Off And Running November 30th 2012
It was the night before December when all through the house not a creature (except Flower) was stirring, not even the mouse... OK, it was rainy and instead of golf we did the museum.
Not our picture.... It was rainy and dreary so I captured one from the internet
Tangata For Lunch!
We headed for Tangata for lunch first
It was a rainy day
The Albright Pin Collection
The Albright collection consists of pins that Secretary Madeleine K. Albright, America's ambassador to the United Nations (1993-1997) and the first woman to occupy the position of U.S. Secretary of State (1997-2001), wore before, during and after her years of public service. Shortly after becoming a diplomat, Albright discovered the power of jewelry to convey a foreign policy message. Before long, she began selecting appropriate pins to wear to particular meetings, visually expressing her high hopes, determination, impatience, or warm feelings. The brooches soon became her diplomatic signature.
The collection includes examples of fine art, but most are of the costume variety. Many are by anonymous designers and were selected for the signals they send and the spirit they convey. Sometimes demure and understated, sometimes outlandish and outspoken, these pins were used as gentle implements of statecraft. Their stories and messages reflect the Secretary's sense of humor and her humanity, and are shared here for the first time in a public museum setting.
"I'd wear this bee when I felt like I should float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, like Muhammad Ali," Albright said. "I had it on when I was talking to [former Palestinian leader] Yasser Arafat, who I felt needed to be prodded along a bit in terms of some aspects of negotiations with the Israelis. I'm sure he felt stung, but he didn't make the decisions he needed to in the end."
Off To The Santa Ana Elks For The Christmas Tree Lane Preview Event
Larry Fresch was playing this evening.... With Bill Maloot
Santa and his reindeer were watching the activities
Trees were everywhere... A musical theme
I is watching you
Sue and Frosty
Did You Know? - "Frosty the Snowman" is a popular song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950.
It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year; Rollins and Nelson shipped the new song to Autry, who recorded "Frosty" in search of another seasonal hit.
Like "Rudolph", "Frosty" was subsequently adapted to other media including a popular television special. The song was originally titled "Frosty the Snow Man".
Sam and Brenda
joined us for the evening.... Great young people
Let's Bid On A Tree
Did You Know? - Santa Ana Elks Christmas Tree Lane is an annual event. Each tree is decorated with a theme and associated presents then donated to the Elks. We buy raffle tickets and put then inside the boxes associated with each tree. The boxes are opened and a name is pulled! If they are home when the call comes in, they win! The profits go to the lodge and that enables the Elks to continue giving to the charities and activities of their choice! Have fun and provide assistance to people.... Elks Care... Elks Give
The decorators are really amazing
Every color scheme imaginable
Blue and white & red and green...
The raffle box is actually a plastic container
One third of the total number of trees
Off road Christmas... Clever
Just amazing to look at
The raffle is closing in a few minutes
Last chance to make a selection or two
Back To The Dance
Larry and Bill are getting the dancers on the floor
Gayle is leading the line dance
Moving too fast for the camera
The ladies are on the move
Cat woman strikes again!
Donna and Bob always make for a special evening
Nita and Neal joined this evening... Always a nice surprise!
With these two ... Romance is always in the air
We just taught Neal how to "Patty-Cake"
We advised Neal NOT to try this at home....
Guess who???
Donna wanted to see what Bob would look like with a Paul-like haircut....
Leon was under the weather so Marcia and Paul hit the dance floor and demonstrated the East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, some waltz, and a Cha Cha... All during the same song!
The place was nicely decorated for the Christmas Tree Lane Preview
Did You Know? - A sconce is a type of light fixture affixed to a wall in such a way that it uses only the wall for support, and the light is usually directed upwards. It does not have a base on the ground. The word applies both to traditional forms of torch lighting, but also to modern gas and electric light sources affixed in the same way.
The etymology of sconce is from the Latin absconsus, and the French esconce. It is a word of many meanings, mostly signifying a covering or protection, or, by extension, that which is covered or protected.
Modern electric light fixture sconces are often used in hallways or corridors to provide both lighting and a point of interest in a long passage. Sconce height in a passageway is generally 3/4 of the distance up the wall as measured from the floor to the ceiling, and the distance between sconces on the wall is generally equal to the distance of the sconces from the floor, often alternating sides of the passageway.
The Liles and Zaitz concur on this old saying