Copper Mountain Mesa NEWS
By Bob DeLoyd
My personal Journal at Blogger
And at
MySpace
Call me with news at (760) 362-5203
or write to 874 Border A-9 JT, Ca. 92252
E-Mail me: CopperMountainMesa@hotmail.com
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01/01/2011 Our little Community has said goodbye to 2010 and to our wonderful friends that are no longer with us. They leave behind their hopes, their dreams, their humor, and their smiles for us to remember while we move in to 2011 hoping for a better world and a new beginning; I for one believe this. I believe we can make a difference, some will find that naïve, but I really do believe. I believe change won’t come from our politicians, but from deep inside each and every one of us when we make up our minds, come together as a whole, and scream “enough!” Thought of the week: There are those who walk this world that see only hate and deceit, they pollute the earth, pollute your mind, with their money and their greed. 01/08/2011 Our little Community is having its First Saturday Breakfast on the second Saturday, today from 8:30 to 11am because of New Years Day falling on the first Saturday and nobody wanted to miss the dang Rose Parade with them big fancy floats with all them colorful flowers. Y’all got that figured out now? Anyways our community puts on a mighty fine breakfast and I guarantee you won’t go home hungry. So put yer teeth in, git yer boots on and sashay on down to our community center with yer significant other half in tow; if ya ain’t got one hunt one down and bring em along! You’ll find some mighty wonderful desert inhabitants ready to tell tales of amazing feats of strength and courage over a nice hot cup of coffee. We’ll be having our board meeting the second Monday at 7pm. Like always please leave yer brass knuckles or any projectiles at home, no bootleg allowed (unless ya share). Our PotLuck will be on Saturday 29th at 4:20pm after a three months hiatus because of the darn holidays. Birthdays for the month of January: If ya weren’t born in this month it ain’t yer birthday! Otherwise, Happy Birthday to You! Thought of the week: When people say don’t fret there’s nothing to be worried about- obviously there is! Start looking for the exits! 01/15/2011 Our little Community board meeting began at 7:10pm last Monday. Treasurer Mary Helen Tuttle was absent, probably a first, so there wasn’t a treasurer report. For our Fabulously Fine First Saturday Breakfast thirty-nine adults and seven children showed up. Marcie Hines announced that the Treasure Room is having a $2 a bag sale on clothes for the next month or so. The Membership Committee reports another ten renewed memberships. USDA Food Distribution had 90 folks showing up; Chris Jonas believes there would’ve been more except some didn’t get the word that it was on the 10th. Meeting ended at 7:31pm. No one was hurt! Don’t ya forgit that PotLuck will be on Saturday 29th at 4:00pm. So ya best better git yerself and yer loved ones on down yonder to our Little Community Center and partake in the feast. Don’t be shy be gluttonous. Thought of the week: Agendas, to do lists, and goals are what we use to navigate this vast ocean we call our lives. Don’t let anyone take the wind from yer sails! 01/22/2011 Our little Community enjoyed a magnificent Martin Luther King Day with temperatures into the high 70s and sunny blue skies! We haven’t had a warm day like this since last October or some such. I used this day to reflect on the horrific events in Tucson. Seems to me we are a nation divided and I would hope something as atrocious as the shooting of a Congresswoman will somehow bring our country and our political parties together. I’m neither a Democrat nor Republican; both have principles I consider worthy. One would expect our elected officials to act on our behalf with a little give and take from both sides. Let us hope that they took Martin Luther King Day to reflect on this too. Now don’t ya forgit that PotLuck will be on Saturday 29th at 4:00pm. We haven’t had a potluck since September and we’re mighty hungry for some of that home cooking! Thought of the week: If UFOs are supposed to be so secretive, why do they fly around with their running lights on? By Bob DeLoyd 01/29/2011 Goodbye
Thought for the week (I made this up a few years ago and it is my favorite): As I sit here contemplating what to write in my newspaper column; the Earth revolves eastward at 1000 mph and orbits our Sun at 18.55 miles per second. In turn the Sun is revolving about the galactic center of the Milky Way Galaxy at about 150 miles per second and takes 225 million years to complete one revolution. All galaxies are rushing away from a common beginning some15 billion years ago. And all this is taking place without spilling my coffee, Wow! 02/05/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community says a big “Thank You” to Bob Deloyd for his many
years of service. We will miss his ‘down-home’, weekly columns, but he
will continue to run our website, www.coppermountainmesa.com. I know
we all wish Bob the very best and I am honored to take over his
column. Onto Community events: our February Breakfast is from 8 to 11am today, at the Community Center, 65-336 Winters Road; 4 miles east of Border, 5 miles west of Lear. Volunteers: Steve Tuttle, Ray Foyil, Daniel Gray, Mary Helen Tuttle, Kathy Quinn with her Kids and Patrick Whalen take care of the food preparation, service and clean-up, while Ila Foyil and I take turns as cashier. Membership is not required to enjoy our fabulous Breakfast and we’d love to see you! Tire recycling is also open today until noon: no rims please. Don’t forget, our weekly supper and Bingo party is every Tuesday night, starting at 5:30. If you have Mesa News you’d like me to include in the column, please e-mail me at cmmcanewsletter@gmail.com; or leave me a message at the Community Center: (760)362-5212. Until next time, stay well, Annelies. 02/11/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community enjoyed near record-breaking attendance at the Breakfast last Saturday: fifty-two adults and five children. As always, Marcie Hines did a marvelous job in the Thrift Room, where a grocery bag stuffed with clothes goes for $2.00 and most sizes and styles can be found on the overstocked racks and tables. As cashier, I had the opportunity to greet the regular Breakfast-goers, as well as to welcome a few newcomers to our Community. Conversations revolved around the delicious breakfast smells; the beautiful Desert weather and the Superbowl! We had a lot of Green Bay fans, so Kip Fjeld stood out like a sore thumb in his Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt! Kip and neighbor Steve entertained me with their stories of days gone by. Kip’s working on his dad, Jack’s cabin and spends much of his time on the Mesa. Steve’s been coming here since 1959 and Spencer road was actually named after his mother. Rose Matich, celebrating her Golden wedding anniversary, was all smiles. Fifty years? Phew, you go, Girl! I also got to hug an old friend, Mary Koval, who we affectionately nicknamed Mary-in-the-Morning, so as not to get her confused with my foster-daughter Mary. We were the ‘Bus-stop Moms’, fifteen years ago and would all race down the miles of dirt to Border Avenue, to catch the school bus in the mornings. We would park our dusty vehicles in a rough circle, so we could hang out the windows and chat. So many fascinating Neighbors; so little time for a good chin wag! USDA Food Give-away is on February 14th, instead of the 3rd Monday of this month, due to the Holiday weekend coming up. Also, the Board meeting is this Monday, starting at 7p.m; everyone welcome. Don’t forget, every Tuesday, we have supper and Bingo evening at the Community Center, starting at 5.30. Buy-in is $10.00. Happy February Birthday wishes to: Steve Villarreal, Pamela Wadday, Marcia McKinney, Stuart Watson, John Waddell, Jim Martin and Earl Wilbert. If you’d like to be included on the Birthday calendar, please let me know. Until next time, stay well. Annelies 02/19/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community Center was hopping on Valentine’s Day, due to the monthly USDA Food Give-away. I arrived just after 8a.m. and vehicles were already filling the large, dirt parking lot. Chris Jonas does a tremendous job every month, organising his army of volunteers into an efficient crew; while his daughter, Carrie, handles the food recipients’ sign-up sheet. Marcie Hines encouraged us all to check out the amazing array of merchandise in the Thrift Room. Outside, a good-natured group gathered around the ‘Smoker’s Table’ and exchanged news. Both the Quinn and Matich families had burst water pipes last Saturday morning; while Violet Jonas said she was recovering from a bout of bacterial pneumonia. Ruth Malton said Ruth Tuttle is now out of the hospital and feeling well enough to attend Church last Sunday. Volunteer Nancy Klein and I chatted about the JT Health Food Store where she works and she introduced me to her brother-in-law, Paul Smith, also a volunteer. Marie Morrison, long-time Mesa resident and active participant in most Community events, complimented me on the newspaper column. When I sincerely thanked her, she observed in her usual, no-nonsense way: “most people are real quick to kick you in the butt, but few will pat you on the back!” And she patted my back, vigorously. At 9:15, Bill Treas pulled up: his trailer loaded with USDA Food. Volunteers leapt into action to unload and bag the food; Mesa residents lined up and by 10:30a.m., 100 bags had been distributed. At 7:01 that night, I skidded into the parking lot, to attend the Community Board meeting, held on the 2nd Monday of every month. Seconds later, Kathy Quinn – our kind and super-efficient President – led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Not all board members were in attendance, so most items were postponed until next month. On my way home, a Coyote crossed the road ahead and disappeared into the desert night: reminding me of the vast wilderness all around and how fortunate we are to live here. Remember, Tuesday night supper and Bingo, starting at 5:30. Until next week, stay well. 02/26/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held its weekly supper and Bingo night on Tuesday and I decided to go over to the Center and check it out. Actually, it had been a rough couple of days for me and I needed a bit of cheering up. As I stepped inside the Center, a chorus of friendly voices welcomed me into the group. Steve Tuttle, who prepares the Tuesday supper every week, had made Spaghetti with garlic bread and delicious smells wafted through the room. Earl Wilbert, who is in his eighties and assists Steve in the kitchen most Tuesdays, made some very naughty, unrepeatable comments and we shared a hearty chuckle! Good for you, Earl; as they say:” a dirty mind is a joy forever!” Marie Morrison came over to say hello and said she’d been a bit surprised to read about herself in last week’s column. “I can’t even complain, because you quoted me verbatim,” she exclaimed. “Lord, put your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth!” When I laughingly told her I’d be quoting her again, she said she wasn’t going to talk to me anymore! Board member and Breakfast Chef, Ray Foyil was there, with his lovely wife Ila, whose beautiful smile and sweet, friendly manner, bring joy wherever she goes. At 6p.m., Chris Jonas announced that Bingo players should buy in. Marie and Ila efficiently handled the money and paperwork. There were some nice prizes and Kat, who lives on the 29 Palms end of our Community, donated incense sticks, cones and other lovely smellies. Long-time Mesa resident Lucille Shriver died last Saturday, at the age of 95. Her daughter Phyllis Morgan, granddaughter Jennifer, grandson Ken and his wife Alice, all from West Virginia, joined Mesa resident Claudia Bridges for an evening of Bingo. We had 18 players last night and Alice won the Big Money; congratulations Alice! By the way, our monthly Pot-Luck is today at 4p.m. Next Saturday is our monthly Breakfast, from 8-11a.m. and the tire recycling pen will be open until noon. Until next time, stay well. 03/05/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
At Bingo last Tuesday, we received two splendid donations: Riverside Resort Casino napkins, pens and placemats from Jim N. and paper plates, cups and utensils from Carol Miller of Reach Out Morongo. Thank you! Nobody won the ‘Big Money’, so Tuesday’s pot will be worth winning. Our Saturday breakfast is today, from 8-11a.m. and the tire recycling pen will be open until noon. Join us for supper and Bingo on Tuesday night, starting at 5:30. Stay well! 03/12/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the monthly Breakfast at the Center last Saturday morning. Ila Foyil was the Cashier, so I didn’t arrive until about 10:30. I was met by an enthusiastic Daniel Gray, who picked me up and gave me a marvelous back-crack! As I am 5’ 10” tall, not many people try to pick me up, but he always welcomes me with a big hug and lifts me clean off my feet! Daniel is a Board member, serves on the Membership committee and volunteers for various Community events. With his mane of auburn hair and huge beard carefully wrapped up in netting, as per safe food handling regulations, he was a sight to behold! Thanks Daniel, for all the work you do. Twenty-one people played Bingo last Tuesday night and Steve Tuttle had a choice of B.L.T.s or bacon-cheeseburgers with chips for supper. Rose won the black-out; while Jen won the u-pik-em and double-action ball. Jen and Jim also won various door prizes, including a kite! Congratulations: you guys hit the winning streak! Our monthly Board meeting is this Monday the 14th and Bingo is on Tuesday. Hope to see you soon; stay well. 03/19/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held our Board meeting last Monday evening; as we do, at 7p.m., on the second Monday of every month. We were all very sad to learn that our neighbor Ron Dehart died on Sunday, March 13th. Ron moved to the Mesa permanently in 1999, became an active Community volunteer and was one of the familiar faces at Ruth Denison’s Vipassana. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Linda, as well as to Ruth, Margaret and everyone at Dhamma Dena. Best wishes go out to all those celebrating March birthdays: Joe Lane, Seimi Sheba, Dulce McDermott, Bev Long and anyone else not yet on our Mesa birthday calendar. The Board decided to hold our annual Easter egg coloring on Saturday, April 2nd; at the same time as our monthly Community Breakfast. So, mark your calendars and bring the whole family out for a wonderful breakfast and Easter celebration. The Community Center is at 65-336 Winters Road: 4 miles East of Border; 5 miles West of Lear and the Breakfast is from 8-11a.m. Last Tuesday evening, I was enthusiastically greeted by Ruth Malton at the supper and Bingo party. She is our Special Olympics Star, plays on their bowling team and is an active participant in most Community events. With shining eyes and a huge smile, she told me how she had won the ‘Crazy C’ game on March 1st. “I only had odd numbers and I still got Bingo,” she announced triumphantly. “You should put that in your newspaper column!” Congratulations, Ruthie: we love you! Our U.S.D.A. Food Give-away is on Monday March 21st from 8-11a.m. Last month, we fed 100 families. The monthly Pot Luck party is next Saturday March 26th, starting at 4p.m. You are most welcome to join us at any of our Community events: we’d love to see you. Stay well! 03/26/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community Center was crowded last Monday morning, for the USDA food give-away. Groups of Mesa residents made their way inside through the Thrift room doors. Some ambled up and down the rows of clothes, books, kitchen stuff, etc.; while others got into line. Chris Jonas and his Crew of volunteers worked tirelessly and soon, the long line of people started moving, as 96 bags of food were handed out. Steve Tuttle prepared a scrumptious sausage, sauerkraut and chips Bingo supper last Tuesday and Earl Wilbert helped him serve the food. Chris Jonas, Mary Helen Tuttle and Ila Foyil took care of the Bingo business with much good-natured teasing. I was unable to find out in time who won, but if you join us next week, maybe it will be you! Our Pot-Luck party is today at 4p.m. Bob Deloyd posts photos of this event on www.coppermountainmesa.com; so if you can’t join us, visit us on the website. In his “Renderings” section, Bob wrote a touching tribute to his dear friend, Ron Dehart. He also posts this column and his columns from 5 and 10 years ago. Next Saturday is our monthly Breakfast, from 8-11a.m. and we will be coloring Easter eggs with the kids. The food is delicious, the portions huge and all for only $4.50 for adults and $2.50 for kids. See you soon, stay well. PotLuck March 2011   04/02/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
I was unable to attend our weekly Bingo and supper party last Tuesday, but when I spoke to Chris Jonas the next morning, he said seventeen people showed up. Our trusty chef Steve Tuttle, prepared a belly-warming turkey soup for supper. Ruthie won the double-action game and she was so excited, she was jumping up and down before Chris even finished calling the last number! Cal Myers won the bingo draw for next week: hip hip you guys! Our monthly Saturday breakfast is today, from 8-11a.m. and we will also be coloring Easter eggs with the kids. The tire recycling pen is open until noon today, as well as next Saturday, April 9th. That’s it for now; stay well. 04/09/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
The tire recycling pen will be open until noon today; we will hold our monthly Board meeting on Monday April 11th at 7p.m. and the Bingo and Supper party will start at 5:30 on Tuesday night. Until next week, stay well. 3rd Annual Easter Egg Coloring Contest 2011Everybody won :)   04/16/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is celebrating a lot of April Happy Birthdays: sisters Carol Lane, Patty Bradley and Brenda Zimmer; volunteer extraordinaire Mary Helen Tuttle; Marie Morrison; Bill Bonner; Ruthie Malton; Roger Toomes and Tim Villareal. I missed the Board meeting on April 11th, so I called our President Kathy Quinn the next morning for an update. She reported that, regrettably, Bill Treas was voted off the Board after three unexcused meeting absences: as per the By-laws. With his work schedule and the pressures of his young family, we can certainly understand his time shortage. We do sincerely hope that Bill and his wife Elizabeth, will continue their other volunteer work at the Center. The Board received a request, from Mesa resident Denise Myers, to hold a weekly Church of Religious Science gathering at the Community Center. We are checking the by-laws to ascertain legality etc., but the general response was positive and the weekly donation to the Community Association would be most appreciated. For the last five years, I have sent out Newsletters to Community Association Members around the 21st of March, June, September and December. In an effort to save on postage, we are cutting this down to three a year, as our memberships have dwindled to less than 100. In the mid to late nineties - when Mesa residents were united in wanting piped water up here - we had over 500 members and well-attended Board meetings. We definitely need a new common goal to bring us all together as active participants in our Community. Bingo attendance was down to 13 people last week, despite Steve Tuttle’s scrumptious Chicken and rice supper. Carol Miller won the double action and u-pik-em prizes, while Kathy Mace won the consolation prize. Our USDA Food give-away is on Monday, April 18th, from 8-11a.m. Stay well. 04/23/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is basking in this lovely Spring weather. Orioles, Tanagers and other migrating birds are resting up on the Mesa, before flying to their Summer homes. Snakes are out in force too and they’re hungry and hornery! After our record winter rains, the Wildflowers are incredible this year: happy Easter everyone! Many neighbors took the opportunity to wander through the Thrift room and check out all the new stuff. Marcie Hines and her super hard-working assistant Kathy Mace, have the place looking great and the variety, quality and quantity of items is impressive. Clothes are $2.00 per bag and more outfits are coming in constantly. Shoes, kitchen gadgets, ornaments, books are just a few of the items to be found and the Thrift room is open during Community Center events and by appointment. A message may be left for Marcie at the Center: (760)362-5212 and she’ll contact you to arrange a time and day. The Tuesday night Bingo and Supper party attracted 19 players and Steve Tuttle served a choice of Kraut dog or Chili cheese dog with chips. Dorothy Jacobsen won the double-action prize; Rose Matich and Carol Miller won white elephant prizes; Dyan Carroll and Sandy Fleck won consolation prizes on black-out and u-pik-em and we had 10 winners on regular Bingo. Potluck is next Saturday at 4p.m. Stay well. 04/30/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community hasn’t seen much of me the last week and a half. Our truck is down and it reminded us in a hurry how dependant we are on our vehicles out here on the Mesa. The upper control arm bushings gave out on us: not surprising really, considering our roads. Despite Winters now being paved to the top of Surprise Valley hill, it’s another three miles of corrugated, dirt roads to my house. After a while, any vehicle starts breaking down from the incessant, bone-jarring rattling. Bolts loosen, parts fall off, windows get stuck, doors won’t open and bushings are pulverized. Jim spent days in the howling wind, coaxing bolts loose and gently maneuvering the part around and out. Patrick Whalen came to the rescue and gave us a ride into Yucca Valley. We purchased new bushings: which were quickly and inexpensively pressed into place at Ole’s Alignment shop. Seventeen people, including newcomers Sandy and Cecilia, showed up for our weekly Tuesday-night Bingo last week and Steve Tuttle served Hot dogs with sauerkraut and chips for supper. Marie won double action; Claudia won the white elephant prize; Mike won speedo and 3 regular games; while Rose and Ruthie shared the black-out. Hope to see you this Tuesday; the party starts at 5.30. Stay well! 05/07/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
Eighteen Bingo players showed up last Tuesday and thoroughly enjoyed Steve Tuttle’s Chicken and rice supper. Dorothy Jacobsen won the double-action and Mother’s Day gift draw, while Marie Morrison won the Bingo pack. Jan and Jim, joining us from Yucca Valley, won a couple of regular games; as did Cal Myers and Ruthie Malton. Our first Saturday of the month Breakfast is today from 8-11a.m. and the tire recycling pen will be open until noon. The Board meeting is on Monday, May 9th, at 7pm. CMMCA member, Phyllis Lyte invites us all to attend a free High-Desert Chorus Concert on May 14th and 15th, from 2-4pm, at the Senior Center in Yucca Valley. 05/14/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the Breakfast last week: the first Saturday of the month. Ila Foyil played Cashier again; a testimony to her continuing good health, which pleases us all immensely. You go, Ila: you’re a trooper and we all love you! Her husband Ray and Steve Tuttle were slaving away in the kitchen, causing scrumptious smells to waft through the air. Mary Helen Tuttle was just putting an enormous load of dishes in the dishwasher, when I arrived around 9am. Board president Kathy Quinn, with her eldest daughter Bridgette, son Matthew and niece Alora rushed around efficiently: serving food to a total of 50 adults and 5 children. Marcie Hines dealt with the buyers visiting her beloved Thrift Room. Once again, I was struck by the incredible generosity of spirit from all our Volunteers, who show up, week after week, month after month; to keep our Community Center open. Annual membership dues and donations, with proceeds from the Thrift Room, Bingo, Breakfast, special events and recycling are the only funds coming in and if disaster strikes on the Mesa, the Community Center doubles as our Red Cross Relief shelter. At the Board meeting last Monday evening, we discussed the Community Center being used every Sunday by Denise Myers, an Ordained Minister. More discussion - and possibly a conditional use permit - required. Don’t forget: USDA Food give-away on Monday, May 16th from 8-11am; hope to see you at Bingo on Tuesday evening! Stay well! 05/21/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community Center was bustling around the USDA Food give-away, last Monday morning. Bill Treas pulled up at 9:25, hauling his trailer full of food. Chris Jonas with his crew of trusty Volunteers, distributed 120 bags of food to needy households in our Community. This number just keeps going up, as more Mesa residents are hitting hard times and needing assistance to feed their families. Bingo was hopping last Tuesday night, with 19 players joining us. Rose Matich won the Big Money, while Cal Myers won the Bingo coupon from Outreach 29 Palms. Chef Earl Wilbert prepared Supper, serving Chicken Tarragon, pork ‘n’ beans and a salad; with lemon meringue pie and ice cream for dessert. Yum! Apparently, Earl is donning his Chef hat again next Bingo Tuesday, May 24th and plans to delight our taste buds with his delicious Turkey soup. Steve Tuttle called to say that the County Tire Recycling program has been shut down, due to lack of funding. What happens to the load of tires still in our recycling pen, remains to be seen. This is very worrying and I sincerely hope that people don’t start dumping their tires in our beautiful Desert again; like they used to before the tire pen was introduced. The Fire Department has now completely cleared out our Firehouse. It’s a great building with enough room to park a semi where the fire truck used to be stored. Another memorable and sad occasion. That Fire Station used to be a bustling part of our Community and many of the old-timers remember being volunteer firefighters. Nowadays, if there’s a fire up here, crews respond from other fire stations; taking much longer as our Mesa is a maze for those not acquainted with our quirky dirt roads, confusing addresses and unreliable GPS service. Happy May Birthday wishes go out to: Tim Herrera, Jackie Johnston, Cal Myers, Karen van Noort and Mary Moowea. Fondly, we remember Bob Nelson and Ruth Ruffin. Our monthly Potluck Party is next Saturday, May 28th: can’t wait to see what’s for dinner! Have a great week; stay well. 05/28/2011 Our little Community is cooking up some delicious food for the monthly Potluck Party, starting at 4pm today, at the Center on Winters Road. You are very welcome to join us: $1.00 donation if you bring a dish, $2.00 if you don’t.
Ruthie Malton called to tell me I had neglected to report her amazing good fortune at Mother’s Day Bingo on May 10th! Apparently, she won the double-action prize, Powerball #2 and a free Bingo coupon. Wow, you go Ruthie! Next Saturday, June 4th, Breakfast is served from 8-11. The following Breakfast won’t be until September 3rd, as Community Center volunteers take July and August off. However, the USDA food give-aways and Potluck parties will continue as usual. 06/04/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community gathered for our monthly Potluck Party, last week. What a spread we had: the entire table was covered in dishes and bowls, full of wonderful colors, textures and flavors. Jim and I sat with Dorothy Jacobsen, who brought a Potato casserole, Kansas City cucumbers, chips and dip. “What did you bring?” she asked me, leaning her shoulder against mine and surveying the food on my plate. Sixteen people joined us for Tuesday-night Bingo; Steve Tuttle served Kraut Dogs. Carol Miller and daughter Sandy Fleck won the breakfast coupon, double-action and 3 other games. Our monthly breakfast is today from 8-11am. 06/11/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community Breakfast was held last Saturday and we won’t have another one until September 3rd, as Volunteers take the Summer months off. It was another busy Breakfast, with 50 adults and 8 children served. As usual, it was craziest from 8-8.30, as Neighbors gathered early so they could eat and get on with their day. Some Mesa residents are members of the LGBT Community and we’ve been invited to attend the “Love makes a Family” Gay Pride Festival, being held today at the Art Queen in Joshua Tree, from 6-11pm. More information is available on their website: www.JoshuaTreeGayPride.com. The Community Board meeting is this Monday, June 13th at 7pm; you are welcome to join us. Bingo will be held every Tuesday evening from 5.30-9pm, through the end of June. Look forward to seeing you bumping down the dirt roads! 06/18/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the monthly Board meeting on June 13th; the second Monday of the month. Ron “Indie” Amos reported that it’s looking good for his homemade ice cream enterprise: except for a few required changes to the Community Center kitchen, which he would pay for. Steve Tuttle has agreed to be the liaison between Indie and the Community Association’s interests and things like rent are to be discussed. Board members are taking the Summer months off and the next meeting will be on Monday, September 12th, starting at 7p.m. Here’s wishing health and happiness to all Copper Mountain Mesa residents celebrating June Birthdays, including: RaeLynn Herrera; Ila Foyil; Sherry Rotruck; Mary Riggio and Karen McBurney. In loving memory of Lee Hines on the 13th. Also, Carol Miller’s daughter Sandy recently married and is now Sandy Smith: Congratulations! Last week, a tree load of Sparrows were twittering frantically, attracting the attention of a Golden Eagle sitting on the power pole. The huge Bird glided into the center of the Sparrows’ tree; where, after a brief, flapping struggle, it plucked out a Red Racer and carried the snake down to the ground. The Eagle appeared to allow the reptile its life and freedom, as long as it stayed away from the little Sparrows! Soon, the Racer disappeared and the giant Bird took off heading North West: leaving the Sparrow families, Jim and I quite speechless! Seventeen people attended Bingo, but nobody won any big prizes. Steve Tuttle served a mélange of egg salad, meatball sauce with tater tots and burritos for supper; while pound cake and ice cream was the mid-break treat. Next Tuesday, June 21st is the last Bingo night before the summer break: Bingo will not resume until Tuesday, September 6th. USDA Food Giveaway is on Monday, June 20th and this program will continue throughout the Summer, on the third Monday of each month. Our Potluck Party is next Saturday, June 25th at 4pm and these parties will also continue to be held on the last Saturday of each month. Well; the heat is on: Stay cool! 06/25/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community provided 101 households with USDA Food last Monday, June 20th. When I rolled in at 9:45, I received one of the last bags: Chris Jonas and his amazing crew of Volunteers had already assisted the main crowd and sent them on home. USDA Food Giveaway will continue through the Summer months; on Monday, July 18th and August 15th. On June 21st, we held the last Tuesday night Bingo and supper party until September 6th, as Volunteers take the Summer months off. Twenty people joined us and Steve Tuttle served Beef and Vegetable Lasagna, with garlic bread, salad and a fruit cup. Nobody won the big money, so that will carry over until September. Soon after Jim left on a town trip last week, I had a surprise visitor in my house. Hearing an odd sound, I turned to see a very large, red Racer trying to exit through my closed front door. I leaned over to open the door, but the snake startled and retreated behind a cushion: upon which our dog lay sleeping, oblivious to the reptile’s presence. I sat on the couch watching its head and trying to figure out what to do; before calling both our dogs onto the porch outside. Then, I removed the snake’s hiding place, hoping it would bolt out through the now open front door. Instead, it slithered further into my house and hid behind the curtain to the sliding door. I used to handle snakes daily when I worked at the Living Desert in the eighties; but handling a huge, wild Racer didn’t appeal. I thought about calling Steve Tuttle, our Mesa snake dude, but it was not an emergency, so I opened the glass door a smidge and decided to wait it out. Hours later, just before Jim got home, the snake slithered safely outside and I closed the glass door; quite rattled by the whole experience! By the way, our Potluck Party is today at 4p.m.: please join us; we’d love to see you. The heat is on, so until next time, take care and stay cool! July 2011 Ravens I was working at straightening the shop walls getting ready to re-bury the piers that hold them up when I heard the kaw… kaw… kaw of a raven as it flew overhead. I kinda pride myself on my bird calls; I can do a pretty dang good mallard when I lived on a boat in Redondo Beach Harbor. I was partially hidden under the shop’s roof when I let out with my own kaw… kaw… kaw. The raven circled back kawing and came right over where I was concealed, searching. Could the raven be looking for a lost mate? Maybe I sounded like a wounded raven? I do not know but more ravens quickly followed, there must have been five or six of these big black beautiful birds kawing over my house. I fell silent and slipped away inside the house. Hiding in my bedroom, I felt a dread for redirecting their flight to wherever ravens go. They stayed kawing over my house for the better part of an hour while I cowered inside. I was relieved when they finally flew off. Nevermore will I be doing such kawing at ravens, Nevermore… Thoughts: To understand the future is much more conforting than knowing it.
07/02/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
Kathy Mace was accompanied by Claudio, as well as her son Corwin and his wife Heather. They brought a roast potatoes, carrots and beef dish. When Kathy was 3 years old, an exploding gas heater burned 95% of her Body and she’s had thousands of skin grafts and surgeries over the years. I told “Kat” what an inspiration she is to me. Until next time, see you bumpin’ down the dirt roads! Stay well. 07/09/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community has been decidedly muggy all week; as moisture from Tropical storm Arlene came from the Gulf into our area through hurricane gap, courtesy of the high pressure system. We received a sprinkling of rain here and there at our house, but it barely got the ground wet. The Surprise Valley Well area on Winters Road was hit by one of those monsoonal rain storms, however. Patrick Whalen said it was absolutely pouring rain and his leaky roof didn’t stand a chance, despite the careful placement of protective tarps! I hope everyone had a marvelous July 4th Weekend. Jim and I celebrated with barbecued hot dogs, fixin’s and beer: gluten-free available in many local stores! We usually overlook the show, drinks in hand, from our ‘perch’ on the Mesa, but this year, we watched the fireworks on the telly, as we learned that Lucky Park in 29Palms would not be holding its annual fireworks show. Apparently, the Marine Base put on a brilliant show this year, but we missed it, as our noses were glued to our dinosaur TV. The antennae gave us an unusually clear picture and we had a whopping eight channels to choose from! I loved all the Music and some filled me with sentimental tears. Regardless of our individual political opinions, may we all agree that America was founded on magnificent ideals and we are truly fortunate to call her our home sweet home. 07/16/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is so quiet these days, with most Events shelved until September: I miss seeing all the regulars and hearing their stories. Happy July Birthday wishes go out to Rose Matich, Dana van Noort, Bob Beggs and anyone else celebrating their special day this month. Congratulations to Karen and Dana van Noort who are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary and we fondly remember Juanita Young. This Monday, July 18th, is the USDA Food Give-away, starting at 8.30 and I look forward to seeing the ‘Regulars’ and catching up on all the Mesa goings-on! Of course, Marcie Hines will have the Thrift Room open for enthusiastic shoppers; hope she has some shorts in my size. 07/23/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the monthly USDA Food Give-away at the Center last Monday morning. 107 Households received bags of food and the next give-away will be on Monday, August 15th. Remember the Great Salt and band members Eva Stokes and Eric Bamberg, from last week’s column? Well, they arrived at Joshua Tree Saloon’s open mic about 8:30 last Tuesday night, July 19th and the place was empty. Eva called to let us know they were going for a quick bite to eat and would meet us back at the bar in about an hour. So, Jim and I headed over to Patrick Whalen’s house, as he had offered to be our designated driver. A few drinks later, Patrick chauffeured us to Joshua Tree and we arrived at the Saloon about 9:40. Don’t forget, our monthly Potluck Party is next Saturday, July 30th, starting at 4p.m.; we’d love you to join us. Stay well! 07/30/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community Potluck Party is this afternoon, starting at 4p.m. More and more people have been showing up for this culinary extravaganza and it’s an excellent way to meet the Neighbors and exchange stories. In the Summer months, the Potlucks and the USDA Food Give-aways are the only events held at the Community Center, so I’m thinking this Party’s going to be well attended because all the Neighbors are getting cabin fever and need to socialize! I’ve been getting out more this last week than I normally do in 6 months: all thanks to ‘the Great Salt’! Last Monday, July 25th, Eva Stokes and Eric Bamberg, of this great new Band, were the first to play on Ted Quinn’s open mic night at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneer Town. They played several tracks off their new, not yet released album “Great Piles of Salt” and they were fantastic! 08/06/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
We received some much-needed Rain and even hail during recent pop-up storms. Just a reminder, on Monday, August 8th is our first Neighborhood Watch meeting at 6p.m. Stay cool out there! 08/13/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
In other news: I received an in depth e-mail from Donald, concerned Landers’ citizen, regarding the Southern California Edison Smart meters. Apparently, there have been some health repercussions for certain smart meter recipients and concerned citizens have a constitutional right to refuse smart meter installation. Locally, these meters have already been installed on the western end of the Mesa, for the Joshua Tree electrical customers, but the 29Palms end of the Mesa has not yet received smart meters. None of the Neighbors I spoke to had noticed any difference to their health or their homes as a result of smart meter installation. For more information, go to www.stopthesmartmeters.org A big Happy Birthday to all those celebrating their special day in August; including Patrick Whalen, Ruth Tuttle, Sayoko McDermott, Joseph Evans, Frank McDermott, Lauren Villarreal and John Jefferson. With love, we remember Dolores Jefferson, Betty K. Catron, Eva Villalun and Bob Seeley. USDA Food give-away is this Monday, August 15th, from 8:00 to 11a.m. Until next time, stay well! 08/20/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community gathered for the USDA Food Give-away at the
Center last Monday. I arrived about 8:45a.m. and there was already a motley
crew of dusty, desert vehicles, parked in neat rows. Bill Treas arrived with the
food and the Volunteers sprung into action: off-loading boxes onto dolleys and
lighter packages into waiting arms. If you’re hungry next Saturday, August 27th at around 4p.m.; come on
over and join us for the monthly Potluck party; where Neighbors get together for
a jolly good chin-wag and share delicious food. 08/27/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
It’s the Potluck Party at the Community Center today at 4p.m. I can’t wait to see all the friendly faces and sample the delicious fare. Our Summer break is ending and the monthly Events at the Center will resume: beginning with the Saturday Breakfast on September 3rd, Labor Day weekend. Tuesday Night Bingo starts up again on the 6th. Hope to see you soon; stay well! September 2011 The Snake As I was watering my aloe vera plants that I have in the shade of the porch I noticed a rattlesnake was curled up next to one of the planters. I said hi to her and kept talking to calm her down as I got a broomstick and a bucket with a lid. I know that the snakes can’t understand what I say but I do feel that they do understand my intent not to harm. I’ve done this before many times with the same outcome. Hopefully the day never comes when we surprise each other and I get bit! I very carefully coached her with the broomstick into the bucket that was lying on its side; she did not rattle and was very at ease through the whole process. I tipped the bucket upright put the lid on and thought about getting the camera to video me letting her go but decided I didn’t want to stress her out and get her out of the bucket as soon as possible. I walked her down the street a good ways and set her free by some nice creosotes bushes with lots of critter holes around. She took her time coming out and I talked to her as she slowly made her way into the chaparral. It was a wonderful experience! Thoughts: Most people have forgotten 911 except when it's the anniversary- while our troops over there are reminded of it every day! We should send everybody who acts like its business as usual over to Afghanistan for a spell, especially our elected officials in Washington, give them an M16, some MREs, and place them on some lonely barren border checkpoint looking for terrorists coming across with explosive vests. That ought to remind them!!! 09/03/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
The summer break is over and the first monthly Saturday Breakfast is today, from 8-11a.m. Tuesday night Bingo is also starting back up this week: supper at 5:30, Bingo starts at 6:30. Hope to see you soon; stay well! 09/10/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is back from Summer break and it’s lovely to see all the familiar faces gathering at the Center again. Last Saturday morning, we held our first monthly breakfast since early June and enjoyed a pretty good turnout: 45 adults and 1 child. Anyone out there have a good way to discourage a rodent invasion? Cats are very helpful, of course and Bob Deloyd says peppermint oil stops rodents from eating his vehicle’s wiring. Apparently, fizzy soda is irresistible to rats and makes their stomachs explode because they can’t burp! Hmmm: I don’t know about that one! Lucky Ruthie Malton won free Bingo again and split the jugball with Cal Myers, who also won the Powerball. Here’s wishing you a speedy recovery from your upcoming cataract surgery, Cal. Happy September Birthdays to: Randell Herrera, Mike Villarreal, Kimberly Herrera, Marcie Hines, and Ed Drzal. 09/17/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our Community Board meeting was last Monday evening, but it was a wash-out; as three of us called in sick and President Kathy Quinn, who had laryngitis, conducted the meeting in a whisper! All items on the Agenda were tabled until October’s meeting. The Tuesday night Bingo and supper party brought in 13 players; less than usual, but that may have been due to ongoing stormy weather. We are so sorry to hear that Jen from Paradise Valley is in the hospital and we wish her well. Steve Tuttle served Hot dogs and chips for supper and Mary Helen brought Lemon frosted cake with ice cream for dessert. Ruth Malton, Marcie Hines and Mary Helen Tuttle all enjoyed winning games; while Claudio Gonzales won the bingo draw for next week. If everything went as hoped and planned, Mesa Musicians - Eva Stokes and Eric Bamberg of ‘The Great Salt’ – are on the road in their amazing Bus right now. Jim and I helped them as much as possible and the four of us have lived in close proximity these last few months: sharing meals, sweat, stories, laughter, work, frustration, tears and numerous hot Summer nights filled with Music under the Stars. For a minute, it looked as though I would be on board for the California leg of their Tour, but, sadly, that was not to be. It’s all been a wonderful experience and I will miss our beautiful moments together very much indeed. Here’s wishing The Great Salt and their extraordinary Music, all the very best on their courageous adventure. On Monday, September 19th, the USDA food give-away – courtesy of the San Bernardino County community action partnership – will be held at the Center from 8:30-11a.m. Next Saturday, September 24th, we will have our monthly Potluck Party, starting at 4p.m. Hope to see you there and bring your most delicious dish to share! Fall appears to be here, as we fondly remember: Donna Myers, James Kern Watson and Roz Drzal; while special birthday wishes go out to Ruth Dennison at the Vipassana Retreat. Until next time: stay well! 09/24/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the second Neighborhood Watch meeting last Monday, September 19th. A lot of people showed up and we received a visit from law enforcement officers; instructing us on the ins and outs of keeping Copper Mountain Mesa safe for all of us; without breaking the law ourselves. Then Neighbors had an orderly discussion about the startling rise in illegal scrapping, dumping and general destruction of ‘weekender’ homes and how to deal with these issues. Our mission is to keep our Desert pristine and our properties secure; so we can all enjoy the freedom of living way out here in the boonies. Neighborhood Watch meetings will be at 6p.m. on the second Monday of the month, followed by the Board meeting. We encourage all concerned Mesa residents to get involved in your beautiful Community. Following up on the rodent population explosion issues and in response to
an enquiry from Lyn Anne in Yucca Valley, here are some helpful tips from Bob
Deloyd: “Mix a ratio of two parts water to one part Peppermint oil to spray or
brush on large areas. Where wiring has already been chewed apply full strength.
In winter apply once a month. In summer once a week should be sufficient.
Parking your car over a bucket of mothballs may also keep critters away.
Bounce dryer sheets stuffed in around the wiring deters rodents, but it must be
Bounce or they make nests out of them.
Folks report success with a device hooked up to the battery under the
hood called the Mouseblocker at www.mouseblocker.com; but try the mothballs
first. Also, clean out all nests and wash out all urine and poop!
Leave the hood open except on windy days and leave a hood light on
when the car is parked. These do away with the dark hidey spots rodents seek
for privacy.” Potluck Party today at 4p.m. and Bingo on Tuesday at 5.30. Stay well! 10/01/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community has been my safe haven recently, as we’ve received some rather disquieting news about my beloved Jim’s health. When I walked into the Potluck Party last Saturday, I was depressed and scared. Usually, I enjoy bouncy, excited greetings and big hugs with a number of Mesa residents, but not this time. I received wide smiles and a warm welcome, but it was as though everyone sensed my sadness and knew that hugs would make me cry. We celebrate our 16th Anniversary this month and I am grateful to tell you, that Jim’s doctor says if we make some serious choices and life changes, we’re looking good for many future anniversaries. Phew! Our monthly breakfast is today from 8-11a.m. and the weekly Bingo Supper party is on Tuesday as usual. Until then, stay well. 10/08/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is cooling down; although we really can’t complain, because it felt like the heat didn’t reach us until mid-June this year and while the Summer was hot and often terribly humid, it didn’t seem to drag on quite as long as it has in other years. Do rats and mice hibernate? Mesa residents certainly hope so! I received more responses to my “Rodent” columns, than I have to any other subject I’ve touched upon these last many months. I played cashier at the monthly Community Breakfast last Saturday, October 1st and, as Marie Morrison paid for her breakfast, she told me how she’d followed Bob Deloyd’s advice and spread mothballs all over her gravel parking area. “Seen any rodents since?” I asked her. “So far, so good,” she replied with a big grin. “I figure, soon as I can’t smell the mothballs anymore, I’ll just get a new bag and spread ‘em all over!” We were terribly busy from the moment the doors opened at 8a.m. to around 9:15. From then until 11a.m. a few more people trickled in and by the time we were done, we’d served 60 breakfasts! Lots of new faces and it seems the average age of Mesa residents and Community Center visitors keeps getting younger. This pleases me enormously: although with my 56th Birthday looming, I realize I’m probably considered one of the ‘oldies’! Several folks from the Neighborhood Watch meetings showed up, including Peggy Kennedy, Dan Turk and a few others. Also, Terry and John Burkhart from the Johnson Valley area joined us; as well as the Wunderlee family, who recently moved to the Mesa. The Neighborhood Watch meeting is at 6p.m. on Monday, October 10th, followed by the monthly Board meeting at 7. Ruth Malton asked me to mention that Special Olympics Bowling is on October 15th at Yucca Bowl, from 11a.m and she’s gratefully accepting sponsors! I’m turning my column in early, as I’m off to San Diego, to visit my beloved son Erick for a few days; so I’ll update Bingo news next week. Until then, stay well! 10/15/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community hosted another Neighborhood Watch meeting at the Center last Monday, October 10th at 6p.m. Several Neighbors have reported huge trucks dropping off empty containers at two separate properties on Coppermoon road; before hauling off other containers which are, allegedly, full of scrap metal scavenged from our area. These trucks sometimes use Pole Line road; other times they use Winters road: always making a huge trail of dust and a thunderous noise that can be heard all across the Desert. Our mission is to keep our Community safe and pristine: without infringing on the privacy and personal space we all value so highly: but this is all a bit suspicious. So keep your eyes open, Neighbors: it’s time to get involved in the well-being of our Community. The monthly Board meeting followed and, as several Neighbors who attended the Neighborhood Watch meeting, also stayed for the Board meeting, we had quite a turn-out, with some lively discussions. The Board voted to raise the annual CMM Community Association Membership dues to $10.00 per person. Steve Tuttle and his trusty crew served Chicken and rice for supper last Tuesday-night Bingo and 16 people attended. Patrick Whalen called the numbers, giving Chris Jonas a rare opportunity to play. We were happy to see Judy - who was a regular but hadn’t visited us in five years. USDA food giveaway is on Monday Oct. 17th from 8-11. Stay well! 10/22/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the USDA food give-away last Monday, October 17th. Arriving about 7:45a.m., Kathy Quinn, Patrick Whalen and I folded, labelled and stamped Fall Newsletters ready to be mailed to Copper Mountain Mesa Community Association Members. Earlier, I had e-mailed the Newsletter off to approximately 70 members. In no time, we had the pile ready to mail and soon after, Bill Treas arrived with the boxes of food. Volunteers sprung into action and before long, 96 bags of food had been distributed to the needy in our Community. Last Sunday around noon, Milt Jenkins and James Dorion stopped by my house to tell me that they are
trying to be as legitimate and upright about their local scrap-metal business
as possible. They were polite and respectful, but slightly indignant that I had
referred to their activities as ‘scavenging’! They acknowledged that those big
trucks I reported in last week’s Column, were indeed picking up containers of
scrap-metal and dropping off empty containers to be filled, but insisted that
everything has been collected legally. The Tuesday-night Bingo and Supper party attracted 17 players and Patrick Whalen provided his delicious Chili. Ruthie Malton won the consolation prize on the u-pik-em and a jolly good time was had by all. Our October Birthday congratulations go out to Larry Catron, Joe Matich
and Scott Lane. We also fondly remember Colleen Schweitzer, long-time
Community member and tireless colleague at the Hi-Desert Continuing Care
center. 10/29/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community Potluck is today, at 4p.m. This may be the last Potluck until January 28th, 2012, as we are hosting our annual Members Appreciation Thanksgiving Dinner on November 24th and New Year’s Eve falls on the last Saturday in December. We will find out from the Potluckers today, if November’s Potluck will be held two days after Thanksgiving, or not. I stopped by the Bingo party last Tuesday night. Ten players showed up
and Steve Tuttle served Chicken Pot Pies for Supper, which smelled delicious.
He checked the list of ingredients for me, but soon discovered several gluten
sources. “I can’t even send you home with one for Jim, because there’s so much
salt in these things!” he lamented. Next Saturday, November 5th, is our monthly Breakfast, from 8-11a.m.
and the clocks will fall back one hour that night. This always throws me for a
major loop; reminds me of northern Europe and those long, cold nights. October 2011 Steve Jobs 1955-2011 Steve Jobs had passed on earlier this month- I was saddened to read, on a device Steve invented, of his passing. After having seen this young man and his company grow from its humble beginnings, I didn't realize it at the time that I was actually watching history being made. Now with all that being said I believe that the iTouch is one of the greatest little devices ever created. The iPhone would have been the best, in my opinion, except for the cost of the dang service to use the darn thing. I’ve watch Steve ever since he created Apple, he’s a little younger than me. I've also watched Bill Gates, too. These are guys like you and me who had a vision. For example: I was shown by a Xerox Rep a top secret device when I was taking classes at Xerox for forms creation on the 9700 Laser Printer. In the security section of the building was a small lush carpeted room with a desktop computer in it. It looked like the 820 with a small laser printer hooked up to it; no big deal I thought. What was amazing was the screen; no command line with blinking cursor but a Graphical User Interface (GUI), with a trash can and a few other icons on a desktop and an arrow controlled by a mouse, wow! I said to myself this is where computing is going. Steve Jobs saw the same thing I did and said to himself this is where I’m taking computing! There is a difference… October 2011 Killer Bees! John, a neighbor of mine drove up to my house excitedly telling me of being plagued by killer bees that he found when he was clearing away some debris in his front yard and didn’t know what to do about it. I suggested he might be able to use water to flood them being that the bee hive is on the ground; I’ve seen that on TV where the fire department was call to remove bees by spraying water on the hive. I wished him luck as he drove off to combat the wee little critters. Thoughts: We're just skid marks on the highway of life. 11/05/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the monthly Potluck last Saturday. I was unable to attend, but Bob Deloyd kindly sent me the scoop on the culinary creations of the day! Chris Jonas brought his famous Macaroni Salad; while David Royer provided Fried Chicken. Marcie Hines created her Chili-roni; Dorothy Jacobsen had a delicious Corn Macaroni casserole and her daughter, Diane brought Chicken, Cauliflower, Rice casserole, and Rice Krispy treats. Rose Matich brought peas and corn; Marie Morrison provided Strawberry Pie and Candy bars. Kat Mace brought cut Potato Wedges and Ruthie Malton had a fruit salad. Mary Koval and her daughter Chris brought Mac and Cheese, Jell-o, and “To-Die-For” Chocolate Cake. Our Board Secretary, Tim Atzei brought his empty stomach and some Mac Delight; while Bob brought rice. Today is the monthly Saturday Breakfast at the Community Center. All the Volunteers are eagerly looking forward to serving you and $4.50 will send you home with a happy tummy and a smile in your Heart. Next Saturday, November 12th, 2011 we are holding our Annual General meeting and Community B-B-Q on the same day, in an effort to persuade more Neighbors to become involved in their Community. The Board meeting is from 11a.m. until noon; after which volunteers: Steve Tuttle, Ray Foyil and John Demers, will put on their Chef hats and prepare us a delicious lunch. With dollar Hotdogs and two buck Burgers, plus all the yummy Fixin’s and Desserts: meeting attendees will be deliciously rewarded! We’ll also have coffee, water and the soda machine; or…bring a cooler with your favorite beverages. 11/12/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is holding the Annual General Board Meeting today. Boring, yawn: right? I think most Neighbors believe that Community Board meetings are frequented by opinionated, unfriendly, old-timers: too set in their ways to be open to new alternatives presented by eager Newcomers. This may apply in some cases, but how else can we bring Community issues to light and come up with democratic solutions if we don’t all get together once in a while: to put aside our differences, celebrate our similarities; identify the common cause and/or the common enemy and unite for the benefit of our Community? Our Community Neighborhood Watch meeting will be held this Monday, November 14th at 6p.m. at the Center and don’t forget Bingo on Tuesday. 11/19/2011 Our little Community’s monthly Board of Directors meeting took place last Saturday, November 12th. The meeting adjourned at 12:17 and the Board leapt into action. Steve Tuttle, Ray Foyil and John Demers fired up the barbies to grill hot dogs and burgers. Kathy Quinn and Mary Helen Tuttle - who brought Potato Salad and 5-Bean Salad, respectively – organized the slicing of onions, tomatoes and lettuce. I played Cashier, taking in enough cash to cover the food costs. We enjoyed our delicious lunch in the Center, as it was cold and drizzly outside. On Thanksgiving Day, the Community Center will host our Annual Member Recognition Party. We will provide Turkey, Taters and Stuffing: you are asked to bring a dish and dessert to share. Membership is required and Dinner starts around 1p.m. Bingo every Tuesday at 5:30 as usual and on Saturday, November 26th, our monthly Potluck party will start at 4p.m. Happy November birthday wishes to Bill Stonebraker, Joel Levy and Jan Bonner. 11/26/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community gives Thanks for all the many blessings showered upon us; out here on our remote Desert Mesa. As I write this, it is Thanksgiving Day and I’m looking forward to sharing a delicious meal and a good chinwag with some of my Neighbors this afternoon. We are holding our Annual Member Recognition Thanksgiving Dinner in the Community Center; it should be great fun and a culinary delight! The Potluck Party starts today at 4p.m.; I bet there’s lots of Turkey leftovers! The monthly Saturday Breakfast is next Saturday, December 3rd. Stay well! 12/03/2011 By Annelies Kuiper
Marcie Hines’ son Paul had a stroke last week: we wish him all the very best and a rapid, full recovery. Marcie’s familiar face will be missed around the Thrift Room, as she recently announced her upcoming move to Apple Valley. The Jonas Family are filling in to help us keep the Thrift Room open and running. Chris and his wife Violet are celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary today: congratulations! Even so, Chris will have the Thrift room open during the monthly Saturday Breakfast: this morning from 8-11. Friends of Steve and Mary Helen Tuttle recently moved and donated a boat-load of interesting things to the Center. Thrift room treasures and a delicious Breakfast: prepared specially and delivered to your table by friendly Volunteers, with smiling faces. Come on the bumpy road; we’d love to see you! Don’t forget Bingo on Tuesday night from 5:30. Stay well! 12/10/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community held the December Breakfast last Saturday morning and we sent 46 people home with full, happy tummies and big smiley-faces! I played cashier, as Ila Foyil was feeling a bit under the weather. I enjoy taking people’s money at the door, knowing that it’s going to benefit our Community and the Center! December is a very difficult month for many of us: so many expectations on so many levels! The perfect Christmas meal; the exquisitely decorated tree and presents to fulfill every heart’s desire. In Holland, they celebrate Sinterklaas – Saint Nicholas – who, traditionally, arrives by ship from Spain on December 5th, accompanied by his servant ‘Zwarte Piet’ or Black Pete. Sinterklaas rides his white horse all over the Netherlands, braving the freezing Winter weather and dropping off presents to children who have been good. There’s special Sinterklaas candy; while streets and shops are beautifully decorated with lights, toys and lots of candies. Then, on Christmas Eve, families share a delicious meal, but gifts are not exchanged. For children with December Birthdays, it is especially difficult, as, invariably, Birthday and Christmas are lumped into one celebratory occasion. For me, joyfully celebrating my December 7th birthday - knowing that so many Americans lost their lives on Pearl Harbor day and that the U.S. entered into the Second World War because of it - is rather a guilt-ridden pleasure, to say the least. Daniel Gray was born on the 7th too, while Ray Foyil and Mimi Jara also celebrate their birthdays in December. Happy B’Day to us! The Neighborhood Watch meeting is at 6p.m. this Monday, December 12th; followed by the monthly Board meeting at 7p.m. Bingo on Tuesday; stay well! 12/17/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community is still dripping from the rains. It never really came down that hard; just drizzled and misted our roads and roofs into wetness! Low-flying aircraft may notice blue patches on some Community roofs: as in carefully placed tarps covering leaky areas! A generous roofer, wanting to pay forward and help folks, would be most welcome around here right now! We held our monthly Community Board meeting last Monday, December 12th. I arrived just before 6p.m., thinking I would attend the Neighborhood Watch meeting first, but, turned out, there was no NW meeting. I decided to wait outside the Center, as the front end on my little truck is acting up again. Tim Atzei, our Secretary, arrived early as well, so we sat in my truck, cranked the heater and had a nice chat. Soon, Kathy Quinn and Daniel Gray showed up and Kathy unlocked the Center for us: it was much warmer inside! Tim pointed out that, as the new Board President, I definitely need a key to the Center! I called my first Board meeting to order at 7p.m. and thankfully, everything went smoothly. The Holiday Season is in full swing and most religions seem to agree that this is a pretty special time of the Year. So, whether you’re celebrating the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or any other Special Occasion: the Copper Mountain Mesa Community wishes you warmth, health, happiness and some jolly yummy food! Speaking of which, we had more requests for Christmas Meals for Needy Families than usual this year. We were able to help everyone who called, but we will not be taking anymore requests as our Christmas fund is all used up! Bingo has been slow lately and was actually cancelled last week because of the weather. Hopefully, numbers will pick up in the New Year and the Tuesday night Bingo and Supper Parties will start rockin’ the ‘hood again! Don’t forget: the USDA food give-away is this Monday, December 19th and certificates for the Christmas Meals will be distributed then as well. Happy Holidays and stay well! 12/24/2011 Our little Community held the monthly USDA Food Give-away last Monday
morning and 110 families received a full grocery bag of good food.
Kathy Quinn and I met at the Center last week, to update new and
renewed memberships to the Copper Mountain Mesa Community Association:
so I took this opportunity to hand out updated membership cards to current
Members waiting in line for their food. This saves us postage and helps me to
put names with faces. Although over a hundred people attend our Food give-
away every month, few are members of the Community Association and even
fewer volunteer at the Center. No Potluck Party this month, but we hope to see you at Bingo on Tuesday night. Here’s wishing you and your Family a very merry Holiday Season; a Home filled with Love and tummies full of yummies! Stay well. 12/31/2011 By Annelies Kuiper Our little Community finds itself on the threshold of yet another New Year: 2012 no less! What do we hope to leave behind and aspire to become? Some of us don’t believe there is a future: that, according to the Mayan calendar, this is the last Holiday Season any of us will ever celebrate. Others argue that the Mayans simply ran out of the right kind of stone or perhaps, couldn’t calculate any further than 2012; or maybe the scribe dude died: so, of course we have a future! Is the end of our species just around the bend or not: I don’t know. I do know that my little dance with cancer in ’05, taught me to live every day as if it is my last: in utter gratitude for each precious moment I am given. I also know that this isn’t the first time the World’s End has been envisioned. Nostradamus predicted a monstrous earthquake, which was supposed to destroy the Planet on May 5th, 1993. The reports were so believable, I actually purchased earthquake insurance! Probably the most famous and world-wide “End of the World as we know it” prediction was Y2K. During the Summer of ‘99, an amazing man named Scott Walking Buffalo showed up around the Morongo Basin: teaching us about the Hopi Prophecy and giving away heritage seeds so we could all grow our own food. Musician Prince advised us to “party like it’s 1999” and everyone believed that computers would not manage the transition to the New Year: crashing; causing death and widespread havoc around the Globe. As January 1st 2000 dawned bright, it became apparent that in the earlier time zones like New Zealand, Australia and the Far East, computers were making the transition just fine: we had safely entered the New Millennium and would live to see another Sunrise. Speaking of which, doesn’t the world as we know it end with every Sunset and then begin all over again with every Sunrise? Happy New Year and best wishes for a most splendidly excellent 2012: Stay well! |
Our little Community gathered for the monthly Pot-Luck party last Saturday. The table was already laden with good food when I placed my spicy coconut chicken and veggies dish next to Bob Deloyd’s brown rice. There was macaroni salad from Chris Jonas, Carmen and grand-daughter Shy-onna. Dorothy Jacobsen’s Asian chicken salad with top ramen and coleslaw, complimented her daughter, Diane’s shrimp Jambalaya and fruit cocktail cake. Rose Matich and her son Joe brought spaghetti with pork sausage; while Marie had us all drooling over her German chocolate cake. Kat Mace, who was accompanied by her son Corwin and his wife Heather, provided fried burritos, green salsa, onion cornbread and blueberry cake.
Our little Community’s monthly Breakfast was held last Saturday. As soon as I arrived, Daniel Gray swept me off my feet and gave me a wonderful back crack! Inside, Ila Foyil, looking beautifully made-up and coiffed as usual, was collecting breakfast money and handing out tickets, as guests started to arrive. Her husband, Ray and Steve Tuttle were busy in the kitchen, getting ready for the morning rush. Steve’s wife Mary Helen, is our Treasurer and is one of our hardest-working and most committed volunteers. She is a powerful presence, with a no-nonsense manner and a heart of gold. She handed me a dozen hard-boiled eggs in a plastic container, while Kathy Quinn handed me another 11 eggs in an egg carton. “One cracked,” she explained with a giggle. As I had also brought a dozen hard-boiled eggs, we were ready for hordes of enthusiastic young artists.
Last week, I had a chance to chat with Chris Jonas: long-time Mesa Resident and Volunteer Extraordinaire. Chris was born on a 450-acre ranch in North Dakota, on February 26th, 1942. In 1949, his parents moved Chris and his 5 siblings to apple country: by the Yakima River in Washington state. When Chris’ father was offered a better job, the family moved to Monterey Park, California, in 1955.
Our little Community has been HOT this week and I haven’t seen many Neighbors. Everyone’s just staying indoors, trying to keep it cool!
