If you are like most of us, you find the garbage cans overflow regularly.  But we just set it out to be picked up and never give it another thought.  Should we give it a thought?  DCI Consumers decided to track down just where our garbage goes, what happens to it, and find out if we can help reduce the amount we produce.

Mr. Hogbin, of the Berkeley County Recycle Center, met them for a tour of the Recycle Center.  There DCI Consumers were fascinated to learn that garbage falls into different categories and that is how it is sorted for disposal.  There is a category for food waste, paper, metals, glass, aluminum, appliances, batteries, books, clothing, plastic, etc.  The web site www.berkeleycountyrecycling.com will give helpful hints on how to decide if your items fit into one of these categories and which recycle center accepts.  That’s right, there is more than one recycle center for everyone’s convenience.  It was emphasized that reusing, reducing, and recycling garbage is important for our environment.

Matthew said he did not know that trees could be brought in and shredded up for mulch.  “You can buy the mulch to use in your flowerbeds” he enthused.

Brittany said she like watching the large trucks that came in to transport the garbage.

Each DCI Consumer received a helpful brochure to share with their families about reducing, reusing, and recycling garbage.  So how about it?  Let’s all help our planet by being “garbage smart”!

DCI Consumers traveled to Frederick, MD to tour the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.  It was a somber, but interesting, trip to the past.  Our Docent Jake was very informative; he explained each exhibit and readily answered all our questions.  After viewing what soldiers had to endure in the way of “cures”, it made all of us very happy for our clean, modern, hospitals.  The medical professionals from that era did make some great medical advancements that have been useful.  Some fun facts:  soldiers loved to drink coffee; there were amounts of time when they were not fighting so the time was spent playing cards or mending clothes (can any of you guys sew?).  If you have not had chance to visit this fascinating museum, take time this summer to visit!

Members of Daily Companions, Inc. attended a watercolor class at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, MD.  Thanks to museum staff member Kourtney Lowery and teacher Barbara Weiss, everyone was able to enjoy their first watercolor experience.  The museum has a spacious classroom where all sorts of art classes are held.

For our class, Ms. Weiss suggested that a picture of a tree be painted.  She emphasized that form and color were in the imagination of the artist.  A simple template was demonstrated to help with the shape of the tree top, and then everyone plunged in and let their imagination run riot!  A whole forest of trees, some realistic, some purely imaginary, abstract, bright, or fruit and flowered were painted.  Everyone was given time to hold their picture up and explain their personal vison of a tree.  The time just flew by and the class was over before we knew it.  Many thanks to the museum staff, and Ms. Weiss for helping us to be a part of such an enjoyable experience.

Friday was Daily Companions Annual Holiday Luncheon.  This event is much anticipated all year long.  It is a time for all DCI Members, their families, and staff to enjoy a relaxing, joy filled afternoon, over plates of good food.  Old friendships were renewed, family news was passed on, and each of us felt a little closer to one another.  In this day and age of constant rushing, deadlines to meet, things to do, places to go, how relaxing to come together for this brief but important time of reconnection.  For those whose circumstance did not permit them to attend, we send our warmest regards.  Of course, we are already thinking about next year!  To view pictures from this event, please visit our facebook page.

Daily Companions Members held their Annual Halloween Party on a Friday.  All week preparations had been underway to out do last year’s decorations!  They dressed the door up like a mummy, hung spider webs, and made ghosts for each table.  Pumpkins were decorated and placed on each table.  Many of DCI Members elected to dress up, which added to the general atmosphere of merriment.  Games included “Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin”, a Pumpkin toss & bowl, and “Pop the Balloon”.  DCI Members had planned out some great refreshments to include vegetables and dip.  Daily Companions, Inc.  provided pizza, which is a universal hit.  Lots of music and dancing went on too.  Everyone agreed it was a spooktacular Friday!