Prevarication, lies and untruths - a morning of embellishment at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam inspired us with an embellished invocation.

We then proceeded to hear Tall Tales, Untruths and Other Prevarications from our group.

* TM Aleta finds old coins, arrowheads and other antique relics when excavating her back yard and told the tale of Sugarfoot, who was murdered by Tom Quinn, who buried the money and never found the money because TM Aleta has it.

* TM BeckyJo, aka Queen Marley, is a redheaded Royal Hawaiian, a descendant of the Goddess Pele of the Volcano who has flashes of temper from time to time, just like she does....

* TM Christina saved Space Camp Canada when the simulator crashed and they lost power to Quebec - she won the ribbon for such accomplishments.

* TM Pam kayaked with her pet alligator, Eleanor, and eventually got rid of the pet and invented standing paddle board on a gator.  She Won Best Tall Tales Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, resorted to a psychic in Madrid who transformed my ex into a pigeon which flew back to Bolivia in the wings of a 747 with a pigeonesque logo tatooed on his forehead.

* TM Randolph, radiotransmitting today from Australia, had no car and no job on his first date and a mother who won the Lotto.  He had to buy his date a new car after drowning her car in Slushies.  And only then she agreed to marry him...

* TM Veronica lived a gothic soap opera in a French Chateau surrounded by bats, liver pate and duck during  a hideously dehydrating weekend.  No fromage in sight....

* TM The Tom had his first legal case in Homestead (aka Dysfunction Junction) in the 60s where the charges were dismissed due to the Judge's hilarity attack.

* TM Jose drove his Harley up a mountain, met up with Pedro, the insomniac chef of a 2-star Michelin restaurant who donated Bon Am to Jose, who has now enlisted all of EarlyBirds to fly his private jet and go run the restaurant with him.  We're all headed to Fort Lauderdale airport as we speak!

The Word of the Day was

EMBELLISHMENT, noun

A detail, especially one that is not true, added to a statement or story to make it more interesting or entertaining.

Example:  At EarlyBirds today, we did not let pesky facts get in the way of our embellishments.

Here's the link to our recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ8CODQHK8c

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Late Night Show, And In the End.... What Can I Say? - a display of tenacity at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Due to last-minute absences, we scrambled with tenacity to fetch our multiple hats from our respective hall closet and ... we made it!

TM BeckyJo led us in Johnny Carson-themed table topics, inserting gems along the way.  For example, did you know that he and Ed McMahon originally brainstormed the show at the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale while sipping rum drinks with tiny umbrellas???

Besides that, we soon discovered that...

* TM Jose decided to launch a space rocket while dining lightly-battered squid  and paella at a local restaurant in Javea.    Because "In the end... the  spacewalk we make is equal to the moonwalk we take.... (sung to the tune of The Love We Take is Equal To The Love We Make) by the Beatles.

* TM Veronica discusses business while drinking sparkly non-alcoholic beverages so she can remember the discussion and not have to pay for the joy in the morning...

* TM Randolph knows for a fact that when his kids are gone, he will get a female rottweiler (familiarly known as rottie) because he bonds with that breed and gender.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Aleta would let Carson start the conversation and take it from there.  Otherwise, what are all her years doing Table Topics for??? She watches hilarious clips of interviews with Robin Williams and other crazy funny guests.

* TM Pam's favorite comedian is Gallagher because he uses clever word play while busting watermelons on stage.  No late night comedy for her, though.

* I, Ana would show off my non-existent knowledge of Latin and impress Johnny in order to watch his priceless silent expression of shock and hilarity.

Along came (2) pilgrimage speeches today...

* TM Jose led us down the last 100 kilometers of the Camino, which took him, his wife and (2) Texan friends to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, along with the swaying of the gigantic butafumeiro (incense urn).  Where's Waldo?   Errr. Where's Saint James???

* I, Ana, related my life of 75 years into highlights and lowlights as a journey splashed with blind curves, topsy turvy hills and serenely serene plateaus.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

Lastly, we had great evaluations...

* TM BeckyJo's feet hurt; she commended TM Jose for his visuals and suggested he insert a dissonant jazz voice in his melifluous, smooth contralto.  And where's the Camino bathroom please??  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Pam recommended that I use more hand gestures within the tiny Zoom square and praised me for avoiding the tedium of explaining the banality of my birth on a cold and rainy night.  

The Word of the Day was

TENACITY, noun

The quality or fact of being determined, no matter the obstacles or setbacks.

Origin: the latin tenacitas.

Example:  It takes tenacity to walk the 600 + miles of El Camino without even acquiring a blister.  Go Peregrino!

Here's the link to the recording...

:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3RuBXni-vY

Next week, EMBELLISH, LIE, PREVARICATE Is the incontrovertible  theme of the day.  Tall Tales Meeting.  Everyone is expected (but not required)  to give a 4-6 minutes Table Topics.  As DTM Kip said and Randolph continues to say:  "Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story!"

See you then,

Ana 

VP Education

Wingspan, Rhythm & Rap, Rise and Shine - a convivial morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Schrimsher inspired us with the Equinox-themed invocation.

She then brought us  Aviary-themed Table Topics.  Did you know that 320 MILLION birds will fly over Florida tonight??  That statistic is simply dizzying....

We found out that...

* TM Marc is a Monopoly ace, closely followed by Fish, Solitaire and other card games.  He knows when to hold 'em, knows when to fold 'em and knows when to walk away...

* TM Christine un-Christianly cheated in Connect 4, Uno, Checkers and Yahtsee with an unsuspecting and convivial 15-year-old....

* TM Aleta would migrate someplace warm to meet other birds because even one-time encounters are often memorable...

* TM Jorge would be a yellow parakeet who flew away and landed in TM Pam's back patio, and TM Jorge's young son is adept at tweeting now.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, like my longtime friends as much as I like recent ones who have also brought lots of tweeting to my life.

* TM Marie revealed her insatiable appetite for fruit and has solemnly declared herself a Megachiroptera, commonly known as a Fruit Bat.  Tutti frutti, all rutti!!

We had (2) convivial prepared speeches...

* TM Veronica connected us, the audience, to her affinity for poetry lines in rap, roses growing through concrete and family of origin fantabulous "Asado" (Argentine bar-b-q) in the Pampas.... She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo described how she has been plagued by chirpy tweeting early risers, human and feline, and has not yet accomplished her dream of sleeping in... at least till 6:30 am!!

And then came the evaluations...

* TM David commended TM Veronica for her speech and asked her to give us some more beat to the beat of rap.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM BeckyJo's speech and related to the singing father role, while pointing out the rotating ceiling fan that lends an air of spirituality.

The Word of the Day was

CONVIVIAL, adj.

Pleasant, friendly, lively

Example:  The air was convivial at the crack-of-dawn in the Farmers' Market.

Here's the link to the recording....

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

See you next week!

Ana I

Recap Writer

Fairy Tales, Life Lessons and Fountain Pens - a delicious morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta inspired us to sing whenever there's a song with a "Just Do It" invocation.

TM Christina brought back childhood memories of fairy tales of yore....

* TM Veronica took the example from The Lion King - has no worries as everything she needs is within her.

* TM The Tom rubbed Aladin's lamp and got his wish that we would all help each other because we learn from challenges. 

* TM Gail is looking forward to exploring Japan for the kindness of their people - and she will do it as a brand new Gail!!

* TM David does not emulate Cinderella and all he wants to do is be PRESENT at the stroke of midnight.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Pam is not a friend of the Evil Disney Rat but she does consult her own conscience, Jiminy Cricket, once in a while.

* TM Aleta loves Belle of Beauty and the Beast fame  and recapped all prior Disney tales with astonishing precision.

* TM BeckyJo's favorite Disney job was checking for unwelcome overnighters at Pleasure Island while watching the sunset surrounded by peacocks.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Marie shared her memories of Mimi, her maternal grandma, who worked in a factory as a child in Europe and taught Marie to get up and get going for the day.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom described the amazing technology of fountain pens from the Waterman Ink Co. in NY which is today located in France.  He's a fan of handwritten fountain pen notes and many deeply appreciate it!

As far as evaluations are concerned...

* TM Pam praised TM Marie's recollections of "Foundations at Five" and encouraged her to reposition her camera to eliminate the distracting vertical line in the background.

* TM Aleta enjoyed TM The Tom's speech about the olden days of fountain pens and also advised him to reposition his camera to facilitate viewing his product exhibits.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

DELICIOUS, adj.

Highly pleasant to the taste; delightful

Example:  Life sometimes offers delicious ironies for us to ponder.

The link to the recording is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fuxW24IB2U

See you next week!

Ana

Delicious Recaps Inc.

Uncovered Gems, Intentions & Flow, My Way - a farewell to a gem at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

With deep gratitude and heavy hearts, we said our Farewells to our Club Founder and lasting friend, DTM Mary Helen, who has chosen to pursue other life paths.

TM Marie recently had the urge to purge and led us in uncovered gems found in her closet:

* TM Gail evoked the days of cursive writing and hopes, like many of us, that it will come back.  In the interim, we can write anything and know youngsters will not understand a word - known as 'under cover of cursive."

* TM Aleta always visualizes her giving a speech and most importantly, foresees a successful outcome.  And... it never fails!

* TM Christine's first and longer-lasting mentor was her 4th grade teacher, who believed in her, trusted her, and holds a special place in her life even today.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina has always aimed for self-control ever since Parent Open Houses in elementary school.  She's persistent and opinionated and it has served her well in many respects.

* TM BeckyJo displayed a classic Mary Helen pivot  into fascinating her audience by pondering about the essence of life, and who is she now anyway???

* TM The Tom despises passwords and lives in password chaos ad infinitum.  He much more enjoys cursive logos such as Coca Cola and Ford.

* TM Jorge looks at his child straight in the eyes and sees gratitude and questioning.  He vows to support his son in any life script his son chooses to pursue.

* I, Ana, do believe in Love - which is, as we all know, a many-splendored thing and manifests in many different forms.  

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM Randolph polished his earlier speech about Intentions and Flow into a steak with lots of marbling and juicy tidbits.  He will because he wants.

* TM Jose showed his own brand of leadership in walking the Camino in his own way - for health, spirituality and great food.  800 kilometers to hug St. James.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came evaluations...

* TM The Tom praised TM Randolph for his amalgamation of info into a more cohesive, well-developed speech.  Now a steak, next a roast beef.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Aleta admired TM Jose's emblematic smooth voice and she encourages him to add more vocal variety, especially in the delicious food slides.  

The Word of the Day was

MARY HELEN, noun 

An adventurous, committed multilingual fan who is an example to her peers.

Example:  EarlyBirds has many Mary Helen wannabes in its midst.  

MARY HELEN, adjective

Emulating the qualities of DTM Mary Helen.

Example:  TM Aleta's speech Mary Helened in unsuspected ways.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWK1kXTh714

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer