"MERRY CHRISTMAS" TO ALL AND TO ALL "HAPPY NEW YEAR"

Yesterday, December 21, 2011, SMUG performed our last program for 2011 at Andrews of Stratford. Sharon , the activity director, is good at her job in every way and especially at taking photos, so many are attached here for all to view as we leave 2011 and another great year for SMUG.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SANDPIPER STUDIOS

Attached is a Christmas present from Martin and Sandpiper Studios, taken yesterday at out 2011 Christmas Party.Thanks Martin....beautifully done.

Christmas Party 2011

Christmas Party 2011 at our regular SMUG Saturday morning get-to-gather. Pizza galore, very kind and nice words, a touch of wine and good fellowship, followed in the afternoon by a first and fabulous performance of The Yuletide Ukes at The Garden Home.

Yuletide Ukes First Performance

Ron Talks and Recites Very Warm Words About SMUG

Martin Lines Up The Blue Shirts for Christmas Photo

That's About It

Going Fast

Still Some Left

Great Variety

Hoe In

Pizza Arrives

Dennis Leads The Way

Christmas again at Beach Grove Home

SMUG was the first Christmas program of the season at Beach Grove Home and the residents all joined in singing and having fun as we did our Christmas program with a few new upbeat selections like "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas" and "Snoopy's Christmas" The "Hippo" song has been a favourite wherever we have performed this Christmas season.

Hazel is getting the best out of SMUG with a rocking version of "Rockin' Round The Christmas Tree"

This is Ann Campbell who is doing her second performance with SMUG. Ann is a regular solo performer at Beach Grove and a volunteer at Andrews of Stratford who has always helped with the Andrews Strummers at their practises and performances. Ann and her sister perform at ceilidhs and community homes around the Island.

Ron chats with Henry Coffin. Henry has always enjoyed SMUG from the front row as long as we have been performing at Beach Grove.




SMUG has grown so much and the space is so tight in some of the homes we perform in that it is hard to get the whole group in one photo.

The Right Flank

The Left Flank

SMUG CHRISTMAS MUSIC AT THE GARDEN HOME

GARDEN HOME IN VIDEO--- MERRY CHRISTMAS

How wonderful to have a professional photographer in our group! Martin Caird, of SANDPIPER STUDIOS in Hunter River, has put together a 12 minute video from our Sunday performance at the Garden Home. This is the first time SMUG has been seen in video; what a wonderful Christmas present from Martin to all of us. It's heart warming to be able to share this with all of our family and friends especially at Christmas. Enjoy!
THANK YOU MARTIN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auVnP5cIVhw

Deck The Halls At The Garden Home

For the second time in two weeks SMUG has been invited to The Garden Home; this time to offer some Christmas renditions on another Sunday afternoon in December. We were told by the chap who introduced us that we had been invited back by "popular demand" as the residents so much enjoyed our Summer Program two weeks ago. We gave them the whole hour of our Christmas program today and they loved it. Cookies and ginger ale came next and we had a full complement of SMUGGERS on deck for the performance and enjoyed having Ann Campbell join us for her first concert not taking place at Andrews of Stratford. "Please come back soon" were the departing words from many as we took our leave.We were pleased to have Martin, our professional photographer, video the whole performance. We hope that Martin might provide us with an opportunity to view it soon; possibly the Christmas party might be opportune.

Christmas Dinner MMM...MMM...GOOD

THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS

SMUG were invited back for the second year in a row to provide some Christmas music entertainment for the First Baptist Church's Christmas dinner for the locals who live around the church area. They arrived at 5:50 Sunday afternoon and were treated to Christmas turkey dinner with large helpings and all the trimmings to set it off. We had a large turn-out and finding the stage pretty tight with SMUGGERS, chairs and music stands. The highlight was the generous meal served to all of the Smuggers, complete with strawberries and ice cream. It's not often we get an opportunity to play for our supper, but it's kind of nice and we offer our thanks to the people of First Baptist and to Bob and Darlene for having us invited back. It was a hard venue to take photos, but a few are attached.

Jean's Birthday at Garden Home

It was Jean's birthday. She sat in the front row, and as we were finishing up our program Hazel spotted a birthday tag attached to Jean, and we did it....we sang Happy Birthday to Jean!

It was SMUG's first Sunday performance at a nursing home and the very appreciative residents were out in full force; among them was Aunt Jessie, Derwyn Huestis, Tommy Knox and Guy Cameron, to name a few, who we talked to during the afternoon and seemed to be pleased to have Sunday entertainment.
SMUG did their final performance of the Summer 2011 program which has always been a big hit, especially with seniors in community homes. We did 20 selections in the hour-long performance which was graced by solos by Bob Acorn and Dennis Wells.
SMUG will be returning in two weeks to The Garden Home with a Christmas Program.


Bobbie Takes A Verse

Hazel Leads SMUG in the Sea Shantys

Summer program underway

Residents fill the activity room to overflowing