EE's Artisans' Black Friday Sale
Buy local -- very local! No waiting in line in the pre-dawn hours (although it would be worth it). The EE Artisans' arts and crafts sale will be held on Friday, November 27, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Ramada.   You'll find a variety of one-of-a-kind items handcrafted by your talented neighbors. Jewelry, note cards, knitted items, wood carved items, specialty food, poinsettias and other house plants are some of the items that will be offered.  You'll also be able to buy a ticket for the Enhancement Team's raffle of an original watercolor painting of Elephant Head. The last of the EE license plates will be sold too. Come early for the best choices and enjoy cookies and hot cider while you shop.

Gardeners' Meeting
The EE Gardeners will hold their first meeting of the season at noon on Tuesday, November 24, in Esperanza Estates Park (that's the one on the corner of Holgado and Esperanza Blvd) for a brown bag lunch meeting.  Plans for the initial phase of the park's renovation will be discussed. After the meeting, the Gardeners will prune the garden at the Ramada.  Come for the planning session or the pruning party even if you can't stay for the entire time. New members are welcome to join. It's a good way for newcomers to learn about gardening in the desert.

Heat is Coming
Rejoice ladies! At long last, the heater for the women's shower room at the pool has arrived and will be installed this week. No longer will you have to endure those smirks from the men as they zip out of the pool into their toasty shower room.

November Board Meeting Highlights
The Board approved the 2016 budget, and no dues increase is needed.  The Board is considering the construction of a storage building at the tennis/pickleball courts. The party's over for the roaming javelinas: a gate will be installed at the trash wall in the Ramada to prevent them from getting to the trash. The Board has appointed Kevin Welsh to the Architectural Control Committee.

Neighborhood Watch Block Captains Needed
Mary Beth Wallace is looking for block captains for two zones on Circulo del Norte. This is a great chance to meet some of your neighbors and help our community.
Contact Mary Beth at merrymary7@q.com or 399-0299 if you are interested.

The Holiday Elves Are Back
No "Bah Humbug" heard here! EE has a long-standing tradition of decorating our street light posts for the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Years. If you don't have the time, or the energy, or you aren't here during the holidays, you can enlist the aid of the Enhancement Elves. They will do your decorating for a mere $10 if you have the decorations or $15 if you don't. If you need the electrical plug-in to go in the socket in your post, the charge is an additional $2.00, but the adapter then becomes yours. The charge includes both putting up and removing the decorations.  Deadline for this service is December 15, so if you want the elves to work their magic at your lamp post, call Jackie Rautio at 269-7864. They do extremely nice work.

Ready for 2016?
The Hospitality Committee is!  There will be some new events and some old favorites. Be sure to mark your calendars now: Dec. 15 Holiday Party,  Jan. 19 Sausage Fest, Feb. 9th Chinese New Year's.
Watch future memos for details.

Coffee & Donuts
If you missed the monthly free coffee and donuts last Wednesday, you also missed the announcement that it was the last time Ken and Kay Miller will be sponsoring this wonderful monthly gathering.  We thank Ken and Kay for their generosity over so many years.  Craig & Cynthia Surprise will be co-sponsoring the event along with the Cookes in the coming months. 

Grandchildren Coming for the Holidays?
There's no need to be schlepping bulky equipment through the airport. Thanks to the Enhancement Team's loaner program you can borrow what your grandchildren will need during their stay.
Call Lorna Kitchak at 838-0653 to borrow an item.  The complete list of what's available is posted on the EE website esperanzaestates.net.

Book Discussion Group
There's still time to read Range of Motion by Elizabeth Berg before the Book Discussion Group meets on December 1 at 11:00 a.m. at the Ramada. New members are always welcome for this hour of lively discussion.    

Book Exchange
The EE Book Exchange cabinet is inside the pool area. Enjoy reading a book without a due date or charge! The system is on a "bring a book---take a book" basis and is maintained for the enjoyment of all EE residents. If you have a number of books to contribute at one time, it is requested that you call Cindy Krantz at 203-8292 and let her know you have left the books by the cabinet. While all donations are welcome, space is limited. Your call will help keep the cabinet manageable. Books are weeded periodically--no books are ever discarded as the books which have been on the shelves several months are donated to the EE Ramada Sale managed by the Enhancement Committee.

Green Valley Food Bank
Generous EE residents recently donated 20 pounds of food to the Food Bank, which thanks you for your contributions.  You can always drop off non-perishable items in the food bank bin in the Ramada. Please try to make a donation every time you come to a Ramada event.