How to start a happy New Year

I don't know if she's expressed it quite like this but as Activities Committee chair Carolyn values two things - tradition and innovation. That might seem contradictory but it really isn't. Like this morning's "traditional" New Year's pancake breakfast, virtually everything was very traditional from the menu to the placement pattern of the tables, from the condiment table to the serving line. People seemed to feel very comfortable with these traditional arrangements.

The innovations this year were (1) a propane gas griddle that was a whole lot faster in putting out pancakes; and (2) a video projector showing slides of last year's activities in random order. We didn't know what effect the slides would have but I believe there was an overall positive reaction. It seemed that more people saw it as a conversation starter than a stopper. You could almost see their frustration at not being able to stop the show on a particular slide.

Here are a few candid shots of this morning's event.

Part of the kitchen crew ready to serve.

Notice the faces turned to enjoy the slides on the stage.

Almost all the seats are full at 9:53.

Even the smallest of the Klapheck family enjoys the breakfast.

Crowd starting to thin out.