| Monday, November 22, 2021 |
| Monday Motivation “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift.” – Mary Oliver I love the holiday season, especially Thanksgiving. There’s a special kind of joy that happens when you can gather with family and friends, share a meal, and reminisce of times past. There are also those around us who experience this time of year much differently. Their holiday season is filled with depression, hurt, anger, or loneliness. They may have recently lost a loved one, battling severe medical or financial issues, a broken relationship, an estranged child… the list goes on. As we enter this Thanksgiving week, consider adding another place or two at the table for someone who needs to feel the warm embrace of family and unity. It’s a simple gift to give. Even if they don’t accept the invitation, they will likely appreciate being thought of. With no family in town, Carol and I were likely to be alone this Thanksgiving Day and are thankful that we were invited to join a family of dear friends of ours. If we have eyes to see, we will see we have much to be thankful for. A Conversation With… This past week, I started a video series on our YouTube channel (yes, we have a YouTube channel) called, “A Conversation With…” The first guest in the series is Billy Newman. We had a great time chatting and I hope you will enjoy listening to it. If you like it, please click on the little “thumbs up” icon. You can also subscribe to the channel and click on the little bell to be notified when new videos are posted. Click on this link to view the video: https://youtu.be/bfw2lIAJZSg YouTube Channel: Vista Elks #1968 Boys & Girls Club and Gifts for Kids Vista Elks Lodge is providing a Christmas celebration for the Boys & Girls Club, Raintree location, on December 17th from 3-6pm. We will be handing out presents and doing fun activities. We were even granted a surprise visit from Santa Claus! We are actively looking for volunteers to decorate the room and help the kids with their activities. Decorations would be done on December 3rd at 10am. The volunteers for the activities would need to be at the party on the 17th. We also need your help to buy gifts for the kids. 5-Year Olds: 1 Girl, 0 Boys 6-Year Olds: 2 Girls, 1 Boy 8-Year Olds: 2 Girls, 2 Boys 9-Year Olds: 2 Girls, 0 Boys 10-Year Olds: 2 Girls, 3 Boys 11-Year Olds: 1 Girl, 3 Boys 15-Year Olds: 1 Girl, 0 Boys If you can help in any way, it would be much appreciated. Please contact Sharon Heyden at 760-212-2029 regarding gifts and/or volunteering. Tuesday Dinner This Tuesday’s dinner will be a special holiday treat… Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, and all the other holiday fixings. Dinner will be in the Lodge and the cost is just $15. Join us on Thursday night and share a Pre-Thanksgiving meal with friends at the Lodge! Thanksgiving Week Hours This week, the office will have normal hours on Monday through Wednesday and closed on Thursday and Friday. The Lodge Social Quarters and Dining Room will have the usual lunches and dinners all week long, except for being closed on Thursday. Holiday Breakfast Buffet and Elks Memorial Sunday, December 5th will be a special day at our Lodge. We’re having another Blow-Out Breakfast Buffet from 8:30am to 12pm… it’s like a cruise ship buffet without having to pack! The buffet includes an All-You-Can-Eat selection of Omelet Bar, Eggs (your choice), Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage, Ham, Danishes, cookies, and toast, and a Mimosa! The price is just $18! RSVP to Lodge office to save a table. At 11am, we will pause for the Annual Elks Memorial Service, where we will remember all the fellow Elks that have passed away during this past year.You may choose to attend the service without having to pay for breakfast. All Elks are welcomed, in fact, our Sunday breakfasts, as well as the Elks Memorial Service, are open to the public, so bring a friend! Have a great week, friends! ER David |
