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At my front door were stacks of boxes from Amazon. From one of the holiday boxes, I removed a large wreath for my front door. This wreath had pine cones, ribbons, lights and was very beautiful. Instead of subdued holiday lights, the lights on the wreath were bright laser beams that flashed in every direction, similar to the lights they use on airport runways. There was also an audio feature on the wreath; when you walked in front of the wreath, it would play 'Christmas Don't Be Late' by Alvin and the Chipmunks. However, the Chinese workers who assembled this wreath must have assumed that American chipmunks would have a deep masculine voice and talked slowly. So the cheerful song of 'Christmas Don't Be Late' now sounded more like a man breathing heavily into a telephone. That evening the flashing laser beams began attracting my neighbors like moths to a porch light. A small group of them assembled in the street, and they became mesmerized by the lights and the heavy breathing. More and more neighbors showed up to see my wreath, and I became concerned that they might create a new holiday based on flashing lights and heavy breathing. Maybe they would call it "Saint Las Vegas" day. I did not want to celebrate another holiday, so I rushed outside and chased them all away. I will tell Amazon that the reason I am returning the wreath was that "it attracted the wrong kind of neighbors." What is important this holiday season is that you spend time with the people you care about and that your home is full of laughter. So what if Uncle Jim still has not found a job or your cousin's wife is pregnant — again. It does not matter. What we need to do is sing our holiday songs, dance our dances, and enjoy the many wonderful meals. Have a happy holiday. If you enjoy writing stories or would like help getting started, please join us at the Writers' Club. We meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 1:30 pm in the RCN Conference Room; mlarchibald. com or zehnercorked@gmail.com. ~ John Evans FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2019 45 The rainbow is a powerful symbol that represents beauty, balance, peace, and hope. As such, we believe it is a perfect representation for our group. We are residents of Four Seasons Beaumont who also happen to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The rainbow is so perfect because it really fits our group's diversity in terms of race, gender, ages, and beliefs. While we strive to serve the interests of our members, we do welcome all supportive homeowners and encourage everyone to attend any of our functions. We believe you'll enjoy our company. Everyone leads busy lives (even at our age!) and we often find it difficult to stay connected with our neighbors. Therefore, the Rainbow Group has get-togethers, usually on the fourth Thursday of each month, in The Lodge Game Room at 6 pm. Due to conflicts with Thanksgiving and holiday parties in December, we will have a combined holiday party, pot luck style, most likely in early December. For details on date, time and location, please visit the Four Seasons Pride Facebook page. Our get-togethers are mostly informal social gatherings which give members an opportunity to meet new neighbors, catch up on member and community activities or news, or just chat — no stuffy agenda items, roll calls, or minutes for us! The Rainbow group also hosts other periodic gatherings for socializing, such as LGBT-themed movie nights in The Lodge Theater, and other events the group may sponsor. Maybe you'd even like to suggest your own activity for the group — we are always open to new ideas. Please direct any questions to Dale at (951) 797-0364, dalebeckes@gmail. com or on Facebook, search for Four Seasons Beaumont Pride. ~ Dale Beckes Rainbow Group Writers' Club

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