Unit 20 ladies luncheon
Carolyn Rota
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, Unit 20’s monthly ladies’ luncheon was held at Olive Garden. Our hostess of the month was Georgia Williamson. Twenty ladies enjoyed the food and the opportunity to catch up with neighbors and friends. Thank you, Georgia, for a wonderful time; your hard work really paid off. Ladies, check your email for an invitation to Unit 20’s March luncheon. Hope to see you there.
Unit 20 monthly luncheon
Carolyn Rota
On January 17 Unit 20 ladies held their monthly luncheon at the Estrella Estates Independent Living in Goodyear, AZ. Our hostess was Julie Aubuchon. We ate in a private alcove and feasted on a delicious meal of crisp salad, breaded pork chops, potato pancakes, spinach and applesauce; also available was a lovely tuna casserole plus a drink of choice and dessert. Upon leaving we were handed some useful parting gifts. Thank you, Julie, our newest neighbor, for your kindness and a great time. Our hostess for February was Georgia Williamson. We ate at the Olive Garden and enjoyed catching up with all our neighbors. The different dishes that were ordered all looked wonderful and so was the taste. Now looking ahead to March, Denise Underwood, Mary Kay Kettleson and Sandy Hoffman will do the hosting. So, keep checking your emails for updates.
Unit 27A newbie artists
Camille Grabb
Was it Georgia O’Keefe’s spirit or the wine and cheese that inspired these Unit 27A artists?
On January 23, the neighborhood ladies gathered for an evening of friendship and fun down the road at The Creative Escape. Artists/owners, Kim and Tom Mraz welcomed the group to their unique studio art adventure. They guided the “newbie artists” through step-by-step instructions and, voila, the skeptical artists who walked through the door with doubts saw their paintings come alive and walked out at the end of the evening carrying their fabulous original works of art!
Focusing on the unit’s usual calm approach to life in PebbleCreek (Ha, Ha!), the painting selected for everyone to create is titled Tranquility. Now, when these ladies need to unwind from the day’s hectic challenges (golf, pickleball or Zumba), relaxing in a quiet room gazing at their one-of-a-kind painting brings them back to their peaceful place and recharges them for the next day. Ommmmm!
Unit 31 lunch
Unit 31 held its first social of the new year at a local Mexican restaurant in January. Everyone had a great time meeting new neighbors and those who’ve lived here longer. Plans are in the works for more get-togethers including happy hours and other activities.
A big thank you to our previous unit reps, Sandy Priebe and Cidnee Lusk.
Unit 39 Men’s Breakfast
Unit 39 Men’s Breakfast was held on January 21, 2019.
Unit 40 ladies luncheon
Sherry Atwater
Unit 40 ladies celebrated the New Year on Friday, January 18 with a delicious lunch at Eagle’s Nest Restaurant. Highlights included the welcoming of four new residents, conversation on holiday travels and a group decision to increase the frequency of Unit lunches.
Unit 42B fundraiser
Jan DeHaven BSN, RN-BC; Unit 42B KB Coordinator
The Unit 42B annual Martini Party was a great success. Unit members were very generous with financial gifts of $2,470 and numerous hours of volunteering for our Kare Bears organization. Approximately 50% of households contributed.
A big thank you to Bob and Ruthette Kennedy for being generous hosts at their lovely home. Neighbors enjoyed yummy holiday libations including the famous “secret recipe” of Terry Rossi martinis while unit chefs provided many tasty treats. Thanks to Kathy Doerwald, Claudia Marlin, Janice Rossi and Ruthette Kennedy who showed their artistic side with the festive decorating and set-up for the event. Joey Arnold was recognized for her many years of service as the Kare Bears unit coordinator. Unit 42B neighbors are pleased to fulfill the Kare Bears mission being neighbors touching the lives of others with the numerous services provided.
Unit 51
Pam Harper
The weather was cool but the atmosphere was warm and friendly as almost 40 neighbors from Unit 51 gathered for a fun and festive Valentine’s Day celebration. The outdoor patio at Dino’s Greek and Italian Grill and Bar in Goodyear was decorated in the spirit of the day with white tablecloths, red heart doilies, helium heart shaped balloons and Valentine’s candy at each seat. Sounds of laughter and good cheer filled the air as friends shared a relaxing, uplifting afternoon with drinks and appetizers, followed by an early dinner of Greek and Italian dishes. Everyone joined in the happy spirit of love and friendship as our unit celebrated another fun get-together.
Unit 52 brunch
Liz Gibson
Unit 52, AKA the party unit, enjoyed a sold-out brunch at Eagle’s Nest on Sunday morning February 10. Our first official party of the year, it was a festive event with lots of chatter and table-hopping.
Social Chair Rhae Jean Magnuson introduced her enthusiastic committee for the year: Sydney Nations, Kaye Corrigan, Karen Berner, Roxann Sykes, Donna Strand and Sandy Burris.
There are five more unit parties in the offing this year; March, May, July, October and December. They include an evening cruise, a potluck, a common area party and a festive event at the Tuscany clubhouse. There’s something for everyone and we look forward to another fun year.
Unit 53 luncheon
Sandy Stephens
Joan Bourassa and Melody Bunkers hosted the January luncheon for the Unit 53 gals on January 25 in Joan’s home. Twenty-five gals brought lots of great food and the weather was perfect for sitting outside. The gals all enjoyed being able to visit with each other at Joan’s rather than sit at a long table in a restaurant. Melody purchased 50 nice white plastic dinner and dessert plates that will now be loaned to the hostess of the next luncheon along with quality cutlery that Joanie donated. So now there will be dinnerware in our unit!
Unit 53 R.O.M.E.O. luncheon
Richard Lundgren
On January 18 Unit 53 men held their second R.O.M.E.O. luncheon at the Haymaker restaurant. Everyone had a great time catching up on all the happenings in Unit 53. These luncheons are a hit with the men with more to come. Present were David Kennedy, Tom Donlan, Jeff Braun, Dean Bunkers, Richard Lundgren, Dave Valentini, Tim Rollogas, Duane Warden, Ray Nowakowski, Gary Baker, Dan Roberts and Phil Jones. February’s luncheon will be at the Claim Jumper.
Unit 62A January adventures
Barb Downey
January was another great month for the residents of Unit 62A! We enjoyed our monthly events: Men’s breakfast at TJ’s in Avondale; Ladies Lunch at Amuse Bouche in Surprise; bi-weekly games of Hand and Foot and St. Mary’s Food Bank volunteer day, where we sorted many, many skids of incoming donations!
As a group, we visited the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix and had a fascinating tour with breathtaking views while learning the history of the Wrigley and Hormel families. The highlight was seeing and hearing the world’s only remaining, fully functioning Steinway player piano, valued at eight million dollars. This antique treasure had such vibrant sound as we listened to Rhapsody in Blue, with the paper rolls recorded by George Gershwin himself.
Twenty ladies attended a very informative discussion on skincare and facial tips and tricks, at the home of Debbie Clinkinbeard, presented by PebbleCreek resident Judy Parker. We learned the do’s and don’ts of skincare as well as permanent makeup options and each of us had our skin checked for its current moisture level. Several ladies-only Bachelor watch parties were held at the home of Patti Trapp and were attended by those ladies with a “serious” interest in watching the show!
Our January Happy Hour was held at the home of Lynn and Bruce Banks and was, as usual, a fabulous, well-attended gathering of neighbors! Everyone brought an appetizer to share and we feasted on savory delicacies and various libations! The weather was mild which afforded us the opportunity to enjoy their wonderful patio, too!
Another fun Game Night was hosted by Pat and Steve Gonzales (Family Feud) and Dawn and Mike Razem (Pictionary.) We had so many laughs as we challenged each other in our usual highly competitive fashion. At the end of the evening we all gathered at the Razem’s home to enjoy chocolate fondue and many other sweet treats! We finished the month with rousing games of Mexican Train as we had three full tables of players vying for the best score. Another wonderful month of activities for the residents of Unit 62A! Looking forward to seeing what next month brings.