Thanksgiving
2012 It's Time To Be With Family And Friends!
Page Created: 11/26/2012 Page Last Updated: 11/02/2024 14:44
We decided to go to Old Ranch and enjoy the day! We began with breakfast (so we could get a good tee time). We invited Brian and Shirley Skeggs to join us breakfast and a round of golf. We played and then headed for home only to return at 3:45 for dinner adding Lorraine, Carri, and Gregor to the party! Life is good. We really missed James and Linda but we understand with Mom up in years, one must stay close to home!
Thank You Old Ranch Staff
Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern
On this wonderful day the staff at Old Ranch Country Club made Thanksgiving 2012 special. From the breakfast staff to the last pour of the evening, the friendliness and smiles made our visit and those of our family and friends a memorable event.
To you and your families, a very very happy Thanksgiving and God bless!
Remembering 2011
We asked our friends what should we do for Thanksgiving.... A resounding "Go To Old Ranch" was the answer!!
Remembering last year..... Brian and Jan are still in the UK this year....
The Day Began With Breakfast And Golf
Magnificent day
Brian and Shirley joined use for eighteen holes
Mighty Sue at bat... See the ball in flight??
The day was magnificent
Shoooooosh as the club breaks the speed of sound
Just putting around
Did You Know? - In 2005, Golf Digest calculated that the countries with most golf courses per capita, starting with the best endowed were: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Wales, United States, Sweden, and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were excluded). Apart from Sweden, all of these countries have English as the majority language, but the number of courses in new territories is increasing rapidly.
Oh oh... We call him "Sandy"
Attack of the ducks
Momma Sue visits with the babies
Brian smashes one over the water and then asks why the baby Pelicans are black and have small beaks
Putting was fun today... The greens were in great shape
Shirley is lining up to make the putt
200 yards to the hole and he makes it.... We were rooting for a hole-in-one
Perfect form
Sue makes the putt
Did You Know? - The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by The R&A, spun off in 2004 from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (founded 1754), and the United States Golf Association (USGA).
The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book:
Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair.
Do we hear mumbling under someones breath????
Quick Change Artists
We headed for home and Brian and Shirley stayed at the club. We picked up Lorraine and returned in about thirty minutes. We had our table waiting in the main dining room cause we were late with our reservations and the last group in this day!
We had the table for eleven in the corner!
We Raced Home And Changed Into Our Dining Outfits!
Greg is getting warmed up for his performance later on in the evening
Quotation To Remember: Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life... a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seedtime and harvest, the ripe product of the year - and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. ~Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)
We were in the dining room and how nice it was... We could all hear
Bill came to life this evening and it was fun fun fun
Our GM Took Control Of The Camera... Did An Excellent Job!
Who was here?
Irene, Ellen, Bill, Herbie,
Carri, Paul, Shirley, Greg, Sue, Brian, and Lorraine
The zoom lens did a great job this afternoon
Notice Herbie and Paul match??
Quotation To Remember: If you count all your assets, you always show a profit. ~Robert Quillen
The Dinner Bell Rang And The Stampede Began
In single file, Herbie leads the way
OK, we are old and we walk slowly
Franko "The Boss" keeps everyone straight
She keeps the "Naughty and Nice" list.... Stay on Megan's good side
Juan... Always a smile
The heroes make a wonderful day for all of us!
Did we say bartender????
Patrick
always with a smile....
He is preparing a "Drinkers Salad"
The joint was jumping and food was disappearing at an amazing rate
Miles of smiles
Christina always a beautiful smile
Smile of the day award... Noemi takes it!
Robert and Christina
Jose makes the kids happy with balloons
"You want the dog how long??"
Chris never let's our glasses go empty
Did We Say Food???
A secret Old Ranch suggestion... Especially at Thanksgiving
Old Ranch was feeding an army this afternoon
The carving station was in full swing!!
Bars to the left... Bars to the right! Fantastic staff can make anything
It's elementary.....
.... and in this corner
Lorraine, Bill, Ellen and Herbie make their second pass
... dessert??
Chicken tenders??? BILL, that's the kids line!
"Hello there.... I am providing adult supervision!"
Brian wonders if there are any baby pelicans being offered??
Turkey, ham, roast beast fly off the carving station
The Old Ranch turkeys are smart.... and difficult to catch
Brian has had success...
and he left crumbs so he could find his way back
Pumpkin pie and whipped cream.... Not a single calorie
Read pumpkin pi
Did You Know? - The number π (/paɪ/) is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. The constant, sometimes written pi, is approximately equal to 3.14159. It has been represented by the Greek letter "π" since the mid-18th century. π is an irrational number, which means that it cannot be expressed exactly as a ratio of two integers (such as 22/7 or other fractions that are commonly used to approximate π); consequently, its decimal representation never ends and never repeats.
The ice sculptures were fantastic
Yum!
Do not make the sprouts angry
The ORCC staff is just simply great
Christina to the rescue
Pedro demonstrates his balancing capabilities
... We go to the same barber
Sea food galore
Franko provides a little guidance to the staff....
Shrimp inside the ice cornucopia
Did You Know? - The cornucopia (from Latin cornu copiae) or horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or wealth in some form. Originating in classical antiquity, it has continued as a symbol in Western art, and in North America is particularly associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.
STOP RIGHT HERE
Did You Know? - Chocolate fountain machines were invented by Ben Brisman and popularized in 1991 by a Canadian company called Design & Realisation, the popularity of which was relatively mild until Design & Realisation began displaying these fountains at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago starting in the early 1990s.
Jay Harlan (an entrepreneur and former Marriott catering executive) collaborated with D & R to introduce the chocolate fountain to the U.S. hotel and resort industry. Jay Harlan's company (Buffet Enhancements International) began distributing the D&R fountain in the U.S. in 2001.
It wasn't long after 2001 that Buffet Enhancements copied and improved the D & R fountain idea and began manufacturing their own American-made version. In 2003, the savvy West Coast company Sephra of California stepped into the marketplace and started selling their own high-end Chinese manufactured fountains.
Sephra modified and enhanced the design of the chocolate fountain to make its operation easier and to make clean-up more simplified. Sephra introduced a variety of accessories for their fountains and they added several size options to accommodate even the grandest of catering events.
Because D & R's fountains were copied and heavily advertised in the U.S. and abroad, it wasn't long before chocolate fountains were the popular choice for catering events from coast to coast.
Always double check the marshmallows
Do not mess with the carvers
Lorraine returns to the scene of the crime
Decisions decisions
Now that is a great piece of meat
Did You Know? - A standing rib roast is a cut of beef from the primal rib, which is one of the eight primal cuts of beef. The entire rib section comprises ribs six through 12 of the animal; a standing rib roast can comprise anywhere from two to seven ribs. It is given the name "standing" because it is most often roasted in a standing position, that is, with the ribs stacked vertically and the vertebral processes on the bottom. An alternative is to cook with the rib bones on the bottom and the vertebral processes removed for easier carving. A standing rib roast, if sliced when uncooked, would yield a number of rib steaks. Ribeye steaks result from removing the bones and most of the fat and lesser muscles (tail).
A colloquial and popular term for this cut is "prime rib". Historically, this name stands out regardless of the grade. In addition, the USDA acknowledges this historical note by not requiring the cut "to be derived from USDA Prime grade beef".
Meanwhile Back At The Table
Sue is having fun with the group
Bill rode in a sidecar one cold evening.... The story gets funnier and funnier
Did You Know? - Mr M Bertoux, a French army officer, secured a prize offered by a French newspaper in 1893 for the best method of carrying a passenger on a bicycle. The sidecar wheel was mounted on the same lateral plane as the bicycles rear and was supported by a triangulation of tubes from the bicycle. A sprung seat with back rest was mounted above the cross-member and a footboard hung below.
A sidecar appeared in a cartoon by George Moore in the January 7, 1903, issue of the British newspaper Motor Cycling. Three weeks later, a provisional patent was granted to Mr. W. J. Graham of Graham Brothers, Enfield, Middlesex. He partnered with Jonathan A. Kahn to begin production.
One of Britain's oldest sidecar manufacturers, Watsonian, was founded in 1912. It is still trading as Watsonian Squire. Automobile producer Jaguar Cars was founded in 1922 as a sidecar manufacturer, the Swallow Sidecar Company.
"It was soooooo cold that in a warm bath the thermometer did not register!"
The one-liners are flying back and forth
Bill explains the size of the snowball
Carri has the giggles
Bill and Sue grew up in the same area... Knew the same places... They might be related!
"The ice rink is still there???"
"My picture with a glass of wine.... People might think I drink!"
Bill has us in stitches! What a fun evening
Did You Know? - To be in stitches is to be in such a paroxysm of laughter as to be in physical pain. The allusion implicit in the phrase is to that of a sharp pain - like being pricked with a needle.
The phrase was first used by Shakespeare in Twelfth Night, 1602.
MARIA:
If you desire the spleen, and will laugh yourself into stitches, follow me. Yond gull Malvolio is turned heathen, a very renegado; for there is no Christian, that means to be saved by believing rightly, can ever believe such impossible passages of grossness. He's in yellow stockings.
Despite the usage in Shakespeare, the phrase didn't become established in the language and there are no other records of it until the 20th century. This entry in The Lowell Sun, in July 1914, is the earliest non-Shakesperian record that I can find:
"There's a new face among the members in Ben Loring, a natural-born comedian, who seems to have no difficulty whatever in keeping his audience in stitches of laughter and glee."
"OK, this is really my first glass...... Fourth pour!"
Herbie slides down to hear what the commotion is all about
This Evenings Entertainment Is About To Begin.... Greg Leach At The Ready
This will be dog-gone-good
"OK OK... I will do it!"
Not Shakespeare?????
Gregor is getting up a head of steam!!
The crowd roars
Part of the performance is done under the table???
Smiles and applause everywhere
Greg has Brian in tears....
Lorraine is thinking "What am I doing here????"
Sue is seeing it up close
Ham anyone?????
What a wonderful evening at Old Ranch
Greg got himself tickled
Good friends and good memories
"STOP! My tummy is hurting from laughing so much!!"
We got the best part of a 45 minute dialog
Greg's expressions are worth the price of admission
Ellen almost fell out of her chair
Winding down....
Pour that man a drink
Brian is still thinking about Pelican babies.....
Friends and fun.... We laughed all evening!
Quotation To Remember: For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, For love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Herbie can't stop laughing
Enjoying life
"Are you sure I cannot take home a few baby pelicans???"
Bill was the life of the party
Quotation To Remember: Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin
So Brian... What do pelican babies look like????
"Stop with the pelican jokes!"
Quotation To Remember: He who thanks but with the lips
Thanks but in part;
The full, the true Thanksgiving
Comes from the heart.
~J.A. Shedd
One Last Visit Required
We headed for Whittier to catch up on other family members.... They had just fed everyone and we in process of cleaning up! We got to visit with Luisa, Mitch, Becca and Zack for an hour or so!
Grandson Zack demonstrates what one antler can be used for.....
Son Mitch finally gets a drink after cooking all day!