SaddleBrooke One Unit 2 Ladies’ Luncheon
Debbie Flato, Unit 2 Social Chairperson
On Nov. 12, 24 women from Unit 2, along with two out-of-town guests, enjoyed a delicious lunch at Scordato’s on River Road. Some of the attendees had never been there before and were delighted to discover a new restaurant. I overheard a number of them planning to return there with their spouses. Many ladies went home with boxed leftovers, as the portions were quite generous.
After a year of little Unit 2 activity due to COVID, it was pleasant to gather to see our neighbors, including one who just recently moved to SaddleBrooke.
Somehow, in conversation, we discovered that one of our residents does rock painting using a dotting method. After sharing photos of some of her work, it was decided that we would schedule a rock painting class in December.
We are all looking forward to future Unit 2 get-togethers, whether resuming our patio parties or trying something else new.
Elena and Marty, Prudy, Johanna, Mary Ellen, Debbie, Louise, Carolyn, and Keith the duffer doing their best pose.
Unit 16’s Dancin’ in the Halloween Street Party
Carolyn McLean
Seventy-five neighbors from Unit 16 came to party and dance in the street to the hoppin’ music of our favorite band, Wild Ride. Mother Nature blessed us with a perfect, sunny day, and having it fall on Halloween made it even more fun. We had to cancel all our social activities last year due to the pandemic, but being out in the fresh air, we weren’t about to miss this. The one thing we decided not to do was to have our wonderful potluck dinner, and instead, everyone brought their own food and beverages. Once again, Joyce Garcia graciously opened her garage and set up chairs so some could sit in the shade, but we hope to bring back the potluck tradition again next year.
The costumes were warm at times, but fun, and they added to the festivities as we danced for three hours to the music we all remember the words to. Of course, we had to shout out, “Where’s the salt?” to Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville,” do some fancy steps to the “Electric Slide,” and even have a slow dance to cool us off. There was something for everyone, and that is why we love having Wild Ride. Sometimes I think they had fun watching the nun, the witch, the duffer, and other ghouls trying to “bust a move” on asphalt.
During a short break, we welcomed back our winter neighbors, introduced some of our new neighbors who are already here, and announced those who are soon to arrive. Leaving their winters behind, they came from as far away as Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, and California, and three couples escaped Vancouver, Wash., and we’re so happy to have them join us.
So, once again, we proved that you can’t keep Unit 16 neighbors in their chairs for long, with more fun activities to plan as we celebrate the upcoming holiday season.
Unit 17 residents gather over a fabulous potluck to celebrate a spooktacular Halloween.
Unit 17 Has a Spooktacular Halloween Celebration
Barbara Barr
The annual Unit 17 Halloween celebration was held at the Activity Center on Oct. 29. Residents enjoyed gathering in friendship to sample the incredible potluck and competing for costume prizes. There were so many incredible costumes that it was really hard for residents to select the winners in a variety of categories!
Our next event is a fabulous Christmas dinner at the RoadRunner Grill on Monday, Dec. 13, at 5:30 p.m. Manny Herrera will be performing and playing all our favorite music.
Good Times in Unit 29
Debbie McGeehan
It just keeps getting better! We are a small unit, but we know how to have a good time. Thanks to Sandy Seppala and Gayl Van Natter, who were the co-chairs for our memorable Halloween celebration.
The fun started at 5:30 p.m. on the tennis patio. Beautiful decorations, with colored tablecloths topped with lights and candles, were supplied by Sandy Seppala. She even brought a fireplace from her house to complete the Halloween theme. Two heaters were brought by Jim and Marcia Kovac, which made the patio extra cozy. Gayl Van Natter made cute, pumpkin-themed name tags and had lanyards for easy display around our necks.
We had a turnout of almost 50 people, some dressed in awesome costumes! Our wonderful and dedicated unit rep, Brooke McIntyre, made her appearance as a football player, helmet and all! We had a sailor, witches, a scarecrow, hippies, and cowboys and even Hugh Hefner and a Playboy Bunny! The food was delicious, with the main component being brats and hot dogs cooked at home by Jim and Sandy Seppala. Everyone brought a side dish, such as potato salad, beans, broccoli salad, sauerkraut, and other sides. This food was washed down with a keg of beer brought by Jack McIntyre and his son, Greg. All of this followed with desserts, such as brownies, cheesecake, and some caramel popcorn.
Manny Herrera was our singer/entertainer for the night. He sang all kinds of songs and even Halloween songs, which had everyone dancing.
Positive comments were received from our unit, such as “best party ever for Unit 29!” Mark your calendars for our holiday Christmas party at the MountainView Ballroom on Monday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. DJ Warren will be our entertainer, so be ready to boogie!
(Photo by Donna Stewart)
Unit 24 Halloween Block Party
Jan Arruda
Oct. 31 was a day of celebration in Unit 24. The weather was SaddleBrooke-beautiful. Our snowbirds have come home, and we had 20 new neighbors to welcome into the unit.
So, what did we do? We had our annual Halloween Block Party. With over 90 residents in attendance, this was the largest event most of us had been a part of in almost two years. Scores were dressed in costumes. We had famous guests such as John Slaughter (sheriff of Cochise County in 1886), convicts from Money Heist, Minions, Mrs. Cabernet, Janis Joplin (yes, she was singing for her Mercedes), clowns, cowboys, and our own personal cleaning lady, who does toilets and windows, in attendance.
When we weren’t busy catching up with everyone, we were filling our plates. It would not be a party without tasty food. There was fried chicken, potatoes, and every type of salad and appetizer imaginable. Then there were the desserts!
An event this large is a lot of work to prepare for, to set up, and take down. A special thank you to all the volunteers who made this event a success.
Happy to sit down at Scordato’s after their car was rear-ended. (Photo by Ron Talbot)
Unit 27 Activities
Sue Case
Oct. 26 is a date that Fira Stout will remember for a long time. That was the day she and her two passengers, Marge Leathem and Kathy Plum, were rear-ended on their way to the Dine Around at Scordato’s Pizza that she had arranged for Unit 27. The accident occurred right in front of the restaurant, and all the Unit 27 residents who attended the event saw Fira standing beside her undriveable car talking to the responding police officer. Although Fira had to leave her car in the parking lot, she, Marge, and Kathy were able to walk to the restaurant and join their neighbors for a deservedly relaxing evening. When the party was over, the three women were able to hitch rides with some of the other attendees. What a night!
After a couple of false starts when potential hosts had to cancel due to storm cleanup and travel issues, Lynda and Joe Dolejs stepped in to host the October Snack and Chat on Oct. 30. The date gave them a perfect theme, and many attendees came in costume and brought Halloween-decorated cookies and other colorful food offerings. The weather that night was perfect for an outdoor gathering, and many of the attendees took advantage of the opportunity, gathering both inside and out. Thank you, Lynda and Joe!
Karen and Don Erickson hosted the November Snack and Chat on Nov. 20. No matter the weather, which was cool and dark, the Ericksons’ huge patio is equipped with built-in counters and heaters that seem to invite folks to the outside. Of course, that didn’t stop the sports lovers from eating in front of the TV while they watched college football.
The holiday season is upon us. Be safe, be well.