Tina's Tidbits

Coming Soon!

I’m so pleased that the Annual Meeting Committee and Board of Directors approved my long time wish; to add a “Commons Area” during our Annual Meeting and Voice Institute.

This room will be the place to go for: convivial conversation, board games, card games, leave messages, receive messages, get information regarding the different presentations, activities and local interests.

There will be a table for local clubs to show off their newsletters, please limit one newsletter per club. The commons area will have plenty of comfortable chairs to sit and read the newsletters, relax with new and old acquaintances, or just “Sit a spell” and look out at the beautiful view of the river. This room may also be the coolest room in Little Rock. It’s well shaded and located on the lower level of the hotel.

Any one interested in volunterring to be a hostess or host in the commons area, please let me know. This would be the place to find other people interested in a golf game, tennis match, serious card game or get a group together for some site-seeing.

This room is my favorite and I plan on spending a lot of time there, hoping to find people willing to play Scrabble, Canasta, Spades, or help put together a puzzel.

Look forward to seeing ya’ll there.
Tina Long

Hello All:

I’m now able to get on the WW Forum and will try to check the forum once a day.

Soon we will all be together in Little Rock; and with the approval of VP John Ready, chair of the Annual Meeting Committee, I have listed below a few questions regarding “What would you like to see and attend during the Annual Meeting?”

1) As a returning attendee what new presentation (s) would interest you?

2) As a returning attendee, what presentation would you be interested in attending again?

3) As a new attendee what would you most like to learn about?

4) Where would you like to have an Annual Meeting/Voice Institute (city - state - country?)

5) Would you and your club be interested in being a “Host club” for the AM/VI.

6) What time of the year best suits you for attending the AM/VI …(ie. early May - early June?)

7) Would you like the opportunity to join others as a group to play cards, board games, chess or checkers?

8) Would you like to have more time to gather together - Laryngectomees only, mingle and get to know other attendees? - Possibly in place of a presentation.

CARE GIVERS

1) What type of presentation would you be interested in attending?

2) Would you like to have more sessions of “Spouse Rapp?)

3) Would you like to have more time to gather together - caregivers only, mingle and get to know other attendees? - Possibly in place of a presentation.

Would any one be interested in taking a tour of the William Clinton Presidential Musuem? I know 2 people who are definitely going.

For now that’s all I can think of. PLEASE EVERYONE - give thought to my questions and respond, OR send your ideas and suggestions to me. I truly would like to hear what “You” the attendee would like to see presented at the AM/VI —-

Tina Long

It finally feels like Christmas here in Georgia. It’s cold and dreary like it was in Ohio where my family usually spent Christmas during my childhood. I have many of those wonderful memories of my youth, and now the wonderful memories of my holidays with my children.

“Tridition” is a big part of our holidays - planning our meals, cooking and baking, picking out the Christmas tree/ Chanukkah bush, driving around on Christmas eve looking at all the lights and decorations, reading a short book together, (these past couple of years we’ve read, “How Murray Saved Christmas. by Mike Reiss) and my son and I going to Mid-night Mass.

Around 14 years ago, we went shopping to pick out what our son wanted for Christmas. We were at the mall and my son picked out a couple of shirts he wanted. When I saw the price tag on these shirts, more then $50.00 each, I was disturbed by “What this said about my son’s priorities,” and my influence as a parent.

At that very moment I came up with my son’s and my favorite tradidion. I turned around and looked up at my son’s face and said, “You really don’t get it, do you?” “Do you realize that just a few blocks away, there is probably a family facing a meager meal tonight, let alone not finding an abundance of presnts if any on Christmas morning?” We left the store. That Christmas Eve my son and I dressed up and went to our first, Mid-night Mass. We’ve continued to go every year, even convinced my very Jewish mother to go once. No matter how tired or how far we were from our favorite Episcopal Church we attended.

This is our first Christmas that my son will not be home, and it’s not felt festive at all. I’m going to miss hearing his baratone voice reading the book, sharing a meal and a toast, but most of all- this little Jewish girl is really going to miss going to Mid-night Mass. I suppose this is one more phase we go through - when our children grow up and away.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday. This year year it’s Kimberly’s turn to read the book.

PLEASE SHARE A FEW OF YOUR FAMILY TRADITIONS.

I’m happy to announce I now have a Blog. I will use this to deliver up-dates and interesting tidbits.

PLEASE NOTE: Unless I’m given permission to print anything official regarding the International Association of Laryngectomees from the IAL Board Of Directors, all comments, ideas and suggestions are mine ONLY and are not the view points of any one on the Board of Directors, Employees of the IAL, IAL Vendors or any of our clubs or their members.

I welcome all comments and will share any I feel appropriate and unbiased. From time to time I may pose a question to my readers and I will then share some of the comments. If there is a vote taken, I will provide the out come of the vote.

Our Vice President of the IAL, John Ready, has agreed to share this Blog with me and will add his thoughts, comments and news when he is able.

I am not an English major nor do I consider myself an expert speller, so PLEASE NO EDITING this Blog is a casual venue for me to communicate with any one who is interested in staying in contact with me.

HOWEVER If I ever print anything inaccurate please note it is never my intention to give false or incorrect information, and I would appreciate a friendly note with a correction.

I plan to have fun with this and hope to hear from everyone from time to time.

SO - Lets Talk…. Tina Long