Category — Waterfront Women

The Waterfront Women’s Club met on Wednesday, April 14, for an English Tea Party.  Many of the 50 ladies in attendance (members and guests) wore their “Sunday finest”, complete with hats (Queen Elizabeth would have approved!), and it looked like everyone was headed for the Kentucky Derby or a fancy garden party.   Ann Shelton and Cheryl Morrison gave us many new facts about the history of tea, from 2500 B.C. in China (the first use of tea as a drink), up to 1904 America and the introduction of iced tea and tea bags (we Americans are so inventive!).    We learned about low teas and high teas and how to brew and serve the perfect cup of tea.   Ann and Cheryl shared their teapot collections with us, and told us about Tea Nirvana and other places to buy tea or tea accoutrements.    They also provided small recipe books for everyone, so that we could host tea parties of our own.  As Ann and Cheryl said, “Tea is all about friendship, relationships, and hospitality”.

In keeping with the tea party theme, the lunch menu included tea sandwiches and scones, clotted cream and lemon curd, a salad bar, and of course, hot tea.  The tables were decorated by Judy Smith and Paula Dietrich with lovely rose arrangements in delicate tea cups.

Be sure to mark your calendars:  For the May 12th meeting, our very own Sharon will show us the art of folding napkins and table decorations.   Also, the nominating committee will be proposing the new slate of officers.

Dues are now being accepted for the next year.  Please be sure to get your $20 to Kathy Skelton, Treasurer by June.

WWC wants to welcome a brand new member: Laurie Hall.   We are so glad to have you with us!

Forty-eight women attended the March 10 meeting of the Waterfront Women’s Club. Pende Ford and Ginger Sienkowski, had done a lot of “road work” to give us all tips on places to see around Smith Mountain Lake. They described day trips to wineries and new eateries, picnic spots on historic plantations, scenic drives, shopping excursions, and jaunts as near as Moneta or as distant as Winston-Salem, NC.   Brochures, maps, and driving directions were generously provided.   Pende and Ginger gave us all the information we need to explore new locations, entertain family and friends (and grandchildren), and expand our horizons.  Several members were planning their own road trips by the end of the meeting.

Lunch for the March meeting included a choice or a Reuben sandwich or a spinach salad with grilled chicken, and for dessert a spiced baked apple.

Kudos go out to Barb Hofelich for her hard work in arranging the wonderful programs we’ve had this year, and to Judy Smith, Breda McAuliffe, and Paula Dietrich for the gorgeous table decorations!   Many thanks for making our days brighter!

Three cheers for our President for the past 3 years, Mandy Martin! With her enthusiasm, our membership has grown to 91 lovely ladies. As they say, the more, the merrier!

Our next meeting is scheduled for April 14, 2010 at 10:30.  The theme will be “An English Tea Party”.  So ladies, wear your fancy duds and a hat, if you so choose, and bring a favorite china cup and saucer.  Assorted teas will be served and lunch will include a salad bar, tea sandwiches, and scones.  There will be a presentation on the proper ways to steep and serve tea.

Just a reminder: The new year for Waterfront Women’s Club (2010/2011) will start in August.  Dues for the upcoming year ($20 per member) will be collected in May and June.

Good weather (for at least this one day in January—the 13th) brought lots of ladies out to catch up with each other on holiday happenings and to get some very good tips on photography.  Ed Winterstorm told us how to use some of those confusing knobs on digital cameras to create very special effects. We learned about shutter speeds, fill-in flash, blurring the background, macros, and picture composition. Ed shared lots of tips on how to photograph wildlife and even how to use a “spritzer” to put that special gleam in a photograph. Ed used his own photographs to explain how slightly different camera settings or picture alignments can make or break a photograph.  Ladies, we have no excuses now! Go out and try your hand at capturing some special memories on film (or at least onto a memory stick!)

Tom Hofelich and Steve Smith of SMLA provided the computer equipment for the PowerPoint Demonstration, and reminded everyone how important it is for lake residents to join SMLA.  Many thanks for their time and efforts!

February’s meeting, held on Feb.10, was a game day.   This meeting was well-attended (>45 members), many of whom were happy to get out after so many days of being trapped at home by winter storms. Lots of different games were played, and prizes were given to the winning contestants. One of the favorites, but also one of the most difficult, was a “Match Game”, where the ladies tried to match baby pictures to their corresponding WWC member. This proved to be a great way to share stories from long ago (well….not all that long ago, because we’re all just 29 with a few years of experience), but it took a few hints to make some of the correct matches. Lunch featured soup, salad, and chocolate pecan pie, and the table decorations included red roses in honor of Valentines Day.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10, and will feature a lecture topic presented by Pende Ford and Ginger Sienkowski on “Things to Do and Place to See In and Around Smith Mountain Lake – including local Virginia wineries”.

The Waterfront Women’s Club held it’s annual Holiday Dinner dance at the club on Wednesday, December 9, 2009.   Over 130 people attended; the largest crowd ever!

There was a cocktail hour from 6- 7 pm that allowed everyone to greet new and old friends, admire each other’s sparkly holiday duds, and chow down on some wonderful appetizers.  A buffet dinner offered something tasty for everyone: salads, carving stations, seafood, potatoes, vegetables, and those ever-so-tempting desserts.   The evening just kept getting livelier with dancing (including some impressive moves during the group “electric slide”) to the music by DJ Brent Cleinvell, and the conversations kept going on until we virtually closed down the club.   I think it’s fair to say that we did a good job at spreading some holiday cheer!

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 13, starting at 10:30 am for a few minutes of socializing prior to the lecture.   The topic for January will be “How to take winning pictures with a digital camera”, so be sure to attend this one to get tips on how to capture those treasured shots of grandchildren, pets, etc.

Also, just a reminder that the February meeting will not have a speaker, but will be a “game day”, complete with prizes for the winners of the various contests, so be sure to mark Feb. 10 on your calendars.  One of the contests will be a “match game” of current members with their baby pictures, so this should be a real conversation-starter.

The November meeting of the Waterfront Women’s Club, held on November 11, 2009, was well-attended, and featured guest speaker, Yvonne Henderson, from “Blooming Buds”, a local florist in Moneta.     Ms. Henderson specializes in roses and helped several members to make their own centerpieces.    Not only did the attendees learn how to best use these beautiful and fragrant flowers, but everyone was also given many tips on floral design and arrangement.

The lunch featured a chili and baked potato bar, green salad, and for dessert,…..what’s the perfect accompaniment for any meal in the month of Thanksgiving feasts?…..yep, that’s right, pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Mandy Martin, WWC President, sent out email invitations and reminders about the Holiday Dinner Dance, scheduled for Wednesday, December 9.   Cocktail hour starts at 6 pm and dinner at 7 pm.   A very special DJ, Brent Cleinvell, from the “Kings” will be “spinning platters” (for those of us old enough to recognize the album reference) for everyone’s listening enjoyment and dancing.   Deadlines for reservations (call or email Mandy Martin) and pre-payment (get checks to Kathy Skelton, Treasurer) is December 2nd.   So, get out your holiday duds, come ready to “make merry”, and don’t miss out on this terrific holiday party!