April 2025 April 2025 | Page 10

Attend our upcoming fashion show
A10 April 2025 Charbonneau Villager

Women’ s Association

By BEE BENESH

Attend our upcoming fashion show

The Charbonneau Women’ s Association tries to provide a variety of programs at our luncheon meetings throughout the year.
BENESH In January we focused on organizing and decluttering and at our February tea we had a dramatic historical presentation. In March we heard Dan Murphy speak about musical theater and the current season at Broadway Rose. Often in the early spring months our thoughts, and programs, turn to plants and gardens. This month we are presenting a program to encourage you to think in a different way about your outdoor space, whether it be a patio, courtyard or yard. Lucy Davenport of Bonsai Akira Nursery will be coming to speak about the joys of bonsai trees and
From left to right: Program chairpeople Judy Bonino and Carol McLeod with Meredith Gordon and Dan Murphy from Broadway Rose Theater. Murphy presented a program on the history of the theater and what is coming up this season.
how native Northwest plants can be used in this ancient garden art. The luncheon will feature an Asian themed buffet lunch. Reservations are being taken in the book in the Activity Center closet until Thursday, April 10 at noon. The cost is $ 32 / members and $ 37 / guests.
After this we are all looking forward to one of the big events of the year. On May 12 CWA will present a fashion show by The Difference in Lake Oswego. The theme is Revamp Your Style – The Magic of Accessories. The clothes will be modeled by nine of our own members and Babs Osterud, personal stylist from The Difference, will be there to commentate. Her motto is taken from fashion designer Marc Jacobs:“ Clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them.” Thus, clothes gain their value, emphasis and character only when they become a part of your unique dressing style or identity. That day we will enjoy a catered buffet lunch by It’ s Party Time. Reservations will start to be taken soon so talk to your friends and neighbors. You will be able to reserve a table for eight for
COURTESY PHOTOS
From left to right: Teena Barnett, Kathy Renken, Patti Scherer and Mary Kate Book enjoy each other’ s company as they help with set up for the March luncheon.
this special event luncheon. Watch your email for more information.
CWA would welcome your help for the coming year. The board positions rotate in early June. The board meets once a month on the first Monday at 9 a. m. Of course, no one makes all of the meetings and so we like to have several women serving in each area. That way we always have someone to share ideas and duties with. Charbonneau is a busy place with a lot of things to enjoy. It takes many hands and we don’ t want it to be overwhelming for anyone.

Solo Sisters
By CANDY FERGUSON

We did it!

In February, at our Solo Sisters monthly gathering in the Activity Center, we pulled off a new and challenging program. We called
FERGUSON it an Accessories Swap and though it was a lot of work to organize. it was also a tremendous amount of fun. Members were given the opportunity to donate up to five items to the swap and in exchange they could choose up to five items to take home for themselves. We limited the items to
purses, scarves and jewelry and we had a treasure trove of items in the swap. Mary Costa and Bobbie Fisher gathered the items in the weeks prior to our meeting and then worked on setting up beautiful displays spread over four banquet tables, making these discards look enticing so that they could become another person’ s treasure!
Our members had a chance to cruise past the tables during dinner, then, after our delicious potluck dinner, the fun began. Amazingly, I didn’ t see any tug-of-wars over the displayed items. We spent an allotted time choosing our items; then, at the end of the night, anything that was left on the tables was taken to Goodwill.
This Accessories Swap night is the first of many fun events being planned for Solo Sisters this year. We have three speakers lined up including
an End of Life Doula in the spring, a volunteer from the Make-a-Wish Foundation in the summer and an artist in the fall. 2025 is certainly a great year to be a Solo Sister! There are a couple of other surprises being planned too!
Solo Sisters Program Committee members Candy Ferguson, Joann Caravalho, Bobbie Fisher, Mary Costa, Deanna Morgan and Gail Mann look over some of the items offered in the Accessories Swap program.
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If you are a single woman, living in Charbonneau, and you would like to learn more about our organization, please send an email to Deanna Morgan at deannamorgan @ gmail. com, and she will be happy to get in touch with you.