Seasons, Selfies and Follies - a non-kerfuffle meeting at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Today is St. Joseph's Day and Father's Day in Spain (and Italy).  The invocation was in his honor.

TM Pam led us to table topics about seasons, since tomorrow is the Vernal Equinox.  We were amazed to discover that...

* TM Gail is kerfuffled by Daylight Savings Time and finds that Greenwich Mean Time is really mean.

* TM David tries to find equilibrium between his body and spirit - our mission in life.  Equinox = Equilibrium...

* TM Jorge likes laundry for spring cleaning and is training his son soon-to-be his laborer (as soon as he turns 4 years of age).  

* TM Aleta is doing Swedish Death Cleaning and everything in between to the tune of "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen...

* TM Veronica does not do New Year's Resolutions for the Persian New Year (Nowraz) or Lady Day in Europe, she makes daily resolutions instead...

* TM Cristina misses the seasons in Florida although she's learning to detect their subtleness by ordering pumpkin lattes in Fall and daiquiris in Summer.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jose is planning his summer trip to Switzerland and most importantly, mapping all the electric car charging stations along the Route Napoleon....

We had (2) interesting prepared speeches...

* TM Marie delighted us with a thought-provoking speech about cutting out the excessive selfies and focusing more on others, before we miss any more opportunities and learn to be present now.

* I, Ana, told the story of one of our eccentric pioneers, Henry Flagler, who built the Florida Railroad and was the successor of the Paris Folies Bergere by naming it "Flager Follies"....  I Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

Regarding evaluations...

* TM Jorge praised TM Marie for her good hand gestures in spite of zoom restrictions and good pauses but please don't say thank you at the beginning of the speech.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.  Go Jorge!

* TM David found my speech educational but suggested I imagine that Henry Flager was Cuban and put more passion into it, and stop reading the notes, parbleu!

The Word of the Day was

KERFUFFLE, noun

Commotion, fuss, noisy argument, chaos

Example:  Several members expressed a craving for a kerfuffle with whipping cream.

We had the pleasure of the visit of our District Director, Rachel B., who said our Club is a lot of fun - and no kerfuffle.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmnPGCjZ0cU

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Colors, Cultures and Commitment - an ebullient morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Gail started us off with a heartfelt invocation, and TM Pam followed with an ebullient joke.

TM Gail introduced us to thinking about colors.... We discovered that...

* TM Jose recognizes pink is not his favorite color for himself, but he once attended a great concert by Pink and he relished cotton candy, a precursor to diabetes.

* TM Aleta marvels at the orange dusks in Western Pennsylvania, which she attributes to the reflection from the green trees that line the scenery.

* TM Veronica reminisced about drinking beer in high school -ooops, college- a song blue, a restaurant near home called Blue Moon... She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina loves purple and is reminded of medieval times, royalty and it was definitely her favorite color when she was growing up....

* TM Pam quoted that "Nature's First Green is Gold" by Robert Frost, green bananas and jumped over to her daughter's wedding cake sprinkled in purple,

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo talked about 100-year-old black eggs (yuk but survivable), gross alligator tips and Dutch worst candy in the world - liquorice on steroids. "If you can't travel the world, make the world come to you." She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie refreshed our memories about keeping the commitment we made when we joined Toastmasters, and use the precious Crib Sheets to learn and grow fulfilling different roles.  If It's not fun, it's not Toastmasters!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM BeckyJo's speech delivery, voice fluctuations, ebullience and humor, and related to surviving eating 100-year-old eggs.  

* TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed TM Marie's educational speech and encouraged her to use more voice variations in pitch and volume.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EBULLIENT, adjective

full of energy and cheerful

Example: EarlyBirds is a club full of ebullient members.  Come join us!

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAtH7wwlXNg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Ebullient Recap Writer

Contest, Inspiration and Is It Fair? - a contested morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We heard very inspirational speeches...

* TM Marie expressed to us how the most important gifts we receive in life are those invitations we accept....  She Won First Place

* TM Veronica clearly showed us how life happens while we're getting prepared so we must reverse course and take action first!  She Won Second Place

* TM Jose reiterated that we are responsible for our own actions and we need to actively build a healthy life and determine what we refuse to tolerate.

* TM David declared that life marches along and we must not allow any small hiccup to cause upheavals.  That's why he goes to Toastmasters.  He Won Third Place.

* I, Ana, gave a bird's eyeview of life from the shoreline instead of focusing on one finite point in my realm.

* TM Aleta explained to us what a modern pioneer woman is - perseverance, stamina and WiFi!  Go Starlink!

While votes were being tallied, we had outstanding Table Topics led by TM Randolph - is life fair and does money make a difference?

* TM Jose's life indeed changed by the lack of money when he learned to hunt and cook and then as he made more money, expenses always caught up!

* TM Veronica found herself in Costa Rica, 21 years old with no money but she had generous friends who spotted her till she got back home.

* TM Aleta said you can't depend on what you learn in college because life itself is the best teacher.

* TM Pam stated that no, life is indeed not fair, but hey people, learn to be empathetic to those below - it needs to become trendy again.

* TM BeckyJo said it's fair to cut in line if you pay Premium but it's not fair to cut in line for organ donation just because you're wealthy.  No sireeee...

The Word of the Day was 

CONTEST, noun

An exercise to determine one's place in a competition.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wJWefpXwE

Next week, on to Table Topics Contest!!!

See you then!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

The Laughing Librarian, A Funny Thing Happened and The Invitation - great momentum at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM The Tom started us with a profound invocation about Father Fulton Sheen, known as the first Televangelist, soon to be canonized after a life of introspection.

TM BeckyJo introduced us to British children's analogies posted on FB's The Laughing Librarian.  We found out that...

* TM Pam wistfully reminisced about the Disco Era, when the walrus sang while making sounds like rusty farm equipment.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom's eyes twinkled like dew drops on the mustache of a man with a cold... And Won Best Laughing For The Duration of a Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie quoted "Sorry to see you leave and happy to see you go" as the reasoning behind magnetic back attraction and front repulsion.  Or something like that...

* TM Veronica compared the beauty and delicacy of a ballerina extending her leg at impossible angles and the strength of a dog lifting his leg at a fire hydrant.  Both are very impressive...

* TM Jose liked Canadian bacon while living in the US, which reminded him of one of his cars which had attractive back fenders and repulsive front benders.

* TM Aleta's cats get their ragged nails caught in her shag carpet and demand vacuuming often = the mustache topic reminded her of TM Jim G.

* I, Ana, pondered about the medical uses of lampshades as an instrument of isolation for dogs when licking wounds is not permitted.

Regarding prepared speeches...

* TM Christine gave her speech from a plane seat and recounted when one of the dogs in her care gave birth to 2 puppies in her shag carpet while she was flying back from LA - it turned out the doggy daycare is somewhat of a dog promiscuity center.... She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie wrote her speech in less than an hour this morning and highlighted the impact that accepting certain invitations has had in her life - Toastmasters, Al-Anon, Centering Prayer....  more will be revealed!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed TM Christine's speech and found it very hilarious - so much so that she totally ignored any (superfluous) time constraints while she laughed and laughed and laughed...

* TM BeckyJo praised TM Marie for her superb speech crafted last minute and delivered in such a profound lasting way.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

MOMENTUM, noun

Force that keeps something moving forward, progressing.

Force or speed of a moving object, calculated as mass + velocity.

Example:  This morning's meeting gathered momentum once we shifted all the roles around several times.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://youtube.com/live/WdM3xaJxXzA?feature=share

Note:  The International Speech Contest has been postponed till February 5th.  

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Giving thanks, Death of a Penny and Contemplative Prayer - a grateful meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie started us with an invocation of gratefulness.

I, Ana, introduced Thanksgiving-related topics.  We learned that...

* TM Aleta is grateful for the current local weather and for too many things to list in 2 to 3 minutes with a 30-second deviation only at the end to qualify.

* TM Christina has (2) Thanksgivings, Canada and US, her parents are coming and she's accomplished great things at work this past year.

* TM Pam ran the Marine Corps marathon with an untrained friend and her feet, totally compliant during trials, started to hurt for no good reason. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo would invite Tiny Tim to her Thanksgiving Dinner as he could probably keep the crazies in line.

* Our guest, Naomi, would like to learn the skill of patience in the next year.  Go Naomi!

* TM Jose dropped a screwdriver owned by the dockmaster to the bottom of the ocean, who will try to retrieve it with a long line and a magnet attached to it.

* TM Randolph is looking with great hope to take a family trip this coming year, possibly to Orlando but still to be confirmed.

We had (2) outstanding speeches today...

* TM Gail memorialized our recently defunct US penny - although there are still 300 billion of them in circulation, so it will be a while before they disappear and go back to heaven, where they originally came from to be worn in penny loafers.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie is setting the groundwork for peaceful holidays by practicing Centering Prayer, using heartfulness vs mindfulness, inhaling acceptance, exhaling surrender and letting go of unpleasant memories with overbearing family members.

Regarding our evaluations..

* TM Christine praised TM Gail's speech for its rich history, Bing Crosby songs, penny earned is a penny saved, lucky pennies, and the rich tapestry of our legendary penny which now costs 3 cents to produce and had to be discontinued.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo admires TM Marie's calm delivery of a speech on serenity and peace, the open loving of God, and for being the essence of calmness herself.

The Word of the Day was

GRATEFUL, adj.

To be pleased about something

Example:  I left our EarlyBirds meeting today unexpectedly moved, deeply grateful and with a sense of privilege for having been there.

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF82nMBkeps

See you in TWO WEEKS, on December 4 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Your Favorite Things, Driving-Italian style and A Feline Farewell - a conciliatory morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

First-timer TM Veronica led us with an inspiring invocation - go TM Veronica!

TM Aleta presented choices of some of our favorite things ...

* TM Christine got caught dancing in the rain in Poland, where nobody knows her and she did not care what anyone thought of her.

* TM Veronica goes on vacation to tropical places during rainy season - less expensive and less crowded - and she gets caught in the rain quite often.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge once rode a Tennessee horse which was described as a compliant, obedient horse and turned out to have a will and a gallop of his own!

* TM David was not familiar with schnitzel - although thanks to Mr. Google, we are all now experts in schnitzel - and likes to go swimming in his pool when it's raining.  No lightning or thunder, please!

* TM The Tom avoids blue satin sashes lest they get in his eyelashes, so he guesses but no messes with girls in white dresses.

* I, Ana, have not been bitten by a dog - mostly because I avoid them- or stung by a bee although they proliferate in swimming pools in Madrid.

And then came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo revisited her near-death experience as a passenger in Simonetta's reckless driving to Miami, to Naples and almost to the next world...  Ah la bella Italia!!

* TM Marie shared a heart-rendering visual story of Sammy Miami, who lived a privileged life and crossed the rainbow arch leaving loving memories behind.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jorge loved TM BeckyJo's speech, her energy, the way she acts her speech and he suggested that next time, she face the camera and her audience.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom, a cat person himself,  was deeply touched by TM Marie's experience parting with a beloved pet.

TM Christina excelled as a first-time Toastmaster - go TM Christina!

The Word of the Day was

CONCILIATORY, adj.

Intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility.

Example: It is more conciliatory to catch flies with lemonade than with pure bitter lemons.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zPelKb9heg

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.

Salsa, Salsa, Salsa, Evaluations and Labor Day - a fun contest at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had our Evaluations Contest today! What a huge success! 

Our Test Speaker, TM Yolanda, delighted us with a fun, upbeat speech about her passionate love affair... with SALSA!  ("The rythm is going to get you, the rythm is going to get you!) (sung to the tune of Gloria Estefan's Rythm is Going To Get You... 

She followed her friend's father's wise adage "If you don't swing the bat, you won't hit the ball!" and she swung the bat and hit the ball all right!  Inspired by the movie "Dance with me" she began as a shy observer and progressed to Salsa Casino, Salsa Club, Salsa Congress, Salsa Competition...

By the end of her speech, we all wanted to sign up for Salsa lessons.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Pam praised TM Yolanda for the connection between love affairs and dancing.

* TM Jose was enthralled with TM Yolanda's self-assurance and her evolution from bystander to salsa expert.  He Won Third Place.

* TM Christine so related to the light hearted tone of the speech and TM Yolanda's ebullient nature.

* TM BeckyJo was inspired by TM Yolanda's zest for best and vows to create an EarlyBird Salsa Contest at our old Denny's.  We will fly the non-locals in.  She Won First Place

* TM David thoroughly enjoyed the essence of the speech and praised TM Yolanda for overcoming her initial insecurity with an intrepid salsa spirit.

* TM Marie admired TM Yolanda's strong start and non-glare glasses as well as her joyful disposition.  She Won Second Place.

While the votes were being tallied, we had Table Topics about the upcoming Labor Day...

* TM David firmly declared that he will wear white or any color he chooses after Labor Day.   So there!

* TM Jorge lived in South Beach for a while and did not go to any Labor Day Beach Bash parties, thank you very much!

* TM Christine is torn between a backyard barbeque and a picnic because she loves both soooo much.

* TM Yolanda has gone to the beach plenty of times but has not engaged in water sports, boating or swmming.  She prefers to watch the waves from the shore...

Reminder frrom TM Marie, our Treasurer:

Dues are due!  Please go to toastmasters.org and follow clear instructions.  Thank you!

Next week, September 4, will be a standard Early Birds meeting.  The Humorous Speech Contest has been pushed back until further notice.

Next week, September 4, we will have a brief business meeting right after our regular meeting to discuss items of interest.  Club Officers need to be there but everyone is welcome to stay!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/JUV4SqUHT8Q?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

First Day of School, Undesirable? Living Large, Living Small - let's stipulate it at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo started us off with carefully researched Table Topics about First Day of School customs in various countries....

* TM Gail exercised as School Principal only one year because First Day of School problems between students, faculty, janitors, supervisors, maintenance crew was simply too much and not stipulated in her job description.

* TM Jim, calling in from Japan, thinks an apple is still the best token of appreciation for good teachers/mentors, rather than flowers that wilt.

* Guest and former TM Kit's most precious possession is her wedding ring which came wrapped and enclosed in a $300 leather backpack, customary in Japan.

* Area Director TM Rachel is all for improving the workplace by providing food mindfulness and a siesta after a scrumptious lunch, as they presumably do in schools in France.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.  Note from Recap Writer:  Our French member, TM David, gently insinuated he does not recall 2-hour lunches in his school days in France.  Just sayin'.....

* TM Veronica's symbolic celebration is a dance party and implementing 2-hour leisurely school lunches in the US, much like they do in Spain and Argentina.  

* Guest and former TM Randy will command artificial intelligence  (more artificial than intelligent) to remove visitors' shoes when they enter his cabin.

* TM  Christine fondly recalls her first days of school and embarks on new beginnings with a MIckey Mouse backpack full of candy.

We had two fantabulous prepared speeches today...

* TM Marie led us down our collective path of phone addiction, which originally began in innocent, simpler days of avoiding the Molasses Swamp in Candyland and then we all mentally sang Laura Branigan's hit song Self-Control to relieve anxiety and stress.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Chris entertained us with her skillful presentation of their maritime sojourn since April and guided us into the future with a fantastic slideshow and maps depicting the trajectory of their residence ship, again proving that you can live small and live VERY large simultaneously. How does she create the moving little Villa Vie all over the mappa mundi???  Ah..... the wonder of it all...    Welcome back, TM Chris.

And then came Evaluations...

* TM Jorge (first-time evaluator? great job!) praised TM Marie for her inspirational speech steering us away from scrolling - the new smoking- to get out of our quagmire... and he subtly suggested she wear anti-glare eyeglasses.... 

* TM Randolph was captivated by TM Chris' ability to live in a small cabin within a VERY BIG house and he'd like to know where she got her bed risers for extra storage.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

Our General Evaluator, TM Jose, gave a comprehensive General Evaluation report, stemming from his keen sense of observation.  Good job TM Jose!

Our Area Director, TM Rachel, a self-proclaimed night owl, gave EarlyBirds a raving review and stipulated she will be our Guest Speaker in our Evaluations Contest.  Thank you, TM Rachel!

Dates to Remember:

Club Evaluations Contest:  Thursday August 28

Club Humorous Contest:  Thursday September 4

The Word of the Day was

STIPULATE, verb

To demand or request that something be part of an agreement or a contract between two or several parties.

Example:  Per our friendship agreement, it is stipulated that you will laugh at all my jokes, no matter how bad they are.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P4fwXS-0pY

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

First liners, Core Strength and Influencers - a curated meeting of Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo gave us intriguing literary first liners.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Gail is living in the best of times and the worst of times but through it all we need to help and serve each other.

* DTM Mary Helen wishes her benign, frail grandmother had exploded and been a stronger role model in her life...

* TM Randolph really envisioned his imaginary twin children meeting up with dragons in the vegetable garden.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM David segued impeccably from getting the willies to living in the best of times and the worst of times.  Well done, TM David!

* TM Jorge agrees that families are not uniformly unhappy and parents are responsible for making a positive or negative impact on their kids.

* I, Ana, knew that my topic came from a bright cold day somewhere in Europe because it used the ever-confusing military time.

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM Jose educated us about Pilates, formerly known as contrology but too controlling of a term to prevail and reform the core of your inner sanctum.

* TM Marie talked about the fleeting fame of influencers and the lasting community of true world restoration.  She Won Best Speaker Award.  Note: Her story is from The Birthday of the World by Rachel Naomi Remen.

Along came evaluations...

* TM David praised TM Jose for his educational, masterful speech delivered in a smooth soothing voice.  TM David may heed the call to action and sign up for concentration, control and breathing.  Go Pilates!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph admitted TM Marie's speech captivated him from the start and this will be a praiseful evaluation, and he kept his word!

The Word of the Day was

CURATE, verb

To select the best or most appropriate for presentation.

Example:  It is wise to curate our clutter  when we are planning to move.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FHTN4B6m2I

See you next week!

Ana I

Curated Recap Writer

Spring, Buoyant Life and Mile High Makeover - an astute meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had a number of FIRSTS today....

We inducted our new Member, TM David, and he also was an excellent First Time Timer - great job David!

We had a First Time Grammarian, TM Jorge, who astutely provided our WOD and kept track of our grammatical assets and faux pas...

TM Pam inspired us with Spring topics.  We discovered that...

* TM Chris grew up in Alaska, where spring means the rivers crack, the ice melts and the temperature rises to a smoldering 10 degrees Fahrenheit... No tabebuia trees in the vicinity, for sure!

* TM The Tom, originally a land-bearing Yankee (Colonel Tom, says TM Jim G) transformed into a southern drawler at a moment's notice.

* TM Aleta avoids Artesian Wells, where no pump is needed as the sulphuric water gushes out all by itself and has built a non-Artesian well in her back yard.

* TM Gail astutely summarized members' introductions and topic answers to talk about her own March Madness divorce earthquake which made her a proud lone ranger.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jim ignored Blue Devil low spirits and focused on New Jersey, the flying biped who takes blue capsules with barbiturates and scares the living daylights out of unsuspecting New Joisy children.

* TM Cory likes the rebound effect of bouncing back through the air after hitting a hard surface or object and prefers to recover from a setback or frustration.

* TM Jorge knows little about Cinderella except she was ignored by her family until Cinderfella came along and rescued her.

We had (2) outstanding speeches...

* TM Marie asked us to consider seriously how to avoid the vitriol of current events and focus on living a buoyant life by paying attention to the marine buoys that line up the Intracoastal Waterway.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* Returning TM Christine so inspired a former Sephora employee presently flight attendant that Christine got a total makeover while the ignored 120  other female passengers stood hopelessly in line to get an eyelash curler.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Cory did a second evaluation of TM Marie and praised her for looking straight at the camera and only reading the grasshopper poem.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Chris praised TM Christine for coming back to the Club and encouraged her to try other glittering eyeshadows in the flight attendant's  eyeshadow pallette.

The Word of the Day was 

ASTUTE, adjective

Clever, perceptive, quick to understand situations.

Example:   We EarlyBird Toastmasters exemplify astute, buoyant, clever, perceptive, witty humanoids.

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYMMGCKrQf0

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Moving, Thai Paradise and What Now? A scintilla of a meeting at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Chris, shaker and mover, got us moving in various directions.  We found out that...

* TM Terri does not have moving in her genes but treasures her childhood pictures which miraculously made it out of Hersheytown, Cuba.

* TM Aleta's longest moves were back and forth between Pennsylvania and Florida, with lots of uncluttering along the way.

* TM Cory's shortest move was at age 20 when he moved 2 blocks from his Mom who visited every day, till he springboarded to Portland, Oregon.

* TM Paolo just went through a harrowing transatlantic flight with 6 bambini in tow so he wants to stay put for a while.

* Guest Jean's easiest move was from Europe to Florida.  His father helped and besides, he had beaucoup des francs a depenser (translation: quite a bunch of French francs to convert to dollars).

* I, Ana, do NOT like to move - miscellaneous objects live in perpetuity in my home so the Gulds are bringing their rnadoms and extras over.  I Won Best Table Topics Award.

Then came the outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM Jose took us on a scintillating trip aided by seamless visual/audio aids  to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (coloquially known as Thailand) and a few of the islands they visited - they had 1400 to choose from, as well as near-passing trains.  TM Jose and the entire Club is planning to visit the Gulds' Cruise in Phuket in November 2026.  Jose won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie expertly showed us ways to turn our energy from negative to positive, ignore the external narcissism and find the silver lining in every storm cloud.

Regarding the evaluations...

* The Tom Quinn praised TM Jose's presentation skills as simply magic.  He wants MORE, MORE, MORE!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* First-time Evaluator TM Cory admired TM Marie's self-confidence, great energy, audience engagement and the ability to pose serious questions in a very gentle tone.  Great job, Cory!

ALERT FOR TM BECKYJO:  The Oxford Dictionary has officially recognized -and listed- the formerly slangy GONNA. 

The Word of the Day was

SCINTILLA, noun

Very small amount of something

Spark, flash

Example: EarlyBirds has way more than a scintilla of humor and joy to start us right on any given Thursday morning.

Here's the link to the recording:

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

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Elton, Labels and Canterbury Tales - a parlayed morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Mary Helen evoked our musicality with lines from Elton songs...

* TM Chris is still standing, and after a 50-year-old injury in a black diamond ski run, is getting a new knee  while enjoying a good joint.

* TM Randolph was dating his wife, forming a music group, preparing for college and starting to realize that he didn't know everything, all at 17.  He Won Best Table Topics Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta looks presentable from the waist up because she knows that, besides her hips, the camera never lies.

* TM Pam pondered who she'd be if she were you and you were her or they/them were us/ours and who is she anyways, she wonders when she wakes up every morning....

* TM Paolo would like to feel the love tonight although with (2) bambini in bed it's easier to feel the love in the house and the morning pandemonium.  This too shall pass...

* The Tom mused that yes, he should have sent flowers at times - there's always an opportunity to be softer.  Ahh... the powers of hindsight....

* I, Ana, had a wild and crazy night at a joint Billy Joel/Elton John concert many moons ago and with a cold heart left my commitments behind.

* TM Jim G. reflected on the circle of life - the birth of his son, the death of his father and hopes there's still another chapter to fill...

* TM Marie considers us all dear friends, although she only sees us in the zoom squares, but she fully believes we are all real people.

We heard 2 interesting speeches today...

* TM Marie distinguished between helpful Flora pasta labels and childhood adhesive labels - ie shy, butterfingers, accident-prone, clumsy, chatterbox - which we carry through life until we are baptized in the Jordan River, Epcot Center, USA.

* TM Terri had a college dorm experience at age 50 in Kent, England, where she pierced the veil of time in Greenwich Village and traversed to AM/PM to meet Geoffrey Chaucer sitting in the Mermaid Chair at Land's End, currently a mail order clothes catalog.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

And about evaluations...

* TM The Tom thanked TM Marie for taking him back to childhood bullying to parlay himself into a purposeful, loving, being loved human being.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Paolo praised TM Terri as a captivating teacher with great vocal variety and asked for a map marked with an X to find the Mermaid Chair.

The Word of the Day was

PARLAY, verb

To bet

To exploit successfully

To increase or otherwise transform into something of greater value.

For example:  His gambling addiction was parlayed into a successful career in Finance with a day job in Congress.

Next week, January 23, is our Club International Speech Contest.   Area Contest will be held on March 8 in Davie, Florida.

Here's the link to the recording: 

https://youtube.com/live/9mfnreCpzIQ?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Christmas Topics, "Tis The Season and The Night Before Christmas - a sparkling azzure morning at Early Birds!



Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta dazzled us with Christmas topics.  Who knew that...

* TM Chris is feeling Christmas more than ever trimming Christmas trees on a residential cruise currently in Paname.

* TM Terri's best thing that happened since last Christmas is the recovery of her sons which is truly miraculous.

* TM Jose has given back incorrect change in his favor to skeptical cashiers and received a random act of kindness that has led him to a much more geographically desirable ophthalmologist.

* TM BeckyJo (hereinafter to be known as BeckyJoy) aspires to learn to unmute and being on time to Toastmasters, and experienced the first miracle last night when she was 3 minutes early to pick up friends to attend the Days' Christmas Bash.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* DTM Mary Helen's favorite way to serve others in Christmas is to do the polls in EarlyBirds and to say errs and ummms with reckless abandon.

* TM Gail ranks #1 in the Geeks' Fan Club and is determined to create a Geeks on Tour International Holiday when dense members can finally learn to find their own photos, for Pete's sake.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM Marie recounted when John The Baptists, who lived off locusts and honey in 1 B.C. (Before Christmas) baptized people in the Jordan River and told them to Repent, nowadays a philosophy of "want what you have rather than getting what you want" or as Steven Stills  put it "Love the one you're with"... She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jim G. lived up to our annual tradition with a rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore, outfitted with a Panamanian Santa Claus jacket and displaying a prodigious memory.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Gail praised TM Marie for reminding us what the Season is really all about and her examplary use of vocal variety, eye contact and not wasting precious time.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJoy loved TM Jim G's adherence to tradition and challenged him to channel the characters, list the raindeer with more gusto and for Saint Nicholas' sake, wear a hat!

The Word of the Day was

AZZURE, noun, verb, adjective - multifaceted word all right

Example:  In October 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean azzure.

The link to the recording will be sent separately.

Merry Christmas to all

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Food topics, Family National Holidays and Forbidden Apples - a raddling morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Jim D. had us reminiscing about food memories....

* TM Gail loooooves ice cream, eats the small cups by the half dozen but for health purposes has restricted herself to ONLY vanilla.

* TM Aleta absolutely positively resolutely determinedly makes no food restriction New Year's resolutions.  She's nuts about chocolate... with nuts.

* TM Paolo has regressed from being a good cook to throwing together cold cuts and bread strictly under duress, the rest of the time he's just thankful for a loving good cook wife.

* I, Ana, had my unseasoned unsalted filet mignon blatantly stolen from my plate by a rogue canine during a family barbeque.  I was definitely not thankful!

* TM Chris' favorite restaurant is Cooper's Hawk, they have joined the Wine Club and have wonderful dining and wining experiences there.

* TM Jose almost ate chop snake salad during a business trip to Taiwan but, as often in his life, was saved by the snake's raddle.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Terrt can remember a few badly prepared marital meals but fortunately her ex is no longer around and her sons are both good cooks.

Regarding the prepared icebreakers we had today...

* TM Pam interwove (3) November holidays - Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving and her birthday into a tale of family gatherings, memories and reminiscens.  Happy Birthday Pam!

* TM Marie has spent most of her life trying to force outcomes with futility and no longer becomes raddled as she is now Laissez Faire Marie, letting events unfold as they will and cheerfully eating a crunchy unknowledgeable apple.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM Pam for her clarity, and her sighing technique and suggested she may add some hand gestures to her delivery.  

* TM Paolo hailed TM Marie's speech as a masterpiece and asked that she work on her right angle lighting and try Gala apples instead of Granny Smith's.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the DAy was

RADDLED, adj

Broken down, worn

Confused, upset

Example: Grammar nerds were raddled by the spelling of what they thought was spelled rattled, which started being used in the 1900s versus raddled from the 1690s.  Raddled saves you having to mentally cross the t's.  

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ft9ejL2qk

See you next week!

Ana I.

Raddled, Skedaddled and Befuddled

Recap Writer

Word Ruses, PR for a Better Life and 37 Strangers - a great morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta baited and rused us with unusual words.  We learned that...

* TM Gail is convinced that Barbie has strong core muscles of the rippled variety strictly because she overdoses on pink outfits.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Chris practices circular fashion by dancing the hula hoop while wearing bell bottoms.

* TM Randolph doesn't like greedflation which presents  the ruse of lower prices by smaller packaging and diminished product contents.  

* TM Roslyn explained that skiplagging is, for example, flying from New York to Cayman Islands by first stopping in Fresno, California.  All for a cheaper fare!

* TM Jim G. meditates in his bathtub with music, which makes life worth living, and induces him into a soundbath trance.

* TM Beckyjo stated that prebiotic is when AI converts her salt mill into a cat and furthermore,  prebiotic leads to neurotic - and that's all, folks!

We had one prepared speech today...

* TM Marie gracefully overcame technicalities and  informed us that she is hype-saturated and no longer seeks shadow comfort in hollow echo chambers.

* By video we watched TM Luisa, winner of the 2024 international speech contest, who revealed that her 6-minute death episode provided the best sleep she's had in hears.  Forget Ambien!

Regarding our evaluation...

* Third time evaluator TM Gail found TM Marie's speech exemplary, exemplary and lastly, exemplary.  Gail will personally implement a morning thanksgiving exam.  

We had round robin feedback.about the International champion speaker:

* TM Gail liked learning that St. Peter has an IPad.

* TM Aleta pointed out that the final speech was very different than the original one.  She demands a recount! 

* TM Randolph likes humor to be interjected with tragedy.  He likes to laugh and cry at the same time.

* I, TM Ana, played Skeptic Sally.  Was the wheelchair a prop?  Can speakers tell their tales of personal tragedy and be on a level playing field with other speakers?  More will be revealed (maybe).

The Word of the Day was

RUSE (pronounced ROOZ) noun

Action intended to deceive

Example:  New couples are on best behavior as a ruse to seduce...

Due to other techniculties, the link to the recording will be sent out later on today.  Be on alert!  It's not a ruse!

See you next week,

Ana Illsen

Recap Writer

Likes, Nomads and Poetry in Motion - the EarlyBirds meeting was not vexing!!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had a heartfelt invocation in the Christian tradition by TM Manny.

TM Jim G. thanked the outgoing panel of officers for their service and formally welcomed the new panel of officers:

President - TM Aleta

VP Ed - TM Ana

Treasurer - DTM Jim D.

VP Membership - DTM Mary Helen 

VP Public Relations - TM BeckyJo

Secretary - TM Terri

Sargeant - at - Arms - TM Jim G.

TM Chris led us in personal table topics about our likes.  We found out that...

* TM Terri played Old Maid as a child but much, much prefers dancing salsa and bachata to her heart's delight.

* TM Paolo likes driving if he has good sales results and while transporting a carload of screaming children in the Italian countryside.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Manny will do any chore in the house except cooking - but he definitely signs up for tasting and eating the end result!!

* TM Gail loooves to sing since she was a child and once sang a solo in front of Rev. Billy Graham and a congregation of 2,000.

* TM Jarrett likes to have house guests, except when they make loud clanging noises as his current one does but he's looking forward to his Mom joining in the external firework noises for the 4th of July.

* TM Aleta has grown to like giving speeches, inspired by our buddy Kip and mapping every speech to a specific project.  She is a woman on a Pathways mission!

Along came two excellent prepared speeches...

* TM Jose inspired some of us to become nomads like him and select travel destinations where food is of the essence (ie Basque Country in the Spanish Pyrenees).  

* TM Marie awed us with her very descriptive language of love expressed to her little granddaughter while riding the ocean waves. She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Aleta praised TM Jose for his professional slides, his listenable voice and his ability to inspire us to become travel gourmet nomads.  

* TM Jarrett was exhilarated with TM Marie's wealth of descriptive language and heartfelt command as a wordsmith.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

TM BeckyJo General Evaluated the meeting with outstanding powers of improvisation while keeping track of gonnas.

The Word of the Day was

VEX, verb or adjective

To annoy or worry someone, usually over something relatively trivial.

Example:  Most of us are blessed to have vexing problems of an affluent lifestyle.  

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/Un8NAUoJTaE?feature=share

See you next week on Independence Day!

Ana I.

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

A benevolent morning at Earlybirds

Dear members,

We are all wishing both Ana Illsen and Terry Montealegre speedy recoveries from their respective surgeries. We had several vacancies this morning, but with a large dose of benevolence and a few cloned members, here's how it went ... please be benevolent when I butcher this as I try to channel Ana's humor - Chris

We welcomed Carmine Tuozzo from Corpus Christi to our meeting, but he had the good sense to leave before we called on him for Table Topics. Good to see you Carmine - come back any time! Also joining us as a guest/past member was Terry Scheckwitz. We promised to keep them on the maillist in hopes of seeing them again.

In a newly minted segment called "An Educational Minute" TM Chris vowed to help us all navigat pathways and she succeeded in making her point (over many minutes) that it is confusing by getting totally lost.

Then TM Chris led us in Table Topics continuing on the theme of the 60s. We learned that

• TM Aleta listened to Creedence Clearwater Revival whenever she needed to find the bathroom - she won best Table Topics
• TM Randolph had to make up stuff about the British Invasion and the war of the bands
• TM BeckyJo remembers exactly where she was when Kennedy was shot. 
• TM Tom Quinn also remembers exactly where BeckyJo was when Kennedy was shot
• TM Terry Sheckwitz saw with her own eyes when a man walked on the moon, contrary to those that think it was a video created by Artificial Intelligence

Then came the prepared speeches:

• TM Marie Rock crawled her way out of the covid era to teach us how to crawl into our own silent space to counteract the noise all around us
• TM Jim Guld showed us how to tame an unruly audience as he showed us how Toastmasters taught Lionel Messi to be a leader. He won Best Speaker

For Evaluations

• TM Chris thought Marie was being very brave to stand up for the camera after crawling to get there. She won Best Evaluator
• TM Randolph wanted to see Jim's face as he slayed the unruly mob while giving a serious speech.

Here's the link to the YouTube recording. 

See you next week,

Chris Guld - acting recap writer

Blarney Stone Kiss, Quagmire Ascension and Strange World Poobahs - advocating at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests, Friends,

TM Chris had us symbolically kiss the Blarney Stone and we developed the Gift of Gab - ironic, since the Stone is near Cork, Ireland - which should instead put a cork on our verbosity.  Oh well, I digress.    We uncovered and discovered that...

* TM Pam is rubbing her hands anticipating her grown children to reciprocate for all the pristine diaper-changing that she lovingly bestowed upon them. 

* TM BeckyJo vividly recalls discovering color TV in Hawaii amidst PuPu Platters and after Rin Tin Tin, color TV has never been the same. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph advocates for a light football Hurricane season in the midst of a light natural disaster season without toppling his childhood treehouse.

* TM Paolo is still circling Miami in his flight from the heel of the boot in Puglia and needs an alarm clock to set his circadian rythms straight.. sometime next week.

* DTM Mary Helen found a thoroughly trained DTM Jim D, thanks to the advocacy of his late first wife and now Mary Helen's best friend forever.

* TM Jim G. gets chills down his spine when he visits and revisits the bridge of his childhood near the Jersey coastline.

We heard two prepared speeches...

* TM Marie was finally able to untangle herself from Mom's flowing skirts at the tender age of 30 and joined a group of contemplative scholars to break through the Pathways barrier.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* DTM Jim D. has indeed met  oddball friends in unlikely aviation circles - Terminator Cop,  Erectyle Dole Pineapple, Transformer Bruce, Barry O. and presumably the only alleged pervert worth negatively singling out, The Donald McRonald.  

Along came the evaluations...

* TM Tom praised TM Marie for staying on point and taking risks while ricocheting her shymeter in the midst of a heterogeneous group.

* TM Aleta encouraged DTM Jim D. to use more vocal variety because monotones become homophones and then it's creek vs creak; hole vs whole; incite vs insight and dangerously lead to homonyms - accept vs except, affect vs effect.   You get the drift.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

We arrived at several momentous revelations...

* By popular acclaim, we will start collecting $500 per Ummm and Errrr in order to cross the pond and celebrate our Club's 60th Anniversary in Xavea, Spain.    The date is Saturday, September 16, 2023.

* TM Jim G. has officially joined the Refurbished Hippy Movement as honorary President.

The Word of the Day was

ADVOCATE, noun or verb

To support or argue for

To plead in favor of

It's always better to be the backer, defender, promoter, supporter, lawyer than a plain old arguer.

The link to today's recording:

https://youtu.be/-xSEZCeh5IQ

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer