Photoessay #2859 - Signs of spring

Just lately, I start thinking that spring may come again.  I needn't complain as we had a pretty easy winter.  A few weeks with sub-freezing temperatures, really no snow.  Still under freezing in Indiana.  But my daffodils are starting to bloom and Teddy and I saw a robin on our walk.

Nothing will help my back lawn, unfortunately.

The picture is from our trip earlier this month to southern California.  It wasn't really orange blossom time but we did see this tree at the Glendora Historical Society.  And it was hard to find actual orange trees.  I'm glad that I did the research that I did to actually find some.

Good news; my blog entry was accepted for the University of Washington Jewish Studies.  With some revisions, of course.

Photoessay #2858 - Gloria Pascale Slevinsky

Welcome to our world Gloria, newborn daughter of Janine Gellerman Slevinsky and Matthew Slevinsky born yesterday in Vancouver BC.  8 lbs 7 ozs but looks bigger than that to me.  All, I hear, are doing fine after a long labor at home.

Cute as a button is the phrase that comes to me.

Janine is my daughter Ilana's best friend and she's one of the young people that I count as my 'fifth kid'.  I know that she is joyously welcomed by her parents and extended family.  My only job was to feed the animals at her grandmother's and great aunt's house.  But things kept shifting (as it does in a 4 day labor) and I never ended up having to do it at all.

Now it starts even more.  Not that it stopped.  The new generation of young strong people.

Photoessay #2857 - Our deep water aerobic class

I continue to work on keeping our late evening deep water aerobic class going.  We had seven people last night.  I had a friend staff member take a picture.  I want to put it on their Facebook page but can't figure out how to post a picture.  Probably meant that way.

So I'll post it here.  Give Mountlake Terrace Recreation's face book page a look and support our class!

Big news about Baby Girl S.  Just saying....

Photoessay #2856 - Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor

Big news, Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor is coming to speak at UW March 10.  There was an elaborate system for getting tickets.  Today they were giving away tickets to undergraduates.  Then,  based on availability, to graduate and professional students on Thursday.  And then to faculty and staff.  They said they would GIVE a copy of her book to undergraduates.

Well, you know what's coming.  What about access students??  I get off the bus right near the HUB (the student union building).  I check it out.  It's the place.  Nobody there.  It's not like there are tons of undergraduates.  Mainly they don't know about it  and it's getting late in the quarter and, lots of times,  you just don't need one more thing.  So, ticket availability is likely not going to be a problem, at least initially.  I ask the fellow the access student question.  He says, he doesn't think access students count as undergraduates.  I reply I'll just come on Thursday, I'll be right there.

Later I walk with our rabbi speaker to the HUB building to get some lunch (she did a great job btw, really good).  I go by the desk.  Nope, nobody there. 

So I'm sure there are very important people ruminating about how this is all going.....

Photoessay #2855 - Continuing preparation

I continue to work on my presentation.  I know it's not for 5 weeks or so but it's my major focus.  I'm just on my way down to UW for one of my appointments with the Public Speaking Center.  The key is practice, practice, practice.   I'm already giving it from memory.  I fool with my slide deck.  I give it at every opportunity.  I gave it to my writing group last night.  A friend says she's going to have a tea party for another friend and she wants me to give it.

Most in my family look pained and roll their eyes even at the mention of Maier Zunder.  But too bad!  I have to be ready, very ready.

Ilana points out that I want to give time to hang out with the other presenters as I am now an academic historian.  I got a message this morning talking about the opening speaker being from Univ of Pennsylvania and the closing speakers being from Yale.  Including Douglas Rae.  Hey, I have his book on New Haven right in front of me.  I was using it last night and had been tempted to read some more of it.

Gonna do it!

Photoessay #2854 - Jumping Ducks

Let's lighten things up a little.

Susanna posted this on her Facebook page.  A classic!  I think I have similar shot from 2008 when Sari-Jane (on the left) was still a player and Susanna was a student assistant coach.

But this shot is even better.  Must be from 2007.  Susanna playing 2nd base for the University of Oregon Ducks and Sari playing in the outfield.  I remember that Sari made a wonderful speech at the Senior banquet with the theme "Follow my leader," how she followed Susanna's lead, on the base paths, even the number.

They loved to leap....

Photoessay #2864 - My mother's yahrzeit

Yesterday was my mother's yahrzeit (anniversary of her death) four years ago at the age of 85.

I wanted to go to services and, as usual, my husband agreed to come with me.  Naomi is living with us and I asked her to come also.  They jokingly said that they would come if we could have pizza.  They didn't mean that but I bought pizza anyway.

We don't belong to a congrgation, currently.  Though we do consider it.  So we went off to the local reform congregation, Temple Beth Am.  When checking out the time for the service, I discovered that the married couple rabbi team who I liked were no longer there.  When did THAT happen?  Almost a year ago, shows how much I'm in the loop.

Apparently they had already hired a junior rabbi, had an interim rabbi and have just decided on a senior rabbi.  The junior rabbi, a young man, led the service.  I was surprised at how keenly I felt the absence of the previous rabbis even though I didn't go very often.  But, by the end, the young rabbi had made it his own.  He did very well; I think he will be a success.

As usual, the service seemed a mish mash to me.  Not that it is disorganized, it's not but there are things from my childhood; things I maybe heard maybe ten years ago, things heard somewhere else, some things new.  As I've written, a whole generation of prayer books passed me by.  And the influential Debbie Friedman?  After my time.

One thing that this congregation used to do, maybe it's left with the departure of their rabbis was a long period of Hebrew spirited singing right near the beginning.  Catchy tunes.  Struck me that the congregation must have learned it when I, as usual, wasn't paying attention.  They didn't do that last night, maybe parts of it.

This congregation usually has dynamite live music.  There were two young people singing with guitars.  They carried the day, for sure.  Again, things may be different when the new senior rabbi comes this summer.

One new thing that I like a lot is the 'new' melody for the shema.  In my youth, it was a flash of lightening kind of melody.  Right out there, loud, emphatic.  This new one is inward, kind of chanty, repeated.  Makes you want to sway and be transported.

You have to understand, Jews are always into the melodies of the prayers.  This way or that way.  My way or your way.  New way or old way.

So the 'mi chamocha' prayer.  Not the traditional way.  Sounded very familiar to me, but not from my childhood.  Must be a Debbie Friedman version, I thought.  But now I realize that Debbie Friedman's mi chamocha was the Miriam song thing.  No, that wasn't it.  I can't quite remember but they didn't sing that.

Maybe, just maybe, that was Robin Taback's version.  And, the more I think about that, it doesn't really matter if they sang Robin's version or even if she had a mi chamocha melody.

I think she did.

Robin Taback was my sister's best friend in childhood.  She went on to make aliyah (move to Israel), marry, have two sons.  She died young (in her thirties) of breast cancer.  She was an influential singer and musician.  My mother and her mother were friends.  My sister made sure that Lou Ann (Robin's mother) came to her daughter Teresa Robin's bat mitzvah.

So, it would be beautiful and meaningful if the young people sang Robins' melody during my mother's yahrzeit.

I will declare it so.

Picture  of my mother with my sister and myself.  This is very near the end of her life October 2009 and she died in Feb 2010.    I decided to use this one because she's having a very good time here.  I made a trip to Rockford and we went to the apple place in the country and, as usual, went out for swedish pancakes on Sunday.  I think my brother is taking the picture in front of the pancake place.

Photoessay #2863 - Artifacts

When I was in Glendora, I bought a 'Postcard History Series' book at the Glendora Historical Society.  A chapter described Judge Silent, a jurist and entrepreneur and the Glendora property that he developed into a personal estate with an especial interest in horticulture.  Love to have seen it.  It fell out of the family's hands after his death and the developers bought the property doing their Southern California thing.  But the palm lined drive remains or Kregmont Drive; I think it was the road up to the estate.

So the palms there have their own majesty in a nondescript development.

Artifacts.  Southern California style

Photoessay #2862 - Intermarriage - NOT!

I now declare that my marriage (of 37 years) is NOT an interfaith marriage.

This is how wikipedia defines an interfaith marriage:

Interfaith marriage, traditionally called mixed marriage, is marriage (either religious or civil) between partners professing different religions.

But, in my case, we are not talking about people with two people professing two religions.  My husband did not bring Christianity into our marriage. 

Everything we have done is Jewish.

My mother's yarzeit is tomorrow night and I expect to go to Friday night service.  Likely with my husband.

Photoessay #2861 - Glendora in the hills

The last day of our trip we went driving in the hills right in back of Glendora.  The houses abut right into the hills.  The view of the hills (the foothills, the San Gabriel mountains) are visible everywhere.

Just as in my parent's day, they become wild right away.  We went above Glendor and also above Azusa.  I was a little concerned because I had read that people drive fast and crazy up there.

But generally it was quiet.  Really we are only a few miles from civilization in these shots.

A city sign, a view of Dennis walking along the road, the view into the valley.

Photoessay #2861 - Public Speaking Center

Do you think they do this on purpose?

I'm working with the Public Speaking Center on the UW campus.  To help me prepare for my April speech.  Discovered it by accident; just walking by.

I've had 3 short appointments so far.  This time, they videotaped me doing the introduction and then we critiqued it.  Very very helpful.

OK, middle aged sports fans, what is you biggest concern when somebody videotapes you?  That you are going to look fat?  That you looks so so ugly?  Yes, yes.

So, with some trepidation, I queued it up.  Promised myself that I wouldn't have to watch it if it was so so dreadful.

But look, they are using some kind of lens or filter or something that takes 40 pounds off of me.  At least.  Wow.  How do they do that?  Where can I get it for always?  You think they do it on purpose so people will come back?

Photoessay #2860 - SoCal food

I would like to feature our two favorite places on our recent four day trip to Southern California.

Rika's Empanadas in Glendora in the San Gabriel Valley.  This place got excellent reviews; we went there twice.  Unassuming in a strip mall.  Argentine.  Empanadas (shown).  Many delicious kinds.  We ordered quite a few.  All delicious.  The prune bacon, yes.  Personally I liked the eggplant and spinach ricotta.  On the weekends, they have fabulous pastries using lots of home made dulce du leche.  Should be outlawed.  The first night we ordered up a confection that included philo dough, ducle du leche, and peaches.  Later in the weekend, we sent there for lunch and each had crepes.  So much we had some leftover for the next day.

Monte Alban in Santa Monica.  My cousin Jon T took us there.  In Santa Monica again in a small shopping strip mall place.  Now I love the mole that La Raza makes.  But this place had at least three kinds of moles.  I ordered the chicken breast with the dark brown mole and rice (shown).  This mole was so rich and definitely tasted of chocolate.  Delicious!

Not all of our choices in SoCal panned out but these two were the very best.

Photoessay #2859 - Those winter olympics

I don't know why I never thought that the Winter Olympics would come around again.  Just never occurred to me.

But here they are, back again.

My  mother died during the last Winter Olympics.  I did some writing about it; probably one of my better memoir pieces.  I built the story of her death (which wasn't so sad really except that my mother died, you know?) around the Winter Olympics.

My mother loved the Olympics.  She just couldn't wait until they came on; she watched as much as she could.  Her last Olympics was no exception.  When I was with her in the Skilled Nursing unit and the promo would come on, she would cry out in delight "They're coming, I'm right here waiting!"

She loved the opening ceremonies with the athletes marching in with their flag.  She loved the closing ceremonies when the athletes all walked in together, all mixed up, the strong promise of world unity.

My sister traveled up the Friday night; she though she would watch the Opening Ceremonies with her.  When she got there, she found my mother in the hospital.  The next Tuesday, my mother decided to end all of her medications and just had IV morphine.  She died on Sunday.  During that week, my brother, sister and I spent almost all of the time in her room.  The Olympics playing on the TV.  We would tell her about the gold medals and the skaters.  It was a good time; my mother feared more than anything being alone.  She wasn't alone; we were with her. 

Who knew when she watched the Opening Ceremonies that she would not live to see the Closing Ceremonies?

I wrote a dynamite last paragraph to my piece.  Really the last sentence.

            My mother feared being alone at the end, but she wasn't.  Her children stayed peacefully with her.  We felt we had all the time in the world.  Along with the ski jumpers blasting down the mountains, soaring into the air, and the figure skaters spinning and spinning.

Photoessay #2858 - Getting Ready

I'm working on my talk for April.

More Maier Zunder.

I'm using the Public Speaking Center at UW.  It's supposed to support the Public Speaking classes.  I've gone twice already, they bumped me up to the people who are more familiar with presenting at conferences.  I've told them that I'm an access student; they haven't thrown me out yet.

Right now, I'm stumbling a bit and it's running 15-16 minutes.  I know it has to tighten up. It's still not smooth. 

I'm working on my slides.  I know the spacing on this is kinda funky but all of these M Zunder business cards are way cool.  Hmmm (used 'way cool' and 'kinda funky' in same sentence). 

I'm practicing.  Will continue to practice.  The Public Speaking Center is only open to March 11 this quarter and the beginning of spring quarter is really too late.

I probably should get it down to 12 minutes.  How?

Photoessay #2857 - This year's chocolates

So now we have chocolates in the house.

I asked for the usual, some chocolates from that local store "Chocolate Man."  It's really a store oriented towards people making chocolates.  Ingredients, supplies equipments.

This sounds like a very bad hobby.  Not a good idea.  Not doing it.

They do put together boxes of chocolates for Valentines Day.  High end.  Dennis won't tell me what it cost.  I think it's only 8 ounces.  They are very good but maybe next year, I'll go with Sees. 

Plenty of chocolate.  Naomi came home with the crazy things that her second graders gave her.

Photoessay #2586 - SoCal Oranges

One reason I went to Southern California was to find some orange trees. To bring back a little of the citrus culture that originally occupied the San Gabriel Valley.

And the Southwest Airlines that we needed to use before the end of February.

I knew there were not so many any more.  And earlier I did post some orange tree pictures. 

We ended up at Heritage Park on a tip and ran into the Glendora Preservation folks who had a kind of visiting day going with not too many visitors.  They had a small grove of citrus trees; donated by local nurserymen.  They showed us all around.

They encouraged to pick the oranges.  I can't believe the amount of citrus that goes to waste down there.  We were there before the orange blossoms.

So I did.  The picture shows my harvest back at the hotel room.  Generally the oranges are pretty tart and look very much what you buy in the store.

Just picked off the tree though!

Photoessay #2585 - Glendora Views

I took these two pictures at our hotel in Glendora on old Route 66 and looking across the street.

Glendora, a town from the later 19th century, is now a part of urbanized towns together in the San Gabriel Valley.  My parents moved there in 1954, bought their first house.  But by 1957, they were gone, moving up to Aerojet's new 'plant' outside of Sacramento.  My father always called the place he worked "the plant".

The development from the new postwar industry doomed the citrus groves that filled the valley.  One reason I went down was to find some orange trees.  Which I did and posted.

I liked Glendora a lot more than I expected.  It had a cute downtown shopping district.  The neighborhoods are likely not very changed from the 1950s.  I know that my parent's house looks much the same from the front.  We stopped at the Glendora Historical Society.  Lent them some pictures that I do want back.  They told us where to find some orange groves which turned out to belong to the Glendora Preservation folks.  Warm fine weather.

The towns on the north part of the valley back up right against the mountains.

What's not to like.  This area was not depressed economically.  But not tourist oriented.  No bed and breakfast to be found.  Probably couldn't find a short term rental.  But I thought it would be nice maybe to spend a week or two in the winter.  Dennis declared it boring.  "You just like it because the sun is out," he told me.

Yeah.  Yeah.  Right.  That's exactly why I like it.

On the news front, my friend Gin and I went downtown to Nordstroms and bought a new outfit for my talk in Connecticut.  Thanks Gin!

Photoessay #2584 - My third cousin Jon!

I had another orange post in mind today.  Maybe I will do it tomorrow.

And I know that I missed yesterday.  But we went up into the mountains then made our way to the Ontario airport and got home many hours later very late.

But I would like to introduce my third cousin Jon T who I was delighted to meet.  I'm pretty pleased with how the pictures came out.  We didn't take too many so I was not sure.  But we had a great time.  We met at the Getty in LA which is a trip in conspicuous all by itself.  Even if it's free admission; you have to pay $15 to park.  But they have a more fancy building and garden and art than ANYBODY.  To say nothing of the view of LA.

I like to tell the story of how people in New Haven mention him.  "Jon, he went to CalifFORnia and I think he's in the MOVIES."  And sure enough he was.  We were having a great time; his wife was taking care of business in Virginia; he offered to take us out to dinner, which we accepted.  We went to this great mexican place in Santa Monica.  Now I love our local Tacqueria Raza people and their mole.  But this place had all kinds of different moles.  I had the dark and it was sweeter and tasted of chocolate.

We talked about the relatives who he's known since he was young and I've just met.  Including his friend Brendan Zunder who recently passed away.  I was sorry to be the one to give him the news some months ago.  Nobody had let him know.

But the whole experience, the Getty, the restaurant in Santa Monica, Jon, the movie talk, even bumbling around on the Socal freeways ... So LA!

Photoessay #2583 - Sandy in the oranges

Here I am in an orange grove in the San Gabriel Valley.  This was actually the small grove at the Huntington Library,.  As Dennis says, we have to pay $23 to go see the house of the robber baron?  Yes, we do.  We did not come close to seeing the whole thing before we decided that our feet hurt and it was close to closing.

We've come to the conclusion that we've seen everything that there is to see in Glendora but we are stuck here until tomorrow afternoon.  Soon we will go way far away to the Getty to meet me third cousin Jon 'in the movies' Tower.

But here I stand in the orange grove.  Looking how I look.  I've rejoined the orange trees from back in the day.

I took a picture of a friend at her daughter's wedding.  She's so joyous and happy in the picture as she watches the ceremony.  I showed her the picture and she couldn't see how happy she was, just that she was overweight and how shameful.  See how it works?

Photoessay #2852 - Orange Trees

I've found orange trees.  There's not too many around.  What's weird here in SoCal is that people don't seem to pick the oranges on their orange trees.  Also it's not quite the time for orange blossoms.

First I found some at the Glendora Historical Society,.  We waited awhile for them and I took some pictures.  They told me about the orange trees at Heritage Park; where it was, etc.  So we made our way there, small park, dog park.  Then we walked down this little unpaved road and met the people at the Glendora Preservation Trust.

A few retired folks, they have a small citrus grove laden with fruit.  A small historical house (we got the tour).  An old press in a garage.  One member showed me all around their little orchard and insisted I pick some.

We had a gay time there for several hours.

We then had a late lunch at a local restaurant and on to Huntington Library.

First picture was with the Glendora Preservation folks; the secon was from a small orange grove at the Huntington library.

Photoessay #2851 - SoCal sunshine

Read it and weep northerners We left home this morning...21 degrees and snowing. Here in the San Gabriel Valley, it's sunny and at 60 degrees. Glendora is surprisingly cute and homey. Check it out, here Dennis is at 3:3o this afternoon,on a bench in the little downtown, in shirt sleeves in the sun. He has to shade his eyes. Southern California is looking mighty good. This evening we went to an Argentine place in a strip mall with rave reviews. We add ours. Rika's Empenadas. When was the last time you went to a place and said "they ought to charge more for those. For $24 we got 9 empanadas from bleu cheese to egg plant, to ricotta and spinach. All fabulous. Plus this desert which should be outlawed, full of crumbled madeline cookies, cream, the caramal du leche stuff and peaches. The caramel stuff, just oozed smooth calories.

Photoessay #2860 - Freedom Summer 1963

I feel a new interest coming on. This one has a much more crowded field.  I pretty much have Maier Zunder all to myself.  Turns out my professor this quarter has a strong tie with Mark Beittel.  My cousin.  I have always been close to the Beittel family.  His parents Sue and Dan (may he rest in peace, I still miss his presence), his sisters Lynn and June, his grandparents.

His grandfather, A. D Beittel, married my husband and I.  Was the perfect solution.  His family says we were the last couple he married.

I knew he was involved in the civil rights movement and I knew he was a president of a college but I didn't really pay too much attention or put together his story.  I knew him and his wife as Grandfather and Grandmother Beittel.  I always found them so interesting.  And, at that ime, I scowled at and scorned most all adults.

But there is information abuot him online.  Somebody does need to write his story.

But here is the coolest picture ever.  The Freedom Summer of 1963.  Sit in at the Woolworth counter in Jackson Mississippi by students and faculty of Tougaloo College.  What's happening here is not pretty; the angry white people behind them are pouring food and syrup all over them.  Some faculty members and students are shown.  At the end of the counter is the college president A. D. Beittel.  I can't tell if anybody has poured any food on him.

Brave times.  Who endures, the people sitting at the lunch counter or the people harassing them?

Do the right thing.

Photoessay #2859 - Diary

On my way home from the dentist this very cold morning (in the 20s), I ran into a developing situation.  On a street close to my home, it looked like a garbage truck had run into a utility pole, causing wires to come down onto trees, the road, over everything.  Not even traffic direction yet, I turned around and went home another way.

Came home, no internet.  Related?  likely.  Anyway it didn't come back for five or six hours.  Refreshingly I didn't miss it so much as I might in earlier years.  I had plenty to do catching up on my class and getting ready for long weekend trip.

I found this image on a postcard stuck in an old book.  This is what Anne Frank's diary looked like.  We've all heard of the diary.  But, it looked so pedestrian, like something I might have when I was young though I am much younger than her.  Somehow I was expecting something else.  The colorful plaid and the snap strap.  I don't remember ever seeing it before.  Somehow made it all the more real.  Like seeing WWII pictures in color.  Somehow the black and white makes it all seem impossibly old.

Photoessay #2858 - Just a small world

This quarter I'm taking Jewish Women In Contemporary American at the University of Washington as an access student.  It's been a great time, actually, the whole thing is coming together.  Taught by Associate Professor Kathie Friedman.  Actually we have found that we have a lot in common in our family life.

Today, she mentioned to a guest speaker (really enjoyed them!) that she had gone to graduate school at SUNY Binghamton.

Hey, my cousin Mark went there.  About the same time too.  Graduate student.  Sociology.  Wonder if they knew each other.  Right, that's a pretty big school.  I ask anyway.  Turns out she does!  She went to graduate school with Mark and his wife Giovanna and they all hung out together.  That would be a long time ago, like the late 1970s or so.

How funny is that?  She loved hearing about him and how he was doing.  I sent her some pictures from probably the last time we were together, 2010.  Warm enough to swim at Stinson Beach.

---still looking for orange trees to visit in the San Gabriel Valley
---got the update from the Asay family.  Thanks, Dennis and I read the whole thing!

Photoessay #2857 - Search for an orange grove

One thing I really want to do on our upcoming trip to the San Gabriel Valley is to walk in an orange grove.  I know they're 'all gone'.  Even looking at that recent picture of my parent's back yard shows an orange tree that already looks very old.

Likely the historical society people can tell us.

So far, from afar, the only promising orange grove I've found is on the grounds of Mission San Gabriel, maybe five miles or so from our weekend headquarters.  Apparently a tree expert discovered an old orange tree nearby and determined that it was related genetically to the original orange trees at the mission.  So they have established some new trees which are part of the gardens.

But I don't know how many trees.  Trying to find out.  This actually looks like our best bet.

Our theme is gardens and maybe get a bit warmed up.  Temps here in the 30s for this week.

Photoessay #2856 - Aschaffenburg

I would recommend Werner Hirsch's account of his 'return' trip to Aschafenburg in Bavaria.  He was born there in 1935; Kristalnacht followed in 1938.  Not sure when he left with his family.  The town invited back all of the Jews who lived in Aschafenburg back.  They had a nice week long program for them.  Werner narrates his 20 minute account of photos about the week.

I dunno, all German media about the Jews; even when trying to make amends always has this weird off tilt to me.  Can't quite put my finger on it.

I know Werner Hiesch, he works with the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven.  He helped me on my trips to New Haven.  I will write him right after this and let him know about my talk in April and how much I enjoyed his account.  He's helped me with translations and interpretations.

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl this evening.  I watched it!  Even though our new TV antenna doesn't always work,  Much celebrating around here about their pro football team here this last month.  As a friend of mine pointed out, "The fair weather fans? The team members are the biggest fair weather fans, any one of them could be gone from the Seahawks tomorrow."

Yeah, pro sports.

Photoessay #2855 - Rep Meeting

One of the main jobs I do for parent group is to convene a 'Representative' meeting every several months.  The reps from all five chapters come as well as parts of the organizations Board.  The idea is to have the chapter leadership to have a place to discuss what's going on, get to know each other, exchange ideas.

I held one this afternoon and everybody EVERYBODY came.  I think that's pretty darn good.  Every single rep.  A few are both reps and Board members.  In addition three other Boad members came.  It felt good to have everybody around the table.  "Solid", Peter said.  That's a good feeling for an all volunteer group dealing with difficult family situations.

The picture is some final setup when we realized we would need more tables.  More people will come and 18 eventually will sit around the four tables.  We assembled orientation packets while we talked.

I'm always kind of nervous that it won't go well.  But discussion was lively; we started not too much after 1 and I ended it just a short time after the 3pm end time.

So a success I think.  I had an agenda but the idea was more for the members of the different chapters to talk about what was on their mind.  This time, I didn't call for refreshments, brought some tangerines, store-bought cookies and some of Dennis' almonds.  And this time, people brought even more food, off to the left.

When I walked into this meeting room just a short time before, a full scale family Chinese New Year even was just cleaning up.  Perfect timing and another transformation of the space.