6/27-/6/30/15 I’m on the Float Committee

(Show Low, AZ)

Everyone is talking about the 4th of July celebration coming up.  The town of Show Low has a H U G E parade and people come from all around.  I’ve heard the main street, Deuce of Clubs will be lined with over 10,000 people.  There will also be a parade here in Juniper Ridge for all those who don’t go to town.

I have joined the Float Committee for the parade downtown.  I’ve attended several meetings to iron out the details for the logistics for parade day.

The theme of the day is Home of the Brave and we’ll decorate our float in red, white and blue to commemorate the day but we’ll also promote Juniper Ridge at the same time. 

The float we’ll use is actually the trailer used by the park to haul away tree limbs, bush prunings,,,  anything green which will not be taken to the landfill.  I’m assured it will be thoroughly cleaned before we have to get in it.

I attended one session of decoration making this week.  Sandy Myer, the lady who took us to Paris is in charge of the decorating.



Sandy & Bev working on signs that will depict activities here in Juniper Ridge.


Sandy, sharing some of her ideas with us.



Some of the finished signs.






This is basically a storage room for all things crafts, sign making, decorating for holidays etc.

On Monday, the 29th at Monday Morning Coffee I was a bit surprised to see this.

This is Lynette.  She and her husband Doc, are funeral planners and live here in the park.  They also hold the Christmas in July celebration so she was dressed today to promote that.

As you can see by their sign they put the FUN in FUNerals.  They truly are a fun couple.  They gave away these door prizes at the Monday Morning Coffee.

They even had George, dressed as the Undertaker give out the entry forms for the raffle,



So this ends the month of June.

6/26/15 Comedy Comes to Juniper Ridge

(Show Low, AZ)

There is a group here in this resort called the Juniper Ridge Farmers.  This group is in the process of making a community garden possible.  Though I don’t know too much about this group I’m assuming they are raising money for gardening tools and a tiller and the like.  Again, I don’t know too much about this group.

I do know that they’ve got some funny people in this group!  JRR Farmers put on a comedy show over two nights.

 

I can tell you this, I laughed out loud more than once.  In fact, quite a few times.

The members who got up and did a stand up comedy routine were pretty good!

There was also a Lawn Chair Brigade.



Minnie Pearl was in the house!



There were skits that involved several members of the troupe.



There was one skit that was so good that I’m considering taking it to Quail Run for the Variety Show if they have it next winter.




The show was well done and the audience laughed all the laughs.

6/21/15 Happy 30th Anniversary Juniper Ridge

(Show Low, AZ)

The four of us, Dana & Judy and Bob & I went into high gear right after the church services were over today.  We had to get set up just as soon as we could because today there was a 30th Anniversary Party for 200 in the Grand Lodge.

We set to work getting all the tables and chairs set up and ladies who were decorating came right behind us.

The tables were covered with yellow and green tablecloths and on each table was a ten inch high holder with one of these stuck in the slot.



Or one of these…


We also set up several tables for the resorts scrapbooks to be displayed on,




Lots of the attendees enjoyed looking through them.


There was lots going on in the kitchen.  Mostly prep for the event….




……but some clowning around too!



Ice cream, cake and champagne punch will be served today in honor of the 30th Anniversary.


The Assistant Activities Director, Debbie Gretsky, gave us all the history of Juniper Ridge.

The cakes were cut, the punch was made and ice cream needed to be served before it melted.  It was time for ice cream and cake!

There are several artificial trees set up in different buildings and they hold little pieces of paper with words on them.

Two ladies in the park, Judy Tompkins and Eydie Heslip made each one of these slips for the different  trees.  They wrote words on the slips that describe traits of the people here in this park.

Juniper Ridge is celebrating thirty years of community.  It probably hasn’t always been smooth sailing and there have probably been many ups and downs along the way, but the residents embrace the words below.  It is evidenced by the residents who volunteer so things get done.  Its evidenced by the obvious friendships that have formed.  Its evidenced by the sense of pride in their homes and the common grounds.  Yes, together it does take them all to make Juniper Ridge what it is today.

6/20/15 Juniper Ridge’s 1st Wannadinger Party

(Show Low, AZ)

We introduced Wannadinger’s to Juniper Ridge this evening.  Fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries were all on sale so I took advantage.  I already had the Jello pudding and Judy bought the charcoal.

We asked all of workampers plus two other couples who live close by.

This almost didn’t happen because after we got the charcoal in the fire pit we realized we didn’t have charcoal lighter fluid.  We had a little of self starting charcoal so we added them but by then a breeze had kicked up, of course.  Luckily Judy remembered she had some fire starters in her rig and before we knew it we were on our way.

It didn’t take long before everyone had their Grands biscuit worked down over the dowel and had them baking over the coals.



Some got their’s a little too close, but that’s how you learn.


Joy was real happy when hers was baked and filled with pudding and fresh berries and topped with whipped cream.



Dana liked them so much he didn’t just have one or two like the rest of us, he had FIVE of them!  I swear I don’t know how he did it because these treats are filling!



Our other workamping co-worker, Bill, came a little late and got busy real quick making his goodies.



And Dana baked another one……




Everyone enjoyed the company and the stories we shared and the Wannadingers were a huge success!  It was agreed we would do this again.

6/16/15 We Went To Paris but Never Left the Mountain!

(Gay Parie,,,,,nah, Show Low, AZ)

Eighty Juniper Ridge women were transported to Paris today and yet they never left the mountain.

I know this happened because when I entered the door I, along with everyone else was greeted with, “Bon jour madame”. 



We saw the Eiffel Tower!


We enjoyed the offerings of a Patisserie too.



Ok, eighty women from Juniper Ridge didn’t actually get on a jumbo jet and fly to Paris for lunch at a Bistro but it sure did feel like it.

Nine year resident, Connie Myer and a group of wonderful ladies put on this luncheon.

I have to be honest here, I have all the names of the ladies below but I don’t know which name goes to what lady with the exception of a few.  I can tell you that the leader of the group is Connie Myer and she’s fourth from left.


Her helpers are, in no particular order, Sam Zillion, Cindy Labiak, Bev Connelly, Mary Ball, Linda White, Barb Whiteman, Jane Davidson and Mary England.

This event was one year in the planning and Connie made all the decorations and they were fabulous!

The tables.



Connie made every one of these cupcakes out of foam.  Before I got up close I thought they were real.

There was such attention to detail in every single decoration.

Lunch included crepes,,,,

Of course the crepes were made on the spot!

Marmalade Suzette, fresh strawberries and whipped cream for filling, how does one say YUM in French?


Oh, and croissants!  Chicken salad or egg salad filled croissants and fresh fruit.


This event was also a fundraiser.

You had the opportunity to bid on a purse of your choice.

Random shots of the afternoon.








Un bon moment a été eu par tous ? Oui!

TRANSLASTION:  Was a good time had by all?  Yes!