GRF Holiday Caravan Although ….
GRF Holiday Caravan
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has kept people from holiday parties and dinners, it did not stop festively attired GRF staffers from sending greetings to a caravan of GRF and Mutual directors. On Dec. 18, GRF employees—many wearing Santa hats and all of them masked and at a distance—gathered in pre-arranged outside locations to convey holiday greetings and appreciation for another year of service.
The fun started at Clubhouse 3 with 16 stops to finish at the Administration Building.
There were some surprises along the way and Santa and his elves were waiting at the end of the road with a treat for everyone.
Decorated Light Poles
Mutual 14 resident Donna Melody, president of the Neighbor 2 Neighbor Club, reports that the club decorated more than 150 light poles this year. “This has become an annual tradition that takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving,” she said. “Our group buys all of the decorations, and our neighbors are very generous in donating to help defray the cost.
“I think it was especially important to do this outreach this year as it brightens up Mutual 14 and Del Monte Road near the gate.”
The poles are each uniquely decorated. Some have snowflakes. Some have stars. Others have wreaths and penguins, but all of them bring light into the holiday season.
Sweet Traditions
Susan Hopewell, Mutual 6
One of my family’s favorite holiday traditions involved four candleholder angels. Each angel represented a letter and when displayed correctly, they spell NOEL. My mother treasured these angels. My brothers and I would sneakily rearrange the letters to spell anything but NOEL. Our favorite was LEON.
This was an ongoing game we played throughout the holiday season every year. When our mom was not looking, one of us would rearrange the letters. When we were not looking, she would arrange them back to NOEL.
This tradition was handed down to her grandchildren, and then to her greatgrandchildren. LEON made its way into our holidays in other ways. One year, my brothers and nephew made a holiday garden sign for Mom and, of course, it said LEON. This past November, I received a birthday present from my younger brother and his wife. It was a Christmas face mask that had LEON embroidered on it.
Last year, I gave these priceless angels to my great-niece, Lacy. Today, the angel tradition continues with a fourth generation. Lacy has a 14-month-old son, Dallas. I am proud to say Dallas is learning to spell LEON this year. Somewhere in heaven Mom is laughing.
Joanna Matos, Mutual 2
My Christmas traditions moved 2,000 and 3,000 miles away when my children had important jobs waiting for them in other states. Two meaningful traditions remain in my/their lives, whether near or far. We attend our given Christmas Eve church service to herald the coming of our Savior’s birth, and on Christmas morning, before opening any gifts, we light a candle and sing “Happy Birthday to Jesus.” My new motto to my kids is “Jesus is the one light that never burns out.”
Bev Bender, Mutual 17
Laughter is the sweet tradition of the ages. A meditation book from Overeaters Anonymous has this from Matthew Green, called “Laugh and Be Well.” “We will never know how many people have been cured of both major illness and minor indisposition through laughter. If prescriptions for laughter could be writ-
Mutual 11 is represented during GRF Holiday caravan; Santa’s pointing at the costumed canine, wondering if he’s Prancer on parade.
“A COVID Christmas” by the Theater Club featured actors in a sword fight.
