Women's Club of Savanna Club Celebration Lunch

The Women's Club of Savanna Club had their annual holiday luncheon this December. 

 

This month we each brought canned tuna, which is donated to a food bank.

I enjoyed all the festive clothing and bright colors.

 

The table and room decorations were lovely with many detailed touches, which women notice and appreciate.

There were over 60 door prizes, including lots of coupons for local restaurants and services.

Bonnie and I were "The Gift Girls."  Our job was to take the ten dollar gift each lady brought and give her a ticket for it.

It's amazing to see almost 180 gifts on 2 tables!

 

At the end of the event, our volunteer waiters from the Men's Club delivered the gifts at random.

The "waiters" were also called upon to sing and dance for us.  However, I think that next year they need a few tips from the Rockettes and a LOT more rehearsals!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!

Christmas 2011

We met our friends Phyllis and Bob Brandt in a rather unique way.   One day last year our doorbell rang and there was a nice lady.  She and her husband were staying with her mother (Evie Schaaf, who lives two doors down from our house in FL) while they were waiting for their house in New York to sell.

They invited us to dinner and put on a very lovely dinner party just for us. We felt very honored!

To simplify a complicated story, their house finally sold and they moved a few miles away to a rental house until they decide where they want to settle.

(On Christmas eve we went to church with George, Ed's bro, and Kay.  They were tied up on Christmas Day with her kids and grandchildren.) 

Phyllis and Bob invited us for Christmas dinner and we were delighted.  That was a much better option than our plans for the two of us to go out for Chinese food!

Left:  Ed and Evie (Evelyn) Schaaf, our neighbor and Phyllis's mom

Evie recently celebrated her 90th birthday.  I hope I look half that good at 90!!

  

Evie and Phyllis bring on the food!

MaryMay, Ed, Phyllis, Bob, Evie, and their son, Alex.

 

Bob is a retired Episcopalian minister and he helps in a church here.  They invited Father Ken, one of his co-workers, to join us.  Alex, goes to college in South Carolina.

Phyllis made a standing rib roast that was totally tender.  Ed couldn't finish his so asked for a doggie bag, which he ate later and it was still delicious.

Evie gave her grand-cats, Sherlock and Sebastian, a laser light for Christmas.  That provided the after-dinner entertainment!

Christmas Day 2011 turned out to be a great day with a great dinner with great friends.

"To Me, From Me"

This is a Christmas gift "To Me, From Me," Actually, it's from Mother since it's cash from her estate that made this possible so, "Thanks, Mom!"

I sewed draperies for the living room of my first apartment, using orange burlap with bamboo poles from a carpet store for rods.  

Since then, every place I've lived already had window treatments.  When we built in Virginia, Aunt Lib (who was an interior designer) had draperies made for us.

So, it was a new and scary experience to order custom draperies.  Here's the "Before" view:

A gal who lives here in Savanna Club works for a business in Stuart called In the Shade.  She was so patient and it worked well that she could stop by on her way to and from work.

The installers came on Christmas eve eve, which was nice timing for Christmas.

Much to my delight, the TV didn't have to be moved.

But that meant that they did have to assemble everything on the floor.

Heave ho, up we go!

Just as Sandi predicted, the shiny strip added interest and draped beautifully.

What a great addition to our little Florida abode!

Bye, bye brown valences and hello light teal draperies!  The color blends perfectly with our teal sofa.  Moving the rods to the ceiling also makes the room look more elegant.

What a difference wonderful window treatments make!!

Craft Club Christmas at Savanna Club

The Craft Club meets monthly and is open-ended, which I like.  Our leader proposes a project for the upcoming month.  You can gather the materials she suggests or you can show up with a project of your own.

Plus, Lois, our faithful leader, always has extra materials to add to things we bring.

It's two hours of time where our hands are busy but we can visit while we create.  Sometimes we have 6 people, sometimes 12 people with different ones showing up each month. 

Today we had a Christmas project and a small-scale cookie exchange.  The suggested project was a long, wide ribbon with 3 small wreathes on it.  Linda Hoolihan's turned out really nice.

Shelley and Doris created holiday decorations of their own.

 

Linda Ricioppo is my new friend.  We keep running into each other everywhere we go.  She has a great smile and an upbeat attitude.

I had a wreath with lights that I hadn't been able to get working properly....directions?  There were none. Half the circle (like a "C") came on in the morning, the whole wreath in the afternoon, and it went off at night.  

I did find some switches on the 2 battery packs so I had high hopes I could get the lights to sync - didn't happen.  But, at least I can turn off the half when it's on by itself.

My wreath looked great until I hung it. The top half of our door is a window, so from the inside, it looked awful. I had some old greens that I stuck in to cover the wires on the back.  Of course, they’ll probably fall out if anyone shuts the door too hard. Once I’m sure it’s like I want, I’ll wrap the branches around the wires and/or use my trusty, dusty glue gun.  

Then came my favorite part of the day---  

COOKIES!

Bury Your Head In...

You've heard of "burying your head in the sand" but we saw a different interpretation of this saying....

I looked out into the back yard and saw two sandhill cranes napping.  They stayed like this for over an hour. 

One would sleep and the other one would look up, preen a bit, then go back to sleep.

So, the saying about "burying your head..." has been altered for today to:

  "Bury your head in your wing to take a nap." 

 Sleep well, my sweet Sandhill crane.

Hattitudes

This post is dedicated to my "daughter", Christie R.:

The Red Hatters victoriously celebrate turning 50 and entering into the next phase of their lives. 

Mission Statement of the Red Hat Society

We are a global society of women that supports:

Fun – we celebrate life at every age
Friendship – we solidify and expand the bonds of sisterhood
Freedom – we discover and explore new interests
Fulfillment – we realize our personal potential
Fitness – we embrace healthy, life-lengthening lifestyles

Our Christmas luncheon was a delicious meal at one of the clubhouses in our community.  It's always a treat to have catering and not have to bring anything.

Pat, Kathy, Kathy and Ellie were at my table....or I was at their table....or we sat together.

Mollie, the gal in the middle is over 90 and comes every month.

Elise,our queen (leader) is the one in purple and red....ha, ha!  She's the 4th from the left.

In all our purple and red glory - over 50 and loving life!  

Each group has their own name and we're called the "HATTITUDES!"

 

 Some ladies wear the same outfit every month but I enjoy mixing and matching various items that I find in my closet.  I was surprised at how many red and purple items were in there.  Adding more purple and red "bling" to each outfit is especially fun!   

 

Go frivolously forth into your fifties and beyond!!!

Christmas Tree 2011

Hello, I'm Blanche Devereaux, one of the Cornish Rex cats in the Angelil's home.  I've been after my parents to get a Christmas tree so, after many hours of shopping in many stores, they finally brought one home.

I'd prefer a 7' 6" tree but this 5 foot one will DO, I suppose.

OK folks, let's get this show on the road!  Dad, you don't have to read all the pages of instructions, do you?

OK, part A into base.  That wasn't so hard, was it?  Next....

Here, let me move this packing ribbon over.....I'll play with it a bit on the way.

What!!!!  You're going to TAKE IT BACK to Sears after all that?  So you're tired, it's hot, and the tree is heavy and clumsy....so?  OK, guys, hurry back!

2 Hours Later:

Well, a 4 foot tree in a pot doesn't sound as dramatic as a larger one but it's better than none.  I'll help you, Dad.

This isn't exactly what I had in mind but it does look like a tree, small though it is.

Hey, folks, I've got the table and the tree skirt all set.  

Will someone please help me get the tree up here?

Dad, the football game can wait!

 

Hmmnn, let me check.....what ornaments did I bring from Virginia?  

Mom, will you please get over here and help?

I'll give Mom and Dad credit --- this is rather clever and attractive. 

Instead of just a brown pot, there's a see-through design with lights that shine through the pot.

Nice touch!

 I see that Mom brought some angels from her mother's angel tree (May Grandmother May rest in peace.  I know she's happy to see her angels continue to bring joy to people.) 

And what a stroke of luck that in the box with the regular tree-topper angel, there was a small angel that is the right proportion for this little tree.  Dad even figured out how to plug it in so that the light on her candle turns on when the tree lights are on.

Voilà, I finished decorating the Christmas tree!  

Half the ornaments are angels and half are souvenirs from trips that Dad and Mom have gone on together. 

 

Pepper and I love playing hide-and-go-seek under the tree skirt.

I can sit here in my favorite warm spot and look at the tree.  

Daddy keeps a spray bottle of water on the coffee table and sprays me if I touch it!  Why would they put up all these dangling toys but not let me touch them?

 

What, I can't play with the angels, nativity scenes and garland on the buffet either?

In that case, I'll just get up on the cat tree that Dad made us and take a nap with Pepper.

Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!