It is almost election time at HNN, and we have a number of openings on the Executive Board! Please consider throwing your name in the hat! We would love to have you join the executive team! Next year will be special, as hopefully, life returns to normal (fingers crossed here!), which means the likely return of our favorite  activities and the possibility to create new ones for the benefit of our amazing community.
 
We know it is very difficult to make any plans and commitments for next year. While we all hope things will get back to normal, we don’t really know when it will happen, and we don’t really know what “normal” will look like. Please don’t let those uncertainties deter you from joining the Executive Board. There is no set time requirement: you give what you can, and as a group, we work together to make things happen.
 
If you are interested in joining the Executive Board, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. We need your help to make next year a success for HNN!
 
Enjoy your day!

Katrine
Parliamentarian
Katrine Giroux   katrinegiroux@gmail.com

Please join us on Wednesday, May 19 at 7:30 pm, when we meet virtually to discuss this month’s book, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. 

Copies of the book have been ordered and are available at the Holliston Public Library.

Zoom invites will be sent by the morning of the meeting. Please RSVP to the upcoming Facebook event invite, or email either Sue or Cindy at the addresses below to let us know you’re interested.
 
From Amazon:
At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are: Shanghai girls.
 
Looking ahead to June, we’ll be reading Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.

Cindy and Sue
Book Club Co-Chairs 
Cindy Carr   carr.cynthiad@gmail.com
Sue Hatton   hncbookclub@outlook.com

Spring is here! Or at least the sun is shining for longer every day! I’ll take that!
 
Our spring activities are in full swing and with just a few adjustments, Easter Baskets were a success thanks to Tricia Benson.  Some of us enjoyed a Saturday afternoon tea tasting thanks to Jennifer Mott and Timea Kovacs, and others enjoyed all the fixings for three great meals thanks to the fundraiser organized by Jennifer Mott and Amy Forman.  And a special thanks to my co-chairs, Bo Yai and Pamela Pinter Parsons; our Prize A Day calendar raffle fundraiser is starting today!
 
Even with all the uncertainty swirling around us, HNN was still able to fulfill our civic, social, and community mission. That’s all thanks to the volunteers who organize and carry out our events as well as the members who participate. What a great organization! 
 
Hope to see you at future events!

Debbie
President
Debbie Colburn   president.hnn@gmail.com

Introducing our 2021 Sponsors!
 
Platinum             AnyFence Co.
Gold                      Harelick Dental
Silver                    Abbess Instruments & Systems, Boudreau’s Automotive
,                               Bright Jensen Sheehan Insurance and
                                Tink’s Magical Vacations with Donna
Bronze                 Archambault Construction, Blessed Beginnings Preschool and
                                John's Superior Shoe Repair

Special thanks to Quality Auto Body for their general donation to HNN.
 
Whenever possible, please frequent these businesses that are supporting the good works of HNN!

Welcoming all HNN readers to join us on Wednesday, April 21st at 7:30 pm for a “choose your own book” conversation about whatever you read for this month. We hope you will share the title, author, a brief summary, and your overall opinion of your selection. Let the group know if it is something you would recommend, or perhaps want to suggest that we add it to our 2021/2022 book club selections. This style of meeting has been popular among other book clubs, and we look forward to giving it a try for this month. We hope you will join us. A Zoom link will be emailed to all who register on the HNN Book Club Facebook page, or by emailing one of the co-chairs. See you then!
 
Looking ahead, we will resume reading shared titles, starting with Shanghai Girls by Lisa See for May, and then wrap up the year in June, with Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.

Cindy and Sue
Book Club Co-Chairs 
Cindy Carr   carr.cynthiad@gmail.com
Sue Hatton   hncbookclub@outlook.com

Hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day!  Those that attended the Ladies Escape Valentine Baking get-together made decadent brownies under the expert direction of Timea Kovacs (thanks Timea!). Chocolate, brown butter, Bailey’s Red Velvet Cream - delicious!
 
But now we look forward to spring and so much is going on! Easter Baskets with the Holliston Pantry Shelf thanks to Tricia Benson, Prize-A-Day calendar raffle planning thanks to my co-chairs Bo Yai and Pamela Pinter Parsons, and the coordination of new fundraisers making dinner a snap thanks to Jennifer Mott and Amy Forman are all in the works - read further in this newsletter for all the details!
 
Hope to see you at future events!
 
Debbie
President
Debbie Colburn   president.hnn@gmail.com

Here are our 2021 Sponsors so far (a couple more are in the works - so more are coming!)
 
Platinum - AnyFence Co.
Gold - Harelick Dental
Silver - Tink’s Magical Vacations with Donna and Bright Jensen Sheehan Insurance Agency
Bronze - Archambault Construction, Blessed Beginnings Preschool, and John's Superior Shoe Repair

Special thanks to Quality Auto Body for their general donation to HNN.

If you or someone you know would like to sponsor HNN, please email committee.newcomers@gmail.com.
The details of the sponsor benefits are on our webpage at
https://hollistonnewcomers.org/Become-a-Sponsor.

This month we will meet on Wednesday, March 17th at 7:30 pm for a light-hearted discussion of The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory.  A Zoom link will be emailed to those who register by responding on the book club Facebook page, or emailing one of the co-chairs at the addresses below.
 
Looking ahead to April, we will be trying something a little different where everyone reads a title of our individual choosing. When we gather to meet on Wednesday, April 21st at 7:30 pm, members will share the name of the book they read, provide a brief description of the book, and share their opinions. This “choose-your-own” style of sharing books is popular among some clubs and offers a great way of sampling many possible titles to build your own reading wish list.

Cindy and Sue
Book Club Co-Chairs 
Cindy Carr   carr.cynthiad@gmail.com
Sue Hatton   hncbookclub@outlook.com

Join the Ladies Escape Committee of Holliston Newcomers & Neighbors for a virtual Tea Tasting on Saturday, March 20th at 4:00 p.m. with the Nantucket Tea Company.   Nantucket Tea Company will be offering HNN a private Virtual Afternoon Tea Degustations ("Tasting") for $25.00, for everyone who would like to have a good time with friends, learn more about tea and start building new healthy habits.  The afternoon tea tasting will take roughly an hour.  We will be guided through the tea making and degustation process.  You will receive three (3) 0.5 oz. samples of high-quality, award-winning, loose-leaf teas and a short list of necessities to fully enjoy your afternoon tea.  To order, go to www.nantucket-tea.com, navigate to Catalog, then choose Afternoon Tea Degustations.  Order by March 12th to get your tea in time for the tasting. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Timea and Jennifer
Ladies' Escapes Co-Chairs
Timea Kovacs timusch@yahoo.com
Jennifer Mott hncladiesescape@gmail.com

With the holidays behind us - I hope everyone had a relaxing January. That is everyone except those who attended the Ladies' Escape Zoom Cross-Fit class thanks to Katrine Giroux, Jennifer Mott and Timea Kovaks. What a great workout! A special thanks to Firewall Fitness in Holliston for offering this class free of charge!
 
Sadly, without being able to have our regular family fundraising events last year, the HNN Grant application will not be open to the community this year. However, the funds distributed last year have been saved in reserve for the Holliston Library museum passes and the Holliston Parks and Recreation’s summer concerts so -  when appropriate - those Holliston traditions have been funded for 2021.The funds raised by the one 2020 fundraiser that was held (Prize-A-Day) will be carried into the 2021 Grant Fund.
 
Moving forward, we are excited to bring back the ‘Prize A Day for the Month of May’ calendar raffle, and a new fundraising endeavor - ‘Restaurant Days’ - is well on its way with Co-Chairs Amy Forman and Jennifer Mott. So proud of our membership adjusting to the times with creativity and action.
 
Hope to see you at future events!
 
Debbie
President
Debbie Colburn   president.hnn@gmail.com