Monday Morning Meeting Notes - December 9, 2019

CHRISTMAS CHARITIES:

This season we have several ways here in the park to give to those in need.

The Food Bank: We have a couple boxes set out for donations to the food bank. These are under the Bulletin Board by the front door. The small boxes are for canned goods.

Weslaco’s Toys for Tots: Just bring in an unwrapped present for children from age 0 to 16. They will pick them up here.

Blankets for the Needy: Sondra Plowman is again taking blankets that she delivers to several organizations here in the valley. You just need to bring in blankets that have been washed. They need sizes for children and adults. I’m sure she will tell you more about it.

A.N. Rico Elementary School, 2202 N International Boulevard, in Weslaco, Texas is looking for volunteers to help their students learn to read. There are sheets on the signup tables by the stage that explain what they are looking for and what you have to do to apply.

PICTURE DIRECTORIES: If you had your picture taken for the Directory, you can pick them up before and after the Monday morning meetings or later in the Activity Office. 

ACTIVITIES:

500 Card Game: It will start this Saturday at 6:30 PM in the Outback. Please bring five nickels.

Texas Hold E'm: Will be playing each Tuesday at 6:30 PM in the Poker Room.

Trip to the ITheatre for “Playing Doctor:   The tickets for the play are in and you can pick them up in the Activity Office.

Happy Hour: Our next Happy Hour is Carlos Canas on Wednesday, December 11^th, and it will be an Ugly Christmas t-shirt, sweatshirt, sweater theme party. There will be a photo booth ready to get lots of terrific pictures of your ugly outfits. There is also an Ugly Gift Exchange. Bring the tackiest gift you can imagine. Your gift has to be something that absolutely no one would want. Think something that will go in the trash as they leave. Gifts will be shared among the people at their tables. We will have trash cans by the door when you leave to hold your gifts. This contest will be a table contest and each table will send one representative from their table to the front to show off the worst gift from that table (a set of two tables in this case). You can also decorate your tables if you wish.

Trip to San Juan Basilica is today, December 9^th. You will need to be there by 10:30 AM. Meet on the steps into the Basilica. If you haven’t been there, we have a map available in the office. They have a nice Gift Shop there and in the past they have served lunch so you can decide if you want to try it out. This is a beautiful Basilica and Sister Rose will tell you the history of it and take you into places that you would not normally see. There is plenty of room for a few more of you to go.

The Craft Show is tomorrow, Tuesday the 10^th of December, and breakfast and lunch are served. There are several new vendors so you will want to check them out. Gayla may have more to tell you about this later.

The Park Garage Sale which is held in the Hall is scheduled for December 14^th from 7 AM to 10 AM. Setup is the night before starting at 4 PM. 

Hidalgo Lights on Dec. 16th: Those that have signed up will have dinner at 5:15 PM in a large white tent that is next to City Hall. The tent has flaps that can be up or down depending on the weather. If it is colder, they put the flaps down and use heaters in the tent. If it is warm, then the flaps are up. There is parking at the LDS lot and Lee has made a set of directions for getting to the Festival and for parking with specific directions. Please leave early to get there as traffic may be heavy and the parking in the first lot could be full. We would suggest leaving at 4:15 PM for the 5:15 meal. We don’t think the traffic will be too heavy yet but later in December the traffic is crazy and it takes a long time just to get into Hidalgo. A representative from the Festival will be bringing us the tickets this week and we’ll let you know when they arrive.

The Sundrops will do their Christmas Show for us on Tuesday, December 17^th at 7 PM. They are wonderful family group and I know you’ll enjoy them. The tickets are $9 each and we would appreciate it if you paid in cash. If you go to the Southern Comfort Blog, there is a short video of them performing. The tickets are available in the Activity Office.

New Residents’ Meeting (New Bees) has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 17^th at 10 AM in the Hall. This is not on your calendar so please add it if you are new to the park and have not been to one of these before.

New Year’s Eve Dance tickets will be on sale after the meeting today. The tickets are $15 each and include an appetizer plate per person at the break. SouthBound does a mix of country and rock and roll. We are looking forward to a great night.

Trip – Indoor Kite Festival – I know some of you wonder why I have a January 30^th Kite Performance Event out already. This is because it sells out quickly and want to give those of you who want to go a chance to be wowed. The kite flyers do routines to music like they do on the beach only without any air movement. They use very light weight expensive kites and it is truly amazing what they can do. The Indoor Kite performance will be held at the South Padre Island Convention Center on January 30^th from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The tickets are $10 each and there is limited seating. We went to this last season and we were very impressed. I have made a deal with B&S Kites who sponsor the event. I am going to call her once a week and she’ll let me know when I have to stop taking reservations. You will notice that I have made a line on the signup sheet which means that those people above the line definitely have tickets. At some point when I talk to B&S Kites, she will tell me they can’t hold it open anymore because the seats are almost gone. They sold out last year way before the event.

SKYMED: Skymed will be here on January 9^th for a luncheon with anyone interested in talking to them about their services. They will also be coming on February 8^th for Ice Cream. Those of you who don’t know what SkyMed offers can take advantage of a free meal or ice cream and find out if they have something that you want to take advantage of. Those of you who are already Skymed members are invited to join in the celebration of a Skymed Appreciation and 31^st Anniversary event. There will be three of those: One on January 21^st at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg, another one is on January 22^nd at Victoria Palms in Donna, Texas and the third one is at Fun & Sun in San Benito, Texas on January 23^rd. These are white tablecloth lunches for members and their interested guests. Registration opened on November 1^st so you will need to register soon on www.skymed.com/weappreciateyou. 

RESIGNATION:
Lee and I are very sorry to tell you that we have resigned as Activity Directors. We were never going to be lifetime Activity Directors as some people are but we had planned on finishing this season. We are working with Laura for a smooth transition. I hope you know that we would not be doing this if it wasn't for the fact that my health is beginning to be affected. A wise woman in the park told me last week that after you reach 70 years of age, your top priority in life has to be your health and since my doctor told me the same thing a couple of days ago, it is time to make some drastic changes. The wonderful part for us is that we are really looking forward to being able to enjoy the activities of this park with all of you and getting to know more of you a lot better.

PRESENTER:  Rosalie Marie Fernandez from Valley Financial Planning talked to us this morning. Some of you may have wanted to talk to her afterward but with the Residents' Meeting right after it was a bit long to stick around. However, she wanted me to get her information to you so that you could contact her if you wish. Her Phone number is: 956-640-2660 and her e-mail is rosaliemfernandez@yahoo.com. She has left some material in the Activities Office that we can give you if you are interested.

UGLY CHRISTMAS

T-SHIRT/SWEATSHIRT/SWEATER PARTY

I bet you can get uglier than these!!

December 11, 2019

3 PM

In the Hall

Dance with Carlos Canas

CONTEST & PRIZES FOR THE UGLIEST MALE AND UGLIEST FEMALE OUTFIT!

Ugly Photo Booth

We will have the Photo Booth ready to get lots of terrific pictures of your ugly outfits. If you give us your e-mail, we’ll mail you a copy of your picture(s).

Ugly Gift Exchange

Bring the tackiest gift you can imagine. This isn’t just about re-gifting scented candles and other obnoxious items. It should include really awful stuff like board games with one piece missing or broken Christmas ornaments. Participants will have a blast deciding which gift is the worst. We will be prepared with a trash can by the door on the way out to hold this stuff—in case you want to discretely dispose of your gift on the way out! This contest is a table contest and each table will send one representative from their table to the front to show off their worst gift from that table (double table)! You can also decorate your tables if you wish.

Minutes of Meeting, December 2, 2019

Monday Morning Meeting

December 2, 2019

DECEMBER CHARITABLE GIVING:

City of Weslaco Toys For Tots:  Again this season, there is a large box under the bulletin board for toys for children ages 1 to 16. The City of Weslaco will distribute these toys and they do not need to be wrapped. 


Food Bank: You can donate canned goods to the Food Bank in the small boxes under that same Bulletin Board. There are lots of families that would appreciate some extra food during this season.

Blanket Drive: Sondra Plowman is still gathering blankets for the needy that she delivers as she receives them to various organizations in this area. I know she could use a lot more of them.

For each thing that you bring in on a Monday, you'll receive an extra ticket for the drawing.  


PICTURE DIRECTORIES:

If you had your picture taken for the Directory, you can pick them up before and after the Monday morning meetings or later in the Activity Office. We are distributing first to everyone that had their picture taken because we were not able to get as many extras as we have in the past. After those are distributed, then we will start selling the remaining books. 

FIX A CRACK:
Fix A Crack is a company that has done a lot of repairs to windshields n this park. They will be doing a Drive Thru Day on Wednesday, December 4th. They will inspect your vehicles for chips that could cause cracks and make any repairs that you might need. They use most insurances except State Farm. So, be sure to flag them down if you need something repaired. It will save you a trip to a shop.

GOLDEN AGE OLYMPICS:  

The City of McAllen Parks and Recreation sponsors the Golden Age Olympics for the Rio Grand Valley. Parks from all over the Valley compete. It is a lot like our Encore Games but it has a lot more categories like a Bake-Off, Bird-a-Ton, Bowling, Cheerleading, Fishing, Golf, Jigsaw Puzzles, Mini Golf, Race Walk, Softball, Sudoku, Table Tennis, Volleyball, and The Great Chase which is a fun day of chasing down clues in the McAllen area, photographing them and racing back to the finish to see who wins. If any of you would like to see the complete list or would like to compete for Southern Comfort, stop in the office and I’ll give you the brochure if you are interested.  

CHRISTMAS LIGHTING CONTEST:

Information about the lighting contest is on the Bulletin Board above the signup tables. There are four categories: Silent Night, Holy Night (most religious), Martha Stewart (most elegant), Clark Griswold (most Lights) and the Grand Prizes goes to the Lot with the most votes over all of those categories. Judging will be from December 15-19 when you can tour the park and then turn in your ballots. We must have the ballots returned by the 20^th so we can do the count. We’ll announce the winners and hand out the prizes on December 23^rd Monday morning meeting.

ACTIVITIES:

Trip to the ITheatre for “Playing Doctor:   We will be letting you know shortly when you can pick up your tickets.

Monza Chocolate Factory Tour: The tour of the Monza Chocolate Factory is tomorrow, December 3^rd at 10 AM. The cost is $8 and you pay them when you arrive. They don’t have much change so please take them the exact amount.  There is a map available in the Activities Office if you need it.

Happy Hour: Our next Happy Hour is with Regan James on this Wednesday, December 4^th from 3 to 5 PM. 

Love Light Ministries Show: The Southern Comfort Chapel has scheduled Love Light Ministries for a Show and Christmas Sing-a-long on Thursday, December 5^th, at 7 PM. It will be pass the hat.

Ice Cream Social: On December 8^th, this coming Sunday, at 6 PM we’ll be serving Milk Shakes for $1.50. You can sign up for the flavor you want on the Signup Sheets by the Stage.

Trip to San Juan Basilica is next Monday, December 9^th. You will need to be there by 10:30 AM. Meet on the steps into the Basilica. If you haven’t been there, we have a map available in the office. They have a nice Gift Shop there and in the past they have served lunch so you can decide if you want to try it out. This is a beautiful Basilica and Sister Rose will tell you the history of it and take you into places that you would not normally see. There is plenty of room for a few more of you to go. You will enjoy it.

The Craft Show is on Tuesday the 10^th of December and breakfast and lunch are served. Gayla has been finding some new vendors for the show so be sure to check them out. Gayla may want to give you more info later on.

On Wednesday, the 11^{t h} of December we have a Happy Hour with Carlos but it is also a party. It is time to find your ugliest Christmas T-shirt, Sweater or Sweatshirt and we will be offering three prizes to those that are deemed to be the worst dressed for Christmas!  Feel free to be creative.

The Park Garage Sale which is held in the Hall is scheduled for December 14^th from 7 AM to 10 AM. Setup is the night before starting at 4 PM.

Hidalgo Lights on Dec. 16th: There is a signup sheet out for a group trip to the lights which includes a chicken dinner, VIP seating for whoever performs that evening, and a train ride to see all the lights around the city.  I called in the reservations for those that have already signed up, however, we can still reserve more places if anyone else wants to go. Just sign up at signup tables to the left of the Stage. Then stop in the office to pay for the reservation.

The Sundrops will do their Christmas Show for us on Tuesday, December 17^th at 7 PM. You can purchase tickets from Gayla after the meeting today. They are wonderful family group and I know you’ll enjoy them. The tickets are $9 each and we would appreciate it if you paid in cash. If you go to the Southern Comfort Blog, there is a short video of them performing.

New Residents’ Meeting (New Bees) has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 17^th at 10 AM in the Hall. This is not on your calendar so please add it if you are new to the park and have not been to one of these before.

New Year’s Eve Dance tickets will be on sale after the meeting today. The tickets are $15 each and include an appetizer plate per person at the break. SouthBound does a mix of country and rock and roll. We are looking forward to a great night.

SKYMED: Skymed will be here on January 9^th for a luncheon with anyone interested in talking to them about their services. They will also be coming on February 8^th for Ice Cream. Those of you who don’t know what SkyMed offers can take advantage of a free meal or ice cream and find out if they have something that you want to take advantage of. Those of you who are already Skymed members are invited to join in the celebration of a Skymed Appreciation and 31^st Anniversary event. There will be three of those: One on January 21^st at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg, another one is on January 22^nd at Victoria Palms in Donna, Texas and the third one is at Fun & Sun in San Benito, Texas on January 23^rd. These are white tablecloth lunches for members and their interested guests. 

Registration opened on November 1^st so you will need to register soon on www.skymed.com/weappreciateyou . Sorry, he didn't stop in with the information until last Wednesday. The flyer is up on our Bulletin Board over the signup tables.

Minutes of November 25th Meeting

PICTURE DIRECTORIES:

The picture Directories are in and are available in the Activity Office starting at 1 PM today as Monday mornings are a bit of a zoo. We still have over 100 for people that had their pictures taken and haven’t picked them up yet. As soon as we give out all the directories to people that had their picture taken for it, we’ll be able to hand out more to those that want them. The cost is $15 and we will start handing the extras out probably in early January.

DECEMBER CALENDARS:

The December calendars are now available on the signup tables. If you just arrived at the park and don’t have a November calendar, stop in the office as I made a few to hand out to those that still need one.

BULLETIN BOARDS:

Just want to make sure that everyone knows where to look for things in the Hall. The bulletin boards above the signup tables are sectioned off. The first board is labeled Southern Comfort and is for everything going on in our park.  The next Bulletin Board which is next to the door is divided in half. Country Sunshine’s activities are posted next to our board and the last section is for information from vendors offering services. You’ll notice there are labels about them. As new stuff comes in, I will have to delete the old stuff so if you see information you need, take down the information. We have provided note paper and pencils on the table for your convenience.

The Bulletin Board by the double doors into the Hall is for events that are occurring in the Rio Grande Valley.

The Bulletin Boards in the Mail area are still a work in progress at this moment. Once we get the new cork on and I’ve been able to see how much gets posted in each area and I’ll be able to divide it better. We are in a learning curve right now. Also, we need to check out the wall by the mail slots because we may have a water problem so we don’t want to put the new cork there until it is fully checked out. 

SOUP SUPPER FUNDRAISER: One last minute change to the calendar was made on Friday. The Soup Supper Fundraiser that was scheduled for December 12^th has been changed to January 8^th. Happy Hour is at 4 and Soup at 5 PM. A signup sheet in on the tables next to the stage. Cost is $4 for all you can eat. Bring your own eating utensils, bowls, crackers and snacks.

THANKSGIVING:

Thanksgiving Dinner is scheduled for 1 PM on the 28^th. You can set up your tables at 8 PM the night before.  Please keep in mind when setting up that we have nine table of 16 or more so leave room for everyone!

ACTIVITIES:

Happy Hour: Our next Happy Hour is with MC Express on Wednesday the 27th from 3 to 5 PM.  It is always a lot of fun when he comes over to entertain so if you haven’t heard him, please come over and enjoy the fun! He keeps the energy going and it is a party that you’ll be glad to attend. It is Pass the Hat.

There is a current listing of the Happy Hours on the Bulletin Board above the signup tables. I had to make a few changes to accommodate Diego with his dates so we could keep him once a month. So, if you had those dates written down, check out the changes on that poster.

Trip to the ITheatre for “Playing Doctor:   The tickets for the play will be picked up shortly and you can pick them up in our office after lunch on Monday, December 2^nd.

Tour of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle: I put up the poster and signup sheet for this trip this morning. It is limited to 25 so check out the information on the poster and see if you can make it. If you have never been there, this is well worth seeing and Sister Rose that does the tours is a wonderful tour guide. The Basilica is especially beautiful in December when it is decorated for Christmas. 

Mariachi Performance at the Basilica: Need to see a show of hands for anyone interested in attending a Mariachi performance at the Basilica. We went to a couple of these and they invite the best Mariachi performers in the area and they give a concert on one evening. Everyone is dressed in their costumes and the music is exceptional. If you are interested, I’ll get the date and times and put out a signup sheet for it. Raise your hands if you are interested.

TubaChristmas: Another event that we think has been quite fun is Tuba Christmas which is on December 8^th at 2 PM at the McAllen Convention Center. In the past there was no charge and I will find out if we need tickets or we can just show up and if there is a cost. They assemble tuba players from all over the area and the McAllen performance is one of the largest of these events in the world. Last year they had more than 300 tuba players performing. Now they have about 600 tuba players! It is something that is done throughout the world in the month of December. We loved it and it was certainly a different kind of concert. Let’s see a show of hands on how many would be interested in this trip.

Indoor Kite Fly at South Padre: Last year Jean Rothfusz, Deb Sweeten, Lee and I attended the Indoor Kite Fly which will be held in SPI Convention Center on January 30^th from 6 to 8 PM. The kites they use are super light weight and they are able to do routines to music inside an auditorium without any fans or devices to keep the kites in the air. It is almost unbelievable what they can do. We all really enjoyed it. If you are interested in this one, raise your hands.

Monza Chocolate Factory Tour: A tour of the Monza Chocolate Factory has been set up for December 3^rd at 10 AM. The cost is $8 and you pay them when you arrive. They don’t have much change so please take them the exact amount. The signup sheet is on the tables across from the stage. This season they have added to the tour and you will be able to make your own chocolate bar. I heard lots of good comments from the people that went last season. Before Marlene left us, she contacted them and you will be able to purchase their candy at our Craft Shows this season.

Hidalgo Lights on Dec. 16th: There is a signup sheet out for a group trip to the lights which includes a chicken dinner, VIP seating for whoever performs that evening, and a train ride to see all the lights around the city.  I called in the reservations for those that have already signed up, however, we can still reserve more places if anyone else wants to go. Just sign up at signup tables to the left of the Stage. Then stop in the office to pay for the reservation and I’ll call in your reservations.

The Park Garage Sale which is held in the Hall is scheduled for December 14^th from 7 AM to 10 AM. Setup is the night before starting at 4 PM. There will be an Ad in the Winter Texas Times thanks to the Residents Board. It will also be in the Welcome Home RGV Newpapers in our park ad. Plus, it is online in the Winter Texas Times site and on the Welcome Home RGV site. I also sent out flyers to various parks that are in our vicinity in November for our November and December activities. Country Sunshine’s Garage Sale is the week before on December 7^th.

The Sundrops are a family group from Canada that really impressed the crowd at the Entertainment Showcase last season. We booked them for December 17^th at 7 PM and you can buy tickets from Gayla after the meeting today. They are wonderful and I know you’ll enjoy them. The tickets are $9 each and you can pay by cash or check made out to Southern Comfort.

Love Light Ministries Show: The Southern Comfort Chapel has scheduled Love Light Ministries for a Show and Christmas Sing-a-long on Thursday, December 5^th, at 7 PM. It will be pass the hat.

SPI Lighted Boat Parade: I cancelled the Lighted Boat Parade trip on the Breakaway Cruise boat as there wasn’t any interest. I never know when I offer something new how it will go over but this one sure flopped. However, I do want to let you know there are two absolutely fantastic things going on that you and your friends can attend on December 7th. The Lighted Boat Parade is one of them and you can make reservations at about any restaurant that is on the Laguna Madre and have dinner and watch the parade. The boats come out of the boat basin at Port Isabel and follow the bridge and then turn north along the shore of South Padre. Last year’s parade was the best we have seen and they are hoping to keep it that way.

The second event that is happening on December 7^th is the McAllen Holiday Parade. If you have grandchildren visiting or if you are young at heart, you will love this parade. It is the largest illuminated holiday and helium balloon parade in Texas. There are floats galore and bands, of course. You can check it out at McAllenHolidayParade.com. We’ve been to this several times and have enjoyed it. You have to arrive very early and bring your chairs, coolers and cameras. It goes down Bicentennial Boulevard from the Veterans Memorial Stadium to US Business 83. You can sit anywhere along that Route. The earlier you get there, the better your seats. The parade draws 250,000 spectators and has won multiple awards as the Best Parade in the Nation in the category of parades costing between ¼ and 1 million dollars.

While we are talking about McAllen, I thought you would enjoy this bit of McAllen trivia. In a State of the City Address, the Mayor of McAllen delivered on February 12^th, 2019 he talked about McAllen’s rankings in various areas. This quote from him made me giggle. He said: “And here is one I’m really proud of. McAllen was ranked as the No. 26 “Happiest City in America. I think, by the way, that the 25 cities that were ahead of us in the “happy” list are all in states where marijuana is legal.”

With that, I’ll turn it over to the Activity Leaders.

Activity Leaders (get them mics)

Now I’d like to introduce, Rodney Graham. Many of you will recognize him as he took your pictures for our Directory. He is the owner of Created Images & More and I felt really lucky that he was able to step up and help us with our new directories.  Today he is here to talk to you about the online version of the directory and how to use it. Lee and I are pretty excited about it, however, we’ll let Rod tell you all about it.  

IF YOU WERE NOT HERE FOR THE MEETING AND ROD'S DEMO, LEE WILL BE HELPING PEOPLE SET UP THE ONLINE DIRECTORY ON YOUR PHONES, TABLETS OR LAPTOPS. THERE IS A SIGNUP SHEET ON THE TABLES ACROSS FROM THE STAGE.

Riverside Dreamer Cruise on the Rio Grande River

Several Southern Comfort residents drove to Mission, TX today for a cruise on the Rio Grande River. We arrived at Riverside and had lunch first and then boarded the  Riverside Dreamer at Noon.


The weather was perfect for a light jacket and we had a nice lunch and a gorgeous day for a boat ride.

Monday Morning Meeting Notes - November 18, 2019

RAZZ MA TAZZ:  First, I want to get the bad news out of the way. I hate to disappoint you, but I know I am disappointed. I received the lineup for Razz Ma Tazz last week shortly after our meeting and we were not on it. I booked directly with the Band Director and when I called him to find out why we weren’t on the list, he apologized. He meant to call me because he found that Razz had another engagement but then he got busy and it slipped his mind. So, I apologize to all of you. I do my best but sometimes things just go awry.

PICTURE DIRECTORIES:

The picture Directories are in and are being distributed before and after the Monday Morning meetings.  You can see Carol or Lou to pick yours up.

An online version of the directory will be available very soon. This will make it possible for you to look up anyone in the directory from any laptop, tablet or smartphone. We haven't quite determined how we're going to roll this out but you'll be hearing about it very soon. The online version will be for residents of Southern Comfort and you will have to sign up to use it using your name and a password you assign. It will not be available to the public. Rod Graham, the photographer and website guru for this directory will be here next week to show us how to get connected to this valuable resource.  This directory will be dynamic in that we'll be able to add new residents and keep your contact information current. This isn't possible with a printed directory, but it will be for this online version. Plan on spending a few minutes during next week's meeting to learn about this exciting new resource available to Southern Comfort residents.

NEW INFORMATION SINCE MEETING:

Hearing Solutions of Texas will be in the Outback on Friday, November 22nd. from 1 to 5 PM to answer any questions or concerns that you may have with your hearing aids. Nothing will be sold during this time, however, they may be able to clear up any confusion you might have concerning hearing aids. If you feel you are suffering a hearing loss, this would be a good opportunity to check that out also. She just came in the office this morning and wanted to do it this week, otherwise I would have announced it at the meeting. Please pass the word.

THANKSGIVING:

The signup sheets for the Thanksgiving tables are now on the Activities Tables to the left of the Stage. The tables are getting full and we added one new one yesterday. We can add one more table so if you are willing to bake a turkey you can start another group. Just come and see me after the meeting.

ACTIVITIES:

Happy Hour: Our next Happy Hour is with Diego from 3 to 5 PM on Wednesday, the 20^th. It is Pass the Hat.

Craft Show: The first Craft Show will be on Tuesday, December 10tth from 7 AM to 10 AM. Lunch will be served. If you want a table for the show, contact Gayla Henry at 303-378-1035.

The Park Garage Sale which is held in the Hall is scheduled for December 14^th from 7 AM to 10 AM. Setup is the night before starting at 4 PM.

Fundraiser for Residents' Committee: There will be a Soup Supper on December 12th. 4 PM for Happy Hour and 5 PM Soup.  
Soups will be: Taco, Split Pea and Ham, and Cheesy Potatoes with Bacon. Cost is $4 payable at the door. It is all you can eat. Iced tea will be provided. Bring your own table service. If you want to bring appetizers or crackers for your table, please do so. 

ENTERTAINMENT:

The Sundrops are a family group from Canada that really shined at the Entertainment Showcase last season. We booked them for December 17^th at 7 PM and you can buy tickets from Gayla after the meeting today. We have lost quite a few of our family Christmas Shows this past season and I was very thankful that this group came on the scene. They are wonderful and I know you’ll enjoy them. The tickets are $9 each and we would appreciate it if you paid in cash.

TRIPS:

The Estero Llano Tram Tour for November 29th is full, and we have a few on the waiting list so if you can’t go, please let me know so I can call those on the wait list. I’ll set up another tour for next month.

Riverside Cruise is on Saturday, November 23^rd. Must be there by 10:45 AM. The boat leaves at 11AM and lunch follows. You can see Joan Gleason after the meeting to sign up and/or pay for the trip.  There are 15 signed up as of last Friday and the boat holds 40 so there is plenty of room. It is early in the season so the trip will be a go. I checked with Riverside and they will take 15 or 40 out as it is early in the season.

Hidalgo Lights on Dec. 16th: There is a signup sheet out for a group trip to the lights which includes a chicken dinner, VIP seating for whoever performs that evening, and a train ride to see all the lights around the city.  I called in the reservations for those that have already signed up, however, we can still reserve more places if anyone else wants to go. Just sign up at signup tables to the left of the Stage. We’ll catch you later to get payment.

Ranch House Burgers Trip: We are scheduled for November 19^th at 5 PM. The signup sheet is on the tables across from the stage. We had reserved for 30, however, I changed it to 40 since we were at 35 already. You can order off the menu and pay there.

Trip to the ITheatre for “Playing Doctor:   I Theater, the theater under the Water Tower here in Weslaco, is putting on the play “Playing Doctor”. We are going to go and get tickets for everyone that wants to attend. The play is on December 20^th at 7 PM. Please sign up as soon as possible because these plays sell out quickly and we can’t promise, if you wait too long, that we can get them.  They are selling online now at www.iloveit.live. Ticket sales are also being done at Well’s of Weslaco or the Weslaco Museum starting on November 16^th.

Monza Chocolate Factory Tour: I have a tour of the Monza Chocolate Factory set up for December 3^rd at 10 AM. The cost is $8. The signup sheet is up already. This season they have added to the tour and you will be able to make your own chocolate bar. I heard lots of good comments from the people that went last season.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 

We need some volunteers to help us out and I’ve placed a signup sheet for the various positions on the table to the left of the stage. If you have questions, just stop in the office and talk to me.

Lee is looking for someone or a couple people from the Woodshop, most likely, to put together the Christmas Tree cart. If you might be interested in helping, see Lee in the Activity Office and he can fill you in on what is needed.