January 2025

CELEBRATIONS ABOUND!

By Bridget Brewster
Posted: 12/19/2024

I used to think the holidays couldn’t get busier than when I was raising five children. Then I became a Villager!  Holy jingle bells, Santa, this season has been unbelievably joyful for Villagers!

Following on the heels of very gratitude filled Thanksgiving activities, Villagers began celebrating the coming of Christmas. Within twenty December days we celebrated BIG!

Schmoozendoodle featured the Scandinavian tradition of weaving paper baskets to be filled with treats. Then just a few days later the Villager Fritzie Culick hosted Christmas Singalong in her beautiful Altadena home, then on to Cookies and Carols at Washington Park. Next, a dozen Villagers enjoyed "A Readers' Theater Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens at Parson's Nose Theater.

Oh, but we didn’t stop there, oh no. The Village Party Bus took a group of enthusiastic shoppers to the Ankara Studio to peruse and perchance to purchase stunning handcrafted jewelry.  Did someone say “shopping?" Several Villagers visited Ten Thousand Villages admiring and purchasing the stunning products of third-world artisans... with the happy knowledge that we were helping Pasadena Village, too. Wrapping up (pun intended) the evening with an enjoyable Very Happy Hour at The Arbour.

Ending the ever-lasting month of December we had the delicious opportunity to order the quintessential California gastronomic delight of hand-made tamales to enjoy at home. Pasadena Village partnered with The Pasadena/Altadena Coalition of Transformative Leaders (PACTL) to offer tamale orders. The tamales were made through their Cocina de las Abuelas program - Mexican Zacatecas flavors from MASATAMAL and Guatemalan offerings from Antojitos Xelaju. 

 And finally, a Light Tour of Pasadena courtesy of Villager Peter Lamendola. Peter loves viewing the holiday light displays and offered to take fellow older adults on a drive through Christmas Tree Lane, Upper Hastings Ranch Neighborhood, and Valmont Village to view houses lit up for the season. 

You know that isn’t really ALL the Village celebrations. To conclude this magical season, we were hosted by Villagers Sue and Tom Addelson, Claire Gorfinkel and Michael Warner, and Arline and Dan Golden in a celebration of Hanukkah.  But that’s a story to be told next month.

Happy new year to one and all... and to all good cheer!