Sunday morning brought ice, sleet, and freezing rain. Still, people came to downtown Omena by car (sideways), snowmobiles and snowshoes. Ralph Kalchik carefully walked down the Tatch Road hill - hopefully, he made it back up.

The community was saddened by the death of Omena native and long-time resident Barbara Foltz Schneidewind. Barbara was a talented writer of poetry and children’s books. Our sympathies go to her daughters, Lynn and Nancy, and to her caregiver of several years, Paula Fabiano. Many area residents attended the funeral on Saturday, including Jim and Bonnie Scarlett, who came from Grand Rapids.

Eighteen people attended last week’s potluck. Hosts for the event were Chuck and Janet Dickerson. Their daughter, Rachel North, and granddaughter, Maddy, were guests that evening. A good time was had by all.

Dave and Judy Pohlod, John and Judy Smart, and Ron and Mary Tonneberger are all back from "Omena South of the Border" – aka, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Pohlods saw the Tonnebergers the first week they were there, and the Smarts the next week. The Tonnebergers spent a second week in Acapulco, where the weather was even 10 degrees warmer. The Smarts celebrated Judy’s birthday in grand fashion, including flowers, spa and dinner, compliments of their children.

Tom and Marsha Buehler spent a week in San Francisco, visiting their daughters Jen and Cammie. They also made plenty of culinary visits, including Greystone, Scharffen Berger Chocolate, and the highlight of the trip, Napa’s Copia Center culinary gardens. They returned with lots of seeds and new ideas for herbs and edible flowers for their Cherry Basket Farm.

Guests of Walter and Beverly Gaudette this week are their daughter, Jeanette Maylen, from Birmingham and their granddaughter, Libby, and her friend, Andrea, and their grandson, Trevor, and his girlfriend, Katie. Trevor and Katie left Sunday to return to Michigan State.

About a dozen people from the Omena area went to the live broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at the State Theatre Saturday night.

Seventeen women from Leelanau County’s "The Last Girl’s Book Club" attended a two-night "slumber party" at Staffords in Petoskey last week. Omena-ites Joan Blount, Joey Bensley and Judy Balas were among the group. They watched the primary results, played Mahjongg, snowshoed, shopped and had a great time. They also had a discussion of Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Omena-ites Mary Tonneberger, Mary Smith, and Annette and Gil Deibel attended the annual Share Care luncheon.

This week’s birthdays are Annette Deibel and Janet Dickerson. Happy anniversary to Robert and Diane Joyce.

February is more than half over, and the bay is not frozen. Can spring be far away?

By Leslie Disch
Phone/fax: 386-5686
email: phen.omena.2@gmail.com