It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!  

Remember, December is full of special events at Camden!  

Call (408) 371-2888 to make reservations!

December 2014 Special Events at Camden

We have some great special events planned for December.  Make sure to mark your calendar and make your reservations now for the festivities!
Tues., Dec. 2, 2014:  Bingo
Fri., Dec. 12, 2014: Victorian Carolers from the Lyric Theatre
Tues., Dec. 16, 2014:  Line Dancing Performance
Thurs., Dec. 18, 2014:  Birthday Party & Bingo
Tues., Dec. 23, 2014:  Holiday Luncheon (come at 11am for hot cocoa and cookies, stay for a rib roast lunch!) 

Victorian Carolers Coming to Camden!

Get into the holiday spirit with a special entertainment at Camden!  Our luncheon on Friday, December 12, 2014 will feature carolers from San Jose's Lyric Theatre.  They will be in full Dickensian costume, and they look forward to regaling us with some of the season's merriest songs.  Make your reservations now!

Click HERE to find out more about the Lyric Theatre!

Thanksgiving Luncheon!

Our Thanksgiving Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2014.

  

Here's our Thanksgiving menu:  

Roast Turkey 

Cranberry Sauce 

Stuffing Peas & Carrots 

Spinach-Romaine-Broccoli Salad

Pumpkin Pie  

Yum!  Make your reservations now!

There's still time to reserve space at these upcoming events!

Reserve now for these upcoming special events:

Ice Cream Social:  Monday, November 17th

Birthday Party + Birthday Bingo:  Thursday, November 20th

Come to Camden's Halloween Party on October 31st!

Camden's Halloween Party is going to be so much fun!  Wear your costume (or at least some pumpkin earrings!) and join us for ice cream sundaes, plus popcorn & a Halloween movie in the MPR after lunch.

Oktoberfest 2014

Hey everyone!  Sign up now for the Camden Cafe's Octoberfest luncheon!  On Friday, October, 24, 2014, we'll be having cabbage rolls, plus other German favorites like pretzels, strudel, and (root)beer!  See you there!

What a Great Event!

The Peninsula Banjo Band put on a wonderful show today at the Camden Cafe!  They played old standards, patriotic music, and they even regaled one of our guests (who will be 95 this Saturday) with the banjo version of "Happy Birthday."  We all clapped our hands to the music, and it is no wonder that this is the most popular event of the year!

Our fantastic entertainers!

Record Attendance!
This was our biggest event ever,
with 128 guests.

California Walks!

Calling all senior walkers!  Representatives from California Walks will have an information table at our Tues., Sept. 23rd luncheon.  Come by and pick up information about pedestrian safety and the Senior Speed Zone Campaign!

September is Super at Camden!

This September, we have plenty of special events at the Camden Cafe!

Bingo?  We've got 3 bingo days!

Ice Cream Social?  Coming up next week!

Birthday Party?  Have your cake and eat it too!

Entertainment?  The Peninsula Banjo Band will be performing towards the end of the month.

Call (408) 371-2888 for more information, or to make reservations!

Goodbye to one of our volunteers!

Elder Jackson, Elder Lindsay,
Sister Stevenson, & Sister Powell.

Every Friday, our volunteer group includes some great missionaries from the LDS Church.  They are wonderful young people, so it is always bittersweet when one of them finishes their mission and goes back home. 

  

Elder Lindsay showing off his Friday treat and
some free sundae coupons from Ghirardelli!

Elder Lindsay will be completing his mission in the next couple days, so this was his last day volunteering at Camden.  Goodbye and good luck, Elder Lindsay!

Alternate Entree Spotlight: Greek Chicken Salad

Here's a snapshot of one of our featured alternate entrees this week:  the Greek Chicken Salad.  This delicious salad includes tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, grilled chicken, feta cheese, and black olives.  Try it!

The Peninsula Banjo Band to Perform at Camden!

Mark your calendars, everyone!  We have finalized a date for this year's Peninsula Banjo Band performance.

On Thursday, September 25, 2014, the Band will be here at the Camden Senior Nutrition Program to delight everyone with another hand-clapping, toe-tapping, lunchtime performance.  This is a popular event, so make your reservations early!

July 2014 Ice Cream Social

Hey everyone! Don't forget to make your reservations for our ice cream social on Friday, June 25!

Vintage Wedding Dress on Exhibit at the Camden Cafe

An amazing thing happened a few weeks ago.  Just before lunch, a gentleman came into our kitchen with a box, containing his wife's wedding dress.   He was hoping that we could find a petite person who loved the vintage look of the dress and might want to wear it again.

The Handmade Crown & Veil

Jane Murphy's dress will be on display at the Camden Cafe luncheons for the next two weeks.  It is complete with the original dress, the original hoop skirt, the crown & veil.  As part of the exhibit, we have some vintage cookbooks that were sent to the new bride.

Here are some more photos of the dress.  If you would like to come see it in person, it will be on view between 11am and 12:45pm Monday through Friday until June 27, 2014.  Please make advance reservations if you wish to eat lunch in addition to viewing the exhibit.  Call (408) 371-2888 by noon on Friday for Monday reservations, or call by noon a day in advance for Tuesday through Friday reservations.  There is no charge to view the dress, but there is a $6 fee for any non-seniors who wish to eat lunch in addition to viewing the exhibit. 

Each sleeve has a beautiful row of lace-covered buttons.

While the lace is somewhat discolored,
the sparkles are as bright as they were 56 years ago.

For nearly 6 decades, this simple box
was the home of the dress now on display.

The original hoop skirt is still in remarkably good condition.

The person who sent Jane this "Learn to Bake" cookbook
wrote "You'll Love It!" on the cover.

If you, or someone you know might be interested in wearing or exhibiting Jane Murphy's dress, please attend the exhibit at the Camden Cafe, or call (408) 371-2888 to make a viewing appointment during non-lunch hours.

Complimentary Coffee & Tea Everyday!

The Camden Cafe features complimentary coffee & tea everyday!  Come and enjoy a relaxing cup with your neighbors, and stay for lunch!

Strawberry & Custard Tarts!

Today we had these delicious strawberry and custard tarts for lunch.  What a great Friday treat!

Friends Reunited

Jack and Morris grew up in New York, and they met in junior high and became great friends.  Here's a picture of the two of them at a birthday party in 1949, about a year before Jack went off to the Korean War.  Not long after that, they lost touch, and they didn't see each other again until recently, when they met each other by surprise at our Camden Cafe.  They had each been living in San Jose for decades, never knowing the other was here too!  I took a new picture of them today -- friends reunited. 

What a Great Fish Dish!

Here's what we served today at the Camden Cafe:  nice, flaky fish, topped with paprika and other seasonings, brown rice with mushrooms, an Asian vegetable medley, plus coleslaw and pineapple tidbits.  Yum!

Happy 40th Anniversary Senior Nutrition Program!

Today, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Senior Nutrition Program in Santa Clara County.  Here are some pictures of the commemorative mug and sweet treats that we had for our guests.

Master Gardener Comes to Camden!

On Wednesday, May 21st, Master Gardener Lisa Strand will be at Camden for a lunchtime garden talk.  She will discuss the care and feeding of popular vegetable plants, in the context of overall water usage during times of drought.  Come with some gardening questions to ask Lisa!  

Are you interested in more garden talks, or would you like to train as a master gardener?  Visit the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County website!

May 2014 Special Events

Today we had a fun with bingo, and there is still another bingo day this month (Thursday, May 15th).

Our May Birthday Party will be on Thursday, May 22nd and, our Ice Cream Social will be on Wednesday, May 28th.  Make your reservations now!

Alternate Entree Spotlight: Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

Oh my goodness!  The Chinese Chicken Salad was back on the menu this week, and it sure was popular!  Many of our guests enjoyed this delicious salad, which comes with lettuce greens and spinach leaves, mandarin oranges, crispy chinese noodles, sliced almonds, shredded carrot, grilled chicken, and Pan Asian Sesame dressing.

Alternate Entree Spotlight: Cranberry Chicken Salad

Cranberry Chicken Salad

We always have a variety of salads and sandwiches available for pre-order.  This week one of our alternate entree options was the Cranberry Chicken Salad.  All salads come with salad dressing, a packet of crackers, orange juice, milk, as well as bread & margarine.

Rebuilding Together Presentation

Andrea Celico from
Rebuilding Together

Andrea Celico did a great lunchtime presentation today about the home repair and safety improvements that Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley offers at no cost to seniors who fall within a certain income range.  Thanks for your presentation, Andrea!

New Folks, New Friends!

 
In the last few weeks, we've added many new guests, and some new volunteers here at the Camden Cafe.  Welcome to all our new friends!  Our community is all the stronger because you are a part of it!