Bill Walker is greeted by Zorro (aka Diego de la Vega)
Caroline Morrison and Judy Gold celebrated their birthdays
Unit 3-S
Brenda Newitter
Forty-nine Unit 3-S residents celebrated Cinco de Mayo at the home of Steve and Helen Bellacqua on Saturday, May 5. This was a potluck dinner and residents were asked to bring Mexican food, if possible, and to dress in their best Mexican attire. Two residents were celebrating birthdays, so there was a birthday cake and a song. Newbies to Unit 3-S had their first introduction to a “real” unit party. And the big surprise of the evening was when Zorro appeared to make it an official Mexican celebration. Everyone enjoyed themselves, the food was delicious and the weather was perfect.
Unit 12
Margaret Blanchard
On January 26, 13 ladies ate Humble Pie at La Encantada. The pie was an enjoyable pizza with an accompanying salad which was the luncheon special. In February the ladies had lunch in The Living Room, also at La Encantada Mall. The Living Room was unchartered territory for all but it was a great experience. April’s luncheon was at Bianchi’s, another taste of Italy.
Luncheon was provided for the people at the Ronald MacDonald House. This luncheon has been given by the women of the unit for many years and will continue to contribute to this good organization.
February was the month of pizza and business. The unit provides the pizza and the members, in turn, help plan future activities for the year. It seems to work very well and always with a lot of fun at the same time.
On March 3 we had a progressive dinner which means that we visited three homes; first for hors d’oeuvres, second for the main course which consisted of barbeque pork, beans, salad and tasty potatoes. The third home was dessert and coffee or tea. The hit of the evening was the ice cream buffet which had lots of fruits to add to the ice cream making it a healthy dessert. Thanks to all the members who opened their homes to everyone and made it a very enjoyable evening. Thanks again to Karen for all your work organizing the evening with precision.
It may have been hot and sunny in Arizona on May 5 but in Kentucky it was rainy with a muddy track for their derby. The horse Justify (No. 7) won the race with Good Magic second and Audible in third. Since we all were holding the numbers of our horse, it was an exciting race for us. The winners were especially happy to receive their prizes. I must mention that there was probably the best buffet to keep us nourished and the very best sangria to drink. All in all, it was as good as it gets without being in Kentucky. Thanks to Donna and Elaine for arranging this party.
In May the unit held its annual brunch to help raise money for the Tri-Community Food Bank. Once again, the unit members supplied an abundance of dishes for the brunch, all delicious. The unit donated $2,670. Thanks again to Chris and Mike for hosting the brunch.
Unit 16
Carolyn and Keith McLean
SaddleBrooke One Unit 16 residents met on Sunday, May 20 in the Agave lounge to welcome their new neighbors, Bill and Patti Homer, who just moved to SaddleBrooke from the Las Vegas area. Unfortunately, some of our winter residents had already returned to their summer homes but we’ll welcome them back in the fall with our potluck street party with music and dancing in the street. And the unit social reps are busy with more fun plans in the future. Until then, we’ll continue with our usual third Sunday gatherings with our neighbors and encourage them to bring their guests, too.
Midge Mollenkopf is being honored with a song by the Pueblo High School Mariachi Band. The Mollenkopfs are strong supporters of the band. Money raised goes into a scholarship fund for band members and to help defray operating expenses.
Unit 21
Jim Hagedon
May 6 brought the first 100-degree day of the year to SaddleBrook, but to 75 Unit 21 folks, it didn’t seem to matter. They gathered to hear awesome Mariachi music and enjoy good food and friendship.
In what has become a Unit 21 tradition, attendees were treated to another outstanding performance by Pueblo High School’s Mariachi Band, lots of good Hispanic food provided by Chuy’s Mesquite Grill and plenty of time to chat with old friends and new.
All of this took place on the back patio and yard of Al and Midge Mollenkopf’s home on Desert Sun Drive. Once again they graciously provided a great venue for the evening.
Event Co-Chair Sue Hagedon said that she was concerned about the heat as the weekend approached. “We were worried about the folks in the band with their dark-colored uniforms, but it turned out that as the sun set, the temperature cooled, and we had a delightful evening.”
Sue also wanted to make sure all of the Unit 21 volunteers who turned out to help make the evening a success were recognized for their contributions. “We had groups of volunteers for setup, food service and cleanup,” she added. “Without their help, the evening would not have been possible!”
Why not have the event on Cinco de Mayo? The band is recognized for their talent throughout the greater Tucson area and they were totally booked on May 5. Without the band, there would not have been a party!
Jim Hagedon
Around these parts, when Unit 21 friends gather, it’s not unusual to hear someone comment, “We only see our neighbors when we go to the mailbox.” Many of us are as busy or busier than we were before we retired.
So, several of the Unit’s residents decided do something about that! They came up with an afternoon backyard patio event that has become known as “Friendly Fridays,” It works like this: A “Fridays” coordinator, currently Karen Pachis, works with a volunteer host home to pick a suitable date for the event. Then, the word goes out via the Unit’s email distribution. Karen says she has hosts lined up for the next couple of months but is always looking for more volunteers to host future gatherings.
Only the date, time and street of the get-together are published. It’s up to the attendees to find the house! Thanks to the skills of the Unit’s resident artist, John Hanna, the search is made easier by a large sign he created. The sign is placed in the yard of the host home. Everyone brings a snack and a beverage of their choice. Folks just show up!
The most recent event was held at the home of Dick Snyder and Barbara Sprouls on Desert Sun Drive in May. According to Dick, around 30 to 35 people attended. There is a “Friendly Friday” gathering planned for June, but the date and time will not be announced until later.
Unit 30
Joyce Sutay
Green tea, black tea, white tea and MATCHA tea? Who knew?
A dozen ladies of Unit 30 absorbed more than they could possibly imagine with their latest trek; this time to “Tea on the Town” in Marana.
Combined with a variety of teas, tea facts and etiquette, the gals were delighted to sample an array of delicious scones, finger sandwiches and desserts.
The vote was in. They would definitely do it again!
Unit 48
Madelaine Salas
Sally Nadeau and Karen Brooks, two of the dedicated Social Committee Members of Unit 48, hosted a Springtime Meet Your Neighbor Brunch for the unit at the Activity Center in SaddleBrooke One on Sunday, May 6. A bounty of wonderful brunch potluck dishes was produced by our residents – breakfast casseroles, quiches, ham, sausage, salads of all kinds and wonderful pastries including the to-die-for monkey bread baked by Terry Hechter. Apparently nobody left hungry, judging by all the empty serving dishes left on the buffet table. How did Unit 48 end up with all these great cooks and bakers? The spring décor of pastel tablecloths and tulip centerpieces added to the festive occasion as did the champagne and mimosas, of course. The 50/50 raffle was won by lucky Judi Stroup who was heard to remark that in 11 years, this was only the second raffle she has won. Let this be the start of a brand new winning streak, Judi! The unit also took the opportunity to welcome a new neighbor, Diane Foster, to our neighborhood. Many, many thanks go to the hard-working organizers, shoppers and volunteers for this fun event.
Life is great in 48!