Last night was Sandpiper's annual gift exchange. What fun...it was like being a kid again!
As we entered the colorfully decorated pavilion through an arch of Christmas lights elves exchanged the gifts we had brought for a numbered ticket.
We found seats and chatted with our friends while waiting expectantly for Santa to arrive.
First there was a short moving program with Dorothee and Ekerhard, holding lighted candles, singing Silent Night in German, followed by Pierre & Diane singing in French, then Marijanne, in Dutch. We all then stood and sang in English. Lovely.
Santa then made an appearance. I never knew Santa was so small. Candy was showered on all.
Then it was on to announcing the winners in the parkwide decorating contest. There were so many RV's & Mobile's decorated this year the judges had a really tough time. Our judges, who wish to remain anonymous, did an outstanding job. They are fairly new to the park, did not know who lived in the homes they picked. They worked, literally for days. They did walk-bys....they did drive-bys. The revisited sites after making tough decisions just to be sure. They were sneaky about it, too. Making sure nobody saw them. And they worried . They even lost sleep over these decisions, but finally narrowed it down. But even then they had to add some extra categories because the original 6 places just weren't enough. Everyone did a super job in making the park look festive, but these homes were extra special.
RV'S:
The Most Glamorous ***#431 Richie & Judy
The Most Original***#232 Barry & Carol
The Most Colorful***#332 Irwin & Margaret
Special Mention***#627 Lee & Denise
Mobiles:
The Most Extensive***#40 Tony & Sherry
The Most Original***#37 John & Sue
The Brightest***#38 Jim & Sue
Special Mention***#24 Roy & Kathy
Numbers were called, gifts chosen and stolen all evening. The elves and their helpers did a masterful job of keeping us on schedule and controlling the mayhem. I think everyone went home, if not with their first choice, at least with a fine gift. This year there were plenty of restaurant gift cards and bottles of wine & spirits.
What a fun time we all had. Thanks John & Sue, Marijanne, Dorothee, Mary, Margaret & Ellen, all the helpers putting dots on the presents, all the decoraters and behind the scene planners.
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Today, at 2, is the Christmas feast, with hams provided by Karen & Jay. Don't forget your dish to share.
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Then...on Monday, Dec 29, at 10am, the decorations will come down in preparation for the New Year's Eve Dance.
WE NEED HELP!
5 comments:
A very merry Christmas to all!!!
(Just wondering how many will be at a New Years UNEVEN Dance:)??)
You know how many times I read and reread to avoid mispellings and mistakes? And yet...and yet...
Froeliche Weinachten
Joyeux Noel
Merry Christmas
Don't you tink an uneven dance would be a good event for Sandpipers?? Might just start a new fad!!
Proofreading 101
Your good friend and ours, Terry (of the horseback people), used to edit the monthly newsletter for Show Me Acres in Missouri. One month we were having an event that would involve some cost for supplies, to be paid by those who participated. The activity was making a plaster cast of your torso, so in the write-up Terry mentioned "...for a nominal fee." But no matter how much proofreading was done, the newsletter was printed with the phrase, "for a nominal feel" instead!
David211
Dave, was there a long lineup for the torso casting;)??????????
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