ARONOS CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY.

Talented kids and Christmas Cheer was the fare at the Sonora Aronos Club Christmas party. I, a stranger, was met with a gathering of friendly faces, ballroom dancing, food and music by Summerville High School's Jazz @ 8 under the direction of Jim Wells, music teacher.

At every table, people were eating or had finished eating and were enjoying conversation with friends. Eden and Barbara Ligsay made me feel right at home and described their Ballroom Dancing Club: "We're just like a family."  It reminded me of the familial spirit of square dancing clubs I've belonged to-before my husband died.

One of the first things I looked for, "Is it a wooden floor?"  It was. Dancers all know a wooden floor is the best for dancing. The group is composed of all ages.

The tree is a treat since I have no room for one in my house. I'm glad to enjoy someone else's.

Before the music started, I met Ashley, a bright, smart 15 year old member of Jazz@ 8 Choir. I was seated next to her mother.

Most of the kids were chowing down before they began the entertainment.

Ashley and her mother introduced me to Adam, The Elf. He is a student friend and supporter. He doesn't sing with the choir.

There is something special about potlucks and home-made Christmas desserts. Everyone likes to bring what they do best. Yum.

It was time for Jazz 8 to strut their stuff. Five sopranos, four altos...
...and six base singers.

Director Jim Wells, a smidge of his back to the camera on the right, is very laid back and humorous. Most of the music is cappella. They are a swing "band" when they have recorded music to accompany them. The group performed some very interesting variations on Christmas Carols, roundelays and mixed medleys. And, a Johann Sebastian Bach number that Old Johann would not recognize.

While many dancers got up and enjoyed dancing to the music,

,

,

...an equal number just sat an enjoyed the entertainment.

They sang a Penataonix arrangement of Mary Did You Know. I've heard it done as a solo and it gives me the chills of emotion every time I hear it.

The listeners enjoyed the program as much as the dancers, Ashley's mom and me. My favorite tune was a Michael Jackson number called the Smooth Criminal, oh my, just before Christmas?

As for the Aronos Club, I saw one in San Francisco years ago and I knew it was a Women's Club. But there was no history on either the Sonora or San Francisco Club on-line that I could find. I just remembered that the San Francisco Club only allowed women. If anyone knows the history of these Women's Clubs, let me know. I'm curious. At the time I thought it was like a boarding house of rescue for women destitutes or maybe prostitutes.

LIVERMORE VETERANS FACILITY.

Driving through Livermore yesterday, down First St., I spotted what I thought was an evergreen in bloom. It took a second to realize this evergreen is festooned with yellow ribbons. The significance, I’m guessing, is a welcoming home of returning veterans. Amazing, isn’t it?  That a simple song about welcoming home a wayward lover has spread across America and brings a warm, fuzzy feeling every time you see this in communities all over the U.S.- to know that someone is welcoming someone home.


A huge veterans medical facility is located on Arroyo Rd. A beautiful drive past Concannon, Wente and other vineyards.  This lovely old Mission Adobe style building serves a lot of people. It was a hospital at one time, but now nothing but minor emergency surgeries are done here.


The facade tells me the building was built in 1947. It is still in great shape unlike our abandoned mental facilities that were closed during Reagan’s presidency in the belief that drugs would control mental problems. It hurts to see crumbling old buildings serve no purpose, so this one was a joyful chorus.


Jim was given a very comprehensive eye examination by Doctor Pineda.


She checked and measured and photographed, then rechecked every aspect of his eye health. Pressure in his eye is caused by a cataract and not from glaucoma.  A second cataract is building on his left eye. He will need surgery.


Conclusive evidence by a very competent and efficient doctor who will now pass that information along to a surgeon who works out of their Palo Alto facility.  We now know it will take about 6 months before they can fit him in the schedule at Palo Alto. We expect his surgery will be done sometime in October.
We ate East Indian food at the Clay Pot on First St. in Livermore.  It has been so many years since I’ve driven through town I barely recognized the place for the beautiful upgrades, nice restaurants and upscale small businesses.

I wanted to show Jim the oldest light bulb in the United States, perhaps the world, but I could no longer spot where the old City Hall was? I saw it when I was 17 years old, and I know the light bulb was still burning after 100 years and I wondered if it was still so? I went on-line, and found the whole story.
 Check it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light

IRISH DAYS IN MURPHYS.

When Main St. Murphys sports a shamrock and the yellow line turns green, (magically, doncha know), it is nearing St. Patrick’s Day.

Leprechauns dancing in the street with fairies, mind you. You’ve never seen anything like it.

In a heavy Irish brogue this tall fellow told me my picture wouldn’t turn out because you cannot photograph leprechauns. I think that was the old photo development style. He doesn’t know about digital. Aha! The joke is on him.

They come in all shapes and sizes and it is the only time of year you can catch a glimpse of the wiley creatures.

The street was jammed with thousands of people. Judging from the cars parked and the loaded shuttle buses that ferried people from Kautz Winery, where there is ample parking.  I’d guesstimate 15,000 people came to visit.

The bagpiper band marched and played their special kind of music.

I know of The Daughters of The American Revolution. I didn’t know there was a Sons Of the American Revolution. In each case, they are people who are direct descendants of men and women who served in the American Revolutionary War. They have to be able to give proof to join.

Kids love a parade.

And what would a parade be without them.

I’m not sure how dogs feel about a parade. But there were plenty of them and they don’t seem to mind. Many people bring their dogs with them when they travel. Years ago, dogs would snap and tangle and challenge. Now, they are so socialized, I didn’t hear a-one bark or snap or seem uncomfortable. The Humane Society has done a marvelous job of training people how to handle animals, and temporizing their more aggressive behaviors.

A group of skaters surprised me by executing dance steps and interesting moves in a community where sidewalks are not all that common.

Here you are more likely to see horses and they are nice to see close up for people who don’t often get the chance. The kids love them. This young lady won Rodeo queen, a position she holds for a year.

Of course, you don’t have to be queen of anything to enter yourself and your horse in the parade.

Miss Calaveras and her princesses hung out the windows of a fire truck, which was unique.

The food choices on the street grab you with their smells. Kettlecorn, and sausages get the juices rumbling but we ended up having corned beef sandwiches at the Native Sons of the Golden West, another great organization in town. It was so crowded I couldn’t get near the Irish Soda Bread from St. Patricks Catholic Church Ladies Guild. It is wonderful.

I always meet people I know at the Hall and I like to support them. The sandwiches were delicious, along with potato salad, a pickle and real horseradish to clear the sinuses.
I took a lot of pictures if you are interested, double click on the picture and you can view a slideshow. (And please ignore that I misspelled Irish and Murphys when I uploaded my file.)

2014-3-15-IrshDaysMurphsy

COWBOY JACK JOHNSON

Thousand Trails has so many forms of exercise to participate in, I think there may be a conspiracy to keep us fit. Water aerobics, water volley ball, zumba and yesterday, I tried Walking Off Pounds. The idea is to walk in place, do some leg kicks and change directions in a twist and arm movements and strethes as the tempo gradually increases. Definitely a cardio workout, no rests, no stops, just constant motion. You walk the equivalent of two miles at a fast clip, in place. I liked it. I found it easier on my joints than walking with the speed walkers outside. The instructor, Leslie Sansone, I believe is her name has videos on-line. Worth doing.

Saturday night entertainment, from 7:00 to 9:00 is Cowboy Jack. We just saw him in the Indio Playhouse impersonating Hank Williams, which was a good show. But, Jack, by himself, even without his band, is excellent.

He does Johnny Cash, Waylen Jennings, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Credence Clearwater and others. He is entertaining. Each time I hear him, I learn a bit more about the man. He announced that on Valentines Day, he and his wife Peggy celebrated 34 years of marriage. He has made a living as a musician almost all of his life. He's done the Opry, Vegas and all over the US plus, he has played in Australia, Ireland, and Austria. I expect that list is incomplete, he just mentioned those venues during his patter.

He was an army brat and lived all over the place, but he lives in Vista, California, near the beach, his roots by choice. He met his wife on that beach while he was playing Peggy Dee, a Bob Dylan number. He noticed this woman watching and listening to him and when the song was over, she said, "I'm a Peggy, too."  They were married seven months later. He wrote a song about her and played it for us.  I have to thank Thousand Trails for having Cowboy Jack on their entertainment list. If you get a chance...go for it.
I started a new painting; palm trees the obvious choice, but with only one brush, a half-inch wide, details can be very limited. New brushes soon!

RESORT LIVING WITH THOUSAND TRAILS.

In real estate they say location, location, location. We are fortunate to have a place like this in Palm Desert to enjoy. The sunrise yesterday was stellar. The palm trees were once a producing orchard for medjool dates.


We did some speed walking, about 40 minutes around the park. I was in the pool by 9:30 for a short swim, then 10 minutes in the hot tub. Ahhh!  I like traveling about, and boondocking, but spending time in a resort IS an enjoyable alternative.  Great beauty makes it that much more pleasant. At 2:00 I went line dancing in the recreation hall.  It was fun and not too difficult for a newbie to catch on.


For happy hour we visited with
Jan and Larry Seaberg at their permanent site. They spend winters here. We notice the parks are switching to more permanent sites and the "camping parks" as we know them are in many places phasing out.


Larry, Jan, and Jim got acquainted when they lived in Washington State about 30 years ago.


Lacy likes to socialize. She walks with everyone in the morning so the kennel isn't as confining as it might seem.


We walked back to our site under gray skies. Two jets seemed to be playing cross-hatch.