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32 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | DECEMBER 2015 The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant is a beautifully written book by a masterful storyteller. It is an unforgettable tale about a young Jewish girl growing up in the heavily populated north end of Boston in the early 20th century. She lived with her newly immigrated, unhappy parents who did not acclimate well to this new world. She also had two older sisters who had to quit school at age 10 to work in factories. The story is told through the narration of Addie Baum, an 85-year-old who is telling her story at the request of her 22-year-old granddaughter. Addie recounts her adventures with humor and compassion for the naïve, scrappy girl she once was. The story follows her complicated life through World Wars I and II, a deadly flu epidemic and of course, the loves and losses of a woman's life in a changing world. The Book Club will discuss this richly textured all-American tale at our meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 9:30 am. Please feel free to join us then and at any of our meetings. January's selection will be The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker and Kevin Wiliarty. For further information, please contact Doreen Sanders at (951) 769-1913. ~ Patti Chubbuck Book Club On Dec. 4 and 5, the Four Seasons holiday celebration is going to include brief stories written by the following members of the Writers Club: Phil Bond, Diane Bibeau, John Bayertz and Roland Harrah. Don't miss it. The Writer's Club is also holding a contest open to all residents of the Four Seasons entitled: "What Was Your Most Memorable New Year's Eve?" Everyone has memories and can write a story, whether it's one paragraph or one page, funny or sad, inspirational or disappointing. You can write it down and submit it before the deadline of Monday, Jan. 4, by email to josephlaurin@verizon.net or postal mail to 1528 Green Creek Trail, Beaumont, CA 92223. Michael Rothberg will head the committee of judges. A prize will be given for the 10 best stories. Submit your story. You may be surprised! The December meeting of the Writers Club will be on the usual first Tuesday of the month, Dec. 1, at 1:30 pm in the Lodge. Starting next January, however, the meetings will be on the second Tuesday of the month, at the same time and place. Have a happy holiday! ~ Joseph Laurin Writers' Club On Dec. 8 at 11 am, (note the time) there will be a brown bag lunch (bring your own) workshop meeting where members can talk about computers and their experiences and problems. This will be a good informal opportunity to meet the local gurus and ask questions. This meeting is open and free for all residents of Four Seasons. Be sure to bring your cell phone, lap top and problems. ~ Phil Jaffe Computer Technology Our group has spent quite a bit of time recently talking about the holidays. This time of year can be difficult at best and can be harrowing for someone who is grieving. We had a long discussion about staying alone on a holiday and we agreed most definitely that it sounded possible when viewed from a distance, but in actuality, it was a terrible idea. The problem is that the holiday will be so different from previous holidays, that the griever really doesn't know what to do. The grieving person or family will have to make effort to effect changes that will provide them comfort. Since most families have well established rituals in place for holiday celebrations, it will take some willingness to make changes. Some ideas fo help this process are, for instance, to examine priorities such as where the holiday will be spent. Has it always been at the grandparents' house? Let someone else host this year, or decide to go to a restaurant instead. What about decorations? Maybe cutting down on the amount of decorating, or not decorating at all and letting someone else do it at their home, could be considered. It is important to recognize the deceased loved one's presence in the family. Burn a candle in their honor, or have a box or hung stocking where everyone can put a note of remembrance which can later be read at the meal. What is important is to make it ok to talk about the loved one. Sharing funny stories or special memories is a way to include them in the holiday, and to comfort the family as a whole. If you find yourself confused or unhappy this holiday season due to the loss of a loved one, please come join us. We would love to include you. We meet in the Crafts room at the Lodge on Mondays from 1 to 3 pm. All conversation is confidential. Just come by or call Laurie at (951) 922-0934 or email to lauriemlarson425@gmail.com. ~ Laurie Larson Bereavement Group

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