I received bad news on Thursday morning(04/17) that a close business friend
had passed away after battling brain and lung cancer for a year. I left the next
morning for Nashville, TN to attend his funeral. I regret not being able to attend the April 19th dance but felt that it was best to go with my boss, Peter (who was a pall bearer for Charles). Hope you all
understand, and my thoughts were with you on Saturday. [Joe
will continue from here about the dance and then I’ll pick up
after his comments.]
>Well, I did my best to fill your shoes Cheryl! (But I couldn’t
dance in those heals.) We carried on without you and had
a very good dance by all reports. There were 165 attending
including many walk-ins. (Whenever possible we DO appreciate
reservations in advance. It helps us plan seating and
refreshments.) It was SO good to see Kathy Blake on the
dance floor again. She really seemed to enjoy coming back
to social dancing. We learned a nice variation on the Cuban
Walks in rumba, and were entertained by the show from
Kathy and her partners. Rico Barr was great— as evidenced
by folks dancing right up to the final minutes. We recycled
quite a few plastic bottles thanks to the participation of many
attendees. I also reminded everyone why we wear the white
ribbons. And now…back to Cheryl!<
I want to thank Norman Thibeault of Fred Astaire Studio
of Worcester, MA for coming up on Saturday, April 5 for the
dance seminar. There was a small group that attended, but
they all had fun and learned two great new steps. ‘Til next
year Norman. Joe and I weren’t able to attend as Sarah had
a Tae Kwon Do competition that morning up in Gilmanton
Ironworks. The tournament didn’t get out until 3:30 p.m. We
went out to dinner. I then told Joe that I needed just a 1/2 hr.
power nap because I had just come back from my China/
Hong Kong trip that Thursday. Well, I went to bed at 7:30
p.m. Saturday and didn’t get out of bed until 8:00 a.m.
Sunday morning! It was just what I needed. I was well rested
after that and back on my “regular inner clock.”
The Outreach Committee consisted of a small group of dancers that performed at the Harborside Crestwood in
Milford, NH. That was our first time there and everyone
enjoyed us. As we were all leaving the residents kept asking
us when we’d return. Remember that you too can have an hour of fun and practice and NHABDA gives you a 1/2 off ticket for any dance (excluding the May Ball). Come join us sometime!
A board meeting was held at the
Hannaford Compound on April 15th (Tax Day and Sue Stevens was able to attend — in between her tax preparation and filings). We’ve ironed out all of the details for the May Ball
This will be a dance not to miss. It
is being held on Saturday, May 10th at
Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH. For
the price of only $20.00 per person you
get appetizers, desserts, coffee, punch,
and a chocolate fountain. Nice evening
to spend with friends. This is a fun night
as we all get to mingle with fellow ballroom
dancers for an hour and then we
dance the night away. Trilogy is the
band but there will be four band members
that evening. (Quadrilogy?) I’m
sure you won’t be sitting down for any
of the tunes that they play. Please note
that we need final reservations given
to Betty Ouellette by Wednesday, May
7th so that I can inform the caterer as to how many are attending. (See enclosed
flyer for more details.)
The Outreach Committee meets
next on Sunday, May 18th at the Warde
Health Center in Windham, NH. I’ll be
away and kicking up my boots in
Sheridan, WY that weekend for a trade
show. Shelly Butera has volunteered to
do a swing with my Joe. Thanks Shelly
for taking time out of your schedule to
entertain the residents. We’ve been there
several times and they’re a fun group.
Please remember that we provide
white ribbons at every table. The ribbons
are to be worn if you are available
to dance with anyone—even if you
have a partner. You don’t have to be a
single to wear one either. It sort of
breaks the ice for everyone.
Finally, kudos to one of our members,
Ellen Zimmerman, for being
named “Best School Nurse in NH.”
Congratulations Ellen!
As always,
Cheryl
