Who Will Find the Baby in the King Cake?

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PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE

Dear Friends, Did you realize that 2016 is a Leap year? There are 29 days in February…an extra day in which to make a difference…in our lives and/or in the lives of others! And with February comes Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras. We’re not leaving Highland Lakes, but we are celebrating with our very own “Parti Gras”! As we head into February, we hope you’ve marked your calendars for our February 2nd meeting. Who needs Fat Tuesday when you can have “Hat Tuesday”? Wear a hat, any hat to the meeting! As always, there will be great refreshments along with games and door prizes. BOOK CLUBS Who will find the “baby” in the King Cake? MYSTERY MONDAY BOOK CLUB In Friendship, Brenda Gustin & Fran Stainback Co-Presidents ------When: Monday, February 29th, 1:00 p.m. Where: The home of Myra Elliot What: February meeting 683 Highland Lakes Cove When: Tuesday, February 2nd, 7:00 p.m. Contact: Lydia Mathis at 205-408-4429 or Where: The home of Sharon Hauser [email protected] for more 2012 Blue Heron Circle information or to be added to the group email reminder list. See the colorful announcement for all the Book: Plum Island by Nelson DeMille details. NOTE: At the current time, the Mystery Monday Book Club is full. If you wish to be added to a waiting list, please and rice. We will be dining there again. Sushi contact Lydia. Village is located two doors to the left of ______Taziki’s in Lee Branch. ______

WHODUNITS CULTURAL ARTS CLUB When: Wednesday, March 2nd, 7:00 p.m. When: Thursday, February 11th, Where: The home of Patti Eppolito 1320 Highland Lakes Trail 205-995-5186 7:30 p.m. Contact: Patti Eppolito at 205-995-5186 or [email protected] Where: Virginia Samford Theatre Book: Plum Island by Nelson DeMille

NOTE: This book club is the evening What: Rock of Ages version of Mystery Monday and meets two days later in the RSVP evening for the members who cannot attend the daytime meeting. The unique quality of Contact: Marilyn Chiaramonte @ 516-244- 1207 the two clubs reading the same book offers members the opportunity to “float” for their convenience and enjoy any social events specific to each club. The The Birmingham Premiere of the Broadway hit Whodunits is open for new musical! Set in L.A.’s infamous Sunset Strip in members. 1987, this jukebox musical tells the story of ------Drew, a boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a ---- small-town girl, both in L.A. to chase their dreams of making it big and falling in love. LUNCH BUNCH Aqua Net, Lycra, lace and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strips last legendary venues, a place where sex machine Stacee Jaxx takes When: Friday, February 12th, the stage and scantily clad groupies line up to 11:30 a.m. turn their fantasies into reality. ROCK OF AGES Where: Sushi Village, Lee Branch takes you back to the times of big bands with Contact: Jackie Dye at 205-408-4312 or big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting [email protected] for reservations even bigger hair! Featuring songs from Styx, or information. Reservation deadline Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, is Tuesday, February 9th. Poison, Europe, and more classic rock bands from the 1980s! This show is intended for We are staying close to home while at mature audiences. the same time support a new restaurant. Don’t let the name bother you; if you don’t like sushi, there are many other delicious menu offerings. ------They will stir fry your own concoction or you ---- may order from the menu. Also, some of the rolls (sushi) are fried. High and I visited last weekend and were pleased with the service and the appearance of the restaurant. It is very attractive. We had beef and noodles and shrimp When: Sunday, February 21st,, 2:00 p.m. Where: Red Mountain Theatre Company KNITWITS

What: Next to Normal Knitwits, the brainchild of Patti Eppolito, is technically not one of the activity groups of the HLWC, but they meet the second RSVP: On or before February 3rd Wednesday of each month in Highland Lakes and any one from the community, in or outside of HL, is invited. This group of compassionate Cost: Special: $49 for two side-section women with incredible skills knit (and seats schmooze) personal items as well as baby blankets, hats, lap blankets, booties to give to needy causes. So if you enjoy knitting, crocheting, or any other needle craft and would A family’s struggle to deal with a crisis that like to get involved with Knitwits, call Patti sends one of them over the edge. See what The Eppolito at 205-995-5186. We will include New York Times called “Breathtaking”, them in our calendar as a courtesy. “Original”, and “Brave.” Winner of the Pulitzer ______Prize and eleven-time Tony award nominated ____ Broadway sensation, join us for the musical Next to Normal. HELPING HANDS

COMMUNITY OUTREACH If you know of anyone in the Club who has been ill and may need a cheery note or has Contact: Jennifer Lackey suffered a loss in her family and may need a 205-67-8331 X1805; consoling thought, please call our Helping [email protected] Hands Chairperson, Terry Marlowe. Terry will be happy to send a card to let her know we are The Community Outreach Committee thinking of her. researches charities in the area, receives Please verify the address because it’s suggestions of charities from members, and possible that the listing in the Member then presents several charities to the members Directory may need to be updated. Terry’s for voting. The four charities that were phone number is 205-704-4111 or 404-384- selected for this year are: Alabama 5378 and her email address is Childhood Food Solutions, 3 Hots & a [email protected]. Cot, Hearts In Hands, and King's Home.

MOM’S EXPRESS IN BETWEENS Contact: Susan Pockstaller 205-910-4970; When: Tuesday, March 1st, 7:00 p.m. [email protected] Where: TBA Program: Author discussion of Guests Behind Mom’s Express handles the Storking the Barbed Wire Service which provides a free meal courtesy of Contact: Marilyn Chiaramonte @ 637-5356 Taziki’s to all new moms. If you are expecting or or have just had a baby (or if you know a neighbor who is), contact Susan who will [email protected] arrange a “stork flight” to pick up and deliver the meal for you. This is an outstanding presentation by ______Ruth Cook, the author of a nationally acclaimed ____ book about the World War II POWs who were encamped in the largest POW locations in the country: Aliceville, Alabama. It is a Teresa wonderfully written history of how the camps came about, how the camps and the prisoners Pfefferkorn affected the citizens of Aliceville and vice versa. This is a program that we believe will interest the gentlemen of Highland Lakes, so Some people who know me will say that I bring your spouse! Refreshments will be have the travel bug. I don’t seem to stay in one place for too long. I grew up in Oregon, and Portland is served. Location will be announced in next where we recently moved from. However, I have month’s newsletter. lived in many states, one of which is Alaska, in the Because we hope to have a nice sized bush, 9 miles up the Alagnak River. The only way group, please RSVP to Marilyn by phone or into camp was via plane or jet boat. I worked at a email at the above numbers. fishing lodge there. One morning as I was headed to work, I happened to look towards the river. It was a ------very foggy morning and something caught my eye. ---- As I was looking at the river, I saw approximately 200 caribou swimming across the river in the fog. BUDDY SYSTEM You could see their breath as they were swimming, and watching them cross the river and jump onto Do you remember walking into a the banks was truly a National Geographic moment Women’s Club meeting and not knowing a for me. single person? Just figuring out where to sit If you ever want to see a grizzly bear, Alaska was uncomfortable! Our Buddy System will is the place. The lodge is built along the banks of the take the sting out of that discomfort. river, and I used to sit and watch a young grizzly If you are interested in being a buddy to bear get in the river, catch a fish, and body surf help a new member transition to the down the river eating it. He would then go back up neighborhood and HLWC, just let Lynnette river and do it again, multiple times a day. Grizzly bears would also walk through our camp most Clemmons know @ [email protected], or nights. One learned quickly not to go anywhere 295-437-3311. We are excited about this alone. Alaska is very majestic and beautiful, and is program and know it will help any new definitely a place to put on your bucket list. member who is feeling a little lost. I lived in CO and raised cutting horses. They ______are extremely athletic and beautiful to watch as they ____ are dancing with the cow. I have lived in WA and CA as well. I am a nurse by profession. I love the whole ACTIVITY LEADERS miracle of childbirth from conception and beyond. It is amazing what a woman’s body is capable of doing. Community Outreach – Jennifer Lackey Being able to share this miraculous moment with Cultural Arts Club – Marilyn parents is a blessing. Most of the time this is a happy occasion, but there is even beauty in helping a Chiaramonte family through their grief. Friendship Tea – Nancy Smith/Sue My husband is the Chief Operating Officer Friend for the Birmingham Zoo. We moved here to Lunch Bunch – Jackie Dye Birmingham for this position. With my husband’s In Betweens –Marilyn Chiaramonte career. We travel to Africa a few times a year. He has a project there where he traps and collars leopards Mom’s Express – Susan Pockstaller and brown hyena to study their migration patterns, Mystery Monday Book Club – Lydia habits, etc. We also have a children’s program where Mathis we go to the poorest rural schools, take school Sassy Senoritas - ????? supplies to them, and teach them about wildlife Whodunits – Patti Eppolito conservation. Seeing these kids’ wide open eyes and big smiles always makes me happy. My husband and I have 5 children, and have found ourselves to be empty nesters this last year. A Glimpse Into the As we are enjoying some aspects of it, it has definitely been harder than we expected not having Life of… the children near. So, we are on to our next adventure which is figuring out he South. We are enjoying learning about Birmingham and the South in general. We have lots of places to explore and supporting one another along the way new friends to meet! are just as much a part of our ------“destination” as anything we expect to find at the end of the road.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 2015 – 2016 OFFICERS 1 2 3

Co-Presidents Canasta Brenda Gustin 2:00 p.m. Panera’s h: 205-821-0587 Parti Gras [email protected] 7:00 p.m. 7 8 9 10 Fran Stainback c: 205-401-8209 [email protected] Knitwits 7:00 p.m. 1st Vice President Terry Crutchfield h: 205-873-3205; 14 15 16 17 [email protected] Canasta

nd 2:00 p.m. 2 Vice President, Panera’s Marilyn Chiaramonte h: 205-637-5356 [email protected] 21 22 23 24

Secretary Lynnette Clemmons Cultural Arts h: 205-437-3311 3:00 p.m. [email protected]

28 29 March 1 2 Treasurer Sharon Hauser Mystery h: 205-995-0196 Monday In Betweens Whodunits [email protected] 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.

Newsletter Editor Marilyn Chiaramonte h: 205-637-5356 [email protected]

Webmaster Sheila Dowd Dear Members, c: 912-245-2725 [email protected] We would love to have photos or commentary about activities or other From The Road of Life announcements. If you’d like to submit something, please get it to me by the 15th of Life is a long walk on a long road. the month. And so we might as well walk it together. As we do, we will find that our Thanks, experiences lifting, encouraging, and Marilyn [email protected]