GHSS CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Yesterday, 19 February, the first day of the Year of the Gdoat (sheep, ram, ewe.... whatever, some member of the family Caprinae that the Chinese know when they see) was celebrated by a festive lunch in Deering Town Hall. The event was sponsored by the Greater Hillsborough Senior Services in collaboration with Ming Du, or eponymous Hillsborough restaurant fame. Crab Rangoon, steamed dumplings, vege fried riced, beef with snow peas, good old General Tso and his chicken made a welcome appearance along with mystery treat,  Buddha's Delight (didn't know you liked tofu, did you!).  A near capacity crowd of around 110 people tucked into the feast while Riley and Morgan Klumb presented each with traditional gifts in red envelops. It looked to me as though everybody had a good time. Certainly , nobody left hungry!  Here are some pictures for your enjoyment!

PART OF THE GHSS PRODUCTION TEAM

...AND FOR MY NEXT TRICK

MORGAN AND RILEY GIVE OUT GIFTS

GHSS PRESIDENT PAT MATHESON

CRAB RANGOON

BEEF WITH SNOW PEAS

STEAMED DUMPLINGS

TOWN HALL READY FOR ACTION

SPRING BASKET RAFFLE

Tell me I'm crazy, but believe it or not Spring is sure to follow these snow storms we've been having in New England. It won't be long before we're planning our gardens. To help you with this, Greater Hillsborough Senior Services has pulled together a very special Spring Basket -- and we are going to raffle it off. This basket will go to the lucky person who buys the winning ticket! Even if you did not win the Powerball last night, you can still win BIG!

What's in it? For those cool spring nights there is a lovely AFGHAN handmade by Lee Avery. A beautiful WREATH for your door, a wooden sign "SPRING" and one with EASTER BUNNIES, a BUTTERFLY PIN and a HEART-SHAPED SLATE WITH A PICTURE OF A BLUEBIRD will announce to the world that Spring has, indeed, come to your home! For your garden there are three large packets of FLOWER SEEDS, a KNEELING PAD to help you plant those seeds, and  you can stand back to admire your garden on the large GARDEN STEPPING STONE that has a picture of a bluebird on it. 

How can you WIN all this? Buy tickets! The more you buy, the greater your chance of winning, but ALL the proceeds go toward  PURCHASE OF A BUS FOR SENIORS IN THE GREATER HILLSBOROUGH AREA AND FOR USE BY THE GENERAL COMMUNITY. So, really, by supporting this you can't lose!

YOU CAN GET TICKETS at SALON 405, TOPPER'S SALON or any GHSS Committee member.  TICKETS are $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. 

THE DRAWING WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 26th.

For more information, contact Gene Gould at 464-4007.

A BOOK RECOMMENDATION

Let Me Be Frank With You by Richard Ford, 2014.

Frank Bascombe, sixty-eight, a retired real estate agent living in a well-to-do New Jersey suburb, has been the protagonist of three earlier books by Richard Ford: The Sportswriter, Independence Day (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and PEN/Faulkner award), and Lay of the Land.  In this fourth book of the series Frank is summing up his life in the post Super Storm Sandy 2012 Christmas landscape.  Maybe it's a response to the stress of the storm; of the near miss -- for him. The thin book is really four long short stories, or novellas, where Frank realizes that he has to pare down his life to what is essential. Words, for example. I was particularly amused when he culled words that "should no longer be useable -- in speech or any form." For example: awesome when it only means "tolerable," no problem when you really mean "You're welcome." "Likewise, soft landing, sibs, bond, hydrate (when it just means "drink"), make art, share, reach out, noise used as a verb ....." In the stories Frank meets, in succession, a man to whom Frank sold his house was near the ocean that was destroyed by the storm; a black woman who many years previously, and after many intervening families,  owned his present home and who needed to expunge some demons; his former wife who now has Parkinson's Disease and is checked in to an up-scale care facility; a not-so-close friend from long ago who is dying. These subjects might seem depressing but in this book they are not. I have read very psychologically complicated reviews in praise of this book in national newspapers but, really, they seemed to be written more for the reviewer than for the potential reader. It seems clear to me that Frank Bascombe is doing what he has to do because he is a  good man. There really is no plot or dialogue here to criticize but Frank Bascombe is maybe not unlike many of us. He has lived more years than are left to him and he is taking stock. He has had a good, fulfilling life, but what does he want to leave? Not material stuff but the spiritual, the essence of who he was and is. He is not making big plans for some future. These stories are not moralizing pieces. The stories are sometimes funny but in them he, or Richard Ford, reviews where he is now, and each of the stories is the story of an individual who has a different claim on him. The ruined house in New Jersey: Frank feels some responsibility for having sold the house that was ultimately destroyed. At the same time he thanks his lucky stars for having left that bowling alley of the ocean. Have you sold a house and felt responsible for at least a while after? I have. Frank had to meet the guy even though he didn't particularly like him. A visit to his former wife in a care facility: We see that he is very happily married and we can see how and why his first marriage ended; it was not all one sided. What we also see is the connection that he maintains with his first wife even after many years. The former wife berates Frank for many things, and Frank argues with himself: "Why am I doing this?" 'Till death do us part?  I don't think that means just within the framework of a physical marriage. He can be quite content within his life but still acknowledge the persistasnce of that first love that gave them children and, a life. In the third story Frank is called to the bedside of a dying guy with whom Frank had been friends many years ago. A long time and, as they do, the two went different ways. But, they were friends and friendship implies some kind of responsibility even over time. Frank lists many reasons why he should not go, or does not have any responsibility to go, but in the end really he has no choice. As with his former wife, he is stung by the confession of a rotten deed done by the dying man, of something done long ago, but in the end it is just that:  something that happened long ago. In the second story Frank turns into his drive to find a well-dressed black woman ringing his door bell. What does she want? He has choices: send her on her way or, find out what she wants. Of course the sit around sharing tea or coffee and talking, haltingly but talking. The woman's family had lived there many years earlier and she just wanted to see the old house. Not quite. Turns out that she was a child when her family members were murdered in the house. She needed to confront that sad reality.  The past is the past. We have responsibilities, ties that are important and inescapable but the past is balanced by  what we do and who we are now, at this moment. 

Most of the dialogue in these stories goes on inside Frank's head.  Race, religion, politics: sometimes humorous and not essentially 'deep,' but his thoughts are authentic and, to me, reasonable. Richard Ford's writing is superb. It is a pleasure to read his phrasing and his choice of words. The book is enjoyable and thoughtful.  I have not read anything else by Richard Ford but as soon as I put these stories down, I bought another of his novels.  I enjoyed this book immensely and think that some of you might enjoy it as well. There is a copy of Let Me Be Frank With You in the Deering Public Library; I am certain there are copies in other libraries.

MAKE TODAY MATTER!

A DREAM COME TRUE!

 Last year TD Bank, which in the past has shown 'customer appreciation,' surprised 24 customers with the opportunity to "make today matter" by funding customers' community service projects. The 24 customers were selected because local TD Bank branch employees and customers pointed to them as persons who would likely have ideas that would be a true gift to the community. The deeds performed in the 24-hour window to #MakeTodayMatter cost approximately $30,000, the bank said. You can see the video at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/25/td-bank-community-service_n_6212508.html

Following is an example of how one of the funded projects met a need that sounds very familiar.

November 4, 2014

Rural Rides Day

Heather in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, CANADA

 

Heather lives in the town of Glen Haven, a rural, coastal community of 204 people near Halifax. She also operates a small retirement home for six elderly residents and is very involved in her community.

One of the biggest challenges in a community this small and remote is the lack of public transit services which makes life challenging for those without a reliable form of transportation. Accessible and affordable transportation is essential not just for its convenience but also for the realities of daily living, such as getting to a doctor’s appointment, taking children to their sports activities or even participating in community events.

Heather is also the director of St. Margaret’s Bay Community Transportation Society, an innovative program working to establish a community-run transit program known as Bay Rides. That day came sooner than planned, when Heather was able to Make Today Matter by providing a new minibus to her community.

After making a stop at a local car dealership to pick up the new bus, Heather couldn’t wait to show it off to the town of Glen Haven. The bus arrived at a lively community event and a very excited group of local residents got on board for their first trip around town.

“This bus will connect the many young people, seniors and families who live right here in the Bay area. We have a really vibrant community, but we just don’t have a way to get around. It’s really a great place to live and I think this will only make it better,” said Heather as she proudly unveiled the new bus.

CELEBRATE NEW YEAR ONCE AGAIN!

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

Once again GHSS joins Hillsborough restauranteur Ming Du to present our ANNUAL CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION, on the first day of the YEAR OF THE GOAT. February 19 at noon in Deering Town Hall! 

We expect a large crowd this year, so make your reservation now by contacting Marie Mogarevo (603 464 4726) or Marie Merrow (603 464 3067).

Suggested donation: $6.00.

We hope to see you there! 

HERE IS THE MENU!



  恭喜发财

  新年快乐
GREATER HILLSBOROUGH SENIOR SERVICES
Chinese New Year Luncheon February 19, 2015

Vegetable Fried Rice 蔬菜炒饭
Buddha Delight 佛陀的喜悦
Crab Rangoon 蟹仰光
Steamed Dumplings 蒸的饺子
Beef with Pea Pods 豌豆荚牛肉
General Tso’s Chicken 左宗棠鸡

Green Tea/ Fortune Cookies/
Sauces (soy, hot, duck, & ginger) included