February 1, 2021 Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
In February we celebrate Friendship Month and Black History Month. We also celebrate Valentine’s Day. These are good times to reach out to our many friends and to learn more about the history of our brothers and sisters who might be a little different or the same as us. Because of the Friendship Force clubs all over the world, we are so fortunate to be able to share our lives with others through our travels and hosting. I hope that you are all taking advantage of the virtual tours and meetings that FFI is offering us to learn about one another even if we don’t leave home.
Our Sunday/Funday was a great success at the Ozona Blue Grilling Co. in Palm Harbor. We had 23 attending, and four were new members. This was a great opportunity to get to know one another. As promised, there was an outside tent with heaters. They had large round tables with four chairs at a table. There was a great variety of food; appetizers, sandwiches, and full dinners, whatever you cared to have. The service was wonderful, and we all had a good time.
Our February meeting will be a Zoom Meeting on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2:00 pm. Marilyn Whelan has scheduled Dr. Luke Williams who will speak to us about keeping healthy when traveling and what to have with you in the event of an emergency. See Special Membership Meeting article below for more information. If you need help learning about Zoom, contact me at [email protected]. It is very easy.
Our next gathering will be our Sunday/Funday on Sunday March 7. We are working on finding an outdoor place that will be safe for all attending. Our regular March meeting will be on March 20 at 2:30 pm at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. This is the first day of Spring, so we hope for some good weather. Gena Cameron, your president-elect will oversee that meeting, and she will be teaching those who would like to learn, how to paint rocks. We hope to put a decorated rock in the goodie bag that we give our Ambassadors coming in from Montana. In the March newsletter, you will get details for this meeting.
Some of you have not been reading our newsletter, and this is important to keep you up to date with our meetings and such. Please let us know, if you are not getting the newsletter or if you need to be reminded in a different way.
As I suggested at the beginning of my letter, reach out to someone this month even if it is a Valentine’s Day card or email. Let someone know that you are thinking of them and that you care. FYI–we still need some help with the Raise the Roof donations. If you would like to contribute, a donation of even $10 will help us meet our goal.
Your club president,
Jane Lee
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Special Membership Meeting in February
by Marilyn Whelan
Our meeting this month will be held at 2:00 pm and not 2:30 as usual. We have a special program; Dr. Luke Williams will speak on How to Travel and Stay Safe. A number of other clubs have expressed a desire to join us, therefore; we will have our meeting as a Virtual Experience through FFI headquarters. This means you will go to the FFI website and register for the meeting (Virtual Experiences). Our program is not currently listed on the FFI website, so you will need to look for it closer to the meeting date. After you register, you will be sent a link to the meeting.
Only FF Florida Suncoast members will be on the site from 2:00 until 2:15. Guests will be sent to a waiting room. This means our meeting will be private. Others will join at 2:15 for the program. We are encouraging you to invite others to take advantage of this opportunity. Just tell them how to register.
Dr. Luke Williams will share tips on traveling in a safe way. Luke Williams, known fondly by patients as Dr. Luke, is a board certified physician practicing concierge medicine in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Dr. Luke has extensive internal medicine training, primary care and urgent care experience.
He is a born-and-bred Georgia Bulldawg from the small farm town of Donaldsonville, Georgia with an affinity for the fine white sand and invigorating power of the Gulf of Mexico. He enjoys fishing, paddle boarding, diving, boating, playing basketball and golf, watching the Dawgs, spending time with his family, and serving others.
He also travels to Honduras with the Christian mission group IC13 to provide medical services to remote villages around EL Progresso and San Pedro Sula. Some of his happiest, most fulfilling life experiences have materialized through these missions.
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by Betty Oldanie
Our sincere "Thanks" to all who donated to our "Raise the Roof" campaign. We have been able to purchase ceramic shingles for the roof of the quadruplex, as these photos show. Now the structure needs to be winter-proofed to keep it rigid and sturdy, during the harsh winter months. However, we are still short of our $5,500 goal, so any additional donations will be greatly appreciated.
These words of thanks and appreciation are from our friends in Romania:
All of us at Habitat and our Partner Families are very grateful for your ongoing sustained effort of fund-raising. We know it hasn't been easy sacrificing your time and resources. The fact that you persevered even after encountering hardships is an inspiration for all of us. (Most people would have abandoned the idea altogether after realizing how hard and time consuming it is.) Please send our warmest regards to all donors. Thank you for not losing faith in our Project!
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Please Welcome Kathleen Jamison
by Gena Cameron
A warm welcome to Kathleen Jamison, a world traveler who has found the right group to belong to. Kathleen was born in Demopolis, Alabama, soon moved, and spent the majority of her life in Delaware. She worked 27 years with the Delaware Department of National Resources in Public Affairs. Delaware is a very small state, and it is so interesting that she knows our new President, Joe Biden. She says that he probably knows all Delaware residents. Kathleen has three children: two sons and one daughter. She moved to Florida in 1972 and lives in Largo. She is an avid reader and enjoys her book club which she and a friend started in 2008. She is anxious to get back to her volunteer work with Panther Pals, tutoring 1st and 2nd graders, a great program at Ridge Crest in Largo. She enjoys working with the children.
Kathleen has traveled to so many countries and prefers off-the-track places (where there aren’t any McDonald’s). She had a late start traveling in 1987 with her first trip to Spain, and she was bitten by the travel bug. She has seen most wonders of the world and is missing travel. She’s been on safari three times in Africa. Asked where she would most like to travel next, her answer was to see more of Africa. When you see Kathleen be sure and strike up a conversation, as she has much to share. She is happy to be a part of our group and looks forward to fun times with us. Thank you, Karen Sherrets, for bringing Kathleen to us—we needed her.
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Do You Know Our Mystery Member?
I was born in the Golden State and lived there for 34 years. I met and married my true love in 1975. He was a longshoreman. We enjoyed photography and even photographed some weddings. Big motorcycle aficionados, we each had our own bikes (street and dirt) and put thousands of miles on each year. Our biggest trip was called the “3 Flags Run.” We left on a Friday at midnight from Ensenada, Mexico and rode to Victoria, BC, arriving on Sunday by 4:00 p.m—over 2,500 miles. It was exhausting, but fun. We eventually tired of the California lifestyle and moved to Boise, Idaho. I didn’t even know where that place was before we moved, but we stayed and loved it for 28 years. We traveled (I have seen all 50 states), snow skied, boated, and camped, the outdoor lifestyle. After our son was born, we gave up motorcycles for lack of time. I was a paralegal for 30 years and worked in almost every field of law. It was never boring, and I learned a lot and worked a lot in environmental law. My husband retired in 2008 (100% disabled Vet—Agent Orange), and I was able to retire early in 2012. We spent a year traveling and then fell in love with the Gulf Coast. We sold our Boise home, made a few trips back and forth, and we landed here permanently in 2014. We joined FFI in 2017, since we had more time. My first Friendship Force Journey was to Mexico with the Shelby, NC club, and then I was an Ambassador on our club’s Journey to Russia. I love traveling with FFI. I’ve started fresh here, have made great friends, and I am truly blessed. Who am I?
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Friendship Force Members Connect
by Sue Olnick
One way members can connect is through the pen pal program. You can get matched with another FFI member based on interests, hobbies, or even a foreign language you would like to practice. You can even get matched with someone randomly, if that’s what you prefer. Several members of our club have received pen pals through this FFI online program. Click here to find out how you can get a pen pal.
Gena Cameron was excited to finally receive the name of her pen pal. Her name in Conny, and she lives in Varel, Germany. Conny is married and has two children. Both Gena and Conny are happy to have discovered each other and hope to have a long friendship. Gena says, “We have a lot of learning about each other coming up.”
Jane Lee’s pen pal is Rita Beatriz de Seixas from São Paulo, Brazil. Jane and Rita are both presidents of their FFI clubs, and they are both grandmas.
Sharon Swallwood recently received two pen pals, and we hope to hear about her new friends in the near future.
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How to Receive All FFI Communications
The methods FFI uses to communicate with the membership are listed below. Follow these instructions to make sure you are up-to-date with all FFI communications.
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3. WhatsApp:
1. Visit the Google Play Store (Android) or App Store (Apple) and search for Whatsapp
2. Click on “Install” to download Whatsapp on your phone or tablet for free
3. Open Whatsapp and add the number +1 404.965.4336 to your phone's list of contacts
4. Name this number “FFI Messages”
5. Send us a "Hello" with your name and club name so we can add you to our broadcast list
6. You are ready! You will start to receive our updates directly on your phone or tablet
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Do You Collect FF Club Pins?
Some FF members collect pins and display them on a hat or simply tuck them into a jewelry box as a memento. Sandy Gourdine has some Canadian club pins (Manitoba and Winnepeg) and a Canadian flag pin to give away. If you would like them, email Sandy and she will mail them to you.
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Book Club Moves to Zoom
Are You Interested?
by Sandy Gourdine
In January 2020 our new book club was formed. Our group met twice before COVID hit in March, and we were no longer able to meet in members’ homes. We would like to restart the book club, meeting on Zoom each month. If you are interested in participating, email Jane Lee.
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Photography Tips
by Sharon Swallwood
After familiarizing yourself with all the amazing features of your camera or cell phone, practice, practice, and practice. You want to gain experience by choosing a variety of settings. Local fairs, botanical gardens, parks, zoos, and even the backyard or walking around the block can showcase interesting photographs. Create a still life at home for some interesting effects. Practice at different times of the day or at night so you can experience and control lighting. Shooting at noon is very different than shooting at dusk. The more you know about your equipment, the easier it is to concentrate on obtaining the shot, rather than learning how to use the camera. You don't want to take disappointing pictures due to improper equipment settings or usage.
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Theatre Updates
by Jean Pellegrini
Local theatres are making a comeback this month. Check these out if you are missing some live theatre and looking for a Valentine’s Day event:
West Coast Players is presenting "ALMOST, MAINE," a romantic comedy, Jan. 28th - Feb. 14th. Their website is wcplayers.com, and tickets are $25. Located at 21905 US Hwy 19 N in Clearwater.
Tarpon Arts is having a production of "BAREFOOT IN THE PARK," another romantic comedy, dates are Feb. 5th - Feb. 14th. Tickets are $20. Website is tarponarts.org, but you can call 727-942-5605 for tickets. This is being presented at the Heritage Museum in Tarpon Springs.
FreeFall Theatre is showing "SCOTT AND PATTI: GET A REAL JOB," a live drive-in concert event, dates are Jan. 22nd - Feb.14th. This sounds like a really fun event with a live band and special guests via satellite. FreeFall Theatre Company is located at 6099 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. For tickets call 727-498-5205 or go to freefalltheatre.com.
And remember these theatres are limiting ticket sales for social distancing requirements. I know there are some others that are starting to open so, hopefully, we can all get out more and enjoy some of the arts and theatres around town.
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Tourist
by Yehdua Amichai
“Once I sat on the steps by a gate at David’s Tower,
I placed my two heavy baskets at my side.
A group of tourists were standing around their guide and I became their target marker.
‘You see that man with the baskets?
Just right of his head, there’s an arch from the Roman period.
Just right of his head.’
‘But he’s moving, he’s moving!’
I said to myself: redemption will only come if their guide tells them,
‘You see that arch from the Roman period? It’s not important:
but next to it, left and down a bit,
there sits a man who’s bought fruit and vegetables for his family.’”
This poem was extracted from an article, Travel Like a Peacemaker, by Aziz Abu Sarah, a contributing writer for the Churches for Middle East Peace website. Click here for entire article..
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Live and Learn
submitted by Gladys Evan
Gladys, an honorary member of our club, saw this article in the latest issue of MENSA magazine. She thought it would be of interest to those who have visited Egypt.
Mark Lehner's team continues to make discoveries on the Giza plateau near the Great Pyramids. In some parts of pyramid builders' settlement, there were huge piles of hoofs and "non-meat bearing bones." The team assumed these were waste heaps from butchering. But a few of the local students looked at each other and said two words: shorbet kawara—the name of a common local food item. It is a stew made of the feet of cows, goats, and sheep. Shorbet kawara has plenty of the stuff you need to eat when working hard—calories, fat, protein, and amino acids. In fact, the Egyptian National Soccer team has a meal of the stuff before matches. So the pyramid workers ate simply but not poorly.
AERAgram, Fall 2019. "Shorbet Kawara: An Enlightenment."
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ZOOM Membership Meeting
February 20, at 2:00 pm
Program: Dr. Luke Williams Will Speak on How to Travel and Stay Safe.
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Sunday/Funday
March 7
Look for more information in your March newsletter.
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Membership Meeting at Philippe Park
March 20, at 2:30 pm
Program: Have some fun and learn to paint rocks with Gena Cameron.
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Incoming Journey from Flathead Valley, MT
June 2 - June 9, 2021 (new dates)
Contact Karen Sherrets at 727-415-4404 or [email protected] to confirm participation.
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Our board meetings used to be held on the second Friday of the month at 10 am. To accommodate members who are still working, we will now have our board meetings the second Thursday evening of the month at 7:00 pm. The meetings will be on Zoom and everyone is invited to participate in these meetings. Let Jane Lee know if you would like to be included, and she will send you the link for the Zoom meeting each month. This is a wonderful way to see how our club operates, especially for new members. There are nine board members, and numerous committee chairs who give their reports and bring us up to date on events taking place. Jane’s email is [email protected].
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If Your Birthday is in February . . .
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Officers
Jane Lee
President
Marilyn Whelan
VP/Programs
Betty Oldanie
VP/Membership
Teresa Farr Klinger
Treasurer
Connie DuBois
Secretary
Gena Cameron
President-Elect
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Board Members
Geri Espy
Sue Olnick
Art Worth
Click On Links
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