Yesterday’s meeting was a big success! First, we all laughed out loud (seriously LOL) hearing Verlan’s hilarious anxiety about preparing and attending Toast Masters on Tuesdays. Wednesday is a fantastic, glorious day … but Tuesdays… oh dear… well Tuesday are hard. He has such a great way turning things around and is just so dang funny!

We took a trip through history and heard about needless needles, or not. Acupuncture is quite interesting. Did you know that 6.5% of Americans have voluntarily tried acupuncture? Apparently, many sources say it is four thousand years old, but in Chinese medical textbooks from 300 BCE, there is no mention of it.  Then around 90 BCE, there is some “needling” mentioned but this was using large needles to do bloodletting (agh!) and lance boils (ouch!). In fact, the technology to make thin steel needles didn’t exist until the 1600s. There is discussion it wasn’t Chinese at all but perhaps French, or the ancient Greeks, who knows? But people do say it works. Is that the placebo effect, or does it really work? Steve recommended that we question acupuncture in the face of what seems like widespread acceptance. He said, if we are thinking about any type of alternative medicine to read some skeptical, science-based articles about it. Or perhaps you think acupuncture is a jab well done?!

Table topics was lively with lots of lively participation and usage of the word of the day: Flaming. Hilary read a poem about the color green and Timber Talkers extemporaneously spoke about being green with envy, driving a green car, spending green backs wisely, scary green monsters, green foods both healthy and moldy (oh no!), and finally being green about the gills. A good time was had by all.

Next week Dec. 15, is our Holiday Festival with a special presentation of The Polar Express, a variety of festive 2-3 minute speeches, festive finery (that means brooches and festive garb guys), hopefully some festive finger food, and lots of fun. Please join us, Tuesday @ Noon, at the Firehouse!