Important Information for All

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Happy Holidays!

Although you’d never know it by looking outside, Christmas is almost here. It’s been a great year for the OLRA. We introduced several new events this year, beginning the summer with a bottle drive that helped to fund other initiatives that followed. The perennial exchange offered residents a way to spruce up the garden. Most popular by far was the community garage sale we organized in June. Jay Jensen and Samien Bell won with their entries in the first annual OLRA pumpkin contest. Traditional events were well received too. As always, the picnic was a day of tremendous fun, and except for a mad scramble to escape rain and high winds at the very end the weather was on our side. At the AGM we had a great variety of speakers to offer insight into topics such as septic re-inspections, healthy waters, and grants for shoreline and septic projects. We look forward to increased participation during the next season.

As our thoughts turn to giving during the holidays, we’d like to offer a few more goodies and fun ideas to our friends and neighbours.

Food is an integral and much loved part of the Christmas season. We all have those traditional favourites that we enjoy only at this time of year. At our house, the festivities last until Orthodox Christmas when, in honour of my hubby’s heritage, we share traditional Ukrainian foods such as borscht, cabbage rolls, and perogies with friends and family. Why not celebrate the future with a taste of the past? Reach back to your roots and serve up a new old dish. Send us your traditional holiday recipes and, if we receive enough, we’ll put together a booklet and have copies available at next year’s events.

Looking for ways to spend the day without technology this year? Decorate a family member as a Christmas tree. If we actually see snow by then, have a snowball throwing contest. Before the big day, print off a Christmas movie trivia quiz. A few years ago, my cousin and I raced to see who could finish dessert first – without utensils. You can offer prizes, or just do it for the fun of it.

What would Christmas be without reaching out to friends and family near and far? Take advantage of our Facebook page by joining and posting your best wishes to your neighbours. And while you’re online, check out our new Pinterest account. If you’d like to be able to add pins to our boards, send us an email and we’ll set you up.

As Linus advised Charlie Brown, presents and pageantry are not what Christmas is all about. Still, it’s a time of year when we’re extra conscious of value for our dollar. OLRA membership is still just $10 for the year, and includes admission to both the annual picnic and general meeting, plus exclusive emails all year for members only. Take advantage of our holiday bonus by buying your 2016 membership via the PayPal link at the top of this page before January 1st and we’ll deliver a free OLRA t-shirt to your home or cottage door next summer. Please indicate your preferred size when you note your Orr Lake address during the enrollment process.

We are grateful to those who, in ways both large and small, have made our progress this year possible. It is in this spirit that we say thank you and best wishes for the holidays and happy New Year. To all of our Orr Lake neighbours, may you find time during this hectic season to enjoy life's simple blessings and the beauty of each quiet moment.