By Louise Nelson and Meri-Kathryn Peed
Spoonbill Neighbors is gearing up for two big luminary events this month. Some sand remains available at the Community Park parking lot (partly obscured by new palates of sod and mulch) and at the Wasmer driveway at 311 Marsh Point Circle.
We LIGHT UP MARSH CREEK on December 10th and 24th at 5:30 and then encourage everyone to walk the streets with a beverage in hand to enjoy the sights with your neighbors!
Whatever way you celebrate this Festive Season, we wish you Joy, Peace and Happiness!!
And now, here is what Spoonbill Neighbors have been up to in November and December.
- On November 3rd, the Dining Out Ladies Group met at The Columbia Restaurant where they enjoyed an excellent meal. The service was good and the outdoor porch setting with a lovely view of the fort was charming. Pictures will be taken at the next outing.
- On November 5th, the Arts and Crafts Group met to make card and gift tags at group lead Lorri Maloney’s home. They also held a candle-making event. Below are pictures of some of the creations! The next meeting is December 9th.
- On November 6th, the Wine Lovers Group met at Ken & Sharon Wasmer’s home. They are the leads for this group. Each member couple came with a favorite wine and appetizer and spoke about their wine’s history and region. A great first wine event!
- On November 12th, the Dining out Group, presently headed by Pattie Nolton, dined out on a delicious meal at La Cocina in the Castillo Real Hotel on A1A. La Cocina offers Latin inspired dishes and is one of the best restaurants on the beach.
- On November 17th, the Garden Club met at Dianna Christakos’ home with its beautiful garden of cactus, succulents, and herbs. The group members learned about invasive plants that are growing here in Marsh Creek, how to sign up for soil testing at the St. John’s County Agricultural Center and developed a couple of monthly garden calendars. In January, group lead Helen Borisoff will teach how to plant containers in patio or entry gardens using season annuals or herbs.
- On November 24, Rickie Rubenstein and Angela Siragusa of the Welcome Committee spent the afternoon visiting new residents in Marsh Creek. Renowned Spoonbill Courier columnist, Daphne, was overjoyed to to know of three new neighborhood dogs. In the end, the Welcome Committee met four newcomers at home and left them with information about both Marsh Creek and St. Augustine attractions and will return to welcome the four absent newcomers they missed.
Please welcome newcomers Mark Turgeon & Tamara Cushing at 326 Fiddlers Point Drive, Maxim & Sally Kiefer at 376 Marsh Point Circle, Molly & Jeff Butler at 354 Marsh Point Circle, Jerry Isom at 826 Summer Bay Drive, Kevin & Anne Miller at 325 Marsh Point Circle, Gregory & Marilyn Pantchenko at 200 Fiddlers Point Drive, Richard Dunn at 326 Bailey Bunker Court and David & Penny Jones at 521 Turnberry Lane.
- On December 2nd, Ken Wasmer hosted the inaugural meeting of the Single Malt Whiskey, Bourbon & Cigar Group, where Ken shared some of his vast stores of both single malt whiskey and his knowledge of the whiskey production process. Very educational and enjoyable. Pictures next time.
- On December 3rd, the Happy Hour group held their second happy hour, organized by co-group leads Lisa Stern and Lorri Maloney. It was held at Lisa and David Stern’s home and the theme was Fiesta! The hosts provided margarita samples and the 26 attendees furnished appetizers and beverage of choice. It was a beautiful night, and all are looking forward to the next one in January!
These are just a sample of the Spoonbill Neighbors’ Group activities available to all enrolled Marsh Creek Neighbors to meet and socialize. The 14 groups established to date are: Arts and Crafts, Book Club, Dining In, Dining Out Ladies, Dining Out Couples, Games-MahJong, Garden Club, Happy Hour, Lunch Bunch, Whiskey Bourbon & Cigars, Outreach, Walking, Wine Lovers, and Welcome Committee.
In the New Year, we will introduce a Sports Group and finalize details on the Book Club and Mahjong Group. We are looking for a volunteer to head the Dining Out Couples Group. Pattie Nolton is graciously leading this group in the meantime.
A big thank you to all the Group Leaders who have volunteered their time and effort to make Spoonbill Neighbors such a huge success. GO TEAM!
If you’re a Marsh Creek Resident, your are eligible to join any one of our neighborhood Spoonbill Neighbors Groups. Please contact Meri-Kathryn Peed (MKPeed@aol.com) or Louise Nelson (lzn@mindspring.com) for more information.
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to Everyone!
What a great report!
I love that you posted the pictures of Liz and PK! We need to put more names with faces. 😂👍👏❤️🥰🎄🤶🏻
Congrats for creating the events that help make a successful NEIGHBORHOOD. You identified the need and residents are responding.
Thank you.