Good Eats are in Store for the Club

Many residents who drive up and down La Crescenta Avenue see the club's headquarters and wonder what the rustic, old wooden structure looks like inside. In September, the club is hosting an ice cream social, an open house for women who might be interested in learning more about the three sections of the organization: generals, evening section and juniors. This is a great opportunity to get a peek inside the surprisingly spacious, pretty clubhouse and to meet some dynamic women. For an invite to the event, call Carol Benedetti at 248-6624.

For the 2005-2006 club year, Rita selected a theme: "Reaching Out to Touch the Hearts of Others." It should be an exciting year. "We're celebrating our 95th birthday in 2006," she said.

Rita represented the club at the tri-city Chamber of Commerce mixer at the La Cañada Valley Sun offices last week to network with the community. Rita's especially proud of the fund-raising efforts of her group. "We're a small club with a big heart. With only 50 members, we raised over $9,000 for scholarships and philanthropy last year," Rita declared.

Rita and Bill indulge their love of travel with trips to visit relatives near Peoria, Ill., where they both grew up. Yosemite is also a favorite destination for the Evens. Rita's poem, "Yosemite" won first place at a fine arts festival. I admired the imagery she used to describe Yosemite. In one stanza, Rita imagined God with a paintbox, selecting different hues of blue to color Yosemite's lakes and rivers.

An avid reader of mystery novels, Rita is currently enjoying the adventures of Jane Maguire, adopted daughter of forensic sculptor Eve Duncan, in "Countdown" by Iris Johansen. Along with Johansen, Rita lists James Patterson and John Sandford as her favorite authors.

Bill and Rita plan to remodel their kitchen soon. When I asked about cooking, Rita responded, "I am a fairly good cook. I didn't learn how to cook until my first year of marriage, and learned mostly by my mistakes. That first year was a roller coaster."

Rita and Bill eat mostly Midwestern-style dishes. "My husband likes my beef pot roast with potatoes and carrots. I make a good gravy for it. Bill's second favorite is Swiss steak," she said.