|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Happy New Year! 2021 is behind us and 2022 got off to a fun start with New Year’s parties, Bowl related festivities and travel for many. You can be sure the close of 2021 was a good one for Bama and Georgia football fans as they earned the right to compete again; but, this time it is not for the SEC Title but for the National Championship. While Michigan lost to Georgia in the Orange Bowl play-off game, their band stole the show with its performance enjoyed by the sell-out crowd.
It is wonderful to see how everyone is negotiating this Covid upswing and this writer was happy to be able to participate in a New Year’s Eve party at the beautiful Pinecrest home of Carmen and Eddie Montoya and the rest of the Redlich family. Once all of them tested negative for Covid, Carmen put together a great last minute party with lots of outdoor games, food and karaoke. Hopefully, by next month things will be safe for family events such as these and, of course, our upcoming festivals.
Many Pinecrest area residents who are members of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables enjoyed New Year’s Day at the club’s 50th Annual Moose Milk Party. This year’s affair was held at the spacious Coral Gables home of John and Debbie Swain whose waterfront setting was perfect for this outdoor event. Lots of club members and spouses and friends were among the guests enjoying the late morning and early afternoon affair including Past Presidents Yolanda Woodbridge, Frank Sexton, Greg Martini, Don Slesnick, Debbie Swain, Walter Alvarez, David Mitchell, and Sally Baumgartner, who coordinated the event, as well as President-Elect Ana Fournaris. For those not in the “Know,” Moose Milk is made from vanilla ice cream and gin. Not my cup of tea but they did make virgin Moose Milk as well. By the way, this Rotary Club now meets on Zoom the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month and in person on Thursdays, at noon, on the 2nd and 4th week of the month at the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables with a Zoom option for those who cannot be there.
Coming up soon are some great festival events, including one that has had to be postponed. The 48th Annual Lebanese Festival, at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church, a fun-filled event featuring Lebanon’s culture and heritage with food, music and dancing, has been postponed due to COVID concerns. For information, contact Father Manuel Rahmed at 305-856-7449.
Coming up next month will be the Coconut Grove Art Festival, South Miami Rotary’s Art Festival as well the Rotary Club of Coral Gables Chili Cook Off. More on that, assuming COVID doesn’t derail anything, in upcoming issues.
The women of the GFWC Coral Gables Woman’s Club, many of whom are also residents of the greater Pinecrest area, have already filled their calendar up with some great events.
They kicked off the year with their monthly Gringo Bingo on January 11 at Clutch Burger.
Last year, proceeds in the amount of more than $20,000 were directed to a variety of different charities. Coming up in a few weeks is the Coral Gables Woman’s Club Annual Children Festival on Saturday, February 5, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is one that parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents will want share with their little ones. The Festival is a FREE event and will be held CGWC’s clubhouse at 1001 East Ponce de Leon Blvd., in Coral Gables. Enjoy food, educational activities, police dog demonstrations, fire department obstacle course, hands on art projects and more. This is a great family outing that all are sure to enjoy.
Finally, join me on Gloria’s Gab LIVE show Mondays, at 10 a.m., where you will be introduced to people making a positive impact on our community. Some of my recent guests on the weekly show included Jr. Orange Bowl’s International Golf Championship Chair, JR Steinbauer that may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsa4halKEiA or
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=467946081698706
The Jr. Orange Bowl International Golf Championship held the first week of January was yet another festival event making the start of 2022 one to remember. Amid all the COVID news, thank heavens for our festival organizations and service clubs that manage to pull off great events despite the many disruptions with which they are challenged.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! So happy the entire Redlich family tested negative and were able to meet up New Year’s Eve in Pinecrest.
Until next time, keep making each day count, share an act of kindness every day and stay safe.
