Unit 24 golf cart parade winner (Photo submitted by George Bennett and Dwayne & Jane Nelson)
Unit 24 Independence Day Parade
Jan Arruda
Everyone loves a parade!
On July 4, Unit 24 celebrated our country’s birthday with a golf cart parade.
There were 15 lavishly decorated carts led by Pat Arruda on his Harley. Patriotic parade music was playing as we went through the neighborhood. It was a wonderful opportunity to see friends and neighbors while keeping a safe social distance. Parade participants handed out flags to those who were not part of the parade, as they cheered and waved us on while we went by. Gloria Krom won the Best Decorated Golf Cart award. We all agreed that this should become an annual tradition in Unit 24!
A few of the neighbors that dropped by to wish Phil Doyle a happy birthday (Photo submitted by Anne Doyle)
Unit 27 Activities
Sue Case
There are some rumblings in the unit; and actual people have been sighted distancing socially. Unit 27 Social Chair Ron Talbot emailed the unit to announce that Phil Doyle would be celebrating his birthday on July 8 and that Phil and his wife, Anne, were inviting unit residents to drive by in their golf carts on that date and wish Phil a happy birthday. Quite a few of the neighbors took them up on that invitation and were greeted not only by Phil, but by cupcakes as well as prosecco poured by Anne. It was a perfect opportunity to be sprung, however briefly, from our respective homes.
Anne provided a little background on the genesis of the birthday celebration. 2020 is the first year that they have not spent the summer in Connecticut, and the first year that they had not been able to plan anything memorable for Phil’s birthday. Someone in the unit suggested the drive-by greeting, and a plan was set in motion. Anne was impressed that everyone practiced social distancing and wore a mask, even outdoors!
While not quite as visible as enjoying a street party, other unit residents have reported some activities. Tammy Swanson, who with husband Byron moved here on February 4 from La Quinta, Calif., has not only done a lot of reading, but also has made at least one trip to Tubac, with an anticipated trip to Organ Pipe National Monument. She is interested in starting or joining a “walk and talk” group, and would love to hear from anyone else that might be interested. She also loves games and would like to hear from any of the neighbors who also share that interest.
Eileen Depka is making masks as a way to learn the ins and outs of her new sewing machine. She created a design for the masks and takes orders from family members for their choice of embroidered patches, which she appliques onto matching mask fabric.
Anne Grant reports that her husband, Nelson Rodrigues, has been helping folks remotely with photography issues and, I assume, continues to do some of his own great photography. Anne has been doing more gardening, as well as cooking, organizing the house, and swimming, as well as listening to audio books and occasionally binge-watching old TV shows. She also has been writing poetry; I hope that she will submit some of her works for publication.
Fira Stout reached out from the Detroit area, where she is staying for the summer in the “Mother’s Suite” of her daughter’s home, and where she has had occasion to remember how much she dislikes the high temperature-high humidity weather of the Midwest. Her activities have mostly been indoors: surfing the internet, watching TV, reading online books from the Pinal County Library, and taking naps!
Randi Roberts, who moved here in early April from Las Cruces, N.M., with her husband Tod, is getting back into tennis and says she really loves it here, despite the confusion of the pandemic. In the fall, she plans to get back into golf. Welcome Randi and Tod!
Everyone be well.