Field Notes Two. mbusch

Today I spent about an hour and a half ( I had a class and was unable to stay the usual 2 hours)at the nursing home. Today was infinitely better than the last visit, partly because I had already been there once, and partly because today's job was fun. As of yet, I don't have a certain task every time I go in, so today I was informed that I would be helping decorate a pumpkin. To be completely honest, I've never decorated a pumpkin as my artistic ability is . . . sub-average.

The progression of people who came to watch was very interesting. I started out with working with just one other resident. But slowly, more and more drifted across the lobby and out of their rooms to crowd around the small card table. At first, only a few, broad suggestions were offered and it was up to me to decide how to translate them onto a pumpkin. As the time passed, I began to get more specific requests, here are some of the more interesting comments I heard today:
"Give him a snaggle tooth, and make sure one of them is gold."
"Give him earings!" "Now make sure he has dangling earings"
"Give him some bangs, now some eyebrows!"
Me: Should we paint in his nose?
Mrs. R: Naw, put some sparkling sequins on there and make it look like he has his nose peirced.
"We should give him a cavity."

These are just a few of comments I heard, just thinking back on them makes me smile. Somehow, the pumpkin was referred to as a male even though 'he' had mascara, blush, dangling earings, and a head bow. The people there are so adorable and content with the smallest act of mercy that we give them.