Pipes of Pam: March, Part 3

Relief Society Birthday Party and Auction

Our Relief Society Presidency chose, Forget Me Not, President Uchtdorf's conference talk, for the theme for this year's birthday party. They took turns briefly describing the topic for each petal (below).

This was a highly-anticipated event, and I was so excited to be there!

As each sister got up to describe her topic, Sister Teddae Charles oil painted that petal on her canvas.

Isn't this a lovely, spur-of-the-moment painting? It was up for auction with all of the other items, auctioned off at the very end.

The Presidency asked me to teach, Forget Me Not, a sweet little song recorded on a CD by Lindsi Houskeeper. She was inspired to compose it after she heard President Uchtdorf's talk. We had no music, so Beverly Bradley, my talented INSTA-CHOIR accompanist, listened to it over and over and wrote the melody line of the chorus on music staff, then we made copies for the sisters. I first taught it to the sisters, then turned on the recording and we came in on the chorus each time as Lindsey sang it.

There was no piano at the Crystal Lakes Clubhouse, so Beverly played the melody

on a portable keyboard.

Last year, to celebrate the Relief Society birthday, we held an auction with each sister's donations of handmade items of food, handwork, art, soaps, lotions, etc. To "purchase" an item, you spend points you earn by answering questions on a two-sided questionnaire (below). They are simple ones, like, "Did you say your prayers this morning," etc. You add up your points, then decide which object you are going to bid on when the item is held up and described. Who donated what remains anonymous.

It was so much fun that we did it this year, too.

There was a vast array of wonderful items that the sisters brought. Choosing what to go after was the hardest part. Also, some sisters offered services, such as alterations, lessons of different sorts, and dinner for two at their home (you didn't know whose home you were going to until after the auction - so fun).

Jackie Fullmer brought the idea to us last year, and was in charge of the auction both years. She is so full of life and makes everything fun. As he was last year, Bob Brady was our auctioneer. He was hilarious and he had us belly laughing most of the time. I don't know what we're going to do next year without him. He and Mary will be on their mission to Singapore.

One of the sisters made this lovely quilt wall hanging in a fall motif.

The award for the oldest sister attending was to Sister Evelyn Garris - she just lost her husband last year. She is a delightful woman. She loved her "prizes"!

Beloved friends to us and to the branch, Mary and Bob Brady

Pattie Haynes, our photographer, said, "I have to get a picture of the green ladies!" She wanted us to break in to song, but we had nothin'!

We had a yummy soup and salad luncheon.

Mary and Bob's Farewell Party

Special invitations were sent out to over fifty of Bob and Mary's friends.

Pattie Haynes and Patty Abraham were the hosts, and they worked so very hard to make it a special occasion. Pattie went to China Town in Las Vegas to get decorations and special ingredients for the entrees, ginger curry and sweet and sour chicken. I made some of the sweet and sour chicken and I now have a yummy new recipe!

Roger and I have known these two since college days, when we were all single. They are such dear friends!

Roger was asked to quiz Mary and Bob with questions about their past together to see how well they matched. Each wrote the answer on a board, then they held it up for all to see.

"What color best describes your mate?"

It was such a fun evening!
My sister, Joan, came for her annual Spring Break week in St. George. She, my St. George sister, Kay, and I met for lunch at Piccolo Mondo, a new yummy Italian restaurant downtown. Roger leased the space to Alfredo, an Italian, CIA-trained chef who has worked on Princess Cruise Lines and in upscale restaurants for many years. He lived in Las Vegas, got financial backing and came to St. George to open his own restaurant. He makes home-made pasta and wonderful sauces, breads, etc. and it was delicious! It was so fun to catch up with Joan and have a Sister Lunch!

That evening, Mary, Bob, Roger and I attended the Sunbrook Potluck, then headed over to Brady's home to meet up with the Taylors for one last Fun and Games Night before they depart on their missions.

Mary and Bob are going to Singapore and Anne and Jay will leave in June for a CES mission to the Fort Worth area.

Mary played a wicked dice game and won the first round - she was pretty excited!

I have to give you a little history here. I know I look more like a dunce than a winner, but the cup is my crown! I have to tell you, I won the second round! Now I know that that doesn't seem especially newsworthy, but you have to understand that, as my family knows, I haven't liked to play games, ever since my childhood next-door neighbor, Jim Blacker, would drag me into his home, lock and barricade the door and make me play Monopoly with him - Ugh! Anyway, I've discovered a whole, fun world of game-playing with our Aggie friends, AND I am kinda the champion of this dice game. Every time we have played it together, I win the most. Me, the one who never wins games! Go figure!