Hanukah/ Christmas Celebration

Randal and I decorated our livingroom for the holiday season

Our first holiday celebration in Osoyoos took place on the 7th night of lighting of the Hanukah candles. Randal and I invited two couples in for refreshments and an explanation of Hanukah. They are from Saskatchewan and like us are first timers at NK'MIP RV Resort. They had not heard of Hanukah so found it very interesting. The six of us spent an evening of good conversation and laughs.

The Snow Birds of NK'Mip Resort compose a photo album to help identify each other. Randal shaved so he could look his best. They held two turkey suppers two weeks apart. Although we did not take part in the festive meals, we were told they fed 130 people. Now they are gearing up for a New Years Eve Party. I wonder how many will be up to see 2015 in!!

After Christmas we drove north in the snow to Kelowna to be with Kerry Hilderman's family.Our host were Terri and Trevor Budworth.

Terri with a guest dog

 A delicious turkey supper was enjoyed by all. In the evening a hot card game took place. 

Lynne, Lexi and  Kerry 

Janet, Kaney Elliot, Lauris, Kerry and Nikki

Elliot, Kaney, Lexi and Nikki 

             Second cousins enjoyed seeing each other after a day at the ski hill. 

A Canadian Snow Bird Resort

Full Time RV-ers who decide to spend the winter in Canada.

The place of choice is Osoyoos BC.

NK'MIP RV Resort

  The days are usually sunny.

Joining the 150 other Full Timers has been an eye opener.  

Starting in late October the Snowbirds get settled in.

The activities start with a weekly coffee meeting.

A calendar of events and phone list are handed out.

Sign up notices are posted of each event.

Exercises, games, crafts, music, line dancing, wood working, walking trails 

happy hours and meals.

Rattles snakes warning signs are poster around the resort.

 

                                  

Osoyoos Coyotes Hockey Team

 Instruction on how to insulate the RV

      

Even the rain and freezing temperatures are tolerable.

There is no need to be a couch potato

Apple Cakes

Randal and I have settled in for the winter in Osoyoos, BC

There are plenty of apples being picked here in the Okanagan Valley. In the apple orchards many have dropped off the trees. I purchased a bag from a fruit stand and made apple sauce and an apple cake.

I dug into to my recipe file box and found a copy of one I used many years ago while baking for the Regina Hadassah Trade Fair and Bazaar. It was one of Goldie Fruman, a senior member of the former Regina Chapter of Hadassah-WIZO.

Goldie Fruman and her team of friends baked up a storm during the 1960s and 1970s for the bazaar. Not only did they make apples cakes, they made apple strudel, bagel, cinnamon buns, and bread. Many hours were spent in the kitchen in the Victoria Avenue Synagogue.

Back then I was a new to Regina Hadassah-WIZO and volunteered my time in the kitchen. I learned new recipes as well as the art of massive baking and how to clean up after a day of baking for bazaars.  

Remembering Florabelle Cherry z”l 

November 12, 1932-September 9, 2014

“The world just got a little less interesting. Opinions will never be as strong, arguments never as fierce, stories never as long since Florabelle "Baubie" Cherry left this world the evening of September 9th. She was 81.” Written by her grandchildren for her obituary.

With a heavy heart I write this tribute to the memory of a mentor and dear friend.

Beth Jacob Synagogue Board of Director 1980s:

 Standing: Leonard Reinhorn,Fred Wolch, Noel Sandomirsky, Norm Bercovich, Van Isman, Michael Yaffe, Abe Ziesler Seated: Mendel Reiner,  Florabelle Cherry, Nelson Sunshine, Jerry Birstein, Issy Steen, Lorraine Birstein, Toby Meirovitch  

Our path crossed many years ago while working on fund raisers for Beth Jacob, Regina Hadassah WIZO and Sisterhood, or organizing other Jewish Community events.

Honouring Mary Gettle

Standing: Bonnie Belzberg, Vancouver, Lorraine Martin, 

Steated: Florabelle Cherry, Mary Gettle, Ellen Mossny  

During very intensive baking days in the Synagogue kitchen, we had Mary Gettle  on the team. Mary was one step ahead of us by coming in very early on these days. Along with other volunteers we worked for hours, planning, ordering, preparing, serving and cleaning up afterwards, ending the days totally exhausted. However, we always had time to go out to eat afterwards giving satisfaction of our toils. Florabelle was the 'Counter'. Every thing had to be counted, Hamantashen, matzo-balls, knishes, meat balls, chicken pieces and you name it.

A quote from my soon-to-be- published autobiography, 'Notes and Clippings':

“Baking for weekly Sabbath Kiddish, Community Passover Seders, Purim Hamantashen, Hanukkah and luncheons. Keeping the kitchens kosher was ongoing and with the helpful knowledge of Florabelle Cherry a 'How-to Keep The Kitchen Kosher' booklet was printed and hung in the kitchen'

When Beth Jacob Community moved to the new Synagogue Florabelle took up a position in the hallway to direct traffic to where the boxes needed to be put. Somewhere in the Beth Jacob archives there was a picture of her taken with her arms out pointing in the direction.

Lorraine and Florabelle

In 1999 Florabelle and I were nominated for Women of Distinction, sponsored by the YWCA. She was for her Regina Community Educational Volunteer work and I in  Health and Wellness. We  were truly honoured even if we did not make it to the short list.

Regina Hadassah-WIZO would not have run as it did without Florabelle's input. She was on every committee putting details to the projects. Her system was set up to follow and boy did that make things run smoothly. When it came to sending out the invitations she took the job of organizing the labels and sticking them on the envelops.

Florabelle and I flew to Toronto or Montreal to many Canadian Hadassah-WIZO National meetings or to other cites to attend Conventions. We always shared a room. When a third person shared with us, Florabelle and I shared a bed rather than adding a small cot. I remember one time when Glynis Mervitz was the third person. There we were settling down for the night, Florabelle in her night cap and I with a sleep mask, in one bed and Glynis in the other bed. I said a sweet good night to Florabelle and started to laugh at the way we looked. It was such a side-slitting laugh that Glynis did not know what to make of it. Another time when Florabelle and I shared a room, she started to read before going to sleep. Seeing her light was still on during the night, I woke up several times. She was in the same position every time and appeared to be still reading. When day light came she was wide awake. I wondered if she slept in that position all night.

RHW 90^th Anniversary 2012      

R to L Standing: Clara Polster, Penny Wolfson, Marguerite Suchet, Roberta Swetlow, Sherril Brooks, Marci Frid, Helen Reiner, Marla Dan, President, CHW 

Seated: Glynis Mervitz, Barbara Cutler, Naomi Lyman, Florabelle Cherry, Irene Farberman, Lorraine Martin  

Another quote from my soon-to-be- published autobiography'Notes and Clippings'

“During these past few years the members are ageing and fewer members were able to step up to help keep the organization together. Fund raising projects were kept few in number and simple to organize. Dinner meetings are held in restaurant in order to keep the social aspect and camaraderie up. The co-presidents, Florabelle Cherry and Roberta Swetlow kept the chapter active.”

May 31 2015 

Rabbi, Cherry family and friends: 

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to honour the memory of Florabelle Cherry z'l  at Regina Hadassah-WIZO's Annual Campaign Brunch. I do appreciate being asked to give this tribute. I speak for so many who knew her.  There is so much that can be said about Florabelle. Helping others was so ingrained with-in her that her heart and soul was in everything she did. Education was her field of interest. She came with a great deal of knowledge, wit and humour. She was able to get cooperation because of her experience as a teacher, including her knowledge and talent for bringing out abilities and interests that were already within us, but hidden,  and by mentoring  rather than doing everything herself.  After her retirement as Special Educator with the Regina Teachers Association she turned her energy to the Regina Jewish Community. Many long hours were spent organizing, cleaning, baking, teaching and whatever it took to get a task done. When Florabelle asked for help specific instructions came with the request.  We especially felt this with-in Regina Hadassah-WIZO. Florabelle became very active with it's administration and fund raising projects.  She was always open to suggestions on how to improve things. She could visualized how the best way to organize a project.  Florabelle held the chapter together over food.  We held many luncheon meetings and spend hours at a variety of Regina Restaurants. She attended and participated in the decision making of Canadian Hadassah-WIZO  at the national meetings and conventions. She was well respected for her input. She gave willingly of her charitable money  to help the health and education of families in Israel. Her contribution has been sincerely felt by so many.

I, for one, miss all the conversations and hard work Florabelle and I had. 

What cherished memories!

Green House

The weather does get cold here in North Carolina and often freezes. In order to protect the young winter plants the green house needed to be insulated. Leon and Jonathan were busy working on it.  

 The lettuce, kale and other greens are protected during the colder nights. Jonathan is in charge of starting the seedlings and care of the gardens.

The recycling of out-dated solar panels were used lined with insulation for warmth and reflecting the sun rays to keep the greenhouse warm. There are doors and windows that can be opened on warmer days.

Lorraine with Leon and Jonathan 

It is so nice not to have to buy fresh greens in a supermarket. These organic products grown on Full Circle Farm provides the family with everything they need during the winter.

Family Gatherings

Geni Lorraine Leon 

Lorraine Kayla Leon Geni 

Grandma Lorraine and Kayla

“Screw and Nail Sorters” and White Buckets.

Leon was working on his work shop, preparing the floor for the cement. 

He has many white buckets filled with things that needed to be sorted.

Lorraine and Kseniya

Randal 

For a few days Randal and I worked a couple of hours in our new tittle of “Screw and Nail Sorters”. We worked in the warm sun and in the completed building.

Kseniya, a young lady who lives on the farm, also assists with many tasks Leon assigns to her.

I learned that different sizes was not the way to sort the screws but what function each one has. Now I know what a dry-wall screw looks like.

A Savannah Maintenance Project

In early December it was 19ºC. It felt like a spring day when we drove to Full Circle Family Farm from our camp site in East Asheville KOA, Swannanoa near Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Whenever we go to the farm we offer to help out in some way. Leon gave Randal and I the job of racking leaves off the newly planted grass in the field near the chicken yard. 

Leon called it his “Savannah”

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses. The oak savanna is a common type of savanna in the Northern Hemisphere. Some classification systems also recognize a grassland savanna from which trees are absent. This article deals only with savanna under the common definition of a grassy woodland with a significant woody plant component.

It is often believed that savannas feature widely spaced, scattered trees. However, in many savannas, tree densities are higher and trees are more regularly spaced than in forest. Savannas are also characterized by seasonal water availability, with the majority of rainfall confined to one season. Savannas are associated with several types of biomes. Savannas are frequently in a transitional zone between forest and desert or grassland. Savanna covers approximately 20% of the Earth's land area.

Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as contiguous areas with similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals and soil organism and and are often referred to as ecosystems.

Randal and I racked a large portion of the field and throw the leaves into the chicken yard. They were happy and began to scratch an spreading them around. 

Crafty Wednesdays.

Every Wednesday a craft day is held. Groups of interested people who live in the Earthaven Eco Village area meet at homes to enjoy the camaraderie and sharing crafty ideas. I attended a couple of them with Geni and Kayla.

In November one was held at Rainbow's home, a 20 minute walk along Rosy Branch River in Rosy Branch part of Earthaven.

When Prince Otter, Bethany, Geni and I arrived Kayla and her friend, Katie, were already there. Kayla walked over the mountain and Katie lives nearby.

Rainbow has a earthy-home on a hill over looking the river in the valley below. She is very artistic and the house filled with her creations as well as signs posted with heart-warming sayings hanging on the tress along the pathway. She is Danish was has been living in Rosy Branch for some years now with her Jewish husband.

Everyone was offered tea and snacks and then settled in with their crafts. I did some colouring on Geni's bee-labels for her honey jars. Kayla was decorating hair clips, Katie was crocheting, Bethany doing art work and Rainbow decorating sweaters with contrasting yarn pieces. Later Lisa dropped by to join the group. She worked on a wool blanket, mending it. Prince Otter visited while others were busy. 

In early January Geni held a Crafty Wednesday. She was surprised to see number of adults and children arrive, men and women. The house was packed. It stated at 1:00 pm and lasted until 3:30 pm.

Crafty Wednesday is a good venue to gossip, get ideas, tell stories, snack and laugh. 

Every one had a project, knitting, crocheting, beading cutting out colourful pictures or writing.