Platinum Clubhouse - December 2006 Newsletter

Members and staff at present are busy preparing for Christmas season. First week in December is our beauty day as a prior prep for our members and staff Christmas party at the Hazel Hotel. On 15th December our mulled wine morning will take place in the clubhouse. Our Christmas tree and Decorations are up and look very well and we all at platinum awaiting our Christmas presents. We at platinum Clubhouse wish our readers a merry Christmas and peaceful New Year. We would like to thank all who contributed to our article for our New letter best wishes for the New Year

On the 9th and 10th of November Carmel, Mary, Brid, Lydia and myself went to the Osprey Hotel for beauty treatments and an overnight stay. We had lovely meal in Sallins beforehand. After we had booked in, and settled ourselves in our rooms, we started our treatments. My first treatment was the hydro-float bath. You float for half an hour in a large tub of water with sea salts and minerals. At first I got a bit of a fright when I got into the water, I was never in so much water before. I thought I was going to sink. I was afraid to let go of the handle on the tub. However I said to myself I am not doing this right so I let go. To my surprise their I was floating! It was lovely! I think I would want a few more sessions to get used to it. My second treatment was a facial. It was done in candle light. It was very intense, In that I mean there was so much done. My final treatment was a pedicure. There was different creams rubbed into my feet and legs and the chair I was sitting in massaged my back at the same time. We had dinner at 7:30 pm Breda and Eileen joined us. I had a beautiful room to myself. The next morning we had a full Irish breakfast and then we checked out. The whole experience was just something else. I think we were all very sad to leave. I know I was, but as they say all good things must come to an end

Dec 8th Christmas Party Hazel Hotel
Dec 15th Mulled Wine Morning
Dec 22nd Christmas lunch in Clubhouse

When you arrive at an agency to do work placement you have all kinds of anxieties. Will I have a good experience? Will the people I encounter be accepting and nice? Starting a placement for any student can be a very stressful time. From my first day at Platinum Clubhouse I realised that however ‘book smart’ I was from college, I would need a lot of skill to be an effective team member such as in cooking , cleaning and in administration. On first impressions the Platinum Clubhouse building is lovely. From visiting some of E.V.Es Ltd. other buildings I realised how lucky the members and staff members are to have such a fantastic location and building. Each and every one of the members that I have met have been fantastic characters that have enriched my work placement no end. All the members have been so generous with their time and knowledge. I have learned so much already, ranging from how to glaze a ham to how to use clip art creatively! I still have a lot more learning to do. However those of you that have worked with me in catering will know that better than most! During my placement I will also have a representative from my college come out to visit me, kind of like a site visit that those in employment will know only to well. In this meeting I will discuss my three learning objectives that I set at the beginning of my placement. At the end of my placement I will be handing up my portfolio, which contains information that I have compiled during my placement. Platinum Clubhouse, in my opinion, offers a great variety of service to its members. This is reflected in the wide variety of age groups and characters that choose voluntarily to join. Being a fully accreditated Clubhouse the standards of service is very high. I am very glad and indeed grateful that the members invited me to do my work placement in Platinum Clubhouse.

Water is on tap and it is cheap and it does tender to all parts of the body Teeth Fights tooth decay Helping to produce saliva Skin Stops your skin getting dry & and wrinkly Food May lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of deep vein thrombosis Digestion Helps avoid constipation Kidney Reduces the risk of kidney stones Bladder Keep the urinary tract bug free Aim to drink 6 –8 glasses of water daily

Emmas Baby

What a beautiful girl is she,
Love her for all eternity,
To look at her beautiful face,
With all of her gentle grace.

My very own I cherish so,
A treasure to watch her grow,
Tomorrow is a brand new day,
As her mother will find a way.

My child was born out of love,
A blessing forever she is of,
Many obstacles in life to undergo,
My flesh & blood grow and grow.

My concern for her never end,
A pleasure her company to spend,
A miracle of nature was born,
My precious child to adorn.

Sleep little baby on your tiny bed,
Where many dreams are said,
While the years swiftly they fold,
Many dreams for you will be told.

Paddy

Glazed Ham

You will need
1 Piece middle or corner gammon,
about 4 lb 2 pints of water
1 Large onion
1 Bay leaf 6 Peppercorns For Glazing
3 oz soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons of dry mustard Cloves
Preparation time 10 minutes plus soaking time for the bacon
Cooking time 1 hour and 45 minutes
Oven setting 210 C ( Gas Mark 7)
Soak gammon overnight in cold water. Put into a saucepan with 2 pints of water, quartered onion, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Peel off skin from gammon, mark fat into diamond shapes with sharp knife and place in roasting tin. Mix sugar and mustard together and press into fat. Stick in cloves in the centre of each diamond. Place in hot oven for about 15 minutes, until fat is crisp and golden. Serve with beans and carrots if you like. Serves approx 8 people.

Quick Tip: Uncooked bacon joints need not be stored in a refrigerator. They should be wrapped in pieces of muslin and stored in a cool place

Sat 23rd Dec 11am——2.30pm
Wed 27th Dec 11am——2.30 pm
Friday 29th Dec 11am——2.30pm
Platinum Clubhouse back to regular working hours 02/01/2007

Birthday Wishes:Ann, Martin, Curt, Declan, John, Angela, Shay, ,Brian, Alan, Clive.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions and beliefs expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Platinum Clubhouse.

Any articles, items or pictures in this newsletter may only be reproduced following permission from Platinum Clubhouse.