Weather music, Sparkles, Righting Writing and Yuletide Hero - a sanguine morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie did a thoughtful invocation based on yogi tea bags. 

DTM Mary Helen - before ziplining across the Honduran Mexican border-  led us in weather-related musical topics.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Marie can no longer howl at the full moon from her back yard because it's blocked by all the newly-erected tall buildings.  She now howls from her front sidewalk.

* TM Pam's back yard is suffering from a sprinkler crisis, hoses, tubes and craziness - and it's being paved with $5 bills.

* Guest Barry avoids the perfect storm by staying in the sun which puts a smile on his face while he oversees 15 miles of Prague from his very own balcony.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris has seen fire and has seen rain, and the sunny days that she though would never end, and she firmly believes that rain is the stuff of life.

* TM Jose lives in Javea, Spain - aka Drought City - and prays nightly for rainfall between 11 pm and 6 am so he can go boating with straight sunshine from 11 am to 5 pm every day.  Listen up, God of Rain!

Along came three prepared speeches...

* TM Terri took us on an enchanted outing in the Enchanted Island where she became a bioluminescent fairy who struggled to get back on the kayak - all in the name of son-bonding.

* TM Tom shared that he transfers his myopic mind's sorrows onto a piece of paper with Palmer-style cursive.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* Guest Speaker TM Dana taught us how to diffuse a Yuletide Family Feud by becoming a Yuletide Superhero, while competing with National Lampoon's Christmas decorations.

As far as evaluations....

* TM Pam asked TM Terri to consider dumping the powerpoint and concentrating on avoiding aquatic creatures in dark waters, no matter how much they sparkle.

* TM Chris applauded TM Tom for being proof positive that cursive handwriting once existed and oxblood red ink is cathartic to get rid of emotional baggage.

* TM BeckyJo praised TM Dana's capacity to navigate that most difficult family conflict which centers around creating a Winter Wonderland in the middle of the Oklahoma desert.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SANGUINE, adj.

Optimistic or positive in an apparently bad situation.

Example:

True Confessions:  TM BeckyJo did declare that she is sanguine AND choleric, meaning she doesn't know where she's going but she's definitely inflexible about it.

Here's the link to the recording:

Link to the recording https://youtube.com/live/z9opXzU06ng

See you next week!

Sanguinely submitted,

Ana I.

Recap Writer. .

George's Birthday, Topic Tips and Tunnel Vision - a serendipitous morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

After a beautiful sea glass invocation by DTM Jim D., and some eerily  familiar marriage jokes by TM Terri, we embarked on intriguing table topics by TM Pam revolving around the Father of our Country.

We soon discovered that...

* TM BeckyJo knew some myths about Washington but knew way more about Martha's housemaid who ran away to die a free woman in Massachussetts without wooden teeth.

* DTM Jim D.'s father was born on Washington's birthday, his mother on Columbus Day and he, Jim, was born on Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  So there.

* TM Jarrett spent last Monday hoping that they invent Banking holidays and include them in Corporate America's calendar, sheesh!

* TM Terri had a daydream of buying a GE or SubZero French double-door refrigerator with a silhouette reminiscent of George Washington's Mount Rushmore effigy.  

* TM Marie confessed that she's a wolverine who howls at the moon and has subsequently become a lunatic of the first caliber.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.  She also debunked the wooden teeth myth and stated George's dentures were made of ivory tusks.

* TM Chris started a club contest where members voted that she and TM Jim must open that dusty $50 bottle of wine regardless of the pesky scale.  A votre sante!

And then we had prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta gave us helpful tips to address dreaded topics with non-glare glasses and a hocus pocus where's my focus attitude.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, first-time Zoom stander, told about Henry Kinney the visionary journalist who ended up being a tunnel.

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Jose praised TM Aleta for her vast capacity to rein the audience in, give us helpful hints to respond when we have no idea what we have been asked.  It's really an art!

* TM Marie asked me fervorously to find another Zoom location or get rid of my ceiling fan because the blades look like cranial propellers. She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SERENDIPITY, noun

Good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries.

Example:  Serendipitous geography joined some of us EarlyBirds together, converged us into a Denny's back room; and the pandemic joined us virtually from different hemispheres and latitudes.  Who would have thunk????

Here's the link to the recording:.

 

https://youtube.com/live/qVqf9q3C5tE

Best wishes to our representatives at the Contest this Saturday!

See you next week,

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Match Game, Arboretum Botanicus, Sequential Magic Carpet Ride - a non-enervating morning at Toastmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

What a fantastically fun meeting!  TM Aleta brought us back to the days of Family Feud, with a Table Topics Match Game.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Chris gets all sugary around her sugarbabe while degustating sugar cubes - out with artificial sweeteners!

* TM BeckyJo actually worked for the mouse, although she thought he was a strange dude.  Minnie was ok but oh boy his friend Goofy.... and then they put her to drive a tram so she decided she better get a college degree.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie stated otherwise, but she knew far too well how to fake sounding sick to make us believe she never called in sick to work.  Cough, cough, sniffle, sniffle.  Hummm.....

* TM Terri keeps everything in her car - and we mean everything- so her home is actually minimalist and she parks in her own living room.

* I, Ana, had plenty of runs in my pantyhouse but shattered the puritan heritage of the descendants of pilgrims who were aghast when I displayed bare legs in summer.

* DTM Mary Helen likes all musical things but her favorite is to dance to shake and rattle with her DTM counterpart, in the midst of a rolling earthquake.

And then we heard a prepared speech....

*TM Pam lives in a 9B/10A Zone and recommends planting Quercus Virginiana, Cupressus (with Rogaine hair growth to overcome baldness), Prunus Caroliniana, Carya Illinoimensis and Bursera Simaruba to support pollinators and rejuvenate Ground Zero in Old Town Hall.  She Won Best Latin Speaker Award.

* We heard a replay of Kip's Sequential Story from May, 2022, in which those present participated to ride a magic carpet while all smoking funny things and getting the munchies at 7 am Eastern Standard Time.  It's truly worth watching the video today because it's like the Sixties.... you know the rest of that saying.

As far as our evaluation...

* TM Emmanuel praised TM Pam for her agrarian forestry rejuvenation schemes and suggested pausing and varying the Toner to allow the age-defying invigorating humidifiers to penetrate the epidermis.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Jim D. simply said "LET'S DO ONE AGAIN" about the highly sensical sequential Table Topics 

The Word of the Day was

ENERVATE, verb

To sap someone or something of physical or mental vigor, vitality or strength.

Example:  Toastmasters protects us from becoming enervated by helping us release our otherwise pent-up self-expression.  Clear as mud....

The recording for today's meeting is here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCsh1yEYPJE

See you next week!

Ana I., Recap Writer

Black History Month Quotes, Corporate Secrecy and AI - an audacious morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie launched us off with some thought-provoking topics by or about blacks.

We discovered that...

* TM Terri is grateful that as a 6-year-old she was sent alone to the US from her native Cuba because it made her the audacious person that she is today.  She's proud to be an American, where at least she knows she's free (sung to the tune of "God Bless America")

* TM Jose reminded us that character equals to face adversity and overcome fear, a shining example being the US military ground troops. He's proud to be an American, where at least he knows he's free (sung to the tune of "God Bless America").   He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom knew of baseball legend Jackie Robinson who had to face racial discrimination with a great display of character.

* Guest Jarrett wants to live a poetic life and is following the dreams set forth by renowned poet Kahlil Gibran.

* I, Ana, was a chronic complainer but, unlike my late mother-in-law, I was able to find enough music in musicals.

* TM Chris found that humanity is everywhere - the uppity French were kind to her on 9/11 and urged Jim and her to brush up on their French by reading Le Monde, parbleu!

* TM Aleta looks back at her achievements and is able to overcome her fleeting moments of feeling inept and irrelevant.

* TM BeckyJo remarked that words are powerful- they can create or they can destroy.  MLK Jr. chose love and was audaciously inspirational!  And she has officially notified us that she will use AI for her next Table Topic reply.

Along came "The Dueling Jims" with their prepared speeches...

* DTM Jim D. revealed the mystery behind Liggett Corp in NC and Moscow, hidden behind attorney-client privilege, which was broken by Ben, the Marlboro Man, and whereby bodyguards were offered and declined while the ugly truth was revealed.  Now half the planet is strictly on doobies.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jim G. prefers Artificial Intelligence over Natural Stupidity to prepare Toastmaster speeches.  By golly, you can write your speech while you idly wait to get your tooth extracted at the dentist.  

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Pam reconfirmed to herself that money buys silence and praised DTM Jim D. for revealing the dirty secrets of corporate America and encouraged him to channel TM Paolo - wild hand gestures, use of graphics, extremely Italian vocal variety.  .

* TM Paolo lauded TM Jim G. for an educational speech and asked him PER FAVORE not to start the speech by announcing the speech since the Toastmaster already did that.  And, conclude the speech with THUNDER.  GRAZIE GENTILMENTE.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

AUDACIOUS, adj.

confident, daring, bold and surprising

Example:  It's pretty audacious for a modern-day politician to pretend they're very honest and transparent.  Puaffff!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/KqFAZiO3TXg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Audacious Recap Writer

Choices, Master Chef and Pathways Culmination - an educational program at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Returning TM Emmanuel inspired us with an uplifting invocation. Welcome back, Manny!

I, Ana, led Table Topics about CHOICES.

* TM Emmanuel looooves cold weather, so much so that he moved to Wisconsin for a few years; however, for vacations he prefers the Caribbean.

* TM BeckyJo likes cappuccino and crumpets - or better yet, cappuccino, cappuccino, cappuccino.

* DTM Jim D. is retired and spends his days dreaming of Death by Chocolate desserts oozing fudge and chocolate syrup.

* TM Jose likes the best of both - soccer and football.  It just depends which side of the pond he's on... A man for all continents!.

* DTM Mary Helen is currently a city bumpkin and enjoys watching the reservoir near her home and pretending she is a country girl.

* TM Pam is undecided whether to fly or cruise amid the invasion of iguanas that have proliferated in South Florida.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris likes blackjack, blackjack, blackjack and reminisces about the days when $20 could last a whole day in a Lake Tahoe casino - today a quotidian recipe for financial disaster.

Regarding the prepared speeches...

* TM Marie donned an apron and exposed us to her failed recipe for SALTIBARSCIAI (Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup) and Mrs. T's pierogis, a booming business started by Marie's  great uncle's neighbor's au pair.   She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta traced her adventures in Pathways, including 17 icebreakers, where she finds that self-motivation is more challenging than encouraging others.  She's currently working on her 11th - and last existing - Pathway.  Editors at HQ are busy inventing more Pathways....  We love ALL your speeches, please keep them coming!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Paolo likes 'barbabietole' (beets in Italian) and praised TM Marie for her vocal variety, tone, projection, pitch.  He gave some flora decorating tips and asked her to wear a colorful chef hat, perhaps to match the beet soup color.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen was inspired by TM Aleta's motto 'keep on keepin' on' in spite of her non-quotidian self-doubts and praised TM Aleta's cleverness in titling her speeches to then take us in another direction and averting potential strife.

The Word of the Day was

QUOTIDIAN, adjective

Occurs every day or routinely.

We learned it in 3 languages - cotidiano (Spanish), quotidien (French) quotidiano (Italian).  Step aside, Babbel!!

Example:  E un evento quotidiano;  Es un evento cotidiano;  C'est un evenement quotidien.  TM BeckyJo is a quotidian because she quotes a lot.  So there!.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbYpWO3YTQ

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer