2/28/2011 The Longest Pool Game EVER!

The weatherman was right….spring was just around the corner and it has arrived!

This evening Bob played cards and I played the longest pool game ever.

Let me explain.

I was playing against Barb Trube, you know, Barb with the purple glove. She is undoubtedly one of the best pool players in the park, gender doesn’t come into play here either. Men or women, she’s just one the best.

When playing with her she coaches me on how to make a play, where the ball SHOULD GO, whether to hit the ball high or low, to the left or the right, she just helps me. As helpful as she is she just doesn’t get MY way of playing. I’m a strong believer in being able to yell out DO OVER when my shot doesn’t go as planned. When playing pool I’m also in favor of a two part shot. If I hit the ball and it doesn’t quite get to the pocket I think I should get another shot at it to get it in because I tried really, really hard the first time. Barb just doesn’t see it my way.

So tonight we’re playing and at one point I asked her why is that I have five balls on the table and she only has three. She replied, rather sarcastically I thought,”because I’m gettin’ mine in!” OK. Well Miss Gold Medal Winner in Women’s Pool, we’ll just see about that!

Every time she wasn’t looking I took one of her solid color balls out of the pocket and put it back on the table. I did this again and again and again. At one point I had three balls on the table and she had seven. It was hard not to laugh! Now to tell the whole story here I have to say that Barb’s attention was on another table rather often because they were asking her questions about rules and how to make a shot, etc.. But still! So our game is finally over and I said to her, “Gee, Barb, wasn’t that just the longest game ever?” In return she replied, “Yeah, that was a long game.” I started laughing,,,,,, hysterically. The others in the room stopped what they were doing to listen to what was going on. I looked at Barb and said, “You put that solid yellow in the pocket four times!” She looked at me, puzzled. I went on to explain that whenever she wasn’t looking I was putting her solid colors back on the table. The room roared with laughter! Barb looked at me and said, “I’m never playing pool with you again!”

She will, she’s like playing with me.

2/25/2011 Cancer Survivor Celebration 2011

It is once again time for the annual Cancer Survivor Celebration. This dance, hosted by Darlene Wilson (ten year survivor) and Lin Stover Hackney (who lost her husband to cancer) is probably the most looked forward to dance or party of the year.

A better look at their T’s

Let the decorating begin!

While tables were being decorated inside….

Pink balloons being attached to everything,…

Cake was sliced, ready for serving…..

And Dan showed us his sword swallowing skills….

In the Breezeway, the Helping Hand Ladies, Shirley Witcher and Margaret Geary were busy setting up a display of all the things that Helping Hands does for the community.

The women in our park gather every Wednesday to sew and make things like chemo caps in different styles…

Little Teddy Bears for kids in the hospital who don’t have one.

Bags that are filled with lotion, soap or things like that for women who left home with nothing when they went to the shelter for safety.

This is the first year for covers for the seat belts that give protection for those who have ports.

These are just a few of things that these wonderful, caring women in this park make for those in need and those who are in the battle for their life. I’ll talk more about Helping Hands later.

While all this is going on inside there is tons of activity in the pool area.

For the last several weeks Carl and Sandy Ahlstrom (you may know them as our line dance leaders) have been leading the Luminary Fundraiser. They have been selling white bags for $5.00 and in return each of buyers has decorated them in honor of a survivor or someone they lost and tonight they will be displayed around the pool.

Carl and Dan, Lin’s husband, set up a game plan.

Karen, Dan’s sister (yes, its a family affair!) opens the bags up to get them ready for Carl and Dan to put sand in the bottom of the bag.

In turn, Sandy puts a candle in the bottom of each bag nestled in the sand. (Yep, that’s our Sandy, you may not recognize her with her new “do”)

Some of the bags were so nicely decorated and some were in celebration of life for some friends of ours!

My good friend Kathy, a survivor, holding her bag.

The job of setting all these bags out now begins.

Our sunset this night.

Time to light the luminaries.

Our evening sky was just magnificent!

All lit, just waiting for night to fall for the full effect.

It was like having two light shows.

By now the party inside has started.

A lot of people “dressed” for the occasion…..

Once again Carol Powers was our DJ and once again she did a fantastic job! If anyone can get people dancing, its Carol.

About halfway through the dance Bob & me and Arlee & LaDonna Waring took a collection from everyone in the hall. There is no charge to attend the dance but it is announced that a collection will be taken.

Counting the most generous donations.

Now this is where our ladies in the park, known as Helping Hands, come in. Every year the money collected from the winter residents is presented to the Helping Hands leaders, Shirley and Margaret. In turn they use those funds to buy material, thread, sometimes new sewing machines or whatever they deem necessary to carry on this work they do. That has always been the norm.

This year things changed up a little bit. Darlene and Lin are well aware of a huge need in Arizona City where our park is located. Namely, food. Arizona City has a food bank and sometimes the shelves get pretty bare. We have a collection of non-perishables in the park going on all the time so we are always working towards to keeping the shelves stocked. Unfortunately, the need is great.

So this year the collection was split. Half went to Helping Hands and the other half was presented to Carol Novasky, our in-park Pastor’s wife. You’ll read more about this donation in another post.

How much was collected? How generous were the winter residents? I’ll be glad to tell you! In fifteen minutes time the two cowboy hats used to collect paper money and a few checks held a total of :::drum roll please::: ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE DOLLARS! That does NOT include the nearly five hundred dollars the luminaries brought in. $1,305.00!

The recipients of these donations will put these funds to very good use!

I went back outside to the now nearly dark pool area to snap some shots of the lit luminaries. There were quite a few party-goers walking around the pool taking it all in.

Some more shots of the bags made by our park residents.

Inside the party was still going strong!

Eighty eight year old Jerry loves to do the twist!

Everybody likes to dance with Jerry!

….and Jerry likes to give all the girls a smooch when the music ends.

Once again Quail Run residents stepped up to the plate to fill a need. Their generosity, well it speaks for itself.

Bob and I are so glad we are a part of THIS PARK!

2/22/2011 Quail Run Variety Show

We had every intention of taking Marvin to Organ Stop Pizza today for dinner and the show. We first visited this place back in ‘07, our very first year here. Rather than give you the whole rundown on what Organ Stop Pizza is you can just click HERE if you are so inclined.

So that was the plan. Of course we all know about plans. They change and ours is no exception. I happen to go up to the Cantina and when I walked by the Carnaval Room I noticed that the chairs were all set up. I asked a friend who was passing by if she knew what was going on tonight. She told me it was Variety Show night. Well, gee whiz, we can’t go out anywhere on this night! We have to see the show.

I called Bob and told him we had to change our plans and why and he quickly agreed. Ok, scrap Organ Stop, we now have to make new plans for dinner. Marvin was insistent that he take us his last night here. We all enjoyed our meals at Chris’s this week so it was decided we would go back there. Once again, we thoroughly enjoyed dinner.

When we came back to the park we went straight to the Carnaval Room to insure getting good seats. We managed to get second row, center.

The Master of Ceremonies was Keith Paddick. As he said, he’s come a long way from last years show where he was nothing more than a prop smoking a tampon to MC this year. Keith, you did a great job this year!

Arlee Waring was first up and was just getting into a song when he was “interrupted” by this man (Dale Jones) who apparently thought he was going to the showers.

Arlee explained that the showers were at the “other side” and Dale left through the door to the left of the stage. Arlee went back to his song and seconds later the man came through the door to the right of the stage. He looked at Arlee and said, “how come everywhere I go you’re there?”

Well of course everyone wanted to know what was under the robe. Dale, ever the showman, played it for all it was worth to the delight of the audience.

I don’t know where he gets these outfits!

Next up was Carol Winters and Judy Salisbury singing Crystal Gayle’s Don’t It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue and one or two others.

What’s a variety show without Minnie Pearl???? Maxine had us in stitches!

Next up was Wilf Lane and Don Walrath.

The crowd laughed so hard when Wilf sang the song about Don and his harmonica playing. I know the main phrase in the song was…. Don blows but he mostly sucks.

The next act involved several members of our Quail Run family. Arlee Waring, Bill Turner and his wife Pat played the music and Bill sang this song about his woman (Billee Walrath).

It seems that sweet Billee was just too good and too nice for bad Billy Turner.

He told her in the song that he was breaking up with her.

Sweet Billee finally got over the shock and gave Bad Billy Turner what for!

….and then, SHE entered!

Oh yeah, the bad girl (DeeAnna Haack) is in town!

(No, they aren’t real, I know inquiring minds want to know)

The hussy letting sweet Billee know that she was in town.

Yeah, Billee, I’d laugh too. You know folks, I don’t know what it is but DeeAnna has been called on before to play this “type” and she does it so well! I wonder what she did in her past lives? (JK Dee)

We had so many laughs through this skit. All of you guys are just the best sports and truly entertainers!

Next up was Frankie and Franny. Frankie tickled those ivories and Franny belted out a few.

Wilf was back again with Alexis. Wilf wrote a song about his family and Alexis (park mgr’s grandaughter) was the “voice” of his kids. Wilf is soooo talented!

I do believe Jackie is new to our park this year. Oh. My. Gosh. Can she ever play the accordion.

Halfway through the show we stopped for an auction as a fundraiser for the Activities Department. I was lucky enough to get a really nice pool stick and case for $31.00

Marvin just loved the variety show and he had a very good time.

We said so long to our friend this evening when he dropped us off. He’ll head to Phoenix in the morning to meet up with his sister.

We are so glad he came to visit with us. This man truly holds a special place in our lives and hearts.