The New Year came in and caused many a conflict for some as both Christmas and New Year’s Day was celebrated on both Sunday and Monday. It did give folks extra time to return gifts that didn’t fit and those they could not use (disliked). It also gave them extra time for those Resolutions and their 2012 Wish List. Here are just a few you might find interesting

May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastroenterologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your gynecologist, your plumber and the IRS.

May your hair, your teeth, your abs and your stocks not fall and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count and your mortgage interest not rise. May the telemarketers wait till you finish dinner to make their calls and may your check book and your budget balance.

These are my wishes for you in2012!

Many of our friends and neighbors have flown down to Florida to catch the sun and warm breezes - little dreaming that we are having some pretty warm weather ourselves. My Daffodils are up an inch so far and it’s January for heavens sake. However, those snow-birds send me places to go and see and things to do in Florida so if you’re down near the Keys - try Pigeon Key - it’s a old stop where the workers stayed while building the overseas highway.

Kathleen McCormick and Ruth LaBosco, Co-Chairs for the General Program for the Community Club of Garden City and Hempstead started off the New Year with a bang. They had Natlie Naylor, a retired Professor from Hofstra University give a very interesting talk on early aviators - Women aviators that is and it drew a wonderful crowd of interested members and guests. In case you didn’t realize it, women started flying planes early on in fact just about two or three year's after men took to the air. Enjoying the program were Charlotte Mitchem, Florence Freda, Josephine Krawczyk, who did a great job on the decorations, Regina Dowling, and Alice Cammiso, among many others. A former member of the club Peggy Gilman, was a pilot and during World War II she towed targets for the men pilots to fire at in practice. What a gal!

The Auxiliary of the G.C. Community Church will be holding their installation of Officers at the end of January and Robin Laisure will be the new incoming President. Linda Gambardella, the outgoing President, did a great job these past two years and her Board gave her a nice gift for all her hard work.

Happy birthday wishes go to Richard Benack, who will be celebrating his special day on the 16th of this month and also to John LoSardo, who will blow out the candles on his cake on the 19th of this month. May both fellows have a great day and a year filled with good health and much happiness with many more years to come.

Garden City learned of the passing of several long time members of the community recently. The first was Ross Fleisig, who with his late wife were members of this town for a long time. Ross had been active in the Mineola- Garden City Rotary, the Garden City Casino and the Garden City Ski Club. Marge, who pre- deceased him, was active in the G. C. Branch of the American Association of University Women. Our thoughts and prayers go to his two daughters and his two Grandchildren.

The passing of Bettye Orr of Seabrook Island, S.C. on New Year’s Eve saddened many who remember her. Bettye was active in the Community Club of Garden City and Hempstead especially in their Garden Dept. Bettye always had a smile and a kind word for everyone and was known to be a very gracious hostess. To know her was to love her and again our thoughts and prayers go to her husband Jim their children and grandchildren in their loss.

The passing of Mary Balboni this past December is another loss to the Village and the attendance at her funeral at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Garden City filled the church with those who knew of her and her many kindnesses to all. Again our prayers are with her husband Filippo, her children and Grandchildren in their time of sorrow.

If you still have trouble coming up with a New Year’s Resolution - think on this. Do a simple act of kindness each day and bring a smile to someone’s heart and face.

See you next week.