Newsletter 11/29

Coming up this week is beautiful weather, cool mornings but 70's and 80 for highs in the afternoon.

RVE CLUB MEETING – Chair Sharon Sprague called meeting to order. We recited “Pledge to the Flag” & sang “God Bless America”. Meeting closed by singing club song, ”We Love Our Valley Home”.

Accompanist – Cathy Probst

Invocation – Mark Probst .. “How big is God? .. reading from Psalm 23 .. & poem “Footprints in the Sand”

Secretary Report – Dana Daves

Treasurer Report – Sandy Olson

Chairperson Sharon announced additional duties to those that appear in park directory. These include .. open with prayer or choose someone to do this, appoint someone to serve coffee/donuts at Monday meeting, and appoint nominating & auditing committees.

MANAGEMENT REPORT .. No one was present to give a report. Manager Dan O’Dell is having complete shoulder replacement surgery today. Prayers for a quick recovery. Website for park is riovalleyestates.com

Board Members -- Properties – George Morgan, Lynn Stamp, Mark Probst; Finance – Vicki Davis, Gordon Amos, Sandy Olson. If you have issues you’d like to present or discuss, you may contact any board member. They sit in a group toward the right front of Friendship Hall prior to Monday meeting.

Dana Daves gave Secretary report & it was approved.

Treasurer Sandy Olson gave report & it was accepted.

Mark Probst gave Properties report. A new nativity has been purchased by Lynn & will be put up soon. Patio Sale sign is going up today. Mark is taking recycling tomorrow & Paul Delashmit will take if pickup gets too full.

Here’s a good reason to wear your RVE name tags to all events. “If you are with me & someone comes up to us & starts talking & I don’t introduce you ..it’s because I don’t remember their name. Happens to Tom & me often. So please feel free to be a cool person & introduce yourself so I can then hear their name & pretend like I knew it the whole time!” – mlb

If you don’t have an RVE name tag, check with Donna Gabbert who makes these.

Donna Gabbert puts cards in office area for your signature. If you know of someone needing card due to illness or death in family, call her at 956-968-6684. Cards this week .. Janice Philipp, former resident, is undergoing chemotherapy in Minnesota. Need Jan’s address? Give editor a call. It has been reported resident Gary Hejlik has passed away this past week.

Craig Daves, dance co-chair, reports all bands booked have agreed to come. First dance is Jan. 3. Admission is $7 pp

Marylyn Mason, Friday entertainment co-chair, said another act has cancelled. She & co-chair Lucy Johnson will be adding an act to replace the cancellation. The kids from Cleckler Elementary School are coming to entertain us with Christmas music Dec. 17, 6:00-8:30 p.m. Admission of $5 pp will go back to them.

Some folks, even those who are vaccinated, may be concerned about spread of Covid. Feel free to wear mask to any event/activity.

PLEASE SUPPORT ALL PARK ACTIVITIES.

Thanks to Patty Lamp & Phyllis Branstetter who served coffee & donuts prior to today’s meeting. There is a sign up sheet if you wish to provide in honor of special occasion. If no one signs up, club will pay. Bring donuts by 8:15 a.m.

Reach out to your neighbors. Tell them to attend Monday morning meetings. Make them feel welcome!

We will elect a new club chair & vice chair Dec. 13 for the calendar year (January through December). If you nominate someone, it is a good idea to check with them first as to whether they are willing to serve.

For residents’ information, code to unlock all doors is 7157. Last one out locks up.

Activity Calendars are posted on back bulletin board in Friendship Hall by Judi DeKoning.

Editor Mary Lou Benson sends information to news media to announce activities that are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC .. such as dances, patio & craft sales, flea markets, entertainment, etc. Get info to her 3 weeks before event. WRITTEN notes are helpful.

What a great meal & turnout we had for Thanksgiving Dinner! “Thanksgiving at RVE turned out to be more special than I could have imagined. At the beginning of our dinner, I shared my thought for the day was for us all to consider how we are given many gifts from The Lord & how we might consider sharing our gifts with others around us. Just about everyone showed me they indeed share their gifts. Thanks to all who helped.” – Chair Pam Brustkern You can read a complete printing of Pam’s thank you on our club’s Facebook page….RVE Winter Texans.

All said Thanksgiving Dinner was great .. and we thank Pam, Ken, Sue & Tim for organizing.

Dave Johnson at Lot #93 needs your name & phone numbers for the next park directory.

Wednesday Happy Hour is in card room through December. Bring snacks & your own beverage, 4 p.m.

Bean Bags begins Tuesday & Wednesday, 1 p.m. outside Friendship Hall.

Mark Wieners announces Euchre will begin next Tuesday, Dec. 7.

Texas Hold’em Poker has been removed from Tuesday activities. It is still held on Fridays at 1 p.m.

Park Patio Sale will be held outside units on Friday, Dec. 3, 8 a.m. to noon. This is your chance to make big $$$ .. so you can spend $$$ on other items you can’t live without. If you wish to use a table from our hall, please sign up on back bulletin board.

Tickets are being sold at Monday meetings for Meat Loaf Dinner on Dec. 9, 4:30 social hour & eat at 5. This replaces Lasagna Dinner we had previously. Judi DeKoning said you may purchase entire table to seat 8-10 people if you wish….cost is $10 pp. Kathy Cochran tells us there might be entertainment at the party!

Marylyn Mason announced a Golf Cart Parade is planned on Dec. 23, 5:30 p.m. Following parade, an old-fashioned Christmas will be held in Friendship Hall with Jan Delashmit playing piano & Marge Reishus leading in song. There is a sign up sheet for attendance & residents to bring cookies. We’ll have a “white elephant” exchange which though not mandatory, should be a lot of fun. Bring $5 (or so?) gift. You get a ticket for drawing of a gift. After all names have been drawn, they will draw one more time & you can take gift from someone else. Gifts may be new or regifted items 😊

There are activities across the Valley all season .. but especially at Christmastime. One is the Hidalgo Festival of Lights. This is the 30th year this has been held. It is held Dec. 1 through Jan. 2. There are live performances & train tours…or you can drive through to see over 500 lighted displays. It’s worth the drive over to Hidalgo.

South Padre Island’s lights are beautiful. Thru Jan. 16, enjoy the Holiday Light Show on display 6 to 9 p.m. at the SPI Convention Centre. You can watch from the comfort of your vehicle. The city’s 32nd annual Street Parade will be held Friday, Dec. 3, beginning at 6 p.m. Another popular holiday-themed event is the Island’s 33rd annual Boat Parade on Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. You will see boats of all sizes & there are multiple viewing areas throughout the route. Judging happens at Jim’s Pier. There are alternate dates for the parades in case of bad weather.

GAME RESULTS: Place scores, winner names, complete info on dates & name of game in plastic container back of Friendship Hall. WRITE LEGIBLY!

BEAN BAG –

BOWLING – Pins & Cues

CANASTA – Table of 3 –

Nov. 23 – Linda Palermo 10695

Nov. 24 – Beverly Yancey, Fran Hryniw 38194

CRIBBAGE –

DOMINOS – Mexican Train – Nov. 21 – Ann Johnson, Nancy Gonnerman, Darlene Bryant Nov. 23 -Ann Johnson, Jean Stamp, Marge Reishus, Janel Baker Nov. 28 – Janel Baker, Nancy Gonnerman, Maud Fisher

DUMMY RUMMY – Nov. 27 –

1st – Jean Stamp 232 2nd – Sharon Sprague 245

3rd – Del Telfor 263 4th – Al Lenius 285

EUCHRE -

GOLF – Executive –

PINOCHLE – Single Deck –

SHUFFLING

TEXAS HOLD'EM POKER

TIC – Nov. 24 –

1st – Lynn Stamp 108 2nd – Beverly Yancey 181

3rd – Nancy Argo 196 4th – Craig Daves 199

Well, I didn’t know this ..some facts about the 1500s ..

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May & they still smelled pretty good by June. Since they were starting to smell not so good, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then the other sons & men, then the women & finally the children. Last the babies & by then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!”

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats & other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery & sometimes the animals would slip & fall off the roof. Hence the saying “It’s raining cats & dogs!” (bet you saw that one coming!)

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a problem in the bedroom where bugs & other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts & a sheet hung over the top afforded protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, “dirt poor”. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way .. hence, “a thresh hold”.

--to be continued another time (if you are lucky/unlucky)--