Showing posts with label fine motor skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fine motor skills. Show all posts

Friday, November 27, 2009

On Fine Motor Skills and the Lack Thereof

Mimi and I knew we were in big trouble at the JAW session this week. Our assignment? Turn eight little squares of paper and a short length of yarn into a wreath and then do it all over again two more times.

Jane had completed her first wreath by the time Hiroko-san finished explaining how to crease the first of the eight sheets of paper. Why do the over-achievers always gravitate to my table at crafting events? And how do they manage to attach the yarn loop with just one perfectly aligned staple when my yarn demands at least three bangs?

Taking a page from Henry Ford's book, Mimi quickly opted to execute fold #1 and fold #2 and then hand each square to me. I stumbled through the next six folds (eight times per wreath). Then Mimi handed the folded papers back to me for final assembly. The stapling job ought to have fallen to Mimi but I didn't dare break my concentration to suggest this lest I forget the excruciating intricacies of fold #5. I am pretty sure Mimi knew this.

Decorating the wreaths was the final step. Those bits of sparkle requiring glue did not merit a second glance. A simple "Primitive Christmas" look was more in keeping with my abilities if not my taste.

If I can track down the Martha Stewart clone who made these wreaths, we'll invite her to join our assembly line next year.

This is Mimi posing with a lot of wreaths she did not make.



Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Honey, I Shrunk the Chrysanthemums

I thought Reiko and I had seen every possible variation on the chrysanthemum theme when we went to Sankeien Garden last month but somehow we missed the bonsai version.

Imagine the patience and fine motor skills required to compose these little vignettes depicting what I assume to be famous views (I recognized a couple of the diorama subjects).

These are positively the last chrysanthemum pictures, at least for 2009. The shows have ended and I'm off in search of the next item on my horticultural calendar, maple trees.

This is Hakone, with Mt. Fuji in the background.


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