Earth Day, Sincerely Faithful and More Will Be Revealed - a meeting of visionaries at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie launched us with quotes from legendary Sir David Attenborough.  We were soon to discover that....

* TM Jim G.'s underwater videos have revealed all sorts of creatures, large and small, which are immersive and subversive.

* TM Aleta cherishes the natural world and lives off her crops to avoid the many illnesses caused by artificially intelligent store pricey produce.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph wants his grandkids to be able to see elephants in the zoo and hopes the wooly mammoth returns to save the planet.

* TM Paolo brings nature to his children, who now automatically report Italian cigarette-butt litterers to the carabinieri, the Polizia and the Polizia Municipale for their disposal.

* TM BeckyJo is a self-declared minimalist who still uses soap from 1970 and more or less believes that less is more.

* DTM Jim D. has learned discernment about food portions which led to significant weight loss and is currently cheating with chocolate ice cream.

* TM Chris definitely consumes less by living in a 21 inch camper with no electricity but plenty of magnolia trees in bloom all around.  She detests MacMansions.

We had some visionary prepared speeches today. In an unprecedented tie, unbroken by our non-practicing tiebreaker,  both speakers won.

* TM Emmanuel pondered the meaning of fidelity, sincerity, authenticity, objectivity, loyalty and other ity-ending words and concluded that truth simply requires connectivity.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Pamela stated that life keeps moving as we keep moving and she has evolved into a visionary gardener, birder, reader who specializes in microlepidoptera - use of moth balls is strictly verbotren, you Nazi moth killers out there!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

The Word of the Day was

VISIONARY, adjective

Thinking or planning the future with imagination or wisdom.

Example:  Truth though distorted are words I create, today the parting, tonight, tonight, at the peak of your visionary mountains.  (Sung to the tune of Visionary Mountains by Manfred Mann).

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtu.be/bwHuhrGMSAk

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Visionary 

Travel, Patience and Structure - a meeting with panache at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We formally inducted our newest member into our Club.  Welcome TM Maria!!

DTM Jim brought up interesting table topics regarding travel and its joys and challenges.  We discovered that...

* TM Pam has experienced the transition from white gloves for air travel to the next person's foot on your armrest and no, thank you.  It's teleportation for a devout Zoomer like her.

* TM BeckyJo is a sideseat driver and has mistaught a whole generation of foreign students that in America it's the law to curse and scream at bad drivers.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Tom miraculously survived driver's ed to his 4 children but his gray hair and shot nerves are the remnants of that traumatic experience.

* DTM Mary Helen misses her teenage years when 20 kids piled up into a Volkswagen bug and go to a drive-in movie.  Ah the days of the Wild West!!

* TM Val gets panic-stricken at the thought of her niece getting home on a self-driving car, let alone flying on a pilotless plane.  That will be a no, thank you very much!

* TM Jim G.'s motto is always go forward in travel - with panache, especially because it's hard to drive RVs in reverse.

* Returning TM Astrid fondly recalled her outlaw, maskless drive from NYC to Miami at the start of the pandemic with her good friend and having an absolute blast!!

In the area of prepared speeches...

* TM Emmanuel inspired us to achieve success by exercising patience and avoiding impulsive decisions while moving to Sweden, the most patient country in the world.

* TM Aleta gave us a roadmap for 2023 to start our day drinking water and stretching and writing a Gratitude Journal which will increase our blessings awareness.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM BeckyJo asked TM Emmanuel to give us clear examples of "before and after", ie, cursing at other drivers versus enjoying a nice drive to work.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Marie praised TM Aleta for her timely topic and her exquisite use of hand gestures and polifacetic props.  

The Word of the Day was

PANACHE, noun

Energy, spirit and style

Flamboyant confidence of style or manner

Plume worn in a headdress or a hat

Example:  Many of our EarlyBird Toastmasters exhibit great panache in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

Here's the link to the recording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqAhy3uaYeI

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Holidays, Time and Old St Nick, a meeting imbued with the festive season

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam inspired us with holiday-related quotes.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Marie's commemorates Kwanzaa with gratitude for the building of all the bridges in downtown Fort Lauderdale, aka the Venice of America.

* TM Tom gave his Mother a (Cuban?) Christmas Angel he bought in Doral Fables and she later bequeathed it back to him.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, am convinced that as they teach in Findergarten, sharing is caring.

* TM Chris has loved the stars so fondly that she has been led to frugal tentless camping in mosquito-free zones.

* DTM Mary Helen fills her tree with pictorial ornaments of all her family members because only love can overcome hate.

* TM Paolo stated that whether the night is more alive and richly colored than the day,  totally depends on the day.

* TM Val has discovered her invincible summer by asking herself, in the middle of a challenge, what is the gift here?  And then proceeding to unwrap it.

* DTM Jim D., raised in chilly Syrafuse, NY, always borrows money in winter, where repayment is due in spring, which in his hometown falls on a Tuesday in August.

* TM Aleta always saves Santa the trip by being naughty in winter, summer, spring and fall.  Also, since the advent of Zoom, she hasn't combed her hair in the back.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* TM Manny Metayer reminded us not to let our potential fade in the inertia of time, which is of the presence essence.

* TM Jim G., in full regalia and intelligently assisted by Superficial Sistelligence,  had us reminisce about prior visits from St. Nick.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

We had outstanding evaluations....

* TM Paolo  praised TM Manny for his powerful low pitch, well-timed pauses and clarity.  Add Carpe Diem for more power to the speech.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom appreciates the timeless poem which brings joy to our hearts and who cares? Was it authored by Clement Moore, or Dr Livingston - I presume?

Soon-to-be-inducted TM Maria was a first-time timer and did a mighty fine job of timing this time.

The Word of the Day was

IMBUE, verb

To cause someone or something to be deeply affected by a feeling or to have a certain quality.

For example

Enthusiasm will always imbue an endeavor with high-level energy.

Link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhhtPSBuOzU

Happy Holiday Season!!

See you next week for the last meeting of 2022.

Imbued with timeless gratitude,

Ana 

Recap Writer

Sayings, Parenthood and Are You Interested? EarlyBirds had a morning of sheer felicity

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

After a beautiful spiritual invocation led by TM Val, DTM Mary Helen elicited profound revelations from some well-known sayings.  We discovered that....

* TM Jose states that women have two brains and that's why they so felicitously multitask while men can barely handle the tv remote.

* TM Aleta is sorry to bother you but nevertheless inobtrusively reaches out to touch you physically or symbolically.

* TM Val felicitously signed up to build a wood banquet table and ended up signing "Easier Said Than Done" by The Essex - go to him, run to him, say sweet lovely things to him - tell him.... the table is the one!! Oh, Easier Said Than Done.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* DTM Jim D. perennially seeks a new direction but all roads take him to his Harley by way of the broken kitchen cabinets.

* Eternally optimistic TM Pam doesn't let the pesky idea that she doesn't know anything about it stop her.  Her next project is building a casket for any untimely death.

* TM Emmanuel gave us a rendition of "Meet Me In The Middle" by Parker McCollum while stating that it's the best spot to resolve conflict.

* TM Paolo had a yo-yo internet and drove with felicity and velocity in his car to an undisclosed location where we can practice "we don't have it all together but together we have it all."

* TM Tom combines Quakerism and Spunky Irishness to reject imperial control by others who want to bring him up to date.

* I, Ana, usually text (or WhatsApp) my brother to ask what are we doing next?  It's usually something felicitously fun.

* TM Marie prefers to meet people in the middle (again sang that song) and find out their extenuating circumstances that leads them to want to mess with her.

* Guest Millie was sure glad to meet us and praised our perceived eloquence with great felicity.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Emmanuel has learned the main parenting lesson:  DO NOT take your child on your tourist tours or your plans will be thwarted due to lack of enough snacks.

* TM Aleta has diametrically irreconcilable differences with her reflexologist and will limit their interactions to foot aromatherapy.  She Won Best Speaker Award. 

As far as evaluations go....

* TM Paolo praised TM Emmanuel for his deep voice, beautiful smile and power of parental forgiveness when travel plans are disrupted.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Tom thoroughly enjoyed  TM Aleta's perky disposition, beautiful attire and found that Aleta's reflexologist is very intrusive and is better off focusing on clients' feet.

The Word of the Day was

FELICITY, noun

Intense happiness

Ability to find appropriate expression for one's thoughts.

Example:   Felicity is The Peak Of The Week - especially in the midst of stormy Nicole.

Here's the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOHw6TaEC4M

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Pre-Halloween, Parenthood and These Boots Are Made For Walking - a writhing morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim D got us into the swing of things with creepy recollections of Halloween...We discovered that...

* TM Marie was the attention-hoarder Blue Bird of Happiness at her son's elementary school and her son, in turn, became an unhappy ignored Ninja.

* TM Jose and his hippy friends starred in their own Halloween comedy caper in the humorless Halloweenless country of Spain (in the 70s) and almost got arrested.  He Won Best Table Topics Award. 

* TM BeckyJo's wildest costume was as a boxer - to conveniently cover a black eye.

* TM Pam loves treats and has signed up for a birthday freebie of hot bacon popcorn - which sounds more like a trick.

* TM Randolph is getting ready to go trick-or-treating with his kids - at his wife's command- and sad to neglect the trick-or-treaters who regularly count on him dishing out candy for them.  His wife rules, though.

* TM Tom's former wife used to hand out cooked spaghetti dipped in cold water and passed them off as worms, to the squealing delight/horror  of the neighborhood kids.

* I, Ana, created outrageously common average unspooky decorations and left the creativity to my daughters.

Along came the prepared speeches...

* In an amazing Icebreaker, TM Manny revealed to us that parenting is absolutely traumatic with generous measures of pride and joy sprinkled therein; and that insanity is definitely hereditary - we get it from our kids.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta is in the midst of a strict training regimen to shed the spare tire in her midriff and time travelling via Sony Walkman as she sings "Pretty Woman, Walking Down the Street...." (sung to the tune of "Pretty Woman").

As far as evaluations go...

* DTM Jim D. praised TM Manny for his formidable Icebreaker and for using up the timing requirements to the very last second, all with a captivating smile.

* TM Paolo was so motivated by TM Aleta's confidence and inspirational talk that he was last seen walking to Miami Airport to catch the next flight to Italy.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

WRITHE, verb

To twist body or a bodily part, usually in pain.

Example:  The Beatles's first hit was originally called "Twist and Writhe" and later renamed  to honor the resulting sound effect "Twist and Shout".

Here's the link to the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuqF5WQn9qM

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer