EE Movie in da Moonlight
This week's Art Club-sponsored movie is the 2001, winner-of-no-awards-we're-aware-of, Escanaba in da Moonlight. Jeff Bridges stars in this 2001 comedy portraying family life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Yoopers will feel right at home hearing those memorable lines "If you're looking for heaven, it's north of the bridge." and "Give a man a little luck and anything will do for brains." Be there before 6:30 pm this Wednesday evening to grab your cushion for the best seats in the house. A $2 donation supports the Arts Club in EE. Popcorn and decaf will be available.

Arts Club Meeting
The Arts Club will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 27 at the Ramada to discuss two upcoming projects for 2014. New members are always welcome.

Board Meeting Recap
It was definitely a two-cushion meeting, but many good discussions took place. The board approved the 2014 HOA budget, and there will be no increase in the HOA dues. You can read the full meeting minutes on our website esperanzaestates.net

Miracle on Calle Ensalmo (New Social Events Committee)
Much like he did on New York's 34th Street many years ago, Santa has granted EE an early Christmas wish. Marla Ries, a relative newcomer to EE, has volunteered to lead a meeting to discuss ways to keep our social events going. The meeting will be held at the Ramada (Calle Ensalmo) on Tuesday, December 3, at 10:00, and anyone with ideas or willing to volunteer to help is welcome to attend. If you aren't able to attend but would like to be involved, contact Marla at 360-708-0855. Thanks, Santa, there'll be some extra cookies for you in EE homes next month.

Volunteers Needed to Decorate EE
Continuing the tradition of decorating our common areas for the holidays, the Enhancement Team is looking for volunteers to help put the decorations up and take them down. To volunteer, contact one of the following decorating coordinators: Ramada - Sandi Oster (625-0039); EE Park - Lorna Kitchak (838-0653) or Mona Sheffield (625-3797); Portillo Monument - Barb McCalpin (867-8067) or Geri Lindberg (777-4972); Esperanza Monument - Barb Rydall (399-2215). It's an easy and fun way to help our community.

Great Going Gardeners
The Gardeners have made a good start in revitalizing Mtn. View Park.  Last Thursday a group of volunteers (Hugh and Cindy Gates, Charles Watts, Dick "Cactus" Carver, Stein Simonsen and Bill Berdine) got down and dirty to move 15 yards of landscape blend soil and do some initial planting. More plants will be added later. The Gardeners plan to add several benches under the Palo Verde tree. If you are interested in donating a bench ($350), contact Bill Berdine at 344-7301. Check out the new plantings on your post-Thanksgiving dinner walk.

Up on the Roof-Not Santa
A Nueva homeowner reports finding and saving a piece of sheet metal--possibly someone's duct work from their HVAC--on their roof. Next door neighbors checked and were not missing anything.  If you've not been up for a visual inspection this fall, it would be a good idea to do a quick check of your heating/cooling system.  If the piece is yours, you can retrieve it at the Ramada.

Join the Parade
Let the word go forth -- we love EE and want to let the whole town know it. Plans are underway for EE to have an entry in the White Elephant Parade in October 2014. There will be a meeting early in January to get the project going. We're looking for volunteers to help construct and decorate our entry as well as to participate in the parade. If you are interested in being part of this great community activity, contact Cynthia Surprise at cjsurprise@verizon.net

Now Hear This
A portion of the Ramada is now wired on a trial basis with a Hearing Induction Loop for those with hearing aids fitted with a T-switch. We hope this will allow more residents to have an enjoyable experience at Ramada functions. If you have any questions about how to use this system, contact Craig at ee-webmaster@msn.com.  Thanks to Eric Ellingson for donating the loop-amp.

Christmas Past
What do you remember about those Christmases long ago when you were a child? The Periodico wants to include your special memories in the December issue. Contact Cynthia at cjsurprise@verizon.net to share your story.

Need an Inflatable Bed?
The Enhancement Team has a queen size bed it will loan to EE residents. Another piece of useful equipment you can borrow from the team is a furniture dolly. Contact Barb at 867-8067 if you would like to borrow either item.

Book Exchange
Looking for a good book to wile away those long winter evenings? You need go no further than the Ramada to find something appealing. The EE Book Exchange is located in the pool area, and is accessible at any time (even when Joyner is closed). There's no limit on the number of books you can borrow or due dates. It's just one of the many perks that come with being an EE resident.

Food Bank Donations
Generous EE residents donated 35 pounds of food to the GV Food Bank at our last Burger Night. Please remember that we always have a container for Food Bank donations at the Ramada, and you can drop off non-perishable items there any time.

Got Pots?
The Gardeners are looking for donations of small, plastic, planting pots for the EE plant nursery. If you have any 4-6 inch pots to donate, contact Bill Berdine at 344-7301.

Wednesday-Coffee, Donuts and Friends
Many thanks to the Tom and Melodye Cooke and Ken and Kay Miller for last week's Kafe Klatch. Won't say there was a lot of chatter, but steam seemed to be rising from the Ramada. Winter neighbors and summer residents greeted each other with hugs and laughter. How to tell the two groups apart? The newly arrived were clad in shorts and t-shirts. Summer residents wore sweaters and sweat pants.

Social Media Comes to EE
'Nextdoor Green Valley Esperanza Estates' is a free, private social network that let's EE residents communicate with their neighbors. Only households with an EE address can join, so your message stays within the neighborhood. You can use it to let your neighbors know what's going on in EE (vandalism or marauding javelinas), ask questions, get tradesperson recommendations, etc. About 50 EE residents have already joined.  If you are interested in becoming part of this group, click here or email Craig at ee-webmaster@msn.com. Thanks to Bruce Liljegren for suggesting the idea. Bruce was also the driving force behind the MMM and the Ramada Wi-Fi, two very successful EE communications tools.

Thanksgiving Holiday History
Early English Thanksgiving services emerged during the 1500's. As a reaction to 95 Catholic Church holidays requiring people to forego work and attend services, Puritans instituted a system of infrequent Days of Fasting (following disasters--floods, fires, drought) and Thanksgiving Days (following bountiful harvests, good fortune and military victories). Local declarations of Thanksgiving were recorded in the colonies in the 1600's. George Washington proclaimed the first national day of Thanksgiving on November 26, 1789. The current celebration date, the fourth Thursday in November, was set by a joint resolution of Congress signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt in December of 1941.

What's Up in EE?