CHRISTMAS POTLUCK & ORNAMENT CONTEST – 2018
BALBOA PARK
Reviewed and photographed by Jim Parrish
Left. Denny Turner. Right. Heather Hochrein.
Left. Jim Mellos and Richard Mueller. Right. Gladys Walker and Simon King.
Ray Pearce approaches Gladys Walker to peruse the Raffle prizes.
The Kruzels.
Angie Cannon.
The Christmas Potluck was SDMG's last event of the year. It gave us the chance to see friends we don't see otherwise during the holiday season. Kudos to Jennifer Stapp and Melissa Ordway for co-chairing the 2018 Christmas Potluck and Sharon Griswold for running the Ornament Contest. About 130 revelers showed up at the event venue – Room 101 of Casa del Prado – making the year-end celebration one of our best-attended holiday events in years. The food was fabulous and the atmosphere made festive with holiday bunting and decorations festooning the tables.
The event could not have been done so artfully and would not have been run so smoothly had it not been for a small army of volunteers who deserve a big round of thanks – Mark Campo, Donna Casey, Mike Harlow, Peggy Leibitzke, Lois Lukasky, Anne Schafer, Dave Smith and Jill Williamson.
Jim Parrish welcomed everyone and made some remarks recapping the year and thanking everyone who teaches, demonstrates, and volunteers his or her time in support of the Society. Quite a few members help fund our events out of their own pockets and donate items to raffle at club events throughout the year. Speaking of raffles, the Door Prize Raffle at this year's Potluck once again was masterfully and entertainingly emceed by Simon King and Gladys Walker. There were some wonderful items this year for the Silent Auction thanks to generous donations from friends of the Society, with some extra special items donated this year. Thanks also to Anne Schafer, Sally Parrish and Letty Evans for running the auction, from setting up the tables and laying out the items to tracking the bidding and collecting the proceeds from the winners.
The tables were laden high with scrumptous fair. There was sliced ham, turkey, cranberries, gravy, potatoes, dressing, spicy meatballs, lasagna, pasta salad, green salad, vegetable trays with dip, cheese and salami with crackers, and oh, the pot stickers(!). The desserts were heavenly – pies, tarts, brownies, and handmade candies.
Thanks to the hardworking crew who efficiently dispatched the clean-up duties at the end of the evening. Chairladies Jennifer and Melissa deserve a round of applause for coordinating a very merry Christmas Potluck.
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT CONTEST
Sharon Griswold, Chair
Every year since 1995 it has been tradition at the Christmas Potluck to deck our five-foot tall Yule tree made of felt with home-made ornaments made by our members. This is a ROCK Christmas Ornament Contest, so the entries feature elements that reflect what our Society is all about: beading, silver work, cabochons, chunks of fossil, fanciful desert roses, wire wrap, faceting, minerals, and, well, you get the idea. In 2018 John Kruzel won First Place and Second Place was tied between Sally Parrish and last year's winner Angie Cannon.