With a Song in Our Hearts

And a jolly time was had by all ... or at least by everyone who was there for the annual Christmas dinner on Friday. Those who couldn't make it missed out big time.
     As far as charity goes it's looking like we managed to squeeze about R15000 out of the 30 or so guests.

Judy puts the finishing touches to her yummy salad

     Because of the free venue the costs were relatively low, especially thanks also to all the donated wine (Julian & Mike) and the fact that Judy Sligcher provided the starter (delicious Roast Nectarine Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts) single-handedly, and Joan Donet the dessert (Christmas Trifle with home-made Mince Pies).
     Yours truly slaved away in the kitchen preparing a Gammon from scratch, and two Turduckens from Checkers, this time also stuffed with a quail right in the middle. The Twickenham Guest House staff provided the side dishes, for which the club rewarded them with a whip-around. Thanks for that.
     When the feasting was over Graham Donet conducted the auction, which went extremely well.
     First up was a signed copy of Ronnie Kasrils' book Armed and Dangerous, for which Jenine forked out R1000. Then followed Nic Stier, who bid to R1500 for a bottle of American Cabernet Sauvignon that I donated from my cellar. Nic is the husband of our newest member, Carol, who was inducted into the club on the night.

Carol Stier tries to make head or tails of the
 Dutch induction ... jokes aside, it was a
privilege to induct our newest member
 at the annual Christmas Dinner

     Julian Nagy is paying R1100 for a Protea Hotels voucher, as well as R1000 for a R2000 voucher from Barneys Paint in  Emmarentia. Barney's Emmarentia also kindly donated eighteen R500 vouchers for everyone in the club. Come and get yours on Wednesday!
      The last two items, a bottle of 1995 Allesverloren Port and two bottles of wine from Boschendal, went to John and Adriaen for R400 each.

Ian Widdop belting it out ... and what a
 lovely rendition of  What a Fool am I it was!

     But wait! That wasn't all, because first Ian Widdop bravely treated us to a fine rendition (unaccompanied) of the Anthony Newley song What Kind of Fool Am I (please stop the sniggering at the back there) and then Graham obliged with a hilarious reading of Stanley Holloway's Young Albert and the Lion.
     I swear if we'd thought to charge, we would've collected even more than the princely sum of R1290 we did for the brag! Those were both fine renditions and very brave. Bravo! Bellissimo! to both of you. The club should consider hiring them out on the Christmas circuit!

Mean Maynard talks about The Link

     Last week's visit and talk by Meagan Maynard, co-ordinatorof The Link Literacy Project, was an interesting one, and a concrete proposal to help them with a new Maths facility at Orange Grove school next year, will be on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting. It will be a good way of ending off the year.
     Friday evening saw the end (almost) of the year for New Dawn. There is one more meeting on Wednesday, and that will be a social meeting.
     Please remember to bring a gift of about R50. We'll be swapping them out.
     The next meeting after that is on Wednesday, 13 January.
     A Thought for the Week: I learnt that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. - Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)
     P.S: This is the last blog for the year