A Tradition Of Warmth

HAC instructor Terrie Yardley-Nohr has given thousands of scarves to students over the years, sharing warmth and merriment.

by Kate Lilly

Terrie and level 1 day class students with their scarves, December 2017

     This is, in fact, the seventeenth year that Terrie has made fleece scarves for her students.  As the instructor for the Business class, the Clinic Supervisor of two Cancer Clinics and the Program Director at the Healing Arts Center, Terrie interacts with virtually every student.  Each winter, Terrie brings a large wicker basket filled with rolled-up scarves to school.  She brings the basket to each class: Level 1-Day, Level 1-Night, Myofascial Release, Advanced Techniques, and Business so each student can pick the scarf they like best.

     The massage therapy training program at the Healing Arts Center is a year long, so each Christmas, there is an entirely new set of students that delight in receiving their very own fleece Terrie-scarf.  It's an annual Christmas tradition.  When asked about why she makes and gives scarves to everyone at school, Terrie said, "It makes my heart feel good."

     It all started when Terrie saw fleece with a hand-print pattern while she was shopping at the fabric store. 

     She thought the printed fleece would be perfect to make simple scarves for her students, who were training to heal with their hands.  She explains that it's the spirit of giving at Christmas that inspires her to make scarves.  After that first year she hasn't been able to find the hand-print pattern fleece anymore.  So, instead of the hand prints, she discovers other fun patterns to make the scarves each year.

The Basket

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     Terrie shared, "I calculated it once and I think I've given close to 2000 scarves."  It's an impressive number even considering that it's a seventeen year old tradition.  Each year she will pick a couple dozen patterns of fleece -- whatever she thinks students will like. "Students love the monkey scarf this year," Terrie said with a laugh.  Some years it's mustaches, or animal print.  Geometric patterns are another popular choice, and you can't ignore the classic polka-dot.

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     "Some people, when I give out the scarves to a class, say things like, 'I've never worn a scarf before. I like it.'" It's clear that students are delighted to get a warm, fuzzy scarf with a fun print.

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     Terrie has a strong background in being crafty.  She enjoys quilting and sewing, and often shares pictures and stories of the gifts she makes for family and friends, or a prize-winning Halloween costume she whipped up from scratch.

Happy Business class students with their new scarves, gather for a group photo with their instructor, Terrie, December 2017

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  Making and giving scarves is a tradition that Terrie practices with friends and family in addition to the students at the Healing Arts Center. Often, she will have more scarves to give than people she knows, so she hands them out at church, at a food pantry or homeless shelter. She said it feels good to see people light up when they receive a scarf, and she enjoys being in the spirit of giving, especially at Christmas time.