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Canadian Women’s Club of Chicago Newsletter
Happy New Year!
As I write this, it’s New Year’s Day, and I’ve just finished watching the NFL “Winter Classic” outdoor hockey game. It brought back many fond memories of the prairie winters of my childhood. I’m sure many of you have similar memories.
I certainly wasn’t a hockey player, but I spent many hours on outdoor rinks. There were two rinks in the schoolyard – one for hockey and one for “the rest of us” – and they were bumpy and full of blade-eating cracks. When our noses and toes were so cold they were numb, we’d dash into “the shack” to warm up. The floorboards were worn thin by the blades of many small skates, the benches were cold and hard, and it was dark, but the potbelly stove in the corner made it warm and cozy. The “shackman” kept it stoked after school and all day on the weekends so we could warm up enough to go back out for another round of “Crack the Whip”.
My husband was one of the really lucky ones – his dad flooded the backyard so they had their own private rink! Others shoveled off patches of ice on the creeks, ponds and lakes. All over the prairies kids (and their parents, wishing they were still kids!) enjoyed winter on ice.
Of course there were lots of other things to do on those cold winter days – we tobogganed and cross-country skied, watched the local hockey teams play (they were on indoor rinks, but it was still awfully cold in the stands), and curled.
This December was a cold and snowy month, and we all did lots of complaining (except for the lucky ones who were able to escape down south!), but I hope we can all remember that time when winter was full of fun, and we watched at the windows with awe and anticipation when the snow started to fall.
The weather cooperated on December 10, as we got together for our annual Christmas party at Patti Willian’s home, which looked as festive and beautiful as ever. In gratitude for hosting the CWC December luncheon for more years than we can remember, Patti was given a framed holiday “certificate” naming her the official CWC “Christmas Queen”.
This month we’ll cross our collective fingers once again for good weather for a repeat of the popular Canadiana Auction. In past auctions there has been heated bidding on items from Maple Leaf playing cards, to uniquely Canadian candy, to beautiful books and artwork. I hope you’ll consider donating items you think others might enjoy, and bring a pocket full of spending money so you can be part of the bidding. - Michelle Gillis, President
Newsletter Deadline
The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the February newsletter is January 28, 2009. All articles should be submitted to Jan Dengis. Please put CWC on the subject line. Any questions, please call Jan at.
MEMBER NEWS
Birthday wishes for January go to: Suzanne Abate, Ena Grant, & Janet Walker on Jan 5th, Joyce Enxing on Jan 20th, Robin Allison on Jan 24th, Dana Saliklis on Jan 27th, and Elaine Kies on Jan 30th ,
It is with great sadness that the CWC learned in December of the sudden death of Lauren Dengis, the 28-year-old daughter of Jan and Mike Dengis. The Board sent a flower arrangement to the family, and many CWC members attended the visitation to express their condolences in person to the Dengis family. Jan sends this brief note to all of us:
“Jan, Mike and Leigh Dengis, and Cyd and Seth Giddings want to thank the CWC for their support by way of phone calls, emails and cards concerning the passing of their daughter and sister, Lauren. The flowers from the CWC that graced Lauren's picture were very beautiful and very much appreciated.”
Sunshine Chair, Barb Miller would like to hear from members when a supportive card is needed for happy and sad events.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
February 18th - Join us for a talk on Women’s Health Issues at the Café at the Glenview Golf Course.
March 18th - It’s time to go to the theatre! We’ll enjoy lunch followed by the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre.
April 15th - Learn more about a
local architectural icon – after lunch, we’ll tour Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and
Studio, Oak Park. Canadian Event Calendar Wed, January 21 to February 1, 7:30pm: Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco --- at the Sears Centre Arena, Hoffman Estates, IL Tickets $42-$112, Parking $20.
Saltimbanco - from the Italian "saltare in banco", which literally means "to jump on a bench"- explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms: the people who live there, their idiosyncrasies and likenesses, families and groups, the hustle and bustle of the street and the towering heights of skyscrapers. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, Saltimbanco takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart of the city. Saltimbanco is a Cirque du Soleil signature show inspired by the urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants. Decidedly baroque in its visual vocabulary, the show's eclectic cast of characters draws spectators into a fanciful, dreamlike world, an imaginary city where diversity is a cause for hope.
See the calendar at our website www.cwcchicago.com for other cultural and sporting events with a Canadian angle.
CLUB NEWS
Book Club Our next meeting is at Sheila Chin’s home in February, the date to be announced soon. The book selection is “Heart Matters” by Adrienne Clarkson, a memoir.
Membership Report There has been no change in the membership during the last month. Remember to spread the news of this club to all your friends and to any Canadians you might meet. Remember that one of the objectives of the club is to promote friendship amongst women with common ties to Canada. We have a great mix of members, some having lived here in the USA for all their lives and some who have arrived very recently. - Janet Walker, 2008-09 Membership Chair
Book Review - One Native Life by Richard Wagamese, a Canadian Ojibway author This book is wonderful reading, especially for me, born and raised in Northwestern Ontario, where the Ojibway reservation on Eagle Lake was only about 15 miles from our farm, although we had no contact with the Indians there.
Award-winning author Richard Wagamese has written about roots: uncovering them, tending them, watching life spring up all around you. It is also a book about Canada.
"There is a song that is Canada. You can hear it in the bush and tree and rock, in the crash of a Pacific surf, and in the blowing of the breeze across a prairie sky. There are ancient notes in its chorus, voices sprung from Metis roots, Ojibway, Cree, Micmac; and then French, German, Scottish, English, and Ukrainian. It's a magnificent cacophony. It wouldn't be Canada with one voice less." - from the book jacket
I just had to share this book with fellow Canadians! - Elfriede Rieger
Simplified Canadian Passport Renewal
(from
Connect2Canada.com)
In widening the eligibility for the simplified renewal process, Passport Canada aims to improve accessibility to Canadian passport services and increase client satisfaction.
A full list of eligibility requirements and the new form are available at www.passportcanada.gc.ca. |
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Copyright 2010 - Canadian Women's Club of Chicago Email: mail@cwcchicago.com |
