Munger Family Connection

Anticipating February

Welcome to our family, Elianna!

ELIANNA JAZZMINE IS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE MUNGER FAMILY!

Here are some photos of Garland's new granddaughter:

Congratulations, Emily and Daniel, on the birth of your beautiful little girl!

Christmas Analogy

Whether short or tall,
Bent or straight,
Young or old,
Full or bare,
Once chosen and decorated
With tender care,
Each tree becomes lovely,
Bathed in lights,
Wrapped in color, clothed in newness…

A symbol of
Bent, bare, empty lives
Chosen by the Father,
Bathed in Light,
Wrapped in Hope,
Clothed in Forgiveness,
REBORN
Because long ago
A tiny babe
Entered our world and
Shattered the darkness
-srm, 2006

Wishing you a Christmas filled with the joy, peace and wonder of Christ’s birth

Recipies from the Hart

My mother and her three sisters fill my mind as I prepare for another Thanksgiving Day Feast. Each year on this day I spend a good portion of it following their recipies:

Aunt Ruth's Raspberry Supreme salad. Aunt Nancy's Brocolli Salad. Aunt Bootsie's Chicken Verona (perfect after a busy day of cooking!). And then tomorrow, my mother is ever-present as I set the table with her china. This year, evermore so, because of the dining set she passed on to me since the past year's celebration. It simply wouldn't be Thanksgiving for my husband and children without these dishes to pass!

Of course, there is the must-have at brunch of Aunt Wilma's monkey bread and hash brown casserole!

Even with family so far away, today and tomorrow they gather around our table. These recipies bring them to us.

"Uppity French"?

pictures courtesy of The Asolo Theatre

The Florida Voices (of which Garland and I sing) just completed their first concert of the 2006-2007 Season. The title was "Poetry in Motion", and featured songs from the texts of famous poets such as e.e.cummings, Robert Frost, Sara Teasdale, James Agee, Shakespeare, Kahlil Gibran, Robert Burns, Lord Byron, Edgar Allen Poe, and Yeats.

We have begun rehearsals for our next venue in February at the historic Asolo Theatre. It is a concert performed in French.

Question: is this a sophisticated or snobbish language?

The Dance, Dress, and Date

As with any Homecoming Weekend, at least for girls, it ends up being about the dance, dress, and date!

This year's dance, on Saturday night, brought about something new for our family...a pre-dinner, non-cocktail cocktail party for a group of seniors and their two token juniors (Emma and her date, James). Everyone arrived around 4:30 for appetizers and virgin cosmopolitans, sodas....and of course pictures, flowers, and formalwear!

The girls' dresses completely reflected their individual styles! Emma's was satin (her favorite material), and Katy's was a one-of-a-kind strapless and toulle. They were both simply elegant and gorgeous in their own way.

Dan Preiss, a really good IB friend of Katy's, was her escort. The funny thing about their friendship is their diametrically opposed political views! Catherine Harris happened to be at the same restaurant as their group of 42, and Katy wanted to meet her while Dan couldn't get out fast enough!! HA! She said he was a GREAT date, and a perfect gentleman.

James Lannon, Emma's best friend, told her the week before that they were definitely going to Homecoming together. They are two peas grown in the same pod. When she asked him if he was going to buy her dinner, he came back with, "Uh, Emma, the question is who's going to buy MY dinner!" :) He's like an adopted son, and of course they had a great time together!

It was then off to Island Park, near the marina downtown, for pictures with palm trees, the Gulf, and sunsets. Some of these girls have been together since 6th grade, and it's hard to believe it's almost over! An italian dinner followed before the group headed over to the dance.

The dj evidently "sucked", but all in all, the event was a great memory! It's hard to believe Laura will be part of all this next year...

Friday Night Lights and Traditions

I am the only person in my family to graduate from another high school other than Riverview. My husband is the class of 74, and daughters to be '07, '08, '11. This past Friday evening we all went to the Homecoming game (winners 21-0), and it was filled with long-standing, unique traditions.

Sarasota is a large Scottish community. The band is known for their authentic dress MacDonald tartan kilts (the only one of it's kind outside Scotland). Here is Ryan McCarville, the Drum Major and one of Katy's best friends. Instead of a pom pon squad, we have Highland Dancers. The principal dancer each year dances on top of a drum!