Unit 21
Nancy Gearhard, Eileen Halk and Marcia Munich enjoy the Unit 21’s Ladies Holiday Luncheon at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse.
Bill Brown
Fifty four ladies from Unit 21 celebrated the holiday season on Friday, December 6 while attending the annual Ladies’ Holiday Luncheon. Labeled a huge success by everyone, the event was organized by Anna Marie Marsh, Karen Patchis and Linda Bailey.
Hosted by Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, attendees were offered a choice of one of three entrees: petite filet mignon, jumbo lump crab cakes with roasted red pepper and lime butter sauce or grilled portobello mushroom with ravioli. All the entrees came with Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse salad, sautéed French green beans, parmesan peppercorn mashed potatoes and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and dark rum caramel drizzle.
Ladies were seated at 10 tables, each of which held a door prize of a Christmas book and a fabric purse manufactured by Linda Bailey. The door prize recipient was designated by color coded stickers applied to the base of two chairs at each table. The person seated at the yellow sticker chair won the Christmas book and the person at the blue sticker chair was awarded the handmade purse.
In addition, courtesy of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, each of the attendees received a $25.00 gift card to be used on food or beverage during a future dining experience at the restaurant.
Pat Broers, left, and Sandy Bryant enjoy Unit 21’s Holiday Dinner Dance
Bill Brown
Unit 21’s Holiday Dinner Dance was a resounding success, putting the exclamation point on the Unit’s numerous holiday celebrations.
The Vistas Dining Room in the HOA 1 Clubhouse was exquisitely decorated for the festivities on Thursday, December 12. The evening began with cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m. followed by music, dinner and dancing. One hundred and two Unit residents celebrated the occasion and had an entree choice of prime rib au jus or parmesan cheese and prosciutto stuffed sole. The entrees were preceded by a shrimp cocktail.
Harry Matthews, affectionately known as the one man band, provided the music as well as the entertainment. Harry, accompanied by synthesized background music, sings and plays the keyboard, saxophone or guitar depending on the tune or maybe even his whim.
Following several requests, Head Chef Dave Bishow emerged from the kitchen in the company of his Sous Chefs to receive a well deserved ovation.
The Holiday Dinner Dance was coordinated by Chairperson Judy Saks with the assistance of Glenn and Terri Gage, Benith and Craig MacPherson, Howard and Susan Weinfeld and Ron Morris and Dolores Root. Ron Morris handled the duties of master of ceremonies while Doug Lombardi was the official photographer.
Bill Brown
The second annual Light Up The Night commenced Unit 21’s many planned holiday celebrations. Unit residents were encouraged to decorate the outside of their homes for the season prior to December 1; then beginning at 5:00 p.m. inhabitants began touring the neighborhood in golf carts to view the finished product.
Four residences opened their doors to welcome the crowd. Everyone brought along their own beverage of choice and the hosts and hostesses, Alan and Betsy Levenson, Glenn and Terri Gage, Dan and Anna Marie Marsh and Gus and Karen Pachis, with the assistance of some of the participants, provided sumptuous hors d’oeuvres.
Next up on the Unit’s busy holiday schedule was the Ladies’ Holiday Luncheon at Fleming’s on December 8 followed by the Holiday Dinner Dance at the HOA 1 Clubhouse on December 12.
Unit 22
Whoo! Just back from Alpharetta, Georgia, after celebrating our granddaughter’s acceptance to Harvard; she will play tennis for them.
Hey honey, we just got an invite to one of those famous cozier block parties for Unit 22.
Unit 22 is starting to get a lot of young energetic people from Washington who are very involved in the fabric of the SaddleBrooke Community. So the party was loaded with overdrive and let it all hang out, we are riding the last wave tonight; tonight, who knows what tomorrow holds.
First of all, there is the prechatter where everyone tells the other about their last cruise, all the trouble making connections and drinking tequilas in the moonlight in the Caribbean under the soft moonlight. Or hey, what do you think of the new bistro or my dog was chased by a coyote, or the deer ate my roses and then how about the people that just got back from their fiftieth reunion.
Then the dinner bell rings and the clamor for a good spot so as not to miss out on the entrees that the contributors toiled over for the last two days like cheese covered meatloaf, Greek pasta salad and sushi in the raw, Unit 22 specials, many of our unit members were either Hilton Inn master chefs or just good old fashioned cooks. That is probably why many of us in Unit 22 are trying to find the Weight Watchers number in the phone book.
Then to start the evening activities we had a sing along and I had to admit that we sounded just like the SaddleBrooke Singers; wow such talent in this unit.
Then came the grand finale and it usually comes early in the evening as many of us have a long way to travel, some as far as a block away without the aid of a golf cart. Yes, you guessed it, trivia. With all the Alzheimer’s that is going around, not to mention dementia, I was amazed at the ability for someone to know how many feathers were in a grown turkey, or that Oklahoma became a state in 1907; oh well, these people with a college education.
We closed the evening exchanging gifts; wine turned out to be the most popular gift, who would have thought. Someone received a bacon press and spent the evening in grateful bliss. One of the more masculine motorcycle guys in the unit opened his present; yay, barettes which he joyfully planted on the hair he still had left.
It became excessively late, almost 8:30 p.m. and the party started winding down; another unit party fades into the past and members left with good cheer and presents. One was unusually happy because her gift was a bacon press, something no one should be without.
Unit 27
Ladies holiday lunch at the Arizona Inn; photographer Jan Talbot
Sue Case
The unit holiday party, held on Thursday evening, December 12, in the newly refurbished MountainView Ballroom, was larger this year than in the past because we joined forces with Units 32 and 36. Everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves, dancing to the music played by Unit 27’s own DJ, Steve Holdener. Steve also played a nice selection of Christmas music during the cocktail and dinner hours. Kudos both to Steve and to the technical and facilities personnel of HOA 2 for the sound system that enabled attendees to hear the music on the dance floor, but not be overwhelmed by it while sitting and talking at the tables.
Patti and Rich LaRosa dancing at the holiday party; photographer Ron Talbot
The food was very attractively presented and the diners seemed to enjoy eating their choice of Traverse City chicken, Black Angus filet or pumpkin ravioli. A very decadent chocolate and berry dessert topped off the dinner; definitely no time to diet! Luckily Steve played plenty of lively dance tunes for those who wanted to work off all the rich food and drink.
Thanks to Jan and Ron Talbot, Steve and Rita Holdener and the representatives from Units 32 and 36 for a fun and successful holiday party.
The ladies of Unit 27 once again celebrated the holidays by lunching at the Arizona Inn on Monday, December 16. Thanks to Vicki Strief who coordinated the event and to June Stoebner who donated beautiful poinsettias to decorate the tables. The choice of chicken or Cobb salads was followed by individual plates of three miniature, but very decadent, desserts. From the looks of it quite a few unit husbands either fended for themselves or had leftovers for dinner!
By the time we read this article, the calendar will have turned the page to 2014. It is an appropriate time to remember those Unit 27 residents who left us and to welcome those who arrived in 2013. With the help and support of many of us, Unit 27 can look forward to another active and enjoyable year.