Club Update

Spring Break 2020.  Original plan was to go to our place in Cabo San Lucas, soak up some sunshine, drink good tequila, and meet with the Rotary Club in Los Barriles to visit the mountain villages where our Club provided much needed water filtration systems this year.  That plan was nixed with CV/travel threat.  Plan B was to road trip to South Lake Tahoe and maybe get some Spring skiing in.  Those vacation extremes work for my little family of 3.  Plan B was also nixed due to CV/social distancing/restaurant closures.  Plan C (currently in effect) is a staycation at Casa Corradetti.  It is always special to spend time with our daughter during her college breaks.

To welcome her home, we had our favorite celebratory meal – Bagna Cauda.  Bagna Cauda originated in Piedmont, Italy and can be considered an example of how and why – in times long past – regional dishes were born from real life.  It is said that wine farmers of the late Middle Ages wanted a special dish to celebrate the most important of all harvests, that of grapes. Bagna Cauda (which means “hot dip” in Piedmontese) was a dish created by farmers by marrying locally sourced produce into a delicious union.

Bagna Cauda was introduced to me personally when I began dating my now husband, Drew.  With him being half Italian, his family embraced this meal and had it (with a house full of friends) any time there was a reason to celebrate!  I fell in love at first bite!

With wine being a passion of mine (and having winery owners and winemakers as friends), we were asked by a winery in the Sierra Foothills to prepare Bagna Cauda for their Summer wine release event.  This meant food for 400 people!  We accepted the challenge and participated in this for several years!  We were paid handsomely in wine!!!

In moving to the Rogue Valley, we have auctioned this celebratory evening of Bagna at our home at The Oregon Wine Experience.  It is fun to introduce people to our traditions!  I will be offering an evening of Bagna Cauda for a party of 8 at our Rotary Club’s Parks Uncorked Event.  It will be a perfect evening to look forward to!  Saluti!  Michelle Corradetti

Please put me down for a donation to the MRF for tomorrow’s non-meeting of our Rotary Club.

Also, I encourage those in our club who are in a position to do so to buy gift certificates from local restaurants and stores affected by the business curtailments related to the corona virus.  Then double down on the good deed by donating the gift certificates as auction items for the Parks Uncorked fundraiser.

Give a shout-out to Harbor Freight Tools as well – they announced that they are donating all their supply of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) to hospitals with 24 hour emergency rooms.   The announcement as posted on its Facebook page is copied below.

Raul

Hi Michelle – I appreciate the thought and time you have taken to communicate with us.  These are certainly strange times and with so much uncertainty in our daily lives, it is important to stay connected to friends and colleagues.  Thanks.

Dear Rotarian,
 

Humans are social creatures. We have evolved from couples, to clans to larger communities. Social interaction forms the basis of our families, our governments, and even our global economy. Social interaction even plays a major part in our mental health. For most, experiencing social distancing, being quarantined, or isolated, is just not in our nature. I thought this an opportune time to share the vernacular being used today and a bit of its history.

According to the CDC, social distancing involves remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance from others when possible. Some health professionals are increasingly encouraging the term physical distancing as a clearer alternative to social distancing as it underscores the importance of keeping physical distance between people to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The term additionally makes clear that people should still spend time with friends and family using digital technology and social media when they are physically separated.

People are put in quarantine when they are not currently sick but have been or may have been exposed to a communicable disease. Quartantine comes from the Italian word quarantina, a period of 40 days which even has Latin roots from the word quadraginta, also meaning “forty.” Historically, a quarantine referred to a period – originally of 40 days – imposed upon ships when suspected of carrying an infectious or contagious disease. This practice was done in Venice in the 1300’s in an effort to stave off the Black Plague.

Isolation is when someone or something is set apart from other persons or things. In a medical sense, isolation happens when a person is infected with a communicable disease and is separated from people who are healthy. First recorded around 1825-35, isolation comes from the same root as insulation: the Latin insulatus, “made into an island,” based on insula, “island.”. During these times, it is important to engage in activities that make you happy – read a good book, garden, binge watch your favorite shows, play an instrument, or just listen to your favorite music, and keep in contact with each other.

Solitude and Rotary are at opposite ends of the spectrum. This is a time for us to think outside of the box.  In addition to compiling your anecdotes in a weekly format, I will be thinking of ideas, sharing ideas from other Clubs with our Board, to continue to connect with each and every one of you during this period of physical distancing.

We will get through this together! Be well!

Yours in Rotary Service,

Michelle Corradetti, President

Thank you President Michelle. Things are quiet and “contained “ here at the Manor with no activities, group meals or non-essential visitors. Fortunately, the weather has been good and many of us are enjoying afternoon walks. I take music along and have rediscovered Broadway showtimes I can sing along with. Our children are fine for now but live in Seattle, NYC and LA so we are always thinking of them. My city volunteer work is suspended for now but I am staying current on the state’s response to the virus and sharing observations and help whenever anybody needs it. I miss Rotary fellowship and will be happy whenever it returns in whatever form. Sally and I enjoyed our last trip to Las Vegas March 5-8 to see the Pac 12 Women’s BB tournament so there’s a fine to be paid. I am still mentoring a NMHS student by text. Spring means hope. Be safe and well,

Don’t really have anything of noteworthy repeating – have just been in a royal battle with Allergy generators. Am just impressed with your perpetual “can do” attitude. Club is fortunate to have you as the leader!

Here you go.

Marti has found mullein in our yard. In case you don’t know, the leaves were used before folks had Sears catalogs, so we don’t have to worry about running out of toilet paper. Only problem – we will need to be outside while using since the leaves might not flush. Please close your eyes while driving by our house.

Our normal schedule use to be – I fix mush for breakfast, we walk downtown for lunch and -since Marti usually skips dinner, I fix my own. Now we fight over who gets to fix lunch.

Gary Pellet called from his new home in Gig Harbor. They finished building a new green house and have seeds planted for a garden. His new club has a 125 member ceiling which meant that Chris had to wait several months before she could join. Their annual dinner auction that brings in $130k a year had to be cancelled.

I went to Home Depot today – it seemed very normal, maybe folks have time for their honey do lists. Cough cough….

Chuck