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.

Monday Meeting Notes - November 11, 2019

THANK YOU(s):

We want to give a Huge Thank You to Jennie Draper for making the table covers for the Activities Tables. It was a complicated project and she did a great job and kept on smiling.  The covers look great and hide all the items that we keep under them. There are Velcro tabs that can be undone and redone when you take items in and out that are stored under them. Let’s give Jennie a hand!

Also, let’s give a big Thank You to everyone who worked on the Brunch last Thursday.  Jennie Draper and Sondra Plowman headed up the event but then many of you made casseroles or brought fruit and helped in other ways. Why don’t you all stand up and let’s give them all a hand.

THANKSGIVING:

The signup sheets for the Thanksgiving tables are now on the Activities Tables to the left of the Stage.

PICTURE DIRECTORIES:

The picture Directories are in and are being distributed before and after the Monday Morning meetings.   

  

CHRISTMAS TREE:

I know you have noticed our new Christmas tree by now. We think it makes a beautiful Christmas statement. I have a Thank You card to Lowe’s that I would like everyone here today to sign. They were gracious enough to sell this 9’ $500 tree to us for $200. I think that the whole reason we were able to get this tree was because we told the representative there that our ladies had raised money for it by baking pies last season and they had $179 to spend but we were in love with this $500 tree. She asked if we could do $230 but when we went to pick it up, she actually gave it to us for $200. So, if any of the ladies who made pies for the Craft Sales last season are here, please stand up. You won over their hearts!

We wanted you to see the Christmas tree, however, we’ll be taking it down after the meeting and then it can be put back up after Thanksgiving.

CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS:

Now that we have the Christmas tree, we need to decorate it. We have a few options for you to help us out with this.

•     We thought it might be a nice idea if people donated an ornament that represents their state or province. Maybe something with the state or province seal on it or at least an ornament that has the name of the state or province. We don’t want to get too many of each state or province though so I’m limiting it to two ornaments from each state or province. I’ll have a list in the office and if your state or province has been taken, you can sign up to do another state or province.

•          If you have some nice ornaments that you don’t use anymore and would like to donate them, we’ll gladly take them off your hands. We may not use all of them depending on how many we get from other sources, but if we don’t use them for the tree, we will sell them at our Garage Sale in December and put the money toward our Hall Decoration Fund.

•           And, finally, the last way to help is through a cash donation jar in our office and you can donate as much as you would like toward the tree decorations. If we end up with too much money, we’ll buy a nice wreath for the Hall too. It would look nice where the bulletin boards were that we just took down at the front door end of the room.

AND NOW THAT WE HAVE A TREE WE NEED TO STORE IT:  When we purchased the Christmas tree we figured out very quickly that we needed a place to store it and we really didn’t want to put it in a shed where it would be subject to the heat of summer. We have a lot of storage under the stage and we thought it was full, however, we found that there is a lot of area that we can use behind the bean bag boards. We want to add on to the rolling cart that bean bag boards are on. We can then keep the tree and decorations in the back and it will free up some space in the other drawers where decorations are kept. We don’t know who built the drawers under the stage, but if there are one or two of you woodworkers that would be willing to take this project on, just come and see Lee. Otherwise, we may have a tree box standing up in our office all year!

ACTIVITIES:

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

Riverside Cruise is on Saturday, November 23^rd. Must be there by 10:45 AM. The boat leaves at 11AM and lunch follows. Please stop in the Activity Office to sign up and pay $22 each if you haven’t already. There is still room for you and you get to pick your meal. The tenderloins are fabulous!

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 know you aren’t ready for Christmas planning just yet, however, I will need to get tickets early if we are going to go. They do sell out. If you are not here yet, call the Activities Office to get signed up - 956-968-3140.

Razz Ma Tazz, the Show Choir from Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen will be doing their Christmas Show here on Friday, December 6^th at 7 PM. I know this is a Friday, however, it was the only date they had left so I took it because I know people have been asking to have them come. You can stop in the office for tickets to their performance starting today. We are charging $5 for the tickets and we need cash for their performance since all proceeds go to Razz Ma Tazz.

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 come to the office to buy tickets starting 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.

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.

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.

Ranch House Burgers Trip: I’ve scheduled one for November 19^th at 5 PM. The signup sheet is on the tables across from the stage. We have reserved for 30. You can order off the menu and pay there.

The Veggie Wagon will be here today at 3:30 until 5 PM and should be here every week unless the weather is really bad..

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 

We need Team Leader for the Pancake Breakfasts on Saturday morning. Please see Mary or Lee in the Activity Office. 

We need people who would like to volunteer to sign people up for trips and shows before and after the meetings. You can choose to handle money or to sign people up for non money trips.

We also would like a couple people to monitor the bulletin boards once a week. If you might be interested, just stop in the office and talk to me. I’ll tell you what is involved.

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.

Minutes of Meeting November 4, 2019

I’m excited to start the new year as your Activity Director and even more excited that Lee and Gayla will be working with me during this season. Lee because he and I have different strengths so we make a perfect team when it comes to running an Activity Office. Plus, I just kind of like having him around!

 We are both happy to introduce Gayla Henry who will be joining our Team as our Activity Clerk. She will be in charge of the Craft Sale, New resident meetings, obtaining all the prizes that we give out, and a host of other things as they come up.  We know that she will be a great addition to the team. She is a go-getter and very enthusiastic and that is what we need in the Activity Department. She has already been a great addition here at Southern Comfort. She and some of her friends did the great Halloween Table decorations for the tables and did a ton of work for the Halloween Party. She also volunteered to be in charge of the Mardi Gras Celebration. She will be one busy lady this season. Also, for those that don’t know, Gayla is the daughter of Bob Garrity. 

Our emphasis as your Activities Team is to make sure that all of you all stay informed and have a great time at Southern Comfort with lots of opportunities for things to do. We also have an ”open door” policy. Just come in if you have an idea, a question or a concern. We will do our best to take care of you. We want Southern Comfort to be an enjoyable place to be and we know Laura shares that goal. So, let’s work together to spread the love! 

On a sadder note, we will miss Marlene as she is such a sweet person and we hear now that she has some serious health problems so please keep Marlene in your prayers. Marlene and her husband have not traveled to the Valley this season.

While we are talking about how things work at the park, I’d like to have all the Coordinators and Team Leaders for all the activities at Southern Comfort stand up (cards, billiards, darts, bocce, etc.) These are the people that are here every week for one or more activities in the park. They are the bread and butter of the activities going on in the park and the Activities Department is the peanut butter and jelly that is added to make life even more enjoyable. Thank you all for what you do! Give them a hand folks!

PICTURE DIRECTORIES:

The picture Directories are in and will be distributed before and after the Monday Morning meetings. Some of you have already picked yours up and any of you that want to take yours with you today, can do that after the meeting. Gayla and Lee will be handing them out. We have divided the list into A-l (Lee) and M-Z (Gayla) so make sure you wait in the right line. We need your signature that you received your directory. These will be distributed before and after the Monday meetings.

COMMUNICATIONS:

As some of you are aware, I’ve done my best in the past to improve the communications in the park using Southern Comfort Friends and the Yard Sale Facebook Groups. I also started a blog that anyone with internet can use without having to be on Facebook or having a sign-on. The blog has a lot of information that is especially useful for residents that have not been in the park for a long time. Actually, there is information that is useful to all of you. One of the pages that is on the blog is the page of “Who is Who” and it lets you know who to call for information on all of our activities and groups. To get to the blog: www.SouthernComfortActivities@blogspot.com.

Signup Sheets and Activities Information is located at the front of the Hall behind the Coffee machines in case you haven’t found them yet. I have had some people ask where the signup sheets were for events that were at the end of the month. There is only so much room on the tables and so the events that are early in the month will be posted first and as they are past the other items will appear. You will have plenty of time to sign up.

The Boards above the Table for the Signup Sheets will have current information about what is going on at Southern Comfort and Country Sunshine. The other large board will have information on boat trips and other types of recreation that are ongoing. The large board in the front will have information about plays, musicals, concerts, etc. for the valley.

Our cork to resurface all the bulletin boards has been ordered and should arrive shortly. We hope to get it done quickly after it arrives. The way the signs are now on the boards in the Hall is just temporary and it will be fixed when we get it done. It is just another  step toward improving the looks of the Hall.

PROJECTS:

Lee and I have been working on several projects. Since I started working in October, Lee volunteered his time to paint and repair the walls and woodwork in the Activity Offices area and he just finished painting the doors in the Business Office. He finished up just in time to begin working on Friday.

You have probably noticed the changes in the Hall. If you are looking for the Signup Tables, they have moved to the front of the Hall behind the Coffee pots. The Veteran’s Wall has been cleaned up a bit and the Veteran’s tree was removed and thrown away. It was so dirty it was unbelievable and we think it must have been a flocked tree at one time but if it wasn’t then it really was in bad shape and unsanitary. We are going to replace the Veterans' tree with a POW Table and the materials for that are now on order and should be here soon. We are going to spend a bit of money on this wall in the future and I believe you will all like the results so please give us a chance to make this a special wall for our veterans that doesn’t have such a cluttered appearance.

We are also in the process of negotiating a deal on a new 9’ Christmas Tree for the Hall. The money that was raised from the sale of the Craft Show Pies will be used toward the tree since I have had quite a few women ask me if we could have a Christmas tree this year and we thought it would be a good thing to spend that money on. Thanks to the ladies who made the pies and to the Resident Board for letting that money go to decorating the Hall. If any of you would like to donate to decorations for the tree, just stop in the office. We would like to get nice decorations for a nice tree.

We also removed the cloths from all the Bulletin Boards and have ordered a roll of cork that Lee will be putting on all the boards to improve their looks. During the summer the Bulletin Boards off to the right of the stage were removed and the Resident’s Board, I believe, is making more changes in that area. If you used a space on the boards that were removed, please come see me later on today or tomorrow and we’ll talk about where you can post your information. I know that the Church and the Biking Club need some space but other than that I didn’t notice too much going up on those boards last year.

ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK (Nov. 4^th – 10th):

Mondays Lunches start today. I apologize I thought they started in December and I didn’t have a Green Sheet on it to keep me straight. They will be on the calendar in December. So do remember that for the rest of this month!

November 6^th , Happy Hour with Diego: We will have our first Happy Hour on November 6^th from 3 to 5 in the Hall. I posted a Happy Hour listing on the bulletin board in the front of the hall behind the coffee pots with all the Happy Hours for the season. They are always on Wednesdays and most of them are filled. I know you all enjoy these Happy Hours and we will be able to keep having them as long as the entertainers feel like they are being compensated well. I never know how much they receive but I know many of you are generous. I just want to make sure that you all understand that in order for me to book these Pass The Hat functions, the entertainers need to make money so they return.

November 7^{th –} Casserole Brunch: Jennie Draper and Sondra Plowman are the leads for the Casserole Brunch which starts at 10:30 AM on the 7th. There are signup sheets at the back of the Hall. We also need volunteers to make some either breakfast or lunch casseroles and there is a signup sheet for that also. Bring your own table service.

November 8^th – Immunization Clinic. The Other Guy’s Pharmacy in Weslaco will be doing an Immunization Clinic from 1 to 4 PM in the Outback. They are a preferred pharmacy and take most insurance cards. Please bring your insurance cards and a checkbook with you in case your insurance does not cover the charge completely. They will be doing immunizations for flu, shingles and pneumonia. Carol Case is signing up people for any immunizations you need. She is at the back of the Hall. Later the box will return to the signup tables by the stage. There are sheets to write out your information and then place in the box. We are doing that because they need to keep your information private because of HIPA Laws. If you haven't had your shots yet, this is convenient for you and we want to keep you all healthy.

November 9^th – Happy Hour at 4 and Cookout at 5 PM. Bring your own table service and the meat you want to grill. A baked potato, a roll and dessert will be provided. Please sign up at the tables behind the coffee pots. The Horse Races will not start until next month. Mark that off our calendar.

November 10^th – Ice Cream Social. The Ice Cream Social will be Sunday the 10^th and they will be serving Sundaes with all the fixings. The cost is $1.25 per person.

November 11^th – Veterans Day Program: It is Country Sunshine’s turn to do the Veterans Program this season. There is a signup sheet at the back of the hall for the veterans who plan to attend and another for the spouse’s or significant others that will attend. The program starts at 11 AM and the meal is at Noon. It is a potluck luncheon. The meat and lemonade or tea will be provided. Bring your table service.

Presenter:  Now I have the privilege of introducing Joe Graham from Breakaway Cruises. I have set up a cruise with him for the South Padre Island Lighted Boat Parade on December 7^th. We’ll put signup sheets out for this closer to the event. Last year we watched the parade and it was great to see how many boats participated and we loved the lights. This year we have an opportunity to be on one of Breakaway Cruises boats and be in the parade. It looked like the people on the boats were having a great time. Maybe Joe can tell you more about that too – just a little advertisement for a December event. Let’s give Joe Graham a hand and thank him for purchasing your donuts this morning.

Hidalgo Lights: 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, a train ride to see all the lights. I know you aren’t ready for Christmas planning just yet, however, I will need to get tickets early if we are going to go. They do sell out. There are two seatings but I’ll have to figure that out once I know who wants to go and what tickets are available.

COMING UP SOON: 

November 13^th – Get together at Stephano’s Italian Restaurant in Harlingen. We meet at Stephano’s at Noon and enjoy a meal together. We went there once during the summer and enjoyed it. You can order off the menu. Sign up sheet is out.

November 19^th – Get together at Ranch House Burger here in Weslaco. Meet there by 5 PM – you can order off the menu. Sign up sheet is out.

November 23^rd – Riverside Cruise. Be there by 10:30 – 10:45. The boats leaves at 11 AM and lunch is at Noon.

November 27^th – at 8 PM you can set up tables in the Hall for Thanksgiving.

November 28^th – Thanksgiving Dinner at 1 PM. Sign ups for tables will be set up closer to the event.

November 29^th – Tram Tour of Estero Llano State Park. If you have a Texas ID and are over 65 the tour is free. If you don’t have a Texas ID or Texas Park Pass, the cost is $5 which is the entrance fee to the park. There is a limit of 20 people – 10 in a tram so signup in the hall on the tables behind the coffee pot. Please use one line per person on the signup sheet! If you don’t, someone will think they are on the trip and won’t be and I don’t want to have hurt feelings.