Wednesday, March 28th, Morning Meeting News

Sundae Sunday will be held on the 1st of April.


Easter Sunday Dinner will be held at 2 PM in Friendship Hall.  Cost is $1 toward the hams.  Otherwise, the dinner will be a potluck.  Signs will be posted.  

The Media Center will be installed tomorrow!

A new 20 quart Mixer has been purchased for the kitchen.


FINALS FOR THE SEASON:

• Final Wednesday night Bingo is tonight and Saturday Bingo is done.
• Church Services are done here at Winter Ranch.  Trophy Gardens will have services on April 1st, Thursday at 6 PM and Easter Sunday.  

Activity Directors, JD and Lynn, are looking for new activities for next season.  If you have one, let them know.  A couple of things they are thinking about are:

• Serving a lunch on Mondays (hot dogs, hamburgers, maybe brats)

• Serving soup for Thursday lunch.

Cathy again reminded us that when we leave we need to leave some labels so that our mail can be forwarded.  You would not believe the amount of mail that comes in after we leave and needs to be forwarded.  You can get labels for this if you need them through the Computer Group.  Just let the Business Office know that you need them and they can give them to the Mail Room.  There is a small fee for the labels.
Cathy also reminded us to put away all our yard ornaments, hoses and other things.  Those things make maintenance more difficult and they can become missiles during high winds.  

If you are having mowing or yard work done during the summer, please let the office know what you are having done and who is doing it.  That way if problems crop up, the office will be able to help you with it.

The only yard watering allowed in the summer are those that are on auto timers.

Cathy again thanked everyone for a good season!

As we are leaving and find that we have too much to take home, we can drop off non-perishable food items, clothing or things that you think someone might need in the Small Hall.  These will be donated through the Good Samaritan project.  The last day to put them in the box is March 26th.  After that you will have to deliver them yourselves.


BLOG ADMINISTRATOR INFO:

I've added a new page called Who's Who at Winter Ranch - Contact list on the right side under Current Info. If you can fill in a blank, let me know and if I have forgotten something, please fill me in so that the list can be complete for next season.  Also, if you recognize someone in one of the pictures on this blog (not large group pics), let me know who they are so I can put them in.  I've tried hard to figure out who everyone is but I've missed some.  You can send an e-mail to blogwinterranch@yahoo.com


Thanks
Mary

Wednesday, March 21, Morning News

We went from 785 to 658 residents in the park this week.  127 People left since last week.   Cathy again reminded us that when we leave we need to leave some labels so that our mail can be forwarded.  You would not believe the amount of mail that comes in after we leave and needs to be forwarded.  You can get labels for this if you need them through the Computer Group.  Just let the Business Office know that you need them and they can give them to the Mail Room.  There is a small fee for the labels.

Cathy also reminded us to put away all our yard ornaments, hoses and other things.  Those things make maintenance more difficult and they can become missiles during high winds.  

If you are having mowing or yard work done during the summer, please let the office know what you are having done and who is doing it.  That way if problems crop up, the office will be able to help you with it.

The only yard watering allowed in the summer are those that are on auto timers.

Cathy again thanked everyone for a good season!

Sundae Sunday will be held on the 1st of April.


Easter Sunday Dinner will be held at 2 PM in Friendship Hall.  Cost is $1 toward the hams.  Otherwise, the dinner will be a potluck.  Signs will be posted.  

The Media Center is a go.  Take a look at the nice cabinet next to the stage.  It was built and donated by the Woodshop.   Hopefully, this Friday will be the final meeting and the plans will be finalized.


Winter Ranch Resident Appreciation Day will be held on March 24th from 6-8 PM.  Razz Ma Tazz will perform and then we'll have ice cream afterwards.  JD encouraged us all to attend this free appreciation event.  No tickets needed.

There are still tickets left and room on the bus for the McAllen Symphonic Band on March 27th.  You can buy your tickets in the Business Office.  Then sign up for the bus in the Activities Office.  The bus will leave at 6:30 PM.


The Pet parade was fun last week.  Many thanks to Mary Hardesty for organizing the event and for all the free pet treats and sample pet foods.


Doc Gaskin thanked all the 1st Responders for their help.  He said he would not be alive today if it wasn't for them.  He presented a check to Rita Huether for the 1st Responders.

Lynn and JD thanked all the volunteers for their help during the year.  JD thanked Gordon Glock for rebuilding the chair racks in Activity Room #3 and in Friendship Hall.  Lynn thanked Lee and I (Mary) for our work on this blog and said that it would be updated during the summer so to stay in touch. 


Speaking of volunteers:  JD needs people on Saturday to set up chairs in Friendship Hall.  

Also, Volunteers are needed to help take down the decorations in Friendship Hall. That will be done this Friday.  Contact Nora Minor to help out. 

FINALS FOR THE SEASON:

• Final outing for Peter Piper Pizza is today.  
• The last breakfast was held last week. 
• Last social hour was last week with Wild Side.  We had a nice turnout for the event. 
• The last church service is this Sunday.
• The last Bees Game is on Sunday, the 25th.  There are still tickets left in the Activities Office.  The bus will leave at 6 PM.
• Renaissance Rockers will be here on Friday night for the last dance of the season. 
  

As we are leaving and find that we have too much to take home, we can drop off non-perishable food items, clothing or things that you think someone might need in the Small Hall.  These will be donated through the Good Samaritan project.  The last day to put them in the box is March 26th.  After that you will have to deliver them yourselves.



BLOG ADMINISTRATOR INFO:

I've added a new page called Who's Who at Winter Ranch - Contact list on the right side under Current Info. If you can fill in a blank, let me know and if I have forgotten something, please fill me in so that the list can be complete for next season.  Send an e-mail to blogwinterranch@yahoo.com

Thanks
Mary

Ladies' Luncheon & Style Show

The last Ladies' Luncheon of the season was held on March 15th.  Chicken Portafino was on the menu and a Style Show was held following the meal.

Before we go any further with the day, we need to thank all the ladies who planned, baked, made decorations or otherwise helped make the ladies luncheons so much fun for the rest of us!

LADIES LUNCHEON COMMITTEE

Chairwoman	Carolyn Sommers
Co-Chair	Kathy Loerch
Entertainment Committee Lead	Nora Minor
Entertainment Committee	Bonita Baughman
Entertainment Committee	Brenda Granger
Dessert Committee, Lead	Charlene Leach
Dessert Committee	Joyce Brandt
Dessert Committee	Arah Carlson
Dessert Committee	Ruth Darlene Hiniker
Dessert Committee	Lois Short
Dessert Committee	Mary Stanck
Dessert Committee	Elaine Stanck
Decorating Committee Lead	LaVina Eickoff
Decorating Committee	Delores Bergstrom
Decorating Committee	Shirley Birlingmair
Decorating Committee	Lynn Bowers
Decorating Committee	Ruth Crayne
Decorating Committee	Janet Galligan
Decorating Committee	Marge Grady
Decorating Committee	Gloria Herman
Decorating Committee	Shirley Hinze
Decorating Committee	Sharon Mammosser
Decorating Committee	Gail McCraft
Decorating Committee	Dorothy Powers
Decorating Committee	Shirley Rinck
Decorating Committee	Marianne Stout
Decorating Committee	Karen Timko
Table Set-up Lead	Mary Hardesty
Table Set-up	Ruth King
Table Set-up	Janet Kirkman
Table Set-up	Diana Mollerus
Table Set-up	Karen Overholser
Table Set-up	Elaine Stanck
Table Set-up	Norene Waugh
Ticket Sales Lead	Carol Allor
Ticket Sales	Jeannnie Helmer

Thanks soooo much, ladies!

Thanks also to all the lovely ladies who modeled for us today!

I snapped some shots of ladies getting ready to eat:

Paula Sheridan, Sally Batterson

Carole Carmack

Sharon Wagner, Miriam Hight and Mary Hazlett

Shirley Hinze, xx, Marge Grady and LaVina Eickoff

Mary Stanek, Arah Carlson, Elinor Kroll and Janet Wilson

Joyce Brandt, Elaine Stanek, Mary Stanek, and Arah Carolson

Elaine Stanek helping Joyce Brandt show off her cast

Maggie Olson and Bonnie Langfield

Arlene Bailey, Imogene Duran and Norma Richardson

Kathy Loerch and Carolyn Sommers drawing names for prizes

Lunch is served - Chicken Portafino, white rice, mixed vegetables and a salad

Rep from Bee's in McAllen

Marsha Bender

Margaret Herring

Carolyn Sommers

Ana Lindstrom

Rep from Lionel's Western Wear in Downtown Weslaco

Pat Ress

Edna Odendahl

Kathy Loerch

Sue Hundly

Rep From Well's Ladies and Children's Fashions in Weslaco

Kathy Doddridge

Betsy Oestreicher

Sue Henderson

Bonita Baughman

Judy Ansguires

Marsha Bender

Margaret Herring

Carolyn Sommers

Ana Lindstrom

Kathy Doddridge

Betsy Oestreicher

Pat Ress

Sue Hundley

Kathy Loerch

Edna Odendahl

Nona Chapin

Kathy Loerch, Edna Odendahl and Nona Chapin

Bonita Baughman

Judy Ansguires

Kathy Dodddridge

Great Shoes!

Betsy Oestreicher

xx, winner of the Grand Prize, and Pearl White

Wrangler - March/April 2012

 

Vol. 1, Edition March/April 2012 5

Well, folks, here we are – the end of another “season” at Winter Ranch, our home away from home. Even though things are winding down, there is still plenty of activity in the park.

TALENT/VARIETY SHOW on March 4th was a hoot. My knees shake and my voice quivers if I have to speak in front of a half dozen people, so I have nothing but admiration for anyone who is willing to stand in front of hundreds of people and do anything. I think the synchronized swimmers were the big hit of the night. I didn't get pictures of the show, so I tried to “borrow” some from the blog. Unfortunately, none of them would save and I don't know why. I'll be taking Lee Benfield's photo-editing class next season. Hopefully my pictures will be better; if not, I will at least know why! Anyway, check out the blog for pictures from the talent show. 

ALAMO PARADE pictures did transfer from the blog, so 'splain that to me, hey? Give the parade volunteers a big hand, because they won two trophies for Winter Ranch – first in the senior division and first for overall. Here are those who worked on the floats and/or were in the parade.

 

Above pictures all stolen from the Activities Blog. You can check them out there and get them all identified. Great job, gang! 

These pictures are all from SHOW AND SHARE day last Sunday. Look at the absolutely creative juices flowing in this park!

Beginner? Are you kidding me? Arlene Krebs says she is a beginner. Hard to believe.

 Swedish weaving, crocheting, painting, ceramics. I'd love to try some of this, but it interferes with pickleball. Besides, I'm sure I wouldn't have the patience for it.

 

Needlepoint? My Mom used to do this, before her eyes gave out. Glass bottle decorating. 

Hardanger – I didn't even know what that was! Jerry Blanc made this beautiful table for Diana Mollerus in memory of Leonard Grote, who passed away this past summer. Made from wood that Leonard planned to bring down from his property in Missouri.

 

Mary Hardesty teaches making jewelry out of beads. More Hardanger. 

 

 

Oil painting? Watercolors? Beats me, but it's gorgeous. You MUST see it all in color to appreciate it.

Stained glass. I did try this – I'm sure it's one of Pat Bishop's biggest fears – that I'll be back! 

 

 

Dave Langfield is a man of many talents – he did the eagle in stained glass, and I think I also saw him in the woodworking division. 

 

 

Be forewarned, Pat, I want to make a stepping stone next season. Pat has the patience of a saint! And I am enough to try the patience of a saint. Just ask Jack.

 

Yup, here's Dave Langfield again. 

 

 

Arlene Krebs and Linda Thomas at watercolors.

 

 

 Shirley Birlingmair holding quilt made of hubby Gene's old t-shirts. What a neat idea. We lost Gene this past summer too, along with too many other residents. Sure hope we have a healthier summer this year.

 

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL March 15^th. Picture-taking is not allowed in the arena. If you were lucky enough to get tickets for this show, you know how spectacular it was. The colors, costumes, music and acrobatic feats were all breathtaking, plus we had great seats! Thanks to JD & Lynn for arranging this for us.

Each year a different show is presented, so even if you have seen Cirque du Soleil before, the odds are great that it will be a new show. I thought this year's show was even better than last year's. It was well worth the cost of attending. 

PET PARADE on March 16^th was fun. This little guy on the left actually stopped and posed for me.

 

And not all pets are dogs. This beautiful Siamese cat wanted to mingle with the dogs in the worst way!

 

Here's Diana and Rita with their “babies”. 

 

 

Mary H. with Shamus.

BILLARDS YEAR END RESULTS

The season has ended for the pool players too. Above on left is the season's 9 ball singles champion, Bob Wilson. On the right is Don Granger, 8 ball singles champion. Below are Norm Winner and Bob Wilson, 8 ball doubles champions. Congratulations. Sometimes it isn't such a bad thing to spend all your time in a pool hall.

 

But it's only raining a tiny bit.

REMINDERS

ADDRESS LABELS are a huge help in the mail room for forwarding your mail to you after you leave. Most of us have tons of those freebies we get in the mail from outfits looking for donations. Either leave some of those, or have the computer class make some up for you at a minimal cost. Ask in the office if you are interested.

APPRECIATION DAY is March 24. JD & Lynn wanted to give the volunteers a break, so there won't be a meal this year. Instead Razz ma Tazz will be performing at 6 p.m.

LAST SOCIAL HOUR March 20^th at 3:30.

BE SURE to tie down or put away anything in your yard that can blow away. Anything left laying around can cause damage if there are tornadoes and/or hurricanes this summer, and with this weird weather we are having, I'm sure there will be.

I hope you have enjoyed our newsletter attempts this year. We are open to suggestions as to what you think should be included. Email me at mcleff@hotmail.com with your ideas.

I saw seven rigs leaving this morning before 10 a.m. Guess it's that time of year again. As our fearless leader Cathy says – be kind, be safe, and we'll see you next fall. Try to stay healthy – I'm going broke sending out get well and sympathy cards!