Socially Speaking
With Athena

The holidays are coming and I don't mean just the "big three" Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. I mean all of them and that means it is time for lists. Whenever you read an article on organizing, you read of lists and believe me (I'm a list maker 365 days a year) they work. It's easy, you take a few minutes at the beginning of your day and jot down what you want to get done that day. After a while you plan for the week without thinking about it and you check off what you have done as you go along. If you don't get something checked off, it's not the end of the world. You just fit it in on another day with a shorter list. Just keep deadlines in mind. It becomes natural and second nature. Don't get too carried away as you have a life, too, and keep some time for things unforeseen to be accomplished. Have fun!

The folks at the Long Island Choral Society will be performing the Bach: "Magnificat" and the Mozart: "Missa Brevia K.220" on November 18th at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock Road at 4 p.m. This is the beginning of its 79th Season. They started at the Cathedral of the Incarnation and still perform the Handel" "Messiah, Part I" there in early December. A number of Garden City people sing with them and they are really great. Try one of their concerts and you will wonder why you drag yourselves into the city.

Michele Dyrland is busy celebrating her mother's 90th birthday and has relatives coming in from all over, including her daughter and family from the U.K. It will be party time for at least a week and the party will travel to several places to do all their celebrating. Happy Celebrating Mom - you deserve it!

On Monday, November 5th at 7:30 p.m. in the Garden City Library, Joan Stafford is chairing a program on Dollars and Sense with M. Hope Helfenstsein, CFP, Vice President - Investments. Advisory and Brokerage Service, UBS as the speaker. Ann Senchyshyn and Lynn Mcguire will be in charge of Refreshments and Lauren Clune will be there to welcome all who attend. Sounds good to me.

Joan Stafford is certainly busy as she is also chairing the program on Friday, November 9th at 10 a.m. at the Garden City Library on "The Louvre" with Dr. Bretell on "Rubens and Flemish Painting; Early German" and to "Rembrandt' Vermeer and Dutch Painting." This is especially interesting with the big show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Guests are invited.

Jean Bliss and Lois Ridgway called to tell us about a Folk Art Workshop on "Angels With Attitudes" at Clark Gardens on Saturday, November 17th at 12 Noon. The fee is $35 for members and $40 for non-members and teens 12 and older are welcome. Refreshments will be served. Call Clark Gardens at 516-484-8603 to register and for more information.

Happy birthday wishes go to Jim Mercadante, who will be celebrating his special day on November 9th. May you have a wonderful day and a great year ahead full of health and happiness and many more to come. Jim and his wife Beatrice just got back from their annual leaf peeping trip upstate and both said they had a wonderful time as the leaves were very good. This is a favorite trip for them and fall is Bea's favorite time of the year. While each season has its own individual beauty, fall is the most colorful. Guess I will have to enjoy those right here in town this year as they can be beautiful too.

Nancy Layton-Ziems and Christine Philippides, Co-chairs of the annual Election Day Fair at the Garden City Community Church, remind one and all to vote early and come to the fair. That's November 6th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the church is located at Stewart Avenue and Whitehall Blvd. See you there!

Thank you to one of my readers who called with some very important information. It was good of you and I appreciate it. See you all next week and remember to start your lists and I don't mean to Santa!