Lake San Marcos Formal Dance Club

We had our first dance of the year Wednesday, February 17th at the Country Club.  Sandy Rhatigan, the Event Host, selected the theme "Love is in the Air". Isn't that a wonderful title?  It is perfect for our group and the time of year.  As you can see from the pictures, red attire was very popular that night.

Mary Kreis with Event Host, Sandy Rhatigan.  At our club, the Event Host has the responsibility of chosing a theme and organizing all flowers and decorations, selecting a menu and receiving the members and guests.  It's a big job but it can be very much fun.  Sandy happens to be a very experienced hostess.  This was her first event to chair and she did it brilliantly.

Former club President, Carol Alexander with Bill Arnett

Harry loves to get his arm around Terri.  (What man doesn't?)

Renate Engert (center), club Vice President, welcomes new members Nancy Broach and Lori Brennan.

Ken Beall with another past President, Judy Widener.

Art Pedersen, Pat Jordan, Dian Pedersen and her father, Vern Peckham.

John and Katie Andew (she's wearing a stunning St. John gown).

Our Song, the band, played many a romantic tune that evening.

Wayne Widener with the Pallares's, Thelma and Luis.

Mary and Red Coffman. He, too, is a former Dance Club President.

Tom Rhatigan enjoys conversation with Sue Bubnack and the Aikens, Darlene and Wally.  Darlene's in a luscious pink St. John knit.

Virginia and Oscar Zoebisch are two of the best dancers at the Lake.  They will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this year.

Ralph and Irene Johnson.  They shared the presidency of this club a few years ago.

Ducked By My Own Husband

This little duck appeared in my coffee cup Saturday morning. Eli always makes the coffee early and then goes to play golf.  He usually leaves me a little love note.  This time I got a pre-Valentine's Day card that was signed "Quack".

On Valentine's Day we went to a dinner concert at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad.  Jeannine arranged the whole thing for 16 of us (two tables).  It was very nice with a sit-down dinner catered by Festivities, wine and champagne, and a fabulous jazz band with a singer.  Some of us couldn't resist dancing to a few of the tunes.  We all had a wonderful time and thought it was a perfect Valentine's Day event.

Norma and Ken enjoy the pre dinner music.

Our party organizers, Dennis and Jeannine.

Evie and Gene couldn't resist a dance.

Neither could we.

Mary's Champagne 89th

Yesterday was Mary Kreis's birthday and she celebrated in style. She had lunch with her adorable children, Johnnie and Frankie. Then, her choice, she went to In and Out Burger with Bob, Mary Howard and Evie and Gene Williams. Later, Evie and Gene hosted a crowd for what Evie said would only be "cake and ice cream". Ha! It was an elegant, champagne fete and my pictures don't do it justice. Lighted candles and flowers were everywhere along with little platters of decorated heart shaped cookies. Cake and ice cream indeed! Be sure not to miss the video below.

The entrance hall was filled with balloons.

A bowl rested on the entrance hall table for us to place our birthday cards. See what I mean about the candles and fresh flowers? Nobody ever does anything half way here.

Evie greets Katie and Sandy as they arrive.

Judy Widener, Mary Howard and Darlene Aiken always look so lovely.

Bob, Mary, Eli and Ken came ready to party.

Barb and Carol sharing some camaraderie.

Tom Rhatigan in a good humor as usual.

Dennis, Mary and Mike Newman, who lives just down the street from the Williams.

Dave Hobbs with his neighbor Norma Beall.

Evie is very happy to see Linda Rich.

Mary with Sue and Art.

John Lee entertains the ladies (something he does very well).

The champagne bar.

Terri and Tom brought Mary a beautiful birthday bouquet.

A great shot of Art and Dian Pedersen.

Mary's birthday cake. It was delicious.

To prove that I was there, Jeannine took a photo of me with Ken, John and Tom.

Of course, we can't have anything at the Lake without a ducking. Katie found this litle fellow in the guest bathroom sink. She thought he was an Oregon duck (he's carrying a football). However Eli, the authority on college football, said it is a Marshall uniform and helmet he's wearing. Since Tom Strathairn's brother, David, played the president of Marshall University in the movie "We Are Marshall", Eli assumed Tom was the ducker. Later, however, Mary Kreis admitted to this prank. Where on earth Mary got a duck in a Marshall football uniform, I can't imagine.

Sipping champagne are Tink (Terri Strathairn), Jeannine, Sandy and Barb.

Harry Bubnack enjoying himself between Terri and Mary.

Be sure not to miss the video where Mary blows out the candles on her cake...or she tries to, anyway. Click on the lower small arrow below on the left (not the one in the center).

Ducked Again!

We attended a very fun Super Bowl party at the Beall's last night.  Eli won a quarter and $10 in one of the pools.  Mother also won a quarter. The food was fantastic. Everybody brought something. I was stuffed.  I forgot my camera so there are no pictures but it was the usual suspects.  We came home to a shocking surprise on our front doorstep.  The big one is about 12 inches by 8 inches.  They are all new and cost somebody something to do this.  Terri absolutely swears it wasn't them but I still think it was. 

Miscellaneous Items

Not having anything new to post, I will occasionally post old things that might be interesting.  Below is a photo of our twins, Gwen Burnham and Mary Howard.  They are adorable and loved by everyone at Lake San Marcos because they are peppy and have a great sense of humor.  Mary recently had her entire shoulder replaced and recovered without a hitch about as fast as anyone could---and she's in her mid-eighties.  At about the same time, Gwen has a detached retina repaired.  They are amazing.

I took this on the fourth of July in 2005 at Bob and Kathy Balog's house.  I used the photo for a birthday card which I gave to each of them one year.  They are always dressed impeccably with matching glasses, jewelry, shoes, bags, etc.  They look in this photo every bit as much fun as they are in real life.

I took this photo of Sophia at a joint celebration of her birthday and my Mother's.  It was August 18, 2005 at the Lake San Marcos Country Club.  Sophia was celebrating her 4th birthday.

A very pretty picture of Mother taken that same day.  As you can see they got big ice cream sundae's for their birthday dessert, compliments of the Club.

At our very first Yacht Club Halloween party in 2005, Eli and I went as Dorothy and the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.  The costumes were borrowed from Flora Lang and Billy Martin who wore them once upon a time.  Flora's garage is full of wonderful costumes.  I don't think all that straw stuffed around Eli was that comfortable to wear.

Me as Dorothy.  Flora even had sequined red shoes.

In April of 2006 I happened to be out in the golf cart with my camera.  I don't remember what I was up to but I saw this egret walking across Sharon Gallagher's yard.  I stalked it quietly long enough to get this good shot.  Because of the body of water here, we have all manner of fine water fowl to enjoy; swans, blue herons, mallards, geese, cormorants, pelicans, etc.