Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Andy and Margaret Castonguay hosted a Taco Bowl Dinner at the community center on Jan. 19.

They always put out a great meal, and this is one of the favorites at Grand Horizons. There were approximately 120 people who attended this scrumptious dinner.

There were volunteers to help them out and, once again, everything ran smoothly. The helpers were Carol and Clayton George, Linda Rogers, and Fred and Pat Mengel.

Margaret made the shells herself and, from what I heard, she did a magnificent job.

We weren’t there to experience it, but from what I understand, they were all deep fried and delicious.

The condiments were on a separate table, so you could add them to your taco and meat, according to your taste. There were diced tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, olives and onions. The meal also included a dessert.

Before the meal even started, Galen Parker said grace and did a fine job.

Everyone had a good time along with a great meal and went home very satisfied.

The following day, there were more than 70 people at the community center for an evening of entertainment and dancing with The Good Stuff Band, featuring rock-and-roll legend Ken Brady, of The Casinos. Tony, Jen, Tricia and Ken Brady made up The Good Stuff Band. The event was hosted by Gary Wilcox.

A wonderful variety of music was performed, including The Casinos’ big hit, “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye.” This song was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as one of the top 100 songs of all time. Brady, now 72, performed this wonderful tune perfectly to a standing ovation of the crowd.

In addition to the dancing and the music, there was a prize-in-an-ice cream theme that consisted of certificates to Publix (for ice cream), plus individual jars of toppings that included chocolate syrup, nuts, whipped topping, etc., in a basket.

Our monthly pancake breakfast was hosted on Jan. 21 by Dave and Mary Heim. You could get all the pancakes, sausage and/or French toast with coffee that you wanted. It is a great way to start off the morning, and people always look forward to it.

There were several volunteers to help out during this breakfast, and they were Pat Bond, Tom Carter, Bill Donlon, Dave and Mary Heim, Linda Rogers and Rosemary Semian.

Volunteers help keep different activities running for Grand Horizons, and they certainly are appreciated.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published February 1, 2017

 

Because Marty and I were away, Sandy Lindke was nice enough to tell me about their outing. She told me that a nice size group of residents showed up for a late lunch at the Zephyrhills Golden Corral on Jan. 13. She went on to mention that there were 46 people who attended and left stuffed. This was a nice time for chats and laughs, and it was hosted by Sandy. From what Sandy mentioned, there was a door prize won by Bill Elliott. It was a voucher to the next visit to Golden Corral, and it was picked by Mr. Tuttle from the signup sheet (The Tuttle family owns Golden Corral).

I am sure that most people thoroughly enjoyed themselves and found that time just flew by. If you have never gone to a Golden Corral, let me tell you that anything you could possibly think of is on this buffet.

In the meantime, while this lovely outing was going on, Marty and I went on a mini cruise to the Bahamas.

We had a lovely time aboard the cruise ship, and on the very first day after attending a mandatory fire drill, the ship hosted a sail away party.

Everyone mingled and got to know one another. There was much music and loads of conversation.

Later that night, we saw a comedy show which had everyone in stitches.

The following day, we attended many a trivia contest. They were so much fun, and I realized there was a lot we didn’t know.

The ship made a stop at Nassau, but since we were here before, we stayed onboard.

There was also an International Parade of Flags aboard the cruise line, where they celebrated the many nations represented by their crew onboard.

There was another comedy show that was entirely different than the first. Again, it was an absolute delight.

Later that night, there was the Love and Marriage game. This was a cute show and had some audience participation.

On the very last day, beside some more games, our travel agent (B & D Travel) hosted a show that was fabulous. It consisted of different types of music and songs, and there was quite a bit of dancing going on. There was also a hilarious special treat.

We were, at this time, also treated to some cocktails.

The very next day we made a stop at CocoCay, a private island, where they had vendors and swimming.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published January 25, 2017

 

Grand Horizons held its first egg n’ bag of the New Year on Jan. 7, with 95 people in attendance and several first-timers, including guests.

If you have never been to an egg n’ bag, let me explain it to you. It is a very different way to serve an omelet. People pick their own ingredients from an assortment including bacon, ham, cheese, onions, mushrooms, green peppers and Jalapeno peppers. Besides the omelet, there are hash-brown potatoes, sausage gravy and biscuits, plus coffee and orange juice.

The event was hosted by Jim and Judi Leitzke, plus many helpers, including Sue and George Richardson, Joan and Dave Lawrence, Sue and Galen Parker, and Clayton and Carol George.

There was much socializing and catching up on past news.

Galen Parker said grace before the tables were called forward to make their omelet. The entire community was quiet while grace was being said, and Galen did a very nice job.

As always, the breakfast ran smoothly, as each person had a specific job to do.

On Jan. 10, we had our Lunch Bunch. It was a little different than the past lunches, as the women met at an Olive Garden where they had a lovely time. The only difference was there was a misunderstanding and, for some reason, they met at two completely different Olive Gardens.

There was still a nice gathering of approximately 20 women who got together and went shopping or directly home after a terrific lunch.

I didn’t go that day, but I am sure different dishes and cheesecakes (which they known for) were served and taken home for a remembrance of a delightful, but hectic, day.

I recall, too well, the different cheesecakes that were brought out last year. The array of colors was breathtaking. I am sure the same goes for this year as well.

This lunch was hosted by Joyce Bell.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published January 18, 2017

 

Nearly 80 people attended a New Year’s Eve celebration on Dec. 31, with music, dancing and games. The party was hosted by Gary Wilcox, and from what I heard, he did a marvelous job.

The band, Gears 1 Music Explosion, played a variety of music, which consisted of oldies, rock n’ roll and country. The band also took requests.

There was music trivia, karaoke and cash prizes awarded to 10 attendees. The prizes that were awarded were such things as a free egg n’ bag, a free pancake breakfast and so much more. From what I heard, there was a movie basket, too.

I spoke to Eileen Goldstein, and she said that the movie basket included four movie tickets, cash and candy. Barb Livingston made up the basket, and she did a lovely job.

When the people first entered the community center, they saw it was decorated beautifully with top hats (for the men), tiaras (for the women), and noise makers at each individual place setting, plus beads and confetti on the tables.

The tables were set up with silver and white tablecloths, along with black seat coverings.

Many pictures were taken, and Gary Wilcox and Ed Goldstein provided information about the party and some pictures of the fun time.

A special presentation was made to Joan and Ed Fisher on their 67th anniversary. The presentation was made by Gary Wilcox. This was truly special to the wonderful couple.

The band went on to play the song, “I Wonder Who is Kissing Her Now,” which was a song that the Fishers danced to when they first met.

Gary Wilcox was the disc jockey, and Chick Shackewyc was in charge of the engineering and setup.

Our thanks go out to Gary and all the other volunteers in making this celebration a success.

By Helene Rubenstein
Grand Horizons

Published January 11, 2017