The latest from the Gang ... 

The Annual Jingle Bell Brunch, everyone’s favorite dress up event, was held at Pleasant Valley Country Club again this year. It was another great success with eighty-five members celebrating the holidays and enjoying a full brunch buffet and cash bar. Although Santa was not spotted, there were plenty of smiles and jolly greetings to go around. Quite a few folks showed off their holiday wear with brightly decorated sweaters and even a holiday themed sport coat (Alan !). It was a wonderful event to see old friends, meet some new ones, and celebrate the holiday season.

Nora M

On a cold December evening fourteen TOHG members met at the Boston Common Park Street Visitors Center.  We walked through the Common and stopped a moment to watch the skaters on the Frog Pond.  Crossing into The Public Garden we visited with Mrs Quack and the ducklings statues from the book Make  Way for Ducklings. 

After wandering by the Swan Pond, which was frozen with people walking on the surface, we crossed the bridge stopped by the George Washington statue and proceeded to cross over to Commonwealth Avenue.  The center walkway was well lit with white lights.   We turned around at the Firemen’s Memorial for the victims of the Vendome fire; retracing our steps back through the Public Garden and Common. We stopped at the beautifully lit Nova Scotia tree then proceeded to our dinner at the Ned Devine's restaurant in the Faneuil Hall area.  

Despite the cold and sometimes windy weather it was an enjoyable evening.

Meredith P

Six members of the West Non-Mystery Group met at the Gallery Twist on Mass Ave. in Lexington.  As always the exhibit  featured over 200 pieces by New England artists representing an array of styles and subject matter. We spent quite a while going through the various rooms.  

Afterwards four of us walked to the center of town and had a pleasant lunch at Fiorella’s on Waltham Street.  And did a bit of browsing In various stores on the way back to our cars.

In the photo behind the group is one of TOHG’s Beverly's fabric art pieces.

Meredith P

Eight TOHG members and two dogs set off for a walk in the snowy woods. We kept a leisurely pace and covered about 3-1/2 miles in just over 2 hours. That was enough to warrant a nice lunch at Tavern in the Square.

Kimm S

Seventeen TOHG members and a member’s dog met at the Great Brook State Park in Carlisle to walk approximately 4 miles to find the Thanksgiving Rocks in the Chelmsford’s Thanksgiving Forest.  The weather was cool with mostly cloudy skies, but, thankfully, no wind.  We passed the beaver dam where the beavers created a lovely pond which was partially frozen.  The park has over 20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and equestrian use.  

Afterwards some members remained to eat their bagged lunches at the stone circle near the parking lot.

Meredith P

Six members went to Fishbones in Chelmsford, MA for lunch. Following lunch, we visited Mrs. Nelson's Candy House, also in Chelmsford. Mrs Nelson's carries chocolate, fudge and hard candy.  

Linda M

Twenty one members treated themselves to an afternoon at the Quannapowitt Playhouse in Reading which featured 6 one-act plays. The six short plays were great fun, and dinner at Fusilli’s made for the perfect ending to a most enjoyable afternoon.

Good seats, no repeats, and a repast at a local eatery created a grEAT day for all!

Thank you Beverly for organizing.

The TOHG Hub group (and a few friends) enjoyed a tour of the Wright Locke Farm (WLF) in Winchester. WLF educator Lauren Winterer led the tour. The farm has been in existence since 1638. Founded by John Wright, it passed to Josiah Locke, the Hamilton family and in 2007 the town of Winchester purchased the farm. It was then acquired by the Wright Locke farm Land Trust in  2015. 

The WLF Conservancy has created a certified organic hub for sustainable agriculture and active learning, they run a year round pre school and offer a variety of educational programs. Their online farm stand - Farms to Go - farmstand@wlfarm.org - provides seasonal produce and local fare. 

During the tour we learned about the farm’s history and the educational programs for all ages. We toured the greenhouse, farm fields, Farm to Go, the Miyawaki forest, and the 1827 barn, and met the goats and chickens.

The new All Seasons barn hosts events throughout the year, family farm dinners concerts, weddings and private parties. 

Some of us enjoyed lunch at Tatti’s in Arlington after the tour.

Kathleen C

Seven members of the North 128 group met at Lisa‘s house in Stoneham to paint and “build” a wooden snowman porch decoration. Fun and laughs were had by all! Afterward, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Nobility Hill restaurant in Stoneham.

Lisa L

Five members met at the Lakeside Lanes in Manchester, NH!  We divided up the duties:  Joy was cheer leader; Nancy kept score; Theresa was her guest. Patricia, Theresa and myself were the bowlers.  We bowled two strings.  The competition was fierce!  There were highs.  There were lows.  There were lots of laughs.  It was so intense we deemed it a three-way tie!

Upon leaving we were approached by reps from a Ladies League to join their club.  We contemplated their offer over lunch at Moe and Joes, but decided we couldn’t commit to another group.  Our loyalties lie with TOHG!

Linda McH