreciated. I read them all and do my best to respond to them, except for trolls or spam and I delete those suckers forever.