My husband never met a quiche he truly liked. He believes that if you’re going to have eggs with “stuff” in them, you should have an omelet. And, if you’re going to have pie, there are more delicious fillings than eggs to fill a pie crust.
Nonetheless, he has agreed to attend the McCune-Brooks Regional Hospital Auxiliary luncheon with me on Thursday. Personally, I like quiche. The wild rice salad, muffin and drink that accompany the entree also sound tasty. The luncheon, priced at $6, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the hospital lobby.
The annual Pink Rose Gift Shop holiday sale begins at 8 a.m. Thursday at the hospital and continues through Friday. A large array of gift items has been ordered for the sale. Every item will be 10 percent off the regular price.
Shala Rogler, of the McCune-Brooks Health Care Foundation, said the sale items include accessories such as scarves, purses, gloves and jewelry, along with Christmas decorations, the plush Bearington Bears, Richardson’s Candy House candies, teas, and the Pink Rose special blend coffee.
“It’s more than we’ve had — ever,” Rogler said. Proceeds from the luncheon and sale are used by the auxiliary to support the hospital’s needs, including the childbirth center and the capital campaign.
New to the auxiliary’s fall fundraiser this year is a pre-sale of poinsettias. The traditional Christmas plants are being ordered through Alexandria’s Country Garden. Owner Eda Eissinger said there are nine scrumptious colors from which to choose. The plants also have been “pinched,” meaning they should have lots of colorful bracts, she said.
The poinsettias, planted in 6 1/2-inch pots, cost $15 each. Purchasers may pick the plants up from the hospital on Dec. 9. Miriam Putnam, who supervises the auxiliary’s plant sales, said, “They will be the prettiest plants in town because Eda will hand-pick them.”
I have had some success in over-wintering poinsettias and planting them in the garden for summer color. If you don’t want to make that much of an effort poinsettias that are properly cared for will still look nice for several months after Christmas.
H1N1 vaccine
Sometimes, luck just steps up and taps you on the shoulder. When I stopped by the hospital Thursday to check out the auxiliary’s holiday events, volunteer Harold Neely welcomed me with a big smile and said, “Oh, you’ve come to get your H1N1 flu shot?”
Well, no, I didn’t even know the hospital was holding a flu shot clinic. But, I couldn’t resist Harold’s invitation, so before I knew it, I was signed in and had my shot. I had missed the first clinic because I arrived too late. It seems that the hospital’s second delivery of H1N1 vaccine came so unexpectedly that the staff didn’t have time to advertise it to the public.
Emily Boydston, community relations specialist for the hospital, said the hospital doesn’t know when the next batch will come in, but a phone line has been installed that will have a message recorded daily advising if a flu vaccine clinic will be open that day. The number to call is 417-359-1352.
