5802 Kala Dr. • Abilene, TX 79606Phone: (325) 690-6698 • Fax: (325) 690-0388 • www.dyessfamilyhousing.com

May 2011

Quail Hollow Office StaffSandy Nichols Community DirectorKim Thornton Asst. Community Dir.Myong Lane BookkeeperStacey Sorrow Leasing Consultant

Quail Hollow Maintenance StaffBrian Humeki Maintenance DirectorStan Decker Maintenance TechnicianBrian Smith Maintenance TechnicianRoger Lusko Grounds TechnicianSandra Brown Housekeeper

Office HoursMonday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.Saturday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Office will be closed May 30 inobservance of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day RemembranceOn Memorial Day, we honor the menand women who have sacrificed theirlives for our country. We want to takethis opportunity to recognize all ourresidents and their families who areserving or have served our country.

Activities

Italian Potluck DinnerMake your favorite Italian themeddish. Dinner will be on May 21 at5:30 p.m. To ensure that we have

plenty for everyone, please R.S.V.P.your dish and number of people

attending by May 18.

Coffee and ConversationCome out and meet your neighbors

and say hi to the staff whileenjoying your morning coffee.

Come over to the office May 12 at9 a.m. See you there!

Community SaleClean out your closets and make

some money in our upcomingcommunity yard sale. We’ll take

care of the advertising; you supplythe goods. Round up your

unwanted clothes, toys, kitchenitems, etc. Call the office to reserve

your table.(325) 690-6698

Happy Mother’s Day!“A mother’s love for her child islike nothing else in the world.”—

Agatha ChristieMother’s Day is set aside to honor

and celebrate mothers,grandmothers and mothers-to-be.Shower the special women in yourlife with love, hugs and maybe a

card or a beautiful bouquet! Fromall of us in the office, we wish all

the moms who call our communityhome a very happy Mother’s Day!

Pool HoursThe swimming pool & pool area areclosed and off limits after 10 p.m.We ask that you please abide bythis policy to ensure safety. Your

cooperation is appreciated.

No Alcohol at the PoolPlease remember, no alcoholic

beverages are allowed in the poolarea. Keep safe and enjoy the sun!

May 5 Cinco de MayoMay 12 Coffee and ConversationMay 14 Community Yard SaleMay 21 Italian Potluck

WELCOME HOME TO QUAIL HOLLOW

Happy May DayMay Day, May 1, is a festive

occasion to mark the peak of spring,and many cultures celebrate withmusic and dancing. In some nations,May Day coincides with InternationalWorkers’ Day, a day similar to ourLabor Day holiday. Here’s a bouquetof facts about May Day:

Maypoles. Many historians believethe tall wooden maypole is rooted inGerman pagan traditions. The polewas thought to symbolize reverencefor sacred trees. Maypoles typicallywere trees cut from the forest andstripped of their branches. Colorfulribbons were attached to the tops, andchildren would grab the streamers anddance in a circle. The winding ofribbons around the poles was a ritualaimed to help nature regain itsbalance after a long, harsh winter.

May queens. In some Europeanvillages, a May queen was selectedfrom among the young women of thecommunity to preside over May Dayfestivities. May queens were crownedon flower-covered thrones and drawnthrough town in decorated carts.Some May queens wore white gownsto symbolize purity.

Morris dancing. Traditional MayDay celebrations in England includemorris dancing, where a dance troupesteps rhythmically and formschoreographed figures. Dancers oftencarry sticks or handkerchiefs and wearbells in a display of movementand music.

Lost in America?Europeans still celebrate May Day,

but in the United States, even thetradition of surprising neighbors with aMay basket of flowers seems to beslipping away. The early Englishsettlers frowned upon May Daycelebrations, so the holiday neverbecame as popular in the U.S. as itwas in their mother country.

Dig Into Indoor GardeningThink you need a plot of land to be

a gardener? If you have a sunny spotin your home, you can enjoy freshflowers, vegetables, fruits and herbswithout ever touching a tiller. Startplants from seeds, or purchaseseedlings from a nursery.

Flowers. Blooming blossoms needlots of light, so you may need tosupplement the sunlight with afluorescent plant light, available atnurseries. Flowers that can thriveindoors include zinnias, gerbera

daisies, hibiscuses and orchids.Vegetables. Leaf lettuces, spinach

and kale are easy to raise from seedsin a small window box. Rootvegetables such as radishes andsmall varieties of carrots and beetsare container candidates, too. Withadequate light, cherry tomatoes canyield a good harvest indoors. Select ahigh-quality potting soil, and don’t let itdry out.

Fruit. Indoor fruit trees need six toeight hours of sunlight a day. Weeklywatering should suffice, but check thesoil often to make sure it staysmoderately moist. Reliable indoor fruittrees include Meyer lemon, key limeand dwarf banana.

Herbs. These low-maintenanceplants are pretty and practical. Keep afew small pots near a kitchen window,and fresh basil, chives, rosemary,thyme and other seasonings will bejust a snip away.

How to Get Just WhatYou Ordered

A dinner out with friends could beruined by incorrect food preparation, ameal mix-up or inattentive service.Knowing how to handle stickysituations can turn a dud of a dinnerdate into a knockout night on thetown. Here’s how to get the most outof your meal:

Speak up. If the food isn’t up toyour expectations, tell your serverpolitely. Specify exactly what is wrong:It’s overcooked, it’s too salty, or it’snot what you ordered. Don’t be afraidto send your order back if itis incorrect.

Mind your manners. The server willnot be offended by your complaint aslong as you remain polite. You can beassertive without being rude.

Offer reminders. If you asked forsomething and didn’t receive it, stopyour server when you see him and

politely ask for it again. Quickly scanthe table to see if your friends needrefills, napkins or other items so youcan mention it when you have yourserver’s attention.

Even if you’re OK with eating foodthat wasn’t prepared exactly as youexpected, you should still let theserver know your order wasn’t correctso he can tell the kitchen. Restaurantsneed feedback on what they’reserving, since keeping customershappy will keep them in business. Anddon’t be shy about mentioning if yourfood or service is superb—everyoneloves a compliment.

Mystical, Magical FullMoon Names

The next time you gaze longinglyat the perfect wonder of the moon,appreciate your cosmic connection topeople of ancient cultures who didmore than stare in wonder—they gavemeaningful names to each month’sfull moon.

North American moon namescome mainly from Native AmericanAlgonquin tribes whose settlementsranged from New England to LakeSuperior. Although full moon namescan vary, here’s one version of howthe Algonquin people saw it:

January: Wolf Moon—named forhungry packs that howl at night.

February: Snow Moon—formassive winter storms.

March: Worm Moon—whenearthworms and robins reappear,heralding spring.

April: Pink Moon—for widespreadphlox flowers.

May: Flower Moon—for spring’sproliferation of blooms.

June: Strawberry Moon—for theberry’s peak season.

July: Buck Moon—when bucksthat have shed their antlers sprout softand velvety new growth.

August: Sturgeon Moon—for thelate summer abundance of this fish.

September: Harvest Moon—forstaple crops of corn, pumpkins,squash and beans.

October: Hunter’s Moon—primeseason for deer, fox and other game.

November: Beaver Moon—time toset winter traps.

December: Cold Moon—for theseason’s icy blasts.

Wheat Berry Tuna SaladIngredients:• 1 cup wheat berries• 4 cups water• 1/2 teaspoon salt• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced• 1/2 cup celery, diced• 1/2 cup cucumber, diced• 2 cans Albacore tuna packed in

water, drained• 2 eggs, hard-boiled, chopped

(optional)• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley,

coarsely chopped• 1/2 cup Italian dressing• 1/8 teaspoon salt• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground

pepperDirections:Place wheat berries, water and

1/2 teaspoon of salt in a sauce panand simmer for 60 to 90 minutes oruntil tender when you bite down onthem. Drain well and allow to cool. Ina large bowl, toss wheat berriestogether with the remainingingredients. Serve chilled.

For more recipes, visitwww.WheatFoods.org.

Wheat Berry 101Wheat berries are whole wheat

kernels with their husks removed.These whole grains have a chewytexture and nutty flavor, are rich inB vitamins and high in dietary fiber.

Wit & Wisdom

“People from a planet withoutflowers would think we must be madwith joy the whole time to have such

things about us.”—Iris Murdoch

“Flowers are restful to look at. Theyhave neither emotions nor conflicts.”

—Sigmund Freud

“If your heart is a volcano, how shallyou expect flowers to bloom?”

—Kahlil Gibran

“It’s so nice to get flowers while youcan still smell the fragrance.”

—Lena Horne

“A cynic is a man who,when he smells flowers, looks

around for a coffin.”—H.L. Mencken

“Weeds are flowers too,once you get to know them.”

—A.A. Milne

“Big doesn’t necessarily mean better.Sunflowers aren’t better than violets.”

—Edna Ferber

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”—Lady Bird Johnson

“Flowers leave some of their fragrancein the hand that bestows them.”

—Chinese proverb

“I named all my childrenafter flowers. There’s Lillie and Rose

and my son, Artificial.”—Bert Williams

“You’re only here for a short visit.Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and be sureto smell the flowers along the way.”

—Walter Hagen

May 2011Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

Day

Happy

2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12Coffee and

ConversationKala Clubhouse

9 a.m.

13

Friday the 13th

14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Italian ThemedPotluck

22 23 24 25

National MissingChildren’s Day

26 27 28

29 30

Memorial Day

Office Closed

31

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL CELEBRATING IN THE MONTH OF MAY