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Date: 12/2/2021
SOUTH HADLEY – South Hadley resident and retiree Vicha Hajdamowicz has been posting her “Jack’s Fall Creations” in the South Hadley & Granby Community Page on Facebook and has received significant response for the stunning displays. She freezes bird bath water with leaves and flowers within it, takes the frozen water out and hangs it from trees for all to enjoy. Since then, she's been receiving a lot of social media traction with people marveling at how beautiful this simplistic art is.
“Mother Nature and Jack Frost are the ones that should get all the credit, not me. Hajdamowicz said. “Those two [Mother Nature and Jack] together have done this. I’m the messenger with a camera and wanted to show people what Mother Nature and Jack Frost gave us. The only reason I posted it was to share the beauty of nature. It’s very rewarding when people enjoy it.”
Hajdamowicz grew up in Northern Ontario, Canada. Her family later moved to Holyoke and she attended Holyoke High School. After she got married, Hajdamowicz and her husband moved to South Hadley and have been in town for 53 years. She worked as an Administrative Assistant for 35 years and has now been retired for 11 years.
“I never thought of myself as a creative person, but some of my friends say that I’ve always been,” Hajdamowicz explained. “I think some of that came into fruition just by being a mother low on finances. You become creative in foods, clothing and crafts; you do what you need to do.”
She went on to say, “I remember for Halloween my daughter wanted to be an angel. I didn’t have the money to buy a costume, so I found a sheet and sewed that sheet into a beautiful angel costume with wings. My daughter won first prize in the Rag Shag Parade they used to have here in South Hadley. She was delighted and that’s what mattered.”
Hajdamowicz has several bird baths, but there’s one in particular near a window she can really see up close. One morning she looked out and saw a little bird in the bird bath that was trying to get a drink but the bird bath was frozen. Her brother who occasionally stays with her and her husband said go put some hot water on the ice and it will help to melt it. When she went outside and put a little hot water in it the entire iceberg moved. She picked it up and was amazed at how beautiful it was. Because it had a hole in the center, Hajdamowicz's brother brought a hanger out and they hung for everyone to see it. The next day, she came up with the idea of putting leaves and rose petals in them – whatever nature has given her to put into the bird bath.
“If anyone has a bird bath in their yard, they can absolutely do this,” Hajdamowicz happily replied. “You need water in the bird bath, then add some leaves or whatever you want to add to the water and hope for a very cold night. Check it in the morning to see if it’s frozen. If it’s frozen then pour a little bit of warm water on it just to loosen it so you can pick up the whole beautiful sheet of ice artwork.”
Hajdamowicz told Reminder Publishing if it wasn't for Mother Nature giving them all these beautiful color leaves, Jack Frost freezing the water in that birth bath and the little bird that wanted a drink of water, this artwork would have never existed. She noted it all depends on nature – the process is time and weather.
“Just look around your yard and if you see something, let it trigger your imagination. Look at what Mother Nature has here and say, ‘what can I do with that?’” Hajdamowicz responded. “We're in a tough world right now, so anytime I can make someone smile or feel good it’s rewarding. I pray for everyone to have a wonderful Thanksgiving and be thankful for every day that we can share with each other, our families and friends.”