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.

Trick or Treaters Descend on Southern Comfort

It is Halloween and the weather is chilly. This is the coldest Halloween on record but it was a lot warmer when the kiddos were coming than earlier in the day. I wore my thickest Iowa coat and I was still cold coming to work this morning. So, glad it got better for the little ones. 

Southern Comfort gives out a HUGE amount of candy on Halloween and the kids this year ranged from 3 Months old to I swear some of the kids looked 30! But, we love those little ones. 

 One of the Candy Dispensing Crews for the Evening

 Gotta love this costume. He sees through the stomach of the beast!

 This little policeman was a big hit!

 What a sweetheart!

 Yikes Chucky has arrived. Hide the kids!

 This baby was probably our youngest trick or treater!

Halloween Party

It's a Bunch of Hocus Pocus!

We had a terrific Halloween Party on October 29th in our Hall. We started at 5:30 PM. Sloppy Joes and Chips were served for $1 and everyone brought a salad, veggie or dessert to share.

We had a photo booth and many people took advantage of it and we will forward their pictures to them. 

The table that was able to answer a Halloween Trivia question started the dinner line.  

After dinner there was a Mummy Wrapping Game that was fun to watch. 

The it was time for the Costume Contest. Everyone lined up and tried to persuade the judges to vote for them.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Ken and Terry Hause

BECKY BERWICK

KEN LONGWORTH

Then Edith and Diego were there to entertain us and some of us just had to dance!

Notice the little pumpkin on Edith's belly. She is expecting and due in January. It is bad timing for them with all their dances and Happy Hours. However, they are young!