Maytime at Woodlands WI
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Adapt, Survive and Thrive​
A different kind of meeting this month for Woodlands WI as we shared our hellos and news via email. It was great to discover what everyone had been doing during this quiet period. Some of us have been crafty, knitting toys, making door hangings, hand crafting cards, taking time to paint.
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I think everyone has been gardening. Well the weather was kind to us at the beginning of the month, wasn’t it? Members shared photos of their garden and hopefully some have been reproduced in this magazine. It’s interesting how we all garden, some doing it ’sentimentally’ using troughs and planters from childhood homes for planting up.
Others have new plants, clematis over garden walls, brightly coloured tulips. Quite a few people have made veg gardens, growing veg plants from seed, members with allotments have been working hard getting them ready for planting up and everyone’s garden has been benefitting from extra attention. I have a collection of ferns, bought when we moved here using a bequest from my godmother, all giving us pleasure. Decorating seems another favourite pastime. I am still pursuing online yoga, day 12 of the 30-day course and Janey is a new mum to 7 chicks. Baking has featured heavily for many people. Watch out for our WI name in the prize list when we enter the Staffs show next time. Woodlands WI now have some very practised bakers. We all have the same conviction to fill the time with activities we enjoy, to learn something new and share our new achievements with friends. I think I’ve just described what the WI is all about, so well done everyone.
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It is good to celebrate birthdays this month and we are so pleased to hear of members who were ill and are now recovering well. Helen has been great keeping in touch with us all throughout the month and sharing news.
VE Day on May 9th was celebrated in style by our members: homemade bunting decorated fences, bunting made from past WI magazines became table decorations and of course scones and cake were eaten in the lovely sunshine.
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We are all looking forward to when we meet up at Woodlands Village hall for a meeting. I am sure that all the skills we have learnt will be put to good use, especially the baking ones!
In the meantime, everyone at Woodlands WI will keep busy and ‘we’ll appreciate everything a whole lot more’ (WI Life May 2020). See you all soon.
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Grace Hodges