A Little Christmas (tree) Cheer in the VEHA!

Juli's Christmas Tree

Juli's Christmas Tree - close-up of her hand-made ornaments

In just a few hours, the VEHA will be lighting up our corner of the world with our annual Christmas Eve luminary display; but my youngest daughter, Juli, got a head start brightening the neighborhood by decorating the little evergreen in our front yard with her hand-made ornaments. She carefully laminated each one to protect it from the weather. It's her personal, living "Christmas card" to our neighbors in the VEHA ... stop and see it, if you're passing our house at 406 Potawatomi - it's saying "Happy Holidays!" to everyone in her own personal style.

Note: This little evergreen started as a cutting we got in exchange for recycling one of our Christmas trees several years ago, as it grows, it will become an even bigger part of our outdoor Christmas celebration every year.

Merry Christmas to everyone in the VEHA!

Dan Saad, VEHA Memo Editor
daniel.saad@djscomm.com

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Except for the Leaves at the Curbs

Our ROPD led the 2011 Royal Oak Holiday Magic Parade

The ROFD added Christmas red to the start of the parade

Borgo School of Dance (Royal Oak) Dance Team

ROHS Marching Band

ROHS Dance Team

Holiday Market sponsored Toys for Tots (and Gina drove the van)

Our neighborhood Northwood Girl Scouts dressed as holiday presents

Thousands of friends and neighbors lined Washington for the parade

Oakland County Sheriff Bouchard

Hello Santa (and Mrs. Claus)!

Mayor Ellison, Santa and Grand Marshal Jim Harper officially start the holiday season in Royal Oak

The Saad family - Doris, Amanda, Juli and Dan (taking the picture) wish the VEHA Happy Holidays!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the VEHA - except for the leaves still piled at our curb sides.! The holiday season officially began here in Royal Oak with the 11th annual Holiday Magic Parade Downtown on Saturday, November 19. Thousands of friends and neighbors lined the parade route to cheer our Royal Oak Police and Fire Departments, the Royal Oak High School Marching Band and Dance Team; and many other special members of the community including Borgo School of Dance (whose Dance Team performed) and Holiday Market (sponsor of this year's Marine Corps "Toys for Tots").

My neighbors are taking advantage of the mild November weather to put up their Christmas lights and set up other outdoor decorations. I admire them. I have a tradition of my own, however. I put up my lights and outdoor decorations the first weekend of December that we record a single-digit wind chill index. Smart? No. But what are the holidays without tradition?

Speaking of tradition - we will soon be "... lighting up our corner of the world" (as Luminary Chairperson Norma Regenold always says) with our traditional VEHA Luminary display on Christmas Eve. Your Block Captains will be delivering order forms before and after Thanksgiving - be sure to take part; the warm, gentle glow on Christmas Eve reflects the spirit of the VEHA and everyone who lives here in our corner of the world.

And when you're out there on Christmas Eve, take a moment to wish your neighbor a "Merry Christmas!"

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Dan Saad, VEHA Editor
daniel.saad@djscomm.com

Send me news and information for January - I'll be posting holiday "afterglow" photos from the VEHA and catching everyone up on the latest in our neighborhood!

Red Alert(s)!

The leaves on my Maple tree are turning red - autumn's here in the VEHA.

It happened even before the first official day of autumn - the leaves on the Maple tree in my backyard began to turn red, signaling the arrival of fall in the VEHA, no matter what the calendar (at the time) said.

But, like I've often written, every season in the VEHA is something to savor. The rich colors that will soon be lining each of our streets, as the leaves turn, will give us all an "up north" experience just by stepping out our doors and strolling along the sidewalk.

We had a wonderful summer. A little warm some days, but even when I had to resort to turning on the air conditioner for up to a week at a time, I kept reminding myself, "... you don't have to shovel heat!" Most of our "signature" VEHA events are behind us for the year - the annual VEHA Yard/Garage Sale was a little soggy, keeping traffic down, and attendance at the summer picnic suffered a little from the heat; but nonetheless the VEHA neighborhood spirit came through.

Ahead, in December, is our annual Luminary Night - Christmas Eve - when we, as Norma Regenold says, "Light up our corner of the world" and spread some holiday cheer. There will be news of that in a printed newsletter, and an update here, very soon. Before we light up our corner of the world with luminaries, however, we'll be lighting up our corner of the world with jack-o-lanterns on Hallowe'en. The VEHA is a wonderful place for trick-or-treaters and I always enjoy the visits with neighbors as we stand outside that evening handing out treats.

Another 'Red' alert

Many of you recall the filming of the movie "Red Dawn" right here in the VEHA in the late spring of 2009. It was especially exciting for those of us on Vinsetta, where a big chase scene was filmed. Check out the VEHA Memo archive and read the Winter 2009 edition for the full story.

Well, here's an update. More than two years after filming was finished, it seems we may be close to the film being released. The Emagine Theater, right here in Royal Oak, had a promo on its website a week ago announcing a September 23 premier. That date has come and gone, however, and the film in not yet showing. Check back at the Emagine website regularly and see if there's any hint of a new release date. Wouldn't it be great to have a "premier party" at the theater for VEHA neighbors to celebrate the "celebrity" status of our neighborhood in the film? Here's the link to the Emagine Royal Oak theater:
http://www.emagine-entertainment.com/showtimes/visshowtimes.aspx?cinemaid=1006

The stars and crew of the film "Red Dawn" prepare for a take of the chase scene on Vinsetta in 2009

 Watch for a winter 2011 VEHA Memo update soon; and keep reading, posting and enjoying!

Dan Saad, VEHA Memo Editor
daniel.saad@djscomm.com

NO Hibernating!

The VEHA can truly be a winter wonderland. The neighborhood is still calling out to you to enjoy it, only sometimes the snow muffles the call a little bit.

My cross country skis, after three loops of the boulevard on Vinsetta on a snowy January Saturday.

Even on days like the Ground Hog Day Blizzard, there's fun and adventure in the VEHA! After shoveling our walks and driveways, my family (l-r: Juli, Doris, Amanda) and I "hiked" to National Coney Island at 12 Mile and Main, just about a half-mile from our house, for lunch.

The blizzard 1-2 punch that nature delivered to the VEHA first on Ground Hog Day, then again on Saturday (February 5), drove a lot of friends and neighbors deeper into their “burrows,” longing for spring.

If you only experience winter in our neighborhood when you scrape off your car, clear the snow from your walks and driveway, or negotiate the snow-lined streets on your way to-and-from work, you’re missing the best part of winter in the VEHA.

For three Saturday mornings in a row in January, I cut (and re-cut) cross country ski tracks along the boulevard of Vinsetta; for my family and myself, I thought; but on Saturday, January 29, a neighbor from Webster stopped her car along side me as I was renewing the track and said, “Thank you so much for cutting the tracks – my family and I have been using them too, and we wondered who set them!”

I smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad all this work is getting more use than just for my family and myself – have fun!” As she drove away, I was reminded what a great place this is to live year ‘round; it’s just that at some times of the year, you have to look a little harder for the fun and fellowship.

You can always meet neighbors on a snowy weekend at “Bicycle Hill Park” which, at this time of year, becomes “Sledding Hill Park.” Adults gather and catch up on neighborhood news while the kids enjoy the snow-covered hills with sleds, saucers and even snowboards. Sometimes, against their better judgment, the adults give the hill a run too … and it’s seldom pretty!

On “Blizzard 2 – the sequel” Saturday, I decided to strap on my snow shoes, instead of my skis, and as I set out down the center of the boulevard on Vinsetta, what did I see? Snow shoe tracks! Some other neighbor had the same idea but managed to get out just a little earlier than I did.

I know most of the VEHA neighbors are eagerly looking forward to our signature spring events – the annual Park Clean-up, and our VEHA-wide Yard/Garage Sale, but don’t overlook all the neighborhood has to offer until spring gets here – and even if you’re not up to skiing, show shoeing or sledding, take a walk through the winter wonderland that is the VEHA. No hibernating, friends … the neighborhood is still calling out to you, the snow just muffles it a little bit!

Neighborly Surprise
One of the nicest things to discover after a big snowfall in the VEHA, is to find that a neighbor has gone an extra 50 feet or so with their snow blower and cleared your sidewalk.

For guys like me, who still shovel, it’s a spirit-lifting surprise; especially on those blizzard-like days when it takes two (or more) outings with the shovel to keep the walks and driveways clear. I have two drives to shovel – one on Potawatomi, and the other on the back of my lot on Vinsetta. When I finished the front drive and sidewalk on Saturday, I made my way through my yard to Vinsetta to repeat the chore and found that the walk was already done by my neighbor and friend Dennis Ellison! Dennis and Karen are typical of the kind of caring neighbors who make the VEHA such a wonder place to live.

Just a few weeks until spring, friends; but until then, I’ll see you in the snow!

Dan Saad, VEHA Editor
d1saad@aol.com