The Globe January 2007
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
It is going to be very sad leaving Houston in late January after seven years here. I would like to say
a very humble thank you to the board members, both past and present, and all
the members of ICH for being such a great group throughout my time as
president. I feel very privileged to have been a part of this incredible
organization for the last four years. The friendships I have made will endure
for a long time to come.
In the meantime, I am delighted
that Chris Lusignan is taking over as your president. She is already a huge
asset to the organization and well known to you all as VP Activities. It is
with great confidence that I hand over the presidency to her as I know she will
serve you well. I am confident that ICH will continue to grow and develop and
offer a haven of support to people who are new to Houston.
Mary Holliday
“Some people come into our lives and quickly go….. some people stay awhile and leave footprints in our
hearts……and we are never the same.” Anon.
On behalf of ICH, warm wishes to
all for a Happy New Year and all the best in 2007. I’d also like to extend a warm bon voyage to
Mary and wish the Holliday family great success and a smooth transition to
their new life in Equatorial Guinea. The ICH Board has
greatly enjoyed working with Mary and we would like to take this opportunity to
thank her for all her work, support, friendship and leadership to ICH. THANK
YOU, MARY! From membership chair, to
organizing the walking group, to teaching water aerobics, and finally to
president, Mary has done it all and always with a lovely smile.
I am honored to be serving as
president of ICH and look forward to working with you in the upcoming months.
Please also extend a warm welcome to Barbara Donnelly as our new VP
Activities. Barbara is a newcomer to our
group, has enthusiastically tackled her role, and I am pleased to have her on
board. We look forward to seeing you
soon and hope you enjoy the upcoming speakers, outings and various activities
being planned for you in 2007.
All my best,
Chris Lusignan
MONTHLY MEMBERS’ MEETING – JANUARY 2007
Founded in 1979, The Women’s Fund for Health Education and
Research is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership
in funding medical research and to provide health education for women of all
ages. Each year The Women’s Fund reaches over 100,000 women and girls
from all walks of life through publications and outreach programs.
Since
its inception, The Women's Fund has produced over 165 educational lectures and
seminars presenting over 180 area experts on various topics in the area of
women's health. The focus of these programs has changed from treatment to
prevention. The Women’s Fund offers a Speakers Bureau which provides mental and
physical health professionals to speak about issues such as heart disease,
breast health, osteoporosis, stress, self-esteem, Hormone Replacement Therapy
and many other health topics. We are
pleased to have Dr Steven Hotze to speak on the topic of women’s health.
Steven F. Hotze, M.D., of the Hotze Health and Wellness Center and author of Hormones,
Health, and Happiness, is devoted to educating individuals on ways to
take charge of their health. He is also a radio
talk show host on Houston’s KSEV
700 on Health & Wellness, where he leads insightful discussions
on health and wellness and gives the listening audience an opportunity to call
in and ask him questions. In 2001, he
opened a compounding pharmacy, Premier
Pharmacy, which specializes in compounding natural, bio-identical
hormones. Dr. Hotze continued to press forward in his charge to
revolutionize healthcare and, in 2003, he founded the American Academy of
Biologically Identical Hormone Therapy, which trains doctors how to prescribe
natural, bio-identical hormones (recent news item).
Directions:
The Park at Voss
2424 South Voss Road, Houston, TX-77057
The Park at
Voss Apartment Complex is on Voss Road between
Westheimer and San Felipe. It is on the west side of Voss - the left side
if you are coming from Westheimer, the right side if you are coming from San
Felipe. Enter the area by the ‘Park at Voss’ sign and proceed to the left side
of the parking lot. Once you are parked, follow the path inside the fenced area
to the leasing office and the conference room.
Moving?
If you are moving and wish to sell any items, please DO
NOT send out the list yourself from your personal email address.
Please send your list to ich_membership@yahoo.com
we will send it to the ICH membership on your behalf. This helps
protect the personal identity of individual email addresses and avoids an email
inadvertently being identified as spam.
If you have any furniture or appliances that you have not
been able to sell, consider donating them to places such as the Houston Area
Women’s Center, Habitat for Humanity or ask one of the ICH members for ideas.
Submissions to the newsletter can be emailed to Mun Molloy, V-P Newsletter, at ich_newsletter@yahoo.com.
The Houston Potters Guild Clay Arts Museum and Educational Organization will host the first
annual Texas Teapot Tournament in January where hundreds of teapots created by
clay artists for this international competition will be juried by renowned
artist and educator Nick de Vries, professor of Fine Art at the University of Houston Clear Lake.
Public Opening is Jan 6 from 6-9 pm
and the show will remain on exhibit from Jan 4 until Jan
31, 2007 at 2433 Rice Blvd, Houston 77005 in Houston’s Rice Village. For more
information, call 713-528 7687 or click on http://www.houstonpotters.com/
The 2007 Chevron Houston Marathon is Houston’s largest single-day sporting event.
Combined with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, the Houston Press/Smart Financial Credit Union 5K and the Texas Children's Hospital Kids
Fun Run, more than 20,000 participants, 200,000 spectators and 5,000
volunteers will take to the streets of Houston on Sunday, January 14, 2007.
To participate or avoid the event, for more details click on http://chevronhoustonmarathon.com/site3.aspx
Opera comes to Houston in grand style when the first Annual
Houston Opera Festival features five different operas in Houston’s major opera venues, January
25-30, 2007. The
Festival showcases productions by Houston Grand Opera, Moores Opera Center of the University of Houston and Opera in the Heights. The Houston
Opera Festival celebrates the time of the year when the Houston opera scene is especially active with
productions by the contributing companies.
Tickets for any
of the performances may be obtained by contacting the presenting organizations
directly.
Houston Grand Opera – Brown Theater
FAUST – January 26 and 28 (matinee)
LA CENERENTOLA - January 27 and 30
Moores Opera Center – Moores Opera House
COSI FAN TUTTE – January
25, 27, 28 and 29
FLAVIO – January 26 and 28 (matinee)
Opera in the Heights – Lambert Hall
L’ELSIR D’AMORE – January
25, 26 and 27
Click on http://www.houstongrandopera.org/;
http://www.music.uh.edu/; http://www.operaintheheights.org/
Martin Luther King Jr.
Grande Parade (Jan. 15,
2007 at 10 am)
The annual parade celebrating the civil rights leader
marches through the heart of Houston. This year’s parade, with more than 300,000
spectators in attendance, begins at 10 a.m.
and features 30 Award Winning Marching Bands from around the nation and 15
floats. Voted No. 1 parade in Houston by the Houston Press. (713) 953-1633.
Look up http://www.mlkgrandeparade.org/. An
increasingly popular part of the Martin Luther King Day celebrations is the
Annual High School Battle of the Bands at the Reliant Astrodome, held at 6 pm on 13th January where over 50 high school
bands compete. Also, for information on more events, click on
http://www.visithoustontexas.com/media/ghcvb_press_kit/Annual_Calendar_of_Events
.
As a nod to our international members from Down Under,
the Australia Day Celebrations should be mentioned: There will be an aboriginal art exhibition at
the Booker Lowe Gallery, 4623 Feagan
St, Houston TX 77007 on Jan 2 – 26, Australian cooking demonstrations at
Central Market, 3815 Westheimer and other events all culminating in the Black
Tie Australia Day Gala Celebrations at the Hotel Derek, 2525 West Loop South
Houston on Saturday, Jan 27th at 7 pm. For tickets to this and other events, click
on http://www.aacc-houston.org/CelebrationofAustralia2007.htm
or call 713-5279688.
Note that all participants in ICH activities must be members of ICH!
For registration, please contact the member responsible
for the activity of your interest.
All Activities Co-Coordinator:
Barbara
Donnelly (ich_activities@yahoo.com).
NEW ACTIVITES and IDEAS
Several groups are actively searching for new members in order to start
up lessons – now is the time to join in! Contact Barbara
Donnelly at ich_activities@yahoo.com.
NEW IDEAS????
Participate in an activity or class that might interest other members?
Please send your suggestions to Barbara!
****In all the following activities, please direct your e-mails to the
activity leaders at their personal e-mails found in the ICH MEMBERSHIP
DIRECTORY. Alternatively, contact the activity co-coordinator Barbara Donnelly
at ich_activities@yahoo.com
or membership secretary Shelagh Metselaar at ich_membership@yahoo.com.
If you wish to telephone the activity leader, please look for the contact
number in the ICH membership directory. If you need a copy, please contact Shelagh
Metselaar at ich_membership@yahoo.com
to request one.
SPECIAL
ICH ACTIVITIES
DINING DAMES!
Ladies Night Out! Husband
traveling? Looking for a pleasant evening with the girls? Each month, either a
Tuesday or a Wednesday, the hostess will choose a restaurant and make
reservations, bill to be split. Please contact Jo Hentschel or Barbara Donnelly and
she will put you in contact with the hostess. Please honor your
reservation and advise hostess of any cancellation
COUPLES DINING OUT
There will be no couples meeting in January. Look out
for the next meeting in February’s newsletter. For more information about
this event contact either Beverly Smolenski or Catherine Hay.
INTERNATIONAL LUNCH
Hope you can join us at one
of our lunches as they are deliciously fun. The next luncheon will be held Tuesday 30th
January 2007
from 11.30 am to 2 pm. It will have an Italian theme. Guests need to contact Jo Hentschel to
reserve. Places are guaranteed with a
$25 check made out to ANA HENTSCHEL.
We are still looking for cooks -
anyone with Italian background or lived there would be a great help. Or just anyone who likes to cook and wants to participate.
Find out where the most fun is..... in the cucina!!
Contact ICH activities (ich_activities@yahoo.com) or Jo Hentschel.
The
International Lunch for March will feature Canada. A venue is required so if you feel inclined to
host one of these very special lunches (usually for a sit down lunch of around
20 people or so); please do contact Jo Hentschel or Barbara Donnelley. The hostess is not required to cook and there
will be ample assistance in preparing and clearing up.
NEW 2 ICH COFFEE
Our next New 2 ICH
Coffee will be held on Monday, February 5th 2007 10.30- noon If you are a
new member of ICH and wish to be invited please contact Barbara Donnelly or Liz
Mclaren to confirm and ask for
directions. Note that this coffee morning will be held in the West Houston/Eldridge
area.
EXPLORE
HOUSTON .
Watch this space for exciting tours coming up
in 2007!
BOOK CLUB
WHEN:
The fourth
Thursday of the month at 10:30 a.m.
If
you are already a member of the group, you will be given directions to the
venue. If you would like to join, please contact Amber Wickwire OR Jeanne
Hero. If you feel you cannot keep up the pace of one book per month, you
can choose one or more titles and attend the appropriate meeting.
"Casuals" are most welcome.
25th January 10.30am
At the January meeting we
will be selecting a list for the coming year.
If you recommend a book for the list, you must have already read it and
should be prepared to give a brief synopsis to the group. If possible, bring
the book to the meeting. If you would like to join the group, please contact Amber Wickwire, Jeanne Hero or Barbara Donnelly for details.
BOOK SELECTION FOR January 2007:
Selection for January: My
Sister's Keeper,
By Jody Picoult.
A feisty 13-year-old, conceived to
save her sister's life, dutifully donates stem cells and bone marrow. The
book poses an important question: Can a child born to save another ever really
be free? (www.washingtonpost.com)
Selection for February: A Complicated
Kindness, by
Miriam Toews.
A 16-year-old rebels against the conventions of her strict Manitoba Mennonite
community and tries to come to terms with the collapse of her family in this
insightful, irreverent coming-of-age novel. (www.amazon.com)
FRIDAY NIGHT BRIDGE – NEW ACTIVITY
Anyone interested in playing bridge in the
evening? Come with a partner or request
a partner to play fun bridge on the second
Friday of the month. For more information please contact Barbara Donnelly or Friedel
Liptay.
FRIENDLY BRIDGE
Every other Tuesday of the month
from 10:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you would like to play
with this group, please get in touch with Raquel Fernandez.
GET UP AND DANCE!
If you would like to explore the world of
social dancing in Houston then Bronwyn is happy to
facilitate that. She knows where you can
go to begin or can find out. If it’s two step, polka, east or west coast swing,
salsa, waltz or hip hop, she can help get you launched and would be happy to
accompany you to your first class or for your first social outing and to join
you regularly for dancing. Its fun and a great way to meet
locals and an interesting thing to take visitors to see. To find out more contact Bronwyn Browne.
GENTLE
GOLF
We have been playing every
Wednesday morning at Bear Creek Golf Club - anyone interested in joining us
call or email Jen Carne. We would love
to have you join us and we would welcome some more players.
ICE SKATING
When: First Friday of the month, 12:00 pm.
Where: Galleria Ice Rink. Meet at La Madeleine at 11
am
for coffee. Contact Sandra
Pezzetta.
MOVIE MATINEE
Movie Matinee meets every second Thursday
of the month. Leading this activity
is Susan Cunha. Please contact Susan for further information,
schedules and location.
PLAYGROUP
ICH members have been
invited to join the TANZOT playgroup. They don’t mind at all if you are not
from The Antipodes! The playgroup meets every Thursday morning 10:00am-12:00pm, usually at a member’s
home. Come and let your kids play, while you have coffee and a chat. For mothers and children from 0-4. For information, contact Barbara
Donnelly.
STITCHING GROUP
The Lone Star Stitchers (embroidery, quilting, cross-
stitch etc) meet every Monday
from 1:00–4:00pm. If you wish to join the
group, call Margaret Wallace.
SPANISH
CONVERSATION
Hola! Anyone interested in starting a Spanish/English
Conversation group please contact Barbara
Donnelly.
TENNIS
If you are interested in
playing tennis, please contact Barbara Donnelly.
WEST SIDE WALKERS
This is a great way to meet people in your West
Memorial area, especially if you are new to Houston. We meet weekly on
Friday mornings at 9:00am, at Terry Hershey Park on Memorial Drive, and ¼ mile west of
Eldridge. Meet by the pavilion (gazebo) on the north side of Memorial Drive. Contact Kate Horan or Chris
Lusignan.
EVENTS
& ACTIVITIES CALENDAR – January 2007
