October 2024 Newsletter

Hi Everyone.

Next Sunday, the 27th of October, the Centre will put on a delicious turkey dinner for some of you. We have nine tickets left for this delightful afternoon of food and entertainment from the Ramblers. I’m sure we will have lots of laughs and a full tummy. Don’t delay getting your ticket I don’t want you to be disappointed. And don’t forget to bring your “TICKET” to gain entry to the dining area. I would hate for you to miss your meal. Doors will open at 11:30.

Turkey dinners are the usual dinner for Thanksgiving and sharing with friends and family. The friends part is the people we know who are like family. I’d like you to think about Giving Thanks all the time, not just on this holiday. I bathe every day, and in the tub I do my Giving Thanks. I thank the powers that be for my family, my husband Bill, our 5 children and their mates, our 12 grandchildren and their mates, and now our six great-grandchildren, with one more on the way in December. I give thanks for my extended family, my friends, my neighbours, the people at the Centre, and for all the volunteers who work on our behalf in many different ways. This week I gave thanks for the doctors and nurses who took care of my husband Bill at our Medical Centre that was built here in Parksville. Bill is fine now, nothing to worry about. Today, I’m giving thanks for all this nourishing rain we are receiving, and I also love the shiny leaves on the trees; red, orange, and yellow, and how beautiful Fall is. I give thanks every day because I live on this beautiful Island in Canada.

So, when your world is all upside down, take a breath, and think about all the things you’re thankful for and whatever the problem is, it won’t seem as bad.

Our next fun event we’re planning for the Centre is Music Trivia Bingo, and it’s on November 23rd at 1:00 p.m. The tickets (60 of them) will go on sale November 4th at a cost of $15.00. There will be prizes, and there will be 2 sets with sweets, coffee and tea in between. If you like to bake, my lovely volunteers, we’d like you to phone the office and tell us what you could bring, and most importantly, we’d like you to tell us if there are nuts in your creation. We have so many of you who bring baking to the Centre, and this is a must for people with allergies. 

We have a granddaughter that has this allergy and became very ill after eating cherry cheesecake. She was hospitalized. There is a pit in cherries and that was the nut that put her there. My daughter Alisa also told me about poultry seasoning; it has nutmeg in it. I don’t have nutmeg in my spice drawer as my cousin Lisa M loves my baking and has this allergy. I will not be using poultry seasoning any longer as well.

If you’re making Christmas holiday plans, the Centre will be closed from Monday December 23rd to January 2nd. In November we will be Christmas decorating and this year we will have a giving tree to help the SOS to deliver gifts to the less fortunate. There will be tags on our tree for you to choose from with ages from baby to teenager. I’ve done this many times over the years and I love shopping for children’s gifts.

Questions? I’m sure someone at the Centre will be happy to help you.

Some of you have told me that you’ve enjoyed my newsletter. Thank you for being so kind. I’ve enjoyed writing it. Many of you at the Centre have become my good friends, and all of this would not have happened if I had chosen not to volunteer. With each newsletter I’ve written I’ve asked for more volunteers, I’d like to get to know more of you so please think of volunteering thank you!

Our winner for this month’s draw is Robin Robinson, congratulations Robin.

We will begin collecting dues for next year beginning on November 25th. I just don’t know where this year has gone.

 Have a thanksgiving month.

Bev Swann
Editor