HomeCurrent Year Events

Current Year Events (2025-2026)

March, 4 - A Literary Luncheon

The March Luncheon found us in a new venue, the Carmel Valley Mount Carmel Catholic Church’s Meeting Hall. With amazing table centerpieces from Katia Barrett, Conne Sutherland’s organizational and decorating expertise, lovely wine and Arnold Palmers (care of Conne) and the always super Woody’s catering, the luncheon was both beautiful and delicious.

Our speaker, author Meg Waite Clayton started the event by signing purchased copies of her latest book, Typewriter Beach, helpfully supplied by Kelsey Boyle of Olivia and Daisy Bookstore. Then, following our lunch and President Brenda Davis’ announcements and exhortation to purchase Hoedown tickets, Meg talked about her writing. Always a reader, (and a writer of poetry in High School), Meg first had a career as a corporate M&A lawyer before embarking on her literary career in historical fiction. She described her process of deep research of topics with which she has become “obsessed”. She lives for a month in the book location; she studies the time period and historical figures as well as artifacts of the time. And then she uses a technique of quickly brainstorming her ideas for the books onto bits of paper and arranging them in various orders prior to create the book structure. It was a fascinating look into the mind of a writer.

Our members were very generous with their raffle ticket purchases, and we collected $435 for our Foundation. (Hurray!) Deb Langley provided a lovely spring basket for the raffle, and Katia’s centerpieces were raffled off as well. Our winners were Desi Gillingham (the basket AND a centerpiece) and Suzanne Bohan, Sandy Day, Kathleen Tarp and Sherie Dodsworth (centerpieces).

See you at the Hoedown!

February, 4 - A CV "Iconic" Luncheon

A total of 54 CVWC members and guests gathered for a luncheon at Los Laureles Lodge on Wednesday, February 4. The well-known restaurant and hotel on Carmel Valley Road has had many lives, dating back to the early 1930s, including hunting
lodge, horse ranch, stagecoach stop, and home to the Boronda family and its 15
children.
CVWC members Pinkie Terry and Les Terry were hosts for the luncheon. The Terry family has operated Los Laureles since 2000. Les shared with luncheon attendees some historical highlights, including possible sightings of ghosts, all of them friendly. She introduced Chef Orlando, who has been creating favorite Los Laureles dishes for the past eight years.
Once again Conne Sutherland worked her magic with planning and decorating, and Cynthia Rivera was responsible for organizing and coordinating the guest list and payments. Heidi Sebok sold raffle tickets for a Valentine basket, created by Deb Langley, which was won by Cheryl Sharp.
The next luncheon is March 4 at Our Lady of Mt Carmel Parish Hall and features New York Times bestselling author and Bay Area resident Meg Waite Clayton. Save the date!

January 20 2026 - Jane Austen Celebration

On January 20, 23 ladies gathered at Desiree Gillingham’s house to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birthday, which was December 16, 1775. Desiree gave a well-researched presentation on the author’s work, her family life and Regency Era society. As well, we each got an ‘of-the-period’, sealed parchment envelope which opened to reveal a 3-page summary of Jane’s books and a list of all the film adaptions ranked by the expert herself.

We welcome 2 new members who joined specifically to attend this soiree: Joan Harlem and Kay Austen, (yes, Austen!) who came with Suzanne Bohan. I’m sure we’ll see them at other CVWC events.

Jane Consani and Joan Harlem provided tea sandwiches. Desiree baked rosemary shortbread cookies. The Club provided sparkling Asti wine. Rebecca Fuller decorated the center of the table with an urn of lemons. and Conne Sutherland, of course, set the table with all the goodies, strawberries and chocolates she brought and lots of flowers. And she stayed to clean up! Thank you, ladies, for a scrumptious spread! Judy Tschirgi took the photos for this article.

January 14 2026 - Alternative Healing

Four wonderful speakers provided us with fantastic accounts of their different approaches to healing. All are related through integrated approaches to mental health, nutrition and physical health. Most of their approaches take the view that the bodies own electro-magnetic energy can be directed toward achieving a better balanced flow through the body.
Mary Saxton of Healing Partners of the Central Coast brings compassionate care through Healing Touch to cancer patients to manage challenging side effects of their treatment. They bring a heart-centered focus and intention to their practice. Mary ran an interactive session where we all attempted to detect the energy within us.
Jani Quirinale, of the Abdominal Detox Center described how her many techniques, including Qi Gong, myofascial release and abdominal message can help align bioenergy forces.
Jen De Villiers, of StudioCV described some key training principles for healthy aging and injury prevention for those after 50+. One example was a gradual approach to maintaining and building muscle through weight training that doesn't require extreme weight lifting.
Angela Graham, described how trauma (PTSD) can be treated through a whole body approach. She talke about working with First Responders through her non-profit "The S.I.R.E.N. Project". It helps First Responders deal with mental health issues through the use of mindfulness practices and entheogenic therapies (therapies with guided use of psychoactive drugs). She told us how true healing must also include proper nutrition to help the body heal from years of chronic stress, sleep deprivation and exposure to carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. These modalities have many benefits for everyone, not just First Responders.

December 2025 - Our Holiday Party Bash

Woody's was decked to the nines and so were our members who attended an amazing Holiday Luncheon. Thanks to our President Brenda, our Treasurer Sherrie Dodsworth, and two of our Vice Presidents Conne Sutherland and Heidi Sebok, we had an incredibly fun time. There were 2 raffle baskets and 2 mystery boxes to bid on. There were gorgeous seashell wreaths from Desi Gillingham to give away to lucky members. There was champagne as a gift from the Club to all our members. And last but not least there was an incredible holiday sing-a-long of 'Twelve Days of Christmas' with each table singing out on their day. (Kudos to the Three French Hens and the Two Turtle Doves tables). And as everyone lingered, new member Kathleen Tarp (a pro who sang with the Serendipity Singers) sang 'The Christmas Song' (Merry Christmas to you). Accompanied by our wonderful keyboardist, TJ, it was a lovely end to a special event.

But not only was it a fun time for members, it was a generous one as well. Members raised $730 for the Foundation through raffle ticket purchases, and $610 in donations plus 2 barrels full of goods for the Food Bank of Monterey. Thank you, Members, you are all awesome.
Happy Holidays to all and see you next year.

November 2025 - A "Joy"ceful lunch

November's luncheon at The Wine House was lovely; outdoors in sunny weather, despite the unexpected date change due to giant fallen tree the weekend before. Members enjoyed the Wine House's selection of fine wines and other drinks as they gathered and chose seats out on the large patio. Then we enjoyed a delicious buffet provided by The Wine House. Our guest speaker, Charlotte Joyce spoke on her personal history and the story behind creating The Wine House. She spoke on the joys and challenges of starting and running a successful business while raising a family. Our thanks to Heidi Sebok and Conne Sutherland for arranging this special lunch, and then hustling to reschedule it.

October 2025 - Fall Fantastic Lunch

What a lovely Fall afternoon for our October Luncheon. While the socializing proceeded, 34 attendees lined up to get plates of the always fabulous and farm fresh buffet from Earthbound Farm Stand. Our guest speaker, Teri Scarlett, spoke on her family history in the area (e.g., Scarlett Road). She also talked about how she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age, but was told at the time by a teacher she should focus on being a secretary. That galvanized her to become an advocate for women, and today as a lawyer, that's exactly what she does. Her company, Legal Services for Seniors, offers free legal services for women 60 years and older. Deb Langley's beautiful raffle basket netted $170 for the Foundation, and was won by Pinkie Terry. Following Lunch we heard a few words from Nancy Rowan, co-owner of Paradise Catering (with John Kasky). As someone who's been around Carmel Valley for 50 years, and been preparing food since she learned recipes from her Grandmother, Nancy knows how to deliver an unforgettable meal to a crowd. She talked about some of the rewards and challenges of preparing meals for large events such as weddings (who knew caterers not only catered to the eating sensitivities of vegans, those with allergies, and the gmo-averse but also "nightshades"). Nancy's short talk was delightful and she took a handful of questions, which she answered with aplomb. It was a delightful session with a Carmel Valley icon.
Kudos to Conne Sutherland and Heidi Sebok for organizing a great luncheon.

September 2025 -A "Paradisiacal" Lunch

What a turnout for our first luncheon of the '25-'26 year! We had around 60 members in attendance. We filled up the Holman Ranch Tasting room and patio, and were seated at tables with gorgeous center pieces made from plants from Mary Sutherland's yard that Conne Sutherland had arranged. Brenda kicked off the proceedings by introducing a slew of new members present for their first lunch, and advertising our October Luncheon at Earthbound Farm which is just around the corner. While the socializing proceeded, attendees lined up to get plates of a fabulous buffet prepared by Paradise Catering: two beautiful different salads and mouthwatering salmon and chimichurri sauce. Deb Langley's beautiful raffle basket netted $365 for the Foundation, and was won by Patti Burrows.

Following Lunch we heard a few words from Nancy Rowan, co-owner of Paradise Catering (with John Kasky). As someone who's been around Carmel Valley for 50 years, and been preparing food since she learned recipes from her Grandmother, Nancy knows how to deliver an unforgettable meal to a crowd. She talked about some of the rewards and challenges of preparing meals for large events such as weddings (who knew caterers not only catered to the eating sensitivities of vegans, those with allergies, and the gmo-averse but also "nightshades"). Nancy's short talk was delightful and she took a handful of questions, which she answered with aplomb. It was a delightful session with a Carmel Valley icon.
Kudos to Conne Sutherland and Heidi Sebok for organizing a great luncheon.

SEPTEMBER 2025 - Terrific Kick-off to the 2025-2026 Year

Lovely weather and and even lovelier setting at Sherie Dodsworth's Carmel Valley home made for a wonderful September Member Reception, and a great start for our new year. With appetizers galore, wine, soda and cool end-of-summer breezes, around 30 of our members enjoyed socializing and getting to know a number of newer members. We thank Sherie for her great hospitality, and Brenda, Conne and Deb for helping with set-up.

AUGUST 2025 -A Festive and Successful Fiesta

August 2-3, the CVWC and Foundation participated in the CV Kiwanis' Fiesta in the Park. We had two booths to recruit membership and to raise money for the Foundation through a continuation of our silent auction. The silent auction/membership drive was a GREAT Success. With the help of enthusiastic members (Renee Wagner, Gale Paul, Conne Sutherland, Linda Smutz, Linda Davey, Brenda Davia and Deb Langley) we were able to increase our membership by seven people over the two days. The silent auction brought in $1,265 and Deb Langley donated funds from basket sales to bring the total up to $1,500. There were a variety of items to bid on from adventures such as sailing, e-bikes, and airplane rides. Baskets ranged in themes from junior chefs, beauty bowls to chicken lover themed baskets. Mark your calendar for next year's Fiesta, always held the first weekend in August.