It is now December, and although there’s no snow in Valencia the holiday spirit is all around us. There will be fireworks and Christmas trees and celebrations galore (check out the IWCV’s “Join Us For Local Events” WhatsApp group to learn what’s happening when) – and many of our members are celebrating the season in town and out. Because so many of you are out of town this month – especially at month’s end – we will not be having a monthly luncheon in December, and we will give our “Happy Owl” – Out With the Ladies Happy Hour a miss. Both will be back in January so keep an eye on our website for details!
Read on to find out about the activities we have already planned for you this month, and don’t forget to check the IWCV website (www.iwc-valencia.com) periodically as events are added all the time!
MEMBERSHIP
Events for December:
First Tuesday Coffee, Tuesday 5 December, 10:30am at MuviMent on the Terraza behind the MUVIM Museum. Open to all wome in Valencia, both IWCV members and those who haven’t formally joined us yet. No need to register in advance; just drop by for a cuppa and a chat! And don’t forget, you can drop off your holiday gifts for both the Holiday Gifts for the Homeless in Valencia and the Sponsor a Child projects at this coffee morning.
The Powers of Spices & Herbs, Thursday 7 December, 3:50pm. What are the powers of herbs and spices? Come to this session by our own Registered Dietician, Susan Burke March, to find out to learn how to use them for flavor and health! For complete details and to sign up, go to The Power of Spices & Herbs | IWC - Valencia
Fellows of the IWCV Happy Hour, Thursday 7 December, 5:30 pm at Masia del Vino, Calle Hospital 16. Open to all Fellows (male partners/spouses of IWCV members, past & current). What a great way for the men in our lives to meet each other over a beer, wine (or G&T!). No need to RSVP and no charge to attend – just pay for your own drinks and food. Masia del Vino has lots of space inside and the outside is car free. Questions? Contact Carey Hepler, carey.hepler@gmail.com
Special Holiday Gift Sale for IWCV Members, Tuesday 12 December, 11:00am to 2:00pm at Jane Buck’s home. Come to shop designer silk scarves, microfiber scarves, bags, and cushion covers by Olimpia of Olimpia Spain. Enjoy a glass of wine and special prices for IWCV members! (IWCV Fellows who are interested in holiday shopping are also welcome to attend). For full details and to register, go to Special Holiday Gift Sale for IWCV Members | IWC - Valencia
Tour of the River Turia and its Bridges, Thursday 14 December, 11:00am. Our wonderful English-speaking tour guide, David, will take us on a tour of the River Turia and its bridges, with the history, anecdotes and legends of the river and it’s banks. Our tour will be followed by a holiday drink for those interested. For details and to register, click here: Tour of the River Turia and its Bridges | IWC - Valencia
2024 Writing Workshops with May Leong, 4 sessions starting 1 February. Have you been wanting to work on your writing but haven’t had the time or inspiration to do it? Now’s the time! For full details and to register, go to 2024 Writing Workshops with May Leong | IWC - Valencia
This month Susan Burke March is kicking off a return to the IWCV Recipes Club. Please watch for a special email with information on submitting recipes! The theme this month is Holiday Recipes.
Please remember that you cannot cancel your place at any IWCV activity by clicking a link on our website. It will not work! Instead, please email pres.iwcvalencia@gmail.com so that we can cancel your place and give the next person on the waitlist a chance to attend. Thank you for understanding.
New Members in November
Celeste Crivelli - American
Corine Bisiacco O’keeffe - French
Kate Caster - Irish
Leah Newman - American
Lisa Guinn - American
Masami Fox - Japan
Melina Elliott - American
Robin Wright - American
Sheila Payson - UK/US/IR
Tomila Sanders - British
Happy Birthday to our December Birthday Members!
Suzanne Rosselet
Candy Mirrer
Priscilla Weiss de Carvalho
Catherine Kohler
Norma Acland
Debbie Roth
Elizabeth McCullough
Ulrika Rendel
Alicia Stidham
Myra Deuel
Ketty Delapena
Olimpia Cerda
Marlyse Lupis
Phyllis So
Charities & Fundraising
Pauline Fitzgerald, Charities Chair
There is so much donating and giving this month that we are publishing a special newsletter edition with all of the details for you. Please watch for that and get ready to support our regular charities + children for 3 Kings Day and our neighbors who are living on the streets this winter.
If you wish to make a private donation, the bank details are as follows. Please ensure that you note IWCV in the reference box.
Casa Caridad
LA Caixa: ES47 2100 0736 0022 0061 2310
Banco Sabadell: ES75 0081 7352 4300 0105 7311
Casa Ronald
ES27 0081 1518 9300 0150 8057
Proyecto Vivir
ES75 3159 0066 9828 5328 2123
Activities
Phyllis So, VP Activities
Recap of November’s Events
What a great month for IWCV Activities! You will soon need a calendar to keep track of all the activities. One of the best things about the new registration on the website is we can pay and forget about it until the event. No more remembering to bring money to pay for the event. BUT! You also need to check for the email that says you are registered or you may end up registering twice!
The first meeting of our new book club, Chicas de Libros, was hosted by Ruth Ann Hepler and held on November 14. Check the Activities page of the website to find out more about this group, and to connect with Ruth Ann for future meetings.
Susan March, our upcoming VP-Activities gave us a talk titled: “Are We Doomed to Diabetes?”. She helped us understand the signs and symptoms of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and that a diagnosis is not a death sentence. She reviewed some lifestyle changes that can help improve and even prevent complications.
Fellows of the IWCV - met for lunch on November 14. Twenty-four Fellows joined, and a good time was had by all! Many more activities are being planned, so please let your partners/spouses know to email Carey (carey.hepler@gmail.com) to get more info. The Fellows group is open to the spouses/partners of IWCV members, past & current.
Our local expert cooking chef held another Turkish cooking class, and again it was as amazing. She always does the dessert first as it needs to cool. The dessert is called Kabak Tatlisi (Pumpkin Dessert) Then we worked on the main dish called Tas Kebab - a lamb and rice dish that frankly won my heart! The presentation of the dish was wonderful and I personally like it better than paella. There was also a zucchini dish called Yourtlu Kabak Kizartma - yummy. Then there was Coban Salata (Shepherd’s Salad) that was simple and very good. All in all a huge success! Thank you Pinar for sharing your talents with us.
Finally, our English-speaking tour guide David gave us a fascinating tour of the historical Cabanyal. Everyone enjoyed it, as always!
Ongoing Events
All the following on-going activities have their own private WhatsApp groups to keep members informed of what’s happening with that particular activity. Please visit the Activities page of the website to learn more about each activity
Send a WhatsApp message to the coordinator if you are interested in joining a particular group, contact numbers are below.
Mah Jong Mondays
Contact info: Jane Buck – forjbuck@aol.com (WhatsApp 672 228 427)
Spanish and Coffee
Contact Info: Mary Reeves, +34 686 50 20 90
Stitches and Yarns
Contact Info: Cathy Cleaver, +34 635 97 89 98
Women Who Walk
Contact Info: Liz Humphreys +34 637 74 89 90
Board Games and More
Contact info: Ann Linton - +1 (312) 208-8666
Chicas de Libros
Contact: Ruth Ann Hepler ruthannhepler@gmail.com or What’s App +34 613 395 458
The Fellows of the IWCV - for men only. It is open to the spouses/partners of IWCV members, current & former. To join the group, please email Carey Hepler at carey.hepler@gmail.com. If there is a particular activity that you are interested in and would like to coordinate, let Carey know!
Do you have ideas for other activities? It’s our members who make this work and you, our members, have so much talent to share! If you have any ideas, please contact Phyliss (vpactivities.iwcvalencia@gmail.com).
December Holidays in Valencia
Wednesday 6 December Day of the Spanish Constitution (Wednesday)
Friday 8 December Immaculate Conception (Friday)
Monday 25 December Christmas Day (Monday)
We wish all our members and their families a joyous holiday season and a happy, healthy new year!
Jane Buck,
President
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