Woodbridge LIFE
www.ourwoodbridge.net
BOOK NOOK
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By Marie Evans
he Woodbridge Book Club held its first meeting of 2014 on Wednesday, January 8, and an interesting meeting it was, although we had a smaller group than usual. Fittingly, our newest member and so far only male, Phil Bookman made the year’s first presentation. His book choice was CHINA MEN by Maxine Hong Kingston, a Stockton native. It is always interesting to read books that bring a new perspective to everyday living and this book does just that. Ms. Kingston writes about the difficulties Chinese men and their families experienced migrating to the "Gold Mountain" (in general, the USA, in particular, California) during the Gold Rush and the years of building the railroad which would unite our country in a way it had never been before. While every migrating group has its problems, the United States seemed particularly unwelcoming to Chinese newcomers and our group had an interesting discussion about that. CHINA MEN was a very interesting, if sometimes challenging, read. We all agreed the book was confusing at times and that myth was woven into reality. Nearly everyone enjoyed this book and most of us commented on Ms. Kingston's beautiful use of language to weave a sense of place and human experience. A couple of examples that were given are "...he yearned for the fields with their quiet surprises..." and "...old men laugh with tears in their eyes..." Some discussion centered around the forceful way MaMa had of 'motivating' BaBa to literally get up and go back to work. We also discussed the intergenerational family issues between the newcountry Chinese and the oldcountry Chinese. Four of us voted with an average score of 4.1 out of a possible 5.
Our next meeting will return to our normal date of the first Wednesday of every month at 10:30 a.m. Helen Navarro will present February’s selection, BIG STONE GAP, by Adriana Trigiani.
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ARTISTS & CRAFTERS
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By Penny Dauler
ebruary may have few days on the calendar but arts and crafts have filled many of them. Check out February’s calendar. There should be something for everyone. If you don’t see something to get your creative juices going, let us know – maybe we can add it. Every Monday night, 5-9 p.m., is open painting. Every Tuesday morning, beginning at 10 a.m., painting classes with Carol. Every Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the paper crafters meet. Every Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon, the knitters and crocheters are making magical things with yarn. Monday, February 3, a valentine craft will be taught at 10 a.m. Friday, February 7, our general meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, February 10, Margo will be teaching another one of her painting classes at 10 a.m. Friday, February 14, at 10 a.m., Kathy will have us zentangling. The quilters meet at noon. Happy Valentine’s Day! Monday, February 17, at 10 a.m. is the breast cancer pillow workshop. Friday, February 21, at 10 a.m., Bonnie will introduce us to another type of mixed media. Monday, February 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be UFO. A word about UFOs, please. This stands for “unfinished objects.” You know, the objects in your closet just waiting for you to have the time to finish them. Well, the time is now. We have the room all day so bring your projects and your lunch and plan to spend the day with us.
We round out the month on Friday, Friday 28, at 10 a.m. with arts and crafts and the quilters will gather at 12:30 p.m. heck out the yellow communication board in the Arts and Crafts Room for calendars and class sign-up sheets. The display window is also a good place to see examples of the crafts we will be making in upcoming classes. Here is a sneak peek at what is coming up: a field trip to the Decor Store in Livermore and Christmas in July! Stop by the Arts and Crafts Room. We love to see old and new friends.
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IT'S TEA TIME
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By Carol Jo Hargreaves
omen of Woodbridge will hold its popular annual tea two times this year. Event Chair Birdie Nieri selected an “Americana” theme for the event. You are invited to attend either day, Saturday, February 15 or Sunday, February 16, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Lakeview Clubhouse. Each day will be different, including catered menu and guest speaker and will be limited to 120 seats (20 tables of six, including the hostess). Tea goers are invited to wear hats, gloves and pearls, if desired. According to Birdie, the “Americana” theme will be portrayed on a table prepared by each of the 32 hostesses. Childhood memories, good times, family outings, favorite books they’ve read, and places they've seen and been will all be depicted in cheerful, dramatic and personalized tablescapes. In addition, the room will be adorned with items from the past. The scene is sure to please everyone. Two groups, Men of Woodbridge and Veterans, will serve the tables. The ladies work very hard on this event and it takes many hands and many hours to prepare for this event. As one of the hostesses said, "It takes a village" to get this event to be as good as it can be. Planning for 2014 began as soon as the 2013 tea was over. Hostesses gathered in October for open
Page 9 • February 2014 discussion. Some hostesses are seasoned contributors and others are new, with fresh ideas and energy. Birdie enthusiastically praised the hostesses, saying, “These ladies do a wonderful job and I'm sure everyone who attends the tea will shower them with gratitude on a job well done.” Saturday’s tea will be catered by Manteca Unified School District Culinary Academy students and feature guest speaker Penny Warner, author and newspaper columnist. Penny writes a column for her local newspaper on family life in the Amador Valley area. She creates fundraising murder mystery events for libraries across the country and teaches child development at Diablo Valley College. Sunday’s tea will also be catered by Manteca School District Culinary Academy and feature author Lisa Sanchez. Lisa is a busy stay-athome and self-proclaimed "cheer mom" who wears a number of different hats yet still manages to keep everything together while caring for her husband and three children. Lisa and her family currently reside in Tracy, California. Lisa's lifelong love of writing coupled with her ability to weave together an intricate and compelling story has led to the release of her new adult paranormal romance trilogy, the Hanaford Park series which includes Eve of Samhain, Pleasures Untold and Faythe Reclaimed. She has just signed a three-book deal with Swoon Romance to publish her new Young Adult (YA) Contemporary series featuring a set of Level 5 All Star Cheerleaders. A raffle and door prize will be held during each day’s tea. Proceeds from the tea will benefit homeless children in the Manteca Unified School District. Tickets are $25 per person and may still be available at the front desk. Tickets are at a premium and go quickly, so purchase yours soon! (No refunds permitted.).