Fwd: YOUTUBE LINK:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5QodhK81Tg

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

On this memorable day of The Tom's Birthday, we send hearty congratulations and best wishes to our good member.

TM Pam launched us on a centennial remembrance...

* TM Aleta has not read The Great Gatsby but indeed watched the movie and swooned over the late Robert Redford.  Old Gatsby, Old Sport!

* TM Gail sang onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and silently hoped Dolly showed her boobs and her songs with her.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie missed the Goodyear Blimp ride, tried helicoptering to a dogsled ride in Alaska and missed it due to low visibility.  A lunar landing may be next....

* TM Randolph is secretly hoping his wife will not get one of the latest TVs where the screen image is realer than real - he prefers the ventriloguist dummy of 1925's first tv image.

* TM BeckyJo cleaned up the beach in Boca Raton as a teenager and chased the garbage dumpers with their garbage in hand.

* TM Jorge can't recall marching in a parade but will call 1-800-Goodyear Blimp to reserve a spot and fly over Fort Lauderdale Beach.

* TM Veronica loved doing book reports and science projects in trifled boards and those fun times brought a smile to her face.

We had (2) fantastic prepared speeches...

* TM David regaled us with "To Become", based on a quote by French feminist Simone de Beauvoir (precursor of second-wave gringo feminists Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan) and we become women based on culture, tradition, stories and the legenday Edith Piaf (the little sparrow).  He sang a bit of Padam Padam for us.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jose took us on a personal tour of his own 70 cycles around his star, where life accelerated more and more as the years rolled fastly by and he found his perfect life of abundance and gratitude which continues to swoon him.

And then came evaluations...

* TM Christine timely realized that evaluations are about delivery, not content; the evaluator stays neutral and opinionless regarding the nature of the speech.  She suggested TM David to insert English sub-titles in his PowerPoint slides until she masters French Duo Lingo.

* DTM Mary Helen was totally engaged with the topic of TM Jose's speech and praised his organization, his pauses and his reminiscences of life by decades in such a masterful way.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SWOON, verb

Faint from extreme emotion

A state of bewilderment or ecstasy

Example:  The Heavenly Angels will swoon when Robert Sundance Kid Redford shows up at the Pearly Gates.

Clarification:  Adither exists.  It's a word that describes a state of confusion, excitement, or anxiety, often combined with a sense of expectancy.  Example:  I was adither going hither and thither.

Here's the link to the recording:

YOUTUBE LINK:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5QodhK81Tg

Ana I.

Recap Writer by virtue of Recording Accuracy

Emergency situations; Aviation Pioneer and A Frenchman in New York - a nuanced meeting at EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members,

Invocator TM Pam opened our meeting with a thoughtful and reflective invocation, setting the tone for an inspiring session.

TM Marie then launched us into action with table topic questions that kept us on our toes — this time focused on emergency scenarios. Members were asked to think fast, get creative, and share their rescue strategies on the spot....

 

 *TM Gail won Best Table Topics Award, by making light of a serious medical situation.

 * TM Aleta lost her extensive shoe collection in the reconstruction of her home but she has her good LL Bean boots!

 *TM Randolph no longer trusts the round back patio trampolines aka bone crushers in the making!

*TM Pam unabashedly revealed her favorable bias for big dogs.

*TM Jose confided that he was once young and reckless and 911 in Spain is 122.

*DTM Mary Helen wore a helmet and took siestas in the back of Jim's motorcycle.

*TM Jorge kept us all engaged and became the official "King of the Pause"

 

Then came our prepared speeches, where inspiration really took flight:

*TM Christina took us on a journey with aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, reminding us of the courage and curiosity that fueled the golden age of exploration — long before satellites mapped the skies.

*TM David had us all feeling très Français as he shared his NYC experience — how living in the city shaped his identity and his language. It was the other version of "An American In Paris".... He walked away with the Best Speaker Award for his heartfelt delivery.

When it came to evaluations:

*TM Beckyjo commended TM Christina for her strong vocal variety and engaging eye contact, while suggesting she reposition her notes - and get into the space program soon!

*TM THE Tom was so moved by TM David's speech that he said he wants to hear it again — just so he can evaluate it one more time! No surprise he won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

NUANCE, noun

a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

"the nuances of facial expression and body language"

 

And of course, we all missed our master of multitasking Ana, who has been in the hospital but is now well on her way to recovery and normalcy. We can't wait to have her energy back at our meetings! 

It was a meeting full of intention, action, and thoughtful reflection — true to our EarlyBirds spirit.

 

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/Ndde3YOQiu8?feature=share

Things to Ponder, Bring Back The Tomboys, Intentions vs Actions - an impetuous meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests, and Friends,

FIrst-time Invocator TM Christina started our meeting with a thoughtful invocation. 

TM Cory launched us with deep, thought-provoking table topics...

* DTM Mary Helen has had many moments that changed her life - Al-Anon, Toastmasters, having children, astrology... and more to come!  

* TM Gail was chosen as a student from many schools for a noteworthy cause and this was a day she would gladly relive, over and over again.

* TM BeckyJo would change the day she got married and that would in turn, eliminate her flawed belief that if she became perfect, her husband would love her! She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina has experienced many moments of personal growth in different stages of her life, with different mentors, and she's still always changing.

* TM Jorge faced a challenge of getting injured when first being initiated in technology that turned into a blessing in disguise - he became self-taught and moved ahead.

* TM Veronica is going to write a letter to her future self asking her to be kinder, gentler and more loving to herself, and to reinforce her self-confidence and self-trust.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM Christine reminisced about her tomboy childhood which led to some gender ambivalence and has finally brought her full circle to enjoying her femininity and is starting a movement to "Bring Tomboys Back"! She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Randolph plants the seeds of noble intentions which lead to actions that agree with the flow of the divinity and acknowledges God in all ways, at all times.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Jose praised TM Christine for her courage in presenting a controversial topic with excellent vocal variety, great eye contact and suggested she limit the gender descriptions for audience understanding.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM Randolph's spiritual speech and encouraged him to present the speech again so he can evaluate it again.

The Word of the Day was

IMPETUOUS, adj.

Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; incautious.

or

Marked by violent force or strength

Example:  He slammed the door so impetuously that it came off its hinges.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuGPcMaY5U

See you next week!

Ana I.

Impetuous Wizard of Ahhhs

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

Idioms, Idioms and Face the Devil - a salient morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I started us off with idioms....  We discovered that...

* TM Randolph tells his kids to "Boom, run" which is the salient equivalent of making a beeline.

* TM Cory, MBA, recently celebrated in Mexico City and loved it all except he had to chew fat when he ordered a steak.  Heimlich Maneuver, here it comes!

* TM Gail made an approximation of Bill's Your Uncle to Bob's Your Uncle.  There you are...  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Veronica stays cool as a cucumber and prevents eye inflammation with cucumber beauty masks.

* TM BeckyJo likes all different kettles of fish except Tilapia and in her wild college days used to drink champagne and molusks.

* TM David reasoned that when pigs fly means that something is not bound to happen; however, he enjoys eating pork like his mother used to prepare.

We heard (1) humorous prepared speech and (1) motivational speech:

* TM Christine incited audience participation while introducing popular Americanisms that foreigners do not understand, ie highway robbery becomes daylight robbery in the U.K.

* TM The Tom reminisced about his futile attempt to condense the SS Costa Concordia vessel into 7 minutes and recommended that speakers keep it simple and mentor others who are fishing for minnows.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM David praised TM Christine for her Americanisms and suggested she speak slower so even Americans can understand her American-ness.  LOL!! He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo acknowledged TM The Tom's goal to encourage newer Toastmasters and suggested he condense and reiterate the beginning of his condensation.

The Word of the Day was

SALIENT, adj

Very important or noticeable

Example:  The salient truth is that Americanisms are twelve of one, half a dozen of another.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UblKKKMJh9U

Next week is our Evaluations Contest!!

See you then!

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

Idioms & Proverbs, Leadership Styles and Unsung Heroes - a peopled meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

In honor of our late TM Carmine, TM Randolph led us in idioms and proverbs.  We soon learned that...

* TM The Tom usually bites more than he can chew and tries to make sense of it  while speaking Gaelic.

* TM Veronica recalled this was one of her Dad's favorite expressions but if you enjoy something, do it often instead of once in a blue moon!

* TM Gail has counted her chickens before they hatched plenty of times and learned that it only leads to broken plans and disappointments.  Life is what happens while we're busy making other plans, as John Lennon used to say...

* TM David's grandpa used to say be happy with what you have instead of wishing for what you don't - bird in hand is better than 2 birds in the bush.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina's Dutch ancestry makes her avoid beating around the bush and she is very direct even if it's hard on the other person, but her Canadian side softens it up.

* TM Jorge ate plenty of pasta while spending time in Rome and doing as the Romans do....

* I, Ana, mused that words are empty when not backed by loud actions....

* TM Cory thinks he will build muscle by buying books on bodybuilding and stacking them neatly on his bookshelf.  Don't we all wish...

We had (2) excellent speeches...

* TM Pam described several leadership styles - coaching, innovative, authoritative (her favorite) and democratic while cajoling her youngest daughter to learn how to ride a bike in Long Key State Park.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta inspired us with the kindness of strangers who helped her untangle the chaos produced by an Act of Nature.

Along came evaluations...

* First-time evaluator TM Christina loved TM Pam's speech and as a child growing up in a helmetless world, she related to Pam's daughter...  Great job, Christina!

* TM David loved TM Aleta's phrase "Hope is never washed away" because perfect strangers become friends when disaster strikes.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was 

PEOPLED, verb

To populate, inhabit

PEOPLED, adjective

To be filled with people

Example:  It is people who are peopled by constantly peopling those peopled.

We had a plesantly surprising visit from TM Chris and TM Jim all the way from Japan, where cities are densely peopled!  Great to see you, friends!

Next week we will receive the visit of our Area Director.  

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukDITWQ86bM  

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Choices, Race to Space and Blue Bicycles - a moment to linger at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

TM The Tom led us in Table Topics and took some flak for (perceived) goofy choices... (they seemed very logical to The Tom)...

* TM Christina hates both massages - waste of time and money- and mani-pedis, since as a technician-pleaser she has walked around for 2 weeks with green nailpolish and not saying a word.

* TM Pam stays away from being too good at anything or she gets stuck being asked by slackers.  She's a self-described mediocre watercolor painter but by golly, she enjoys it and who knows, her art may someday be displayed at MOMA.

* TM Veronica hates to be tickled and would much rather be pinched for 3 minutes; however she prefers gentle Swedish massages and lets her husband be contorted into a pretzel by vicious Thai masseuses. 

* DTM Mary Helen will get a barking cat because she needs her house to be guarded and a meowing dog is a non-guardian freak of nature.

* TM Aleta avoids quacking like a duck and much prefers to chirp like a canary... or even better, she sings like a canary - but definitely not in a coal mine!

* TM Jose recalled the days of strobe lights and dry ice smoke in discoteques but is unfamiliar with foam parties or whipped cream (aka shaving cream) baths.  He's looking into buying a bathtub and will report back.

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches today.

* TM Cory explained that the Race to Space is back on full force - Space X preparing trips to Mars and NASA preparing a lunar base.  There's collaboration rather than competition and the benefits have included GPS, hurricane tracking, robotic surgery, water filtration and potential new friends in other galaxies.

* TM BeckyJo painted a picture of blue bikes representing community in war-torn anti-semitic Holland during WWII, when her friend Wilhelmina (Ellie) lived in an armoire of kind Allied collaborators until they won.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

First-time General Evaluator TM David did an outstanding job... And as far as evaluations go...

* TM Randolph asked TM Cory to focus on captivating an audience who may not be so interested in space travel by using specific examples and more vivid stories.

* TM Pam praised TM BeckyJo for her storytelling skills and asked her to focus on looking straight at the camera instead of the little squares that fill the scrreen.  A challenging feat while in Zoomland.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LINGER, verb

Slow in parting or quitting something

Still present but waning in strength

Example:  To understand Scots, you need to hurkle durkle and get your ears acclimated to their wee vocal variety.  Aye!

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpUtJpigKB8

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Administrator Console, But For a Small Twist of Fate, Protecting Girls' Sports - a morning of great impetus at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam introduced us to different facets of the Administrator's Console in our EarlyBirds website.  We realized that...

* TM Randolph understands that, although an annoyance, he needs a secondary email so when he drifts away from our group, we can reach out to him and reel him back in!!

* TM Marie joined EarlyBirds on a Mad Hatter day when our late DTM Kip was at his funniest and she just couldn't resist and joined on the spot.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina started FB while in college but doesn't use it anymore.  She uses - and recommends - Instagram, Instagram, Instagram.

* TM BeckyJo recommends that your pubic bio best include why you joined TM, why you stay.  If you have a colorful, intriguing life, describe it.  And keep your old picture in there!

Along came (2) longer-than-usual speeches...

* I, TM Ana, shared with the audience my personal recollections of leaving Communist Cuba in 1960 and shared some factual data about pre-Castro Cuba.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta regaled us with a speech about her Protect Girls' Sports presentation in BPW (Business Professional Women),  which was arbitrarily handled outside of her presence and betrayed her, but primarily betrayed young girls and women.  We hope there is more action to be taken by you, TM Aleta!

As far as evaluations...

* TM Gail praised my father's impetus in taking the family out of an increasingly perilous situation and suggested I allow more time for audience questions next time.

* TM Jose lauded TM Aleta's courage, empathized with her feelings of having been betrayed, liked her appropriately sober virtual background and suggested she give us a better sense of BPW's structure and a stronger ending for our "Big Comeback Toastmaster"...  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

IMPETUS, noun

Force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.

Example:  The discovery of a hidden stash of cookies was the impetus for a sugar-fueled adventure that ended with a sugar crash and a smile on my face.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OywF7Dy1LIo

See you next week!

Ana 

VP Education

Musical Metaphors, Icebreaker and Cuba - then and now; a reverberating morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Randolph pushed our melomaniac (passionate, sometimes obsessive, love for music) genes.  We soon found out that...

* TM Jose is a Professor Emeritus on Led Zeppelin and The Forbidden from the University of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.    He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christine S. is sometimes a firework, sometimes the guest who wonders if her pyromaniac friends will set their back yard ablaze to light up the night sky...

* Guest Beatriz name-dropped her park bench acquaintance with Queens native Art of  Simon & Garfunkel fame gazing at a bridge over troubled waters...

* TM BeckyJo is a complete unknown and thankful for having sowed her wild oats pre-computer and pre-iphone and pre-social media.  No proof exists!

* TM Veronica, a boombox melomaniac, obsessively played and replayed Eminem songs to memorize what turned out to be garbled lyrics.

* Guest Kristian is frankly way too young to catch a grenade for anyone, with places to visit, people to meet all while listening to Bruno Mars' s three-octave tenor vocal range.

* Guest Alissa recognizes that John Legend is indeed a R&B and Soul blender legend but certainly not in her time.   He's 48 years OLD OLD OLD...!

Along came our newest member's ICEBREAKER..

* TM Christina revealed she shares her hometown Newmarket, Canada with none other than  celebrities John Candy and Jim Carrey.  An aerospace designer by trade, she and her gourmet chef husband sailed on a yacht "From Capri to Amsterdam, Honolulu to Siam...."  She Won Best Speaker Award.  Go Christina!

Followed by a reading about Cuba:  Then and Now..

* TM Jose flawlessly read the tragic history of Cuba, the island that meant to have a political revolt to overthrow Batista's dictatorship and got cheated into a social revolution which plummeted  the island from the top of the tier to the bottom of the barrel... and counting.  Let this horror story reverberate to others ....

Along came evaluations...

* TM BeckyJo had some practical tips for TM Christina and suggested she not screenshare her points in a slide but work on using PowerPoint for future speeches.  She congratulated Christina for marrying a handsome man who cooks.  That fact alone outranks those rocketship designs... She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen was surprised that TM Jose dispensed of his now-famous PowerPoint presentations and was glad that he read the speech in his melodious voice.

TM Veronica handled her tasks as SAA and Pollmaker seamlessly.  Good job, Veronica!

The Word of the Day was

REVERBERATE, adj

Repetition of an echo

Repeated sound

Example:  The woman's shrill laughter reverberated throughout the movie theater.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKZB80uATA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

What's in the H?, Am I Alone In This? What Happened Along The Way - a non-putative meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our new Sergeant-at-Arms, TM Veronica, has her role down pat by now. 

Our Invocator, TM Jose, led us in a very timely invocation.

We were visited by our new Area Director, TM Rachel!  Very honored...

TM Gail introduced various H words for our consideration as Table Topics.   We discovered that...

* TM Pam described a whirlwind of alternatives to Hurricanes - Georgia Tech, Gators, Seminoles, UCF.... and handy, convenient t-shirt gifts aplenty.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph's hobby is music because he considers cooking a survival skill rather than a hobby and he's now thinking of taking up gardening.  Go for it!

* TM Veronica so loved her Asian honeymoon that she is firmly intending to renew her vows every year in order to orchestrate a party and an exotic trip to follow.

* TM Christine had a good habit of studying which led her to her aerospace engineering career - and she's now working on taking it easier as the other side of  being driven by habits.

* Area Director TM Rachel is a putative night owl but made a firm commitment to do a 'crack-of-dawner' in order to join us this morning, on her birthday.  She's a firm believer in horoscopes.  We hope you come back!

* Guest Alissa has had many heroes in life and is looking forward to becoming someone's hero which will make her feel very self-realized.

We had (2) excellent speeches today...

* TM Christine delighted us with a very humorous speech about the trials and dilemmas of those dreaded Security Questions we face in order to gain Access to our finances, travels, medical records, and the like.  You're not alone, TM Christine, in pondering whether Chunky Monkey is one word or 2 in Password World.

* DTM Mary Helen shared a heartfelt family loss intertwined with learning in TM to be a good listener, which comes in handy when you're surrounded by compulsive talkers!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM Christine for her very funny speech which was well structured, engaged the audience and reaffirmed that we're all in this together, inaccesible passwords and What's Our Favorite Anything - who can remember anymore?  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo admires DTM Mary Helen's voice modulation, security and confidence, and prowess as a powerful communicator.  We usually don't realize what happens along the way until we look in the rearview mirror...

The Word of the Day was

PUTATIVE, adj

A state of being assumed or believed, rather than definitely established.

Example:  The putative father was, in reality, her stepfather.

Here's the link to today's recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzl9wJ_SjyA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Idioms, Interdependence and Independence - a liminal day at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Today was a liminal day at EarlyBirds:  We thanked our Immediate Past President and former Officers for their work; we installed our new Officers in their new roles and we inducted our newest member, TM Christina.  Welcome to EarlyBirds, everyone!

TM Veronica did a superb job as first-time Sargeant-at-Arms.  TM BeckyJo took the baton from our Immediate Past President, and was particularly helpful in informing and welcoming our newest member and our guest, Kristian, and reporting to all of us the good news about TM Aleta who is thankfully overcoming a natural disaster suffered by her home.  We missed you TM Aleta, and hope you return soon....

DTM Mary Helen led us with very thought-provoking idioms.  We found out that...

* TM Gail is counting her chickens before they're hatched but hopefully this 3rd time is a charm and she will be boarding her cruise in Roma, Citta Eterna (per parlare della sua natura infinita).

* Returning TM Jarrett gave his wife a surprise  anniversary trip to the Keys including a loggerhead turtle and a Goliath grouper in their scubadiving.  Actions speak louder than words!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge is happy he joined EarlyBirds when he did because it's definitely better late than never!

* TM Jose always chased the grass that was greener on the other side of the fence and found out that it was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean!

* TM Veronica likes to look before she leaps but sometimes looking turns into staring and she wants to learn to shorten the observation stage.

* TM Christina believes that honesty is the best policy because frankly, she's a bad liar and she always gets caught...

* TM Cory is risk-averse and prefers a bird in hand than two in the bush.

* TM BeckyJo knows the early bird catches the worm because worms are out early morning before it gets too hot and besides, her neighbor's grass IS always greener than hers - or most of the year anyway.

* TM David knows that when in Rome you must do as the Romans do, or as our guest Kristian would say "when in Milan, have a veal milanese."

We had two fabulous speeches today...

* TM Pam related the history of EarlyBirds and how our interdependence has gotten us through liminal moments to how we are thriving today.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom gave a suspenseful speech about Gouverneur Morris, who hand-wrote The Preamble and the Constitution, created the street grid of Lower Manhattan and was homesteaded in a certain Gettysburg Address.

And then came the evaluations..

* TM David complimented TM Pam for her well-presented history of EarlyBirds and finding out about the Creator of the Peak of the Week.  

* TM Christine praised TM The Tom for keeping the main character of his speech as a Mystery Man with an unusual French name and, as Tom predicted, nobody had heard of him before.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LIMINAL, adj.

Occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

Relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.

Example:  TM Jorge hit the bullseye choosing this Word of the Day as our EarlyBirds Club is in a liminal stage.  Good job, Jorge!

Here is the link to the recording....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUhsR-R2wNA

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Resilience, Glory of God and What's in a name? a morning of glimmer at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our returning TM Christine formally into our Club.  Welcome back, Christine!

TM Marie launched us on a glimmer of resilience.  We discovered that...

* TM Christine's heroic effort consisted of getting a degree in Oxford at midlife while doing standup comedy with a British accent.

* TN The Tom is "the comeback kid" - overcame a health hardship and turned into a fish in a glimmering pond.

* TM Aleta overcomes adversity day by day, step by step, shovel by shovel, while anticipating a visit from the glimmering Samaritan's Purse.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Cory is mastering rising above it, talking when the mind goes blank while envisioning TM Jorge's AH, ER, YOU KNOW screen flashing in his mind's eye.

* Guest Christina converts triggers into glimmers of the day and her family, work and trip to Fairfax and Toronto rank in top relevancy.

* TM Randolph's faith gets him through the challenges of daily life with an unwavering moral code.

* TM Jose likens his life to a chu-chu train with different stops for different folks and is managing the Reservations Desk for visiting friends at his home in Javea, Spain.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo regaled us with a sailor's tale of triumph over adversity while proclaiming The Glory of God.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, revealed the little-known story of the origin of our city's name, tracing it back to wee William Wallace, aka Braveheart, aka Mel Gibson,  glimmering hero of the Scots.

TM Jose performed as first-time General Evaluator and glimmered steadily throughout...

* TM Cory asked TM BeckyJo to clarify if Boston Whaler and Laser is a marine mammal with a Boston accent and having laser cataract surgery.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph asked that for the love of Scots, I repeat the speech with a wee bit of humor added to it.

The Word of the Day was

GLIMMER,

noun - a faint or unsteady light

verb - shine faintly or unsteadily

Example: To identify your glimmers, pay attention to your senses, notice what brings you a sense of peace or joy, and reflect on activities that make you feel energized and alive.   So there....

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMBSIjcL5U

See you next week at Inauguration!  Dress code:  pyjama pants and a chic top will do!

Ana 

VP Education