Santa's on his way!!
We grew from 516 to 554 residents in the
park this week.
Welcome home Winter Ranch residents!
INTRODUCING:
John Kristof and Lucy Freuburger
Lot 462
Lot 462
Dennis and Pam Horstman
Lot 327
John and Carol Barnes
Lot 480
Bob and Paula Hughes
Lot 646
Note: There is a new page under the
Current Info Section to the right that has pictures of all our new
residents for this season. We are going to try to get pictures as our new
people are introduced at the morning meeting but if they don't attend, we'll
have to get them later. We'll post them as soon as we can get their
picture and information!
Important Information:
Rio Propane –
Rio comes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays.
Entertainment
– You can start signing up for any of the shows that will be put on at Winter
Ranch now in the Activities Office.
Wednesday
Morning Meeting – The next Wednesday
meeting will be January 8th because of Christmas and New Year’s.
Mail: Please make sure that you let people know to
include your box number with your address so the mail room staff don’t have to
look up so many box numbers. We get hundreds of pieces of mail per day!
Golfers: We haven’t
been able to get any irrigation water so we are using City Water to water the
greens only. Please be patient and pray
for rain!
Our
Volunteers - JD asked that we not get in the face of any
of our volunteers. If there is something
you don’t like (like you didn’t get enough of something at the Chuck Wagon)
talk to JD or Lynn. We do not want to
upset our volunteers because we REALLY need them! In other words “Unless you are in their
shoes, don’t get in their face!”
The
Hall – Friendship Hall will be shut
down at noon on December 31st to set up for the New
Year’s Eve Party.
Library – If the Library doors are closed, don’t go in. We have meetings, bible study, Majong and
massages being given in that room. You
really don’t want to walk in on someone getting a massage and the other
meetings really don’t want to be disturbed!
Directory
Pictures – The second round of
Directory Pictures is beginning. Shirley
Snell will again be scheduling appointments for these pictures after the
Wednesday morning meetings and in the Small Hall. PLEASE DO NOT STOP AND KNOCK ON HER DOOR TO
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.
THANK YOUS:
Pat
and JoAnn Sullivan do a lot of
charitable work in the area and there was an article in the Winter Texan about
them last week. JoAnn teaches Line Dancing
at 10:00
AM after the morning
meetings and Trail Dancing at 11:00. The proceeds from these classes
go to support families in Mexico. Pat does a
lot of work building houses for the homeless in this area and building beds for
them. If you have any carpet that you
are getting rid of, contact Pat because he can use the materials!
Employee
Appreciation Envelopes – Thanks to
everyone who turned these in. We will
pass out the money at our Employee Lunch in the Big Hall at noon on Friday, December 20th. It is not too late to donate and our
employees really appreciate your generosity!
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| Line Dancing Class on December 18th, 2013 |
Stocking
Project – Barb DeGaramo thanked all
of you who contributed to the Stocking Project.
The goal of 300 stockings was accomplished this year. She stressed that this is a year-round
project and the knitters and crocheters are busy already working on next year
and their contribution of head bands, hats and mittens. If ever you see a great deal on any head
bands, hats or mittens. Go ahead and get
them and you can drop them off at Barb’s for next year! The stockings were given out last night at
the Christmas Posada!
Angel
Tree Project – Thanks to everyone
who contributed to this project. These
gifts will be taken over to ARISE in Little Mexico on South Tower Road for the children.
This year we will deliver over 225 gifts! This is a very needy area and anything is so appreciated! Patty Ellison and Diana Mollerus are the Coordinators.
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| Angel Tree Gifts on December 18th, 2013 |
The Good Samaritan Project - Sandy Tester gave a report last week on how the
moneys were dispersed for the project.
- Asalia Soto and her daughter, Ashley and Asalia and Arturo Araugo and their two sons and 1 grandson (our families this season) were given a Gift Certificate from HEB for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Each person in the family received a gift of clothing and other items totaling over $550.
- The Christmas Stocking Project was given $400 for items for the ARISE Christmas Posada distribution.
- $500 was donated to the Alamo Chamber of Commerce for their Toy Drive.
- Over $400 in food was donated to ARISE in South Alamo.
Thanks to
everyone who contributed to this wonderful outpouring ($1,850) of giving!
Blood Drive – Thanks to all of you who came out to donate
blood. The blood drive was a fabulous
success. We donated a total of 26.3
units of blood! This blood stays in the
Valley and supports 18 hospitals and four counties! We will put this on our calendar as an annual
event! Thanks to Rita Huether for
setting it up.
Recent Events:
Rita Huether led a wreath-making class on December 11th. To see more pictures of the event, see the Archives for December 11th.
 |
Ellen Hicks and Pat Mower |
ROUNDUP - A TASTE OF THE VALLEY
 |
| In the Tasting Line |
General News:
Special one month long (January) 50/50 to raise money for the Activity Fund: $2 a ticket or 6 tickets for $10. You need to purchase tickets in the Activity Office for this one. Stop in the office any time to purchase your tickets. Come once or come often as this is a money-raising event.
Tap Dancing Classes – Penny Vollrath is offering new Beginners Classes for Tap Dancing. The class will meet at 9 AM on Mondays in Activity Room No. 3 starting January 6th. Penny is an experienced teacher and has taught tap for many years. She would love to have some new students so just talk to her if you are interested or show up for class.
Social Dance Classes for couples are being offered beginning on Friday afternoons from 1 to 3 PM in Friendship Hall. The classes are taught by Steve and Gail Larner. They have been competition dancers. The charge is $5 per person per lesson which is REALLY reasonable. If you would like to join us, just come on over on Friday afternoon. We are learning the Country Two Step and the Rumba.
Massages – We are going to start offering massages at Winter Ranch. We have signed on a licened massage therapist, Jae Jang, LMT. He specializes in deep tissue, sports massage, Swedish massage, Therapeutic, Myofascial Release and Chair Massage. There is a signup sheet on the Bulletin Board. He will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 4 PM. His normal fee is $70 for a one hour body massage but he will be doing it for $35 at Winter Ranch. A Chair Massage will be $10 for 10 minutes, $20 for 15 minutes and $30 for 30 minutes.
Chamber Golf Tournament: February 22nd. $18 per person for a three person team. You can pick up your applications at the Visitor Center which is near the El Dorado Restaurant at 803 Main Street in Alamo.
Winter Texan Appreciation Dinner is February 26th. It is a free meal, however, you need to pick up your tickets at the Chamber – address above.
Texas Independence Day Parade
is on March 1st. at 11:00 AM and starts at HEB and ends at Central Park (in
front of El Dorado Restaurant). The theme this year is Circus.
Senior Olympics – Marcia Fabricius is the Coordinator. The brochures are in the Activities
Office. If you participate in an event and take pictures, please put some on a Flash
Drive and bring them to Mary or Lee Benfield
so we can include some in the Blog.
Event News:
New Year’s Dance - Tickets and reserved tables for the New Year’s Dance are available in the Activities Office. The reserved tables are going fast! 210 people have already reserved their seats.
Christmas Lighting Contest - Judging Ballots for each lot have been put in each mail box. Make sure you vote by December 20th. If JD and Lynn are not in the office, just you’re your ballot in their door slot. The winners will be announced at the Christmas Party on December 24th. Contestants remember to keep you lights on every night during the contest until at least 9 PM so your judges get to see them. We took some pictures of the lights for all the contestants. To see those look in the archives "Vote in the Christmas Lighting Contest" on December 17th ". We had a small glitch this season in that two of couples were not included on the list. Unfortunately, their names were not on the signup sheet in the hall. So, please look at the Blog Archives before you go out to look at lights!!
New Year’s Dance - Tickets and reserved tables for the New Year’s Dance are available in the Activities Office. The reserved tables are going fast! 210 people have already reserved their seats.
Christmas Lighting Contest - Judging Ballots for each lot have been put in each mail box. Make sure you vote by December 20th. If JD and Lynn are not in the office, just you’re your ballot in their door slot. The winners will be announced at the Christmas Party on December 24th. Contestants remember to keep you lights on every night during the contest until at least 9 PM so your judges get to see them. We took some pictures of the lights for all the contestants. To see those look in the archives "Vote in the Christmas Lighting Contest" on December 17th ". We had a small glitch this season in that two of couples were not included on the list. Unfortunately, their names were not on the signup sheet in the hall. So, please look at the Blog Archives before you go out to look at lights!!
Park Garage Sale – We will be having one garage sale that is open to the public this year. It will be held in Friendship Hall and is scheduled for January 24th from 8 AM until Noon.
Margarita Party (50's and 60's Costumes and Theme) - Tuesday, February 11th at 3 PM. Nachos, Chips and 2 Special Margaritas. This is a Pool Group Fundraiser. Advance Tickets are $7 each.
Trailer Trash Party - The Dance Team and the Karaoke folks invite you to a Trailer Trash Party! The Roundup on January 14th will be from 2PM to 5:30 PM to accommodate a costumed Trailer Trash Party with games, dancing, and entertainment. Find the trashy, redneck or poor taste that resides somewhere in all of us. This is a costume party and is free to anyone who dresses like Trailer Trash. Those that don't choose to dress down can pay $5 to join the fun. The money will go to the Activity Fund. BYOB in your favorite cooler and a tacky appetizer to share. Be creative – think pork rinds and fried opossum. If you bring something home-made and good to eat, it needs to be disguised as tacky!! Otherwise, only food that isn’t home-made is acceptable like Cheetos, Weenies or Twinkies -- anything that isn’t home-made real food. It will be a hoot!
Roundups – The Roundup on January 21st will be a Barn Dance. JoAnn Sullivan is the Coordinator. Time is 3:30 PM to 5 PM. This will be the last Roundup for the season because the room won’t be available again because of other activities.
Bob Ross Art Class - Larry Wiers, a certified Bob Ross instructor, will be here on January 21st to do two classes of 10 students each. The morning class will be from 9 to noon and the afternoon class will be 1 to 4 PM. Larry supplies everything you need to complete a painting except paper towels and some wet wipes. You will need to bring those to clean up. Classes are for beginners and are $45 per person and should be paid ahead of the class in the Activities Office. We are now taking wait list names. If someone has to cancel, you will get a call. (Class is full but we are taking names of people who would like to attend. If we get a cancellation, we will call you. Plus, if we have enough interest, we can add another class date on for next season!)
The Woodshop Dinner will be held on January 7th at 4:30 PM. Tickets are $6 and will be sold in the Small Hall unless there is a Billiard Tournament. Then they will be selling in the Large Hall from 9 to 11 AM each day. The Menu is a baked potato with all the toppings dessert and a drink. BRING YOUR OWN TABLE SERVICE!
Calendar Updates:
Conversational Spanish Classes - Classes will be offered starting January 7th for six weeks from 3:45 to 5:15 PM in Activity Room No. 3. Sign up on the Bulletin Board across from the Mail Room. Space is limited. Cost is $45 to be paid at the end of the first class if you intend to take the remaining classes.
Activities Board Meeting – 1 PM, Thursday, December 19th in the Loft.
Good Samaritan Project – Presents will be wrapped in Friendship Hall on 1 PM Sunday, December 22nd.
Beading - will be cancelled for January 24th due to the Garage Sale.
Dairy Queen Bingo – This event has been cancelled for Winter Ranch. We are looking for a new venue for this type of Bingo and will keep you informed.
Zumba Senior Gold will begin January 6, 2014 in Friendship Hall from Noon until 12:45 PM. The cost is $2 each session. We will meet every Monday in January and February. Marisol Ybarra, Certified Senior Gold Zumba Instructor will be our instructor.
Gentle Senior Yoga will begin January 6, 2014 in Loft - 8 AM until 8:45 AM. The cost is $3 each session. Gentle Yoga will meet every Monday the months of January and February. Irma Burr (M.Ed., RYT) Certified Yoga Therapist will lead the class.
AARP Drivers Safety Class – will be held on January 23rd from 8 AM – 10 AM in Friendship Hall. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. Another session will be scheduled later. See information on the boards in Friendship Hall.
Entertainment: January 9th – Goldwing and January 16th Red Head Express. Tickets are on sale in the Activities Office.
Ice Cream Social will be served this Sunday evening at 5 PM in Friendship Hall. Bring your own bowl and spoon. It is $1 per scoop.
The Woodshop Dinner will be held on January 7th at 4:30 PM. Tickets are $6 and will be sold in the Small
Hall unless there is a Billiard Tournament. Then they will be selling in
the Large Hall from 9
to 11 AM each day. The Menu is a baked potato with all
the toppings dessert and a drink. BRING YOUR OWN TABLE SERVICE!
Candlelight Service - will be held on December 24th from 7 PM - 8 PM in Friendship Hall. This is a non-denominational service.
Setup for Christmas Dinner – will be held directly after the Candlelight Service.
The Life After Loss Group will have a Christmas Eve Gathering in Activity Room #3 on December 24th. after the Candlelight Service. Please see Dianna Mollerus at Lot 508 or Bobby Louge at Lot 526 for more information.
Christmas Dinner will be December 25th at 1 PM. Sign up for your table on the easels in Friendship Hall. The turkey money is ready in the office. Please sign a receipt before you leave the office. New folks can ask in the Activities Office if you have any questions!
Bus Trips:
Note: The list of bus trips is a Preliminary list and isn’t in cement until we can get things worked out with our vendors so there may be date or time changes from time to time or even cancellations!
Thursday, December 19th, bus trip to Al Fresco Weslaco. The bus will leave at 5:00 PM. There will be a parade, crafts, food, etc. This is our first trip to this event. You might want to bring a lawn chair. Sign up in the Activities Office.
Saturday, January 25th, bus trip to Nikki Rowe High School to see “Annie Get Your Gun”. Thanks to Rosie Ewald and Judy Timmer for getting us the tickets. This will be a trip for Winter Ranch only. Sign up in the Activities Office. The tickets are $12 each. The tickets for this are sold out.
Thursday, January 2nd bus trip to Winks. The bus will leave at 4 PM. You can have dinner on your own there. There is live entertainment and dancing and cattle roping. The bus will return at 9:30 PM.
Friday, January 3rd, trip to tour The Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle. The bus will leave at 9 AM. Lunch is on your own.
Saturday, January 4th, trip to the Bees Hockey Game. The bus will leave at 6 PM . The tickets are $7.50 each.
Thursday, January 9th is a Mystery Bus Trip. The cost is $4 and lunch is on your own. BUS IS FULL
Saturday, January 11th is a trip to Elvis Days in Los Fresnos. It costs $8 to get into the Festival. A tour of Little Graceland would be a separate charge. BUS IS FULL
Monday, January 13th is a trip to King’s Ranch. The cost is $25 per person. The bus will leave at 10 AM. You will have a BBQ and a tour of the ranch.
Wednesday, January 15th is a trip to the Hidalgo Pump House. The bus will leave at 9 AM and the cost is $5 per person,
Thursday, January 16th is a trip to SAS Shoes and the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. The bus will leave at 9:00 AM. The cost is $8 for the zoo. Lunch is on your own at the Golden Corral. Return trip will be approximately 3:30 PM. Please pay for the zoo tickets in the Activities Office prior to January 15th.
Monday, January 20th, Texas Gulf Shrimp Trip. The bus will leave at Noon. The cost is $12 at the door. There will be a tour of a shrimp boat, a shrimp pulling contest, and, of course, you can buy fresh shrimp. Bring a small cooler if you want.
Monday, February 10th, Port of Brownsville Tour. Bus leaves at 10:15 AM. Lunch is included with this trip. Cost is $32 in advance.
Tours and Cruises:
Gail Field is our Coordinator for Tours and Cruises. She has posted a booklet on the Travel Board as well as a page of Go with Jo Tours. Get in touch with Gail for more information or to sign up for one of the trips. I don’t post phone numbers on the blog but hers is on the Travel Board in Friendship Hall.
Volunteers and/or Donations Needed:
Carpet – If you are replacing carpet, please give Pat Sullivan a call. He uses it to make beds for the people without beds in Mexico.
The Dance this Friday is in need of kitchen help, a 50/50 team and one door. Please sign up on the bulletin board across from the Mail Room.
Bikers Escort Needed - Some drivers to escort the bikers for the Short Bike Rides. Please contact Joe Holzer if you are interested. You will be reimbursed for mileage.
Ronald McDonald House - If you have any soaps and shampoos from hotels, you can donate those to this project until after the stockings are delivered. After that we can still use the shampoos and soaps. We donate them to the Ronald McDonald House.
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