Page 19 - JAN 2020 proof 1 The Castle Pines Connection

Celebrating 10 years of ornaments and friendship
By Lisa Nicklanovich; photo courtesy of Brooke Duran
Ten years ago, Rina (pictured center) and Xavier (Santa) Castanon moved to the Forest Park neighborhood from California. The day after they moved in, the Castanons had holiday lights up on their house and Rina decided to continue a tradition from California, a simple ornament exchange with friends. Rina invited her new neighbors and a Colorado tradition was born. This year, some of the original neighbors attended the annual ornament exchange and luncheon on December 13, even though some have since moved to other neighboring towns. The new neighbors who have moved in were also welcomed with open arms. Ornaments were exchanged, but friendship, kindness and connection are the real reason for the gathering.
Photos by Nancy Koontz
Dear Readers,
Please allow me to introduce
myself and this new column. I’m Tammy Abramovitz, a 20-year resident of Castle Pines and a facilitator of modern manners. After being named one of the top 100 Best Party Hosts of 2018 by The Salonniere, a website dedicated
to the art of entertaining, I found myself with a platform around reviving the ancient art of kindness through modern manners.
I am thrilled to answer your questions and create a dialogue around your concerns Dear Reader! We’ll talk about what it takes to host a party, be a guest at a party, how to dress for a party, how to read an invitation properly and everything in between.
You will find no judgment here Dear Reader, this will not be a “prescription for properness”
just a guide for doing things thoughtfully. Even Emily Post who penned the first book on Etiquette in 1922 wrote, “Good taste or bad is revealed in everything we do
or have. Our speech, manners, dress and household goods, even our friends are evidences of the propriety of our taste. Rules of etiquette are nothing more than sign-posts by which we are guided to the goal of good taste.”
And if the rules of etiquette are the signposts, then manners must surely be the rules of the road. Etiquette remains constant, but manners are ever shifting. I look forward to learning together and maybe we’ll both discover something along the way.
Big Love, Mrs. Abramovitz
Please send your questions and topic ideas to ModernManners@ castlepinesconnection.com
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