Come to the Home, Garden & Antique Show!

Hope you're planning an outing to the Home, Garden & Antique Show THIS weekend, March 20th and 21st!  This is the largest fundraiser held by our local Soroptimist International of Chico club each year.  And every year 100% of the gate proceeds get poured back into the Chico community for local charities, scholarships and organizations such as The Salvation Army, the Butte County Public Library, Catalyst Women's Shelter, and others.

Click here to see what the show has to offer, or view photos here from a previous show, and then mark your calendar to come out to the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico this Saturday or Sunday, 10 to 5.  See you there!

Don't miss the PATRICK RANCH COUNTRY FAIRE AND THRESHING BEE this weekend, Sat. & Sun., June 13 & 14 happening at (naturally) the Patrick Ranch, located at 10381 Midway, between Chico and Durham. (Click here to view details on their web site). In addition to the Threshing Bee, there will be an Artisan Faire, food courts, live music, childrens activities, pony rides, "working dog" exhibits and lots, lots more. Admission is FREE to children 12 and under, and adults are just $5! I'll be out there volunteering in one of the booths from noon to 2:30 on Sat. Hope to see you there!

Note: This is a great opportunity to check out one of the most historic homes in the Chico Area. The Patrick Ranch was bequeathed to the Chico Museum Association (now the Far West Heritage Association) by Hester Patrick in 2001. Hester was a charter member of our local Soroptimist International of Chico club and a fascinating and accomplished woman--a real "maverick" for her time. Check out some of the photos and documents while you're out there.)

Home, Garden & Antique Show!

Sure hope to see you at the Annual Soroptimist of Chico Home, Garden & Antique Show this weekend! (March 21st and 22nd) I took photos at last year's show (click here to view) just to show folks how much fun it is. In addition to lots of items and ideas for the home and garden, there is a huge building devoted to antiques and another building with floral displays.

Lots of fun activities for the kids too! And the best part is that 100% of the gate proceeds support local community service projects. Click here to see a list of some of the good work this great group has done here in Chico (in addition to other parts of the country and world).

S/I Chico started up in 1931 and has been going strong ever since. (Emma Wilson and Hester Patrick were early members.) Soroptimist International was founded in Oakland, CA, in 1921. Currently there are over 90,000 members in more than 3,000 clubs in 124 countries/territories. Needless to say, this is one thriving organization!

Facebook Fun

Are you a fan of Facebook yet? I've been a member of this "online social network" for the past few months and have enjoyed staying in touch this way, especially with friends and family I don't get to see as often as I'd like. It's really pretty easy once you get the hang of it. (I was going to say "Even my mom is on FB," but SHE'S the one who got the rest of us on email when it was new!) If you have a digital camera (and know how to use it), you can post photos of your kids, pets, travels, activities etc. for your friends to enjoy.

Stay in touch with a particular group on FB by creating a page for that group. I've put together the "Burghardt Family Clan" as a way of allowing my family members to easily connect, share photos, videos, information etc. (Still trying to get the fam on board with that one!) I also belong to the Facebook-Live Chico, Northern California CRS Chapter and Soroptimist International of Chico groups, among others. (What is a Soroptimist, you ask? Click here for a clip from an incredible video my friend, fellow Soroptimist member, and Emmy award-winning documentarian Jeanne Rawlings filmed recently!)

FB is fun, it's free, and it's spreading like wildfire (not just for the teeny-boppers any more--how's that word for dating myself?)! Check it out for yourself. If you're already on, "friend" me if you'd like. If you sign up and have questions, feel free to email me. It takes a village to keep up with technology these days!

Run for Food

Because I was in Healdsburg enjoying our annual family "Thanksmas" (combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas) celebration at the lovely home of our gracious hosts sister Becky and her handsome hubby Steve (talk about FOOD!), I missed the 3rd annual "Run for Food" event held in Bidwell Park. How proud I was of our generous Chicoans when I read an online article in the Chico E-R about the success of the run! More than 2,600 runners pre-paid the $25 to $30 fee to make the five-kilometer run, and apparently about twice that number ended up participating, resulting in over $65,000 raised to help the Jesus Center in their ongoing efforts to feed those in need. Over the years, my fellow Soroptimist of Chico members and I have taken turns volunteering to serve meals at the Jesus Center, sometimes enlisting the help of our children (which I felt was a very valuable few hours spent with mine), and I have always come away feeling a renewed gratitude for my family, friends, home and the many gifts I enjoy in life. And isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about anyway? Happy holiday season to you and yours!

Memory Walk

MANY THANKS for everyone who supported my mom (Margaret) and me and our Soroptimist International of Chico Team in last weekend's 2008 Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk in Bidwell Park. It was a great event and such a worthy cause. Click here to see more photos of this annual event, which gets bigger and better every year!

Overland Equipment

I don't own stock in this local Chico company (promise!), but I kinda wish I did, I like the products so much. Overland Equipment was started in 1981 here in Chico (another great Chico company!) by a fellow Soroptimist International of Chico member (who has since sold the company to another local family). Check out the reviews of the bags on Zappos.com if you don't believe me; these are simply wonderfully constructed, well-thought-out, versatile bags. You can either order on their web site at OverlandEquipment.com or use the USA Store locater on their site to find outlets. There are several stores in Chico that usually carry them: Made in Chico, North Rim Adventures (where I got my great bike--hi, Mike!), Chico Mountain Sports, Chico Sports Ltd., and the CSUC Associated Students Bookstore.

Home, Garden & Antique Show!

Don't miss the 22nd Annual Home, Garden & Antique Show
March 15 & 16, 2008, 10am–5pm
Silver Dollar Fair Grounds in Chico!

Produced each year by Soroptimist International of Chico, this fundraiser allows the club to continue providing community service in many areas. (Please check out the SI Chico website for more information about this great show and the services provided by this wonderful organization.) This year's show is "going GREEN" and will be better than ever, featuring food demonstrations (with delectable samples!) by some of Chico's best eateries, creative ideas for landscaping, outdoor living, home improvement, decor, a fun "Kidz Corner," antiques, and a fabulous art and wine tasting area. All this AND a classic car and hot rod expo! See you there!

Soroptimist International of Chico

It's been my pleasure and honor the past 10 years to be a member of Soroptimist International of Chico , a local chapter of this phenomenal worldwide service group. The mission statement of Soroptimist International reads: “Soroptimist is a world wide organization for women in management and professions working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women.”Our local club celebrated it's 75th anniversary several years ago by pledging $75,000 for the establishment of a Salvation Army rehab center .Our largest fundraiser, the Home, Garden & Antique Show , is scheduled for March 15 & 16, 2008, at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds here in Chico. Hope to see you there!