Holiday Cocktail Party

What a great time we had!
We missed the ladies who could not make it to that fun filled evening.
The food was very good and the company even better.
We welcomed Susan from Nova Scotia as a new member and said goodbye to Sandie, who, sadly for all of us, is moving back to Ontario.

The delicous food was supplied by the executive. Requests for copies of the recipes have been made and June, in wise anticipation, had already brought hers along for the fabulous
Frozen Danish Torte.

The "New-To-You" Raffle had everyone concentrated on the lucky numbers, but some ladies had trouble finding them,
as they had too many on their hands.

The Master of ceremonies for the raffle:

Luck seemed to be distributed a bit unevenly in the room, though.
It was leaning to this particular corner:Here one of our elves gives our lovely hostess Peggy a hand with a raffle prize.

Last but not least there was a draw for a centerpiece
specially created by Eric White for the Newcomers.
Who of these five ladies would carry home the glittering sleigh?
June had the answer in the lucky bag.

In the end it was smiling Gerd who was the lucky winner.
This was the first time she won in a raffle.

These four elves
(oh no, I mean two elves and two elves disguised as reindeer)
were graceful and competent helpers:

Book Notes Review and January Book

Tuesday, January 10th @ 9:30am
Peggy’s home
Book:

Stones from the River

by

Ursula Hegi

Co-Conveners:
Mary & Roberta

Our young adult book this month was

Catcher in the Rye

by

J.D. Salinger

. The book was very controversial when it was published in 1951 touching on such subjects as depression, impulsive spending, prostitution, homosexuality, drinking and vulgarity. The story is told through the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden is a confused 16 year old who is trying to find his way to adulthood. After getting kicked out of his third boarding school, he heads home to New York City, but before going home he decides to spend 3 days in the city on his own. It’s during these three days that we get a glimpse of Holden in varied situations and his action/reaction to them.

Our group rated this book a 6.5 out of 10. One unanimous comment was that it was not a “page turner” story. Other comments were “actually enjoyed it more than I realized”, “didn’t get into it”, “liked it but found the language repetitive”, “didn’t enjoy it, found it tedious”, “kept reading waiting for the controversy”.

Thank you to June for hosting our meeting and to all the ladies for providing a delicious pot luck lunch.

February meeting is on Feb. 14th at 9:30am at Andrea's house.
The book is

A Very Long Engagement

by Sebastien Japrisot


Suggested Reading:

A Tourist in the Yucatan

– James McNay Brumfield

A Million Little Pieces

– John Frey

Message from the 1st VP

 
  Dear Newcomers,

Season’s Greetings! Yes, it is that time of year and I trust that we are all relaxed and enjoying the onslaught of the Christmas Rush (or otherwise known as “The Silly Season”). I am certainly running behind the eight ball as I have just returned from my home country, New Zealand, were I spent the past month catching up with family and friends. It was wonderful to be home and I have certainly returned refreshed and invigorated.


We have just had our 3rd meeting for the Newcomers’ year. Held on Monday 28th, at Jaime’s delightful home. Thank you, for once again opening your home to us Jaime. This was a great success and I hope that everyone who attended enjoyed this light- hearted presentation from Eric White from the Beyond Design Store. He gave us some very simple ideas for Christmas Tree decorating, hostess gifts and sumptuous offerings for a tea party. Eric also gave us many wonderful poetry readings. He certainly helped to stress that Christmas should be fun and simple!


In closing I would just like to remind everyone that it is only 2 weeks until our own Christmas Meeting. This is kindly being hosted by our

President Peggy Taylor and we are planning a Cocktail evening, as a change from our traditional Christmas Dinner.
This will still include our “New to You Raffle”, for those of you who don’t know what this involves: bring along something that you may wish to get out of your cupboard. For those of you who don’t have any items you wish to dispose of. you may like to purchase candles, napkins etc. Then on the night we sell tickets, how ever many you wish to purchase, then you go around and put tickets in cups of the displayed items you may like to win and of course we draw for the winner out of each cup. If there is any extra information we need to relay, this will be put on our Blog site, so remember to check this site from time to time. Trust you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Look forward to catching up with you all on the 12th December.


Gaye

Holiday Cocktail Party

Monday December 12th at 7 p.m.


After many years of fantastic and not so fantastic Christmas Dinners we have decided to try something new this year.
Please join us for a Holiday cocktail party at the home of our President, Peggy. There will be lots to nibble on so bring your appetites along with $15 to cover costs (any excess will be donated to our Christmas Family fund).
We will have a “New To You” raffle again this year. What is that you may ask? We’ll explain later, just be sure to bring a few dollars for raffle tickets and if you have a nice used item (e.g. candles, decorations, dishes) you would like to donate bring that too.

Please RSVP to Peggy @ 754-7206 or email mapegtay at yahoo dot com

Newsletter Deadline

Please note the deadline for January newsletter submissions is December 20th.

What about a New Year’s resolution
that would keep your newsletter editors
happy for a whole year?

A Christmas tradition

"Any mummers 'lowed in?"

Christmas in Newfoundland means all of the things that Christmas means everywhere else -- presents, good food, visiting loved ones, and taking time to reflect on the year gone by.But Christmas in Newfoundland used to mean much more. In the old days, the 12 Days of Christmas were practically the only days of the year when work stopped. For weeks before the season, pies were cooked, houses were cleaned, boats were repaired, and gifts were bought or made in anticipation for the holidays.Another much-anticipated part of the holidays was a custom that still exists in many parts of the island. If you happen to visit Newfoundland during the Christmas season and a band of masked strangers knock on your door, then by all means let them in. They're called mummers, and they're practicing the old English tradition of visiting house to house in costume and dancing or performing for the hosts.No costume is too outlandish, and the only rule is that the hosts must try to guess who their mysterious entertainers are. If they can't, then they're obliged to offer Christmas sweets and drinks to their guests. If they guess who they are, well, since they've taken the trouble to visit, it would only be polite to offer them something.In the past, mummering wasn't always an innocent bit of fun. Years ago, for example, many mummers carried "swabs," which were codfish bladders blown up like balloons, attached to sticks, and filled with rocks to make them rattle. Passersby were often hit playfully with these homemade wands; sometimes, the hitting was a little less playful. And in 1851, the Newfoundland House of Assembly passed a law forbidding rowdy mummers from parading through the streets of St. John's, the province's capital.Fortunately,mummering rarely results in trouble these days,and everyone joins in on the funof trying to fool your neighbours-- because, as they say,it comes but once a year.

From the

Web

Interest Groups December

Community Volunteers
Wednesday 14th December, 10:00 a.m
At Marlene ’s home

All welcome, call for directions and to confirm.

Co-conveners: Ann & Jaime

We have completed and delivered the Santa Bags for Naomi Centre for their Christmas party this year. The Staff were so very pleased to receive this, and said they had no idea how they would have done this if we had not. A special thank you to Rachel Jenni for the pens she donated, June Anderson for the candies for in the bags, and Andrea Adams for organizing the scarf and scented hangers as well as all she donated to the cause. All those ladies who donated yarn and knitted, you are included in that special thank you. With out all your help this would have been a very big job for our small committee.

Our Christmas Family for this year is a family of three, a mom and a set of two year old twins, (a boy and a girl). The twins do not need outside clothing, but we do have some suggestions for larger, educational toys, for those interest groups who would like to go together to purchase these items. The list was at Jaime’s at the November Social and we will gladly add your name for specific items by calling us. Your cash donations will go towards purchasing Christmas dinner and some extras to get them into the New Year. The December meeting will be a working, social time as we wrap the gifts for the family and enjoy each others’ company. Come join in the spirit of the season.

WE WISH YOU ALL
A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
THROUGHOUT
2006.



Book Notes
Tuesday, December 6th @ 10:30am
June 's Home

Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Co-conveners: Mary & Roberta

Eva is writing in letter format to her husband, Franklin, about their son Kevin. Kevin is currently in prison for committing a mass murder at his high school in Columbine-like style. Eva is now trying to discern where she was to blame, what was wrong with Kevin and perhaps how things could have been different. The author tells us this fictional story through the eyes of Kevin's mother. She is quite introspective as she writes to Franklin trying to give her perspectives of Kevin's life from infancy until that infamous "Thursday"-the day he committed this horrific act.
The discussion of this book was quite a boisterous one. This book was rated a 7 by our group. Some of the comments were that it was very well written albeit a very disturbing story line. Some felt sympathy for the mother and others felt she was 'not particularly motherly and had Kevin for all the wrong reasons. Comments were "overall extremely well written", "read it and enjoyed it but not really my taste in a book-too disturbing", "didn't like the way it was written in first person in a letter format" and "liked the historically true aspects of how the book related to the real school-mass-murder episodes in the USA".

Thank you Mary-Ellen for hosting November's meeting

SPECIAL OCCASION: Christmas Potluck (bring a dish) and bring a wrapped book for the Book Exchange.

Goodbye to Mary and Sandie
RSVP to June if you are attending.


Winter Walkers
Convener:
Peggy

Come along to the MUN gymnasium and join the walkers each Thursday morning at 9 am. We usually walk for an hour, do some sit ups, and occasionally lift some weights, depending on who is there. It costs two dollars to use the WORKS facility track and parking off Elizabeth Avenue is free. Call Peggy for info at any time. Peggy can be reached at 754-7206, or at mapegtay@yahoo.com. Don't miss out on exercise....No excuses, just do it!


Out To Lunch
December 16th
12 noon

For our out to lunch for December, I will host a luncheon at my home.
We will exchange Christmas Ornaments. Everyone must bring a wrapped present valued $10.00.

Reserve before Wednesday 14th.

I will hire staff to help
so we don't have to do a thing.

Menu:

Mixed Greens tossed with Poppy Seed Dressing
Russian Chicken
Japanese White Rice
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Tea/Coffee

$15.00 with wine $20.00

Millie


Couples’ Activities
Convener: Andrea D.

As December tends to be a very busy month for everyone, I don’t have a couples’ activity planned. I hope to organize a dinner theatre evening for late January and details will be in the January newsletter. Enjoy the holiday season.


Hi Tea
This month's First Wednesday Coffee will be held at 1 p.m. at Margarete ’s home. Everyone is welcome to join us for a cup of warm brew, to chat about the day's events and have a lovely time, as the hostess is one of the sweetest ladies around.
Please let Margarete know you are coming.
We always have an enjoyable time at Hi Tea, so bring your friends.


Computer Group
The Computer group is going into hibernation in December. We covered all kinds of topics so far, like emails, internet-search options, picture organizers etc. If anyone is interested in exploring MSWord or you have any other questions that I can help you with or you have found something really cool you would like to share, we can meet again in January on an irregular basis. Questions? Phone or email Pia.

Newcomers Tennis
Fridays, 9-11 a.m.
Greenbelt Tennis Club
114 Newtown Road

Sandi
Roberta

If you are interested in playing social tennis with the Newcomers’ group, meet us Fridays at 9am for a warm-up, playing or lesson from 9:30-10:30. Usually we have a coffee after our session.
All level of players are welcome. For more information contact either Sandi or Roberta co-conveners of Tennis.


Golf Gang
Convener: Marie

Golf in the winter??
Of course! No pun intended, but there it is.
We’ve had a few nice days in November and every year we try to golf at least one or two rounds in December. Our new mantrais, “It’s like hiking with a stick and a bag on wheels”. How difficult can that be? We still like to chant, “we are warm, we are dry”. Watch for your e-mails and keep your toques and golfing mitts handy.



Not strictly newcomers:

Beginners' Bridge
Anyone interested in learning a great card game? Beware that it can be quite addictive! If interest is shown we could start in January, possibly on Wednesday mornings.

Call Vivian.

This would not be an interest group as such as Non-Newcomers might also take part. T


Cross Country Skiing
Once the snow comes I have extra equipment for anyone who would like to try this wonderful sport. If you have your own equipment, would you be free to join me for a few invigorating runs?

Call Vivian


Friday Adventure Touring Group
Also known as the Walkie-Talkie-Munchie Group. This is not a Newcomers’ interest group, but open to anyone who wishes to take part. It is a wonderful way to get to know
St .John’s and the surrounding areas. The group meets every Friday morning at 10 a.m. in the lobby of the Holiday Inn, Portugal Cove Road, next to the kiosk. Just show up and explore!


Film Group
There is a change in time for the film group, as the majority seemed to be more comfortable with a daytime viewing. We usually meet at the cinema entrance shortly before the film begins.

There also is a weekly screening of Art House Films by the MUN Film club. You can read reviews of the films at: www.mun.ca/cinema. The tickets are $8 and you must get there at 6pm in order to secure a seat! ( 7-9 pm screenings).

Please direct confirmations and questions to Basia if you intend to join.

(Editor’s Note: Bookmark the Newcomers’ Website and conveniently use the links to the MUN cinema series or the Empire Theatres)


Games Night
The Games Night will resume in January. So check the next newsletter for the date and place.


Bible Study
10 a.m., Wednesdays December 7th and 14th
Convener: Marie

We’ll have a look at traditional Christmas Carols and try to discover what we’re really singing about !

Gardener’s Forum
For all those who love to rejuvenate in gardening mode. There are quite a few of us so make yourself known, share your interest and find out how it’s done in N.L! This is a group for pooling information, contacts and sources. Get on the list to hear about open gardens in the summer and lunches in the winter! Please contact Karen.


Get Together Crafts
The Craft group will continue to meet every Thursday at Sobey’s on Topsail Road from 9 -12. (just past the Village Mall).
We are continuing our Christmas Card project into the first week of December and will hold a pot-luck brunch to end the year on December 15.

For the New Year we have some tentative plans for an “Iceberg” fabric collage and possibly basket weaving. Our plans depend on the members’ interests and we are always in for new ideas. We want to invite everyone to join our group, there is NO experience required for any of our projects and we also invite those who come to admire our projects or just come for the coffee!

If you need information, give Jaime a call.
Happy Holidays from the Craft Group