Was this a great rally or what?
Tuesday the GMCs began to roll in. After a lot of gripping and grinning and renewing acquaintances, the attendees enjoyed a Social Hour (aka Happy Hour) with Dave deGraffenreid's Margarita Bucket available to loosen folks up and followed by a wonderful home made lasagna dinner catered by the RV park. Thanks to the volunteer crafters for adding a western look with their creative centerpieces.
Wednesday was the official start of the various tech and non-tech sessions for the GMCWS Spring Rally at De Anza RV Resort in Amado, AZ. It was a very busy day for the ladies. The day started off with "Walking with Freddi" at 7:00 am followed by a catered breakfast of blueberry pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit and coffee. At 9:00 am, the guys started their Swap Meet and the vendors started plying their wares. The first event for the ladies began with the "Cowgirl Coffee". Western wear was encouraged and cowgirl hats were in abundance. All of the ladies in attendance got acquainted after offering a brief self introduction. Coffee, pastries, games, gifts and a discussion of upcoming rally events followed.
At 10:30, speaker Betty Barr took us on a historical verbal tour back to the early 1900s - looking at the life of May Watkins on the 65,000 acre ranch owned by "Texas John Slaughter" near Douglas, AZ. Her presentation was very interesting and informative. Betty is an award winning journalist and a great speaker. (Learn more at www.brockingjbooks.com.)
The afternoon brought us together for Line Dance lessons while the guys were doing a "weigh-in" on their coaches. Fran Wimer from Marana, AZ patiently guided us through three dance routines that none of us had ever participated in before. For a bunch of newbies, we did pretty darn well.
The remainder of the early afternoon as free time to do as you wished. A couple of us took a quick run over to Walmart to pick up a few things that we couldn't live without returning just in time to enjoy the evening's Social Hour. Manny Travao contributed to the fun with his Margarita Bucket. A catered Mexican dinner followed, but . . . that didn't end the fun. After dinner, there was an ice cream social and a magic show by our own Bob and Gloria Caldwell.
Thursday began with another group of troopers heading out on their morning walk with Freddi in the lead. All that exercise was followed by another great catered meal of breakfast burritos. Then, the line dancers gathered in the gym for another hour of practice on the three dances that had been introduced the day before. Lots of cardiovascular work was available for those that participated in these activities.
When the ladies were done with their dancing to the music, they went next door to the Rally room to participate in a crafting session and a Craft Marketplace/Swap meet. Under the trusty guidance of Ruth Martin and Audree Rowe, scarves were decorated with paint, stencils, stick-on appliqués and glued on bling. Sliders for the scarves were a bit more complicated for those of us with little talent in that area. In the swap meet area, some of the ladies offered a variety of merchandise for sale ranging from jewelry to leis cloth bags, quilts and more.
The afternoon offered time off to "Be A Tourist". Some of us did just that and some of us took a nap to rest up for Casino Night. Rally attendees were encouraged to dress up in cowboy/cowgirl attire or western period costumes for Social Hour. Happily, virtually everyone did. Dave De Graf contributed to the fun by providing the Margarita Bucket for the night.
After an excellent Italian meal of Chicken Parmesan (Spaghetti Western?? Clint Eastwood, anyone?), we headed into the main Rally Room aka "The Casino". Each participant was given a cup holding $20,000.00 for their gambling pleasure. Craps, Roulette, Black Jack, and other games of chance were available to either increase or deplete your $20K. And, don't forget those Saloon girls in their feather boas and fancy attire that definitely added to that Western saloon atmosphere.
Friday brought more "Walking with Freddi" for those early risers. After working up an appetite, the walkers, et al enjoyed a Breakfast casserole - a first time presentation by the RV park. The ladies then gathered for a discussion of "Women of the Wild West" and developed a great appreciation for a GMC versus a covered wagon! The "Annie Oakley" documentary that followed was an entertaining look at the great entertainer and we found out that we had a few sharpshooters in our own group! Who knew?
The afternoon was open to "Be A Tourist". Some took advantage by traveling a few miles down the road to the Tubac artists' colony for a day of lots of shopping, lunching and spending. While some shopped and toured, other ladies got together for a fun craft session where they painted and decorated the cutest birdhouses ever (a special thanks to Jodell Banovich for leading the session and to Melissa Fisher for planning it). After that, they learned how to be beautiful and healthy inside and out from Gloria Morris as she shared her skin care secrets.
The evening included another Social Hour with Margaritas provided by Jim Kanomata and a catered dinner meal of fish and chips. After dinner, the group retired to the Rally Room for a raucous evening of Karaoke (lots of Karaoke) and line dancing. We had a great time.
Saturday morning, Freddi led her group of relentless early risers on a power walk around the park. A catered breakfast of eggs cooked to order followed immediately thereafter. Group activities for both men and women filled the morning. The first order of business was the GMCWS Membership meeting led by Armand where numerous reports were given and items discussed. Then, Jim Bounds gave an interesting and lengthy talk about fire safety. There was heavy participation from the group both in asking questions and contributing stories of their own.
At the conclusion of Jim's talk, Kathy Stouffer presented an informative session called "Aerobics for the Mind" - a subject from which many of us could benefit. She discussed age related issues and exercises for the brain that could be done to improve memory and restore sharper thinking. She also included an additional session on improving balance, and demonstrated exercises that can strengthen muscles in the legs and hips to help prevent falls.
The balance of the day included four hours of Open Coach which gave everyone the opportunity to explore other coaches and glean ideas to improve their own. Then Social Hour arrived and the Margarita Bucket showed up again . . . leftovers from the previous evenings were more than enough to fill the bucket one more time. A delicious dinner of the largest serving of pot roast in history marked the end of our catered meals. Entertainment began with a hula performance by Elaine Ginn who then gave lessons to several willing volunteers. A somewhat more reserved evening of Karaoke concluded the last night. Thank you Armand and Carol and Dave and Donna for making this one of the best GMCWS rallies ever.
Sunday we met one last time for pastries and coffee before heading for home. Lots of hugs were passed around for friends not seen often enough. "See you in Coos Bay" was the word of the day. We will see you all again then. Love those GMCWS rallies. They are the best. I am looking forward to the next . . . and the next . . . and the next.
