Ranches Ladies Newsletter
Good morning Ranches Ladies!
A Month That Will Be Remembered
This month’s newsletter is in many ways hoping to reflect the feelings and emotions that many Ranches Ladies may probably be experiencing.
The headlines were to be about St Patrick’s Day, Eid Al Fitr and Mother’s Day as major celebrations for our community in Dubai. Celebrations that would have focussed on culture, heritage and pride in terms of the global phenomenon that St Patrick’s Day brings to the Irish and others. While Eid Al Fitr ushers in the qualities of gratitude and appreciation of blessings after a month of discipline and fasting which underpin this important occasion. At the same time Mother’s Day is for those mothers who are able to reunite and celebrate their moment with their families. It is a day of joy and memories being made with loved ones or for some a remembrance of them.
Notably other major events also happen in March. International Women’s Day, the Cherry Blossom Festival, Harmony Week, International Francophone Day to mention just a few.
Of course, given the circumstances we find ourselves in right now many familiar touchstones are no longer in the context we are accustomed to. Finding a compass point to navigate a way through is very much a personal matter and is viewed from a variety of perspectives. So for all our Ranches Ladies members who are reading our newsletter thank you.
Written by Beverly Sanders.
Ranches Ladies Community Events
Cultural Trip to Al Shindagha Museum
Another super trip, thank you Nicki. The location is great, right next to the Creek and the Gubaiba Metro Station. Taxi drop off is allowed and paid parking is nearby.
The museum comprises of renovated dwellings housing a range of exhibitions and we visited three areas. The first concerned Dubai’s commercial development, from the days of pearl diving, through the spice and silk trades and up to modern development, shown with film and interactive displays.
Next, we headed to the archaeology building which houses recent discoveries at Saruk Al-Hadid with evidence of Stone Age settlement. Flint and stone tools are on display, as are Iron and Bronze Age items and gold. Work is ongoing and more information will follow about this previously unknown history of Dubai.
The last location we visited was the Perfume House. The history and importance of scent in Emirati life was beautifully demonstrated by our guide and surprisingly we all managed to resist the gift shop! We agreed that we would very much like to return, certainly with those visiting Dubai.
There was so much more that we could have visited, but hunger called, so we enjoyed a lovely lunch in the beautiful, peaceful Arabian Fish House. They offer light salads, snacks and drinks through to full meals with fish being chosen from the displays as you enter the building. Needs a return visit too!
Upcoming Ranches Ladies Community Events
As always, we have some superb events coming up for our members to enjoy.
Coffee Mornings
We’ve enjoyed some lovely coffee mornings throughout February and once again, we have more new ladies becoming members of the wonderful community that is Ranches Ladies.
Ladies, please don’t forget to collect your commemorative gift.
Circles Activities
The Circles have been busy, busy, busy! We have been fortunate to experience a raft of activities throughout our various Ranches Ladies Circles. Take a look at some of the events enjoyed by our members in February.
The Book Circle
This month, our book circle meeting was hosted by Grace and Somia at their lovely secondhand book shop, Bookends. The story of how they set up their business, the challenges and successes resonated with the book we had read making it a very interesting discussion. Many thanks to Grace and Somia for their hospitality and for sharing their journey with us.
Due to the Eid holiday, our next meeting is postponed to 27th March when we will be discussing Three Women by Lisa Taddeo.
For more information about Bookends, please visit their website www.bookends.ae or find them on Instagram @bookendsae
The Wellbeing Circle
Last Thursday’s Circle explored the deeper layers of communication. It was a rich and meaningful session, creating space for awareness, reflection, and honest sharing. As communication is not just about words, it begins with awareness and emotional safety.
Our next Circle will continue this journey, Staying Grounded in a Difficult Conversation. Learning how to remain calm, centred, and connected to ourselves, even when conversations feel challenging.
The Leather Circle
The Leather Circle met for the first time and made keyrings.
The Quilting Circle
The Quilting Circle had a fun morning showcasing their beautiful handiwork. One was themed for Valentines while a couple of others were gifts for grandchildren. We have been making great progress on our Block-of-the-Month project.
The Art Circle
Ladies in the Art Circle are working on varied themes making some beautiful paintings. After several months of hard work, Carole completed her masterpiece A Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Klimt.
The Mosaic Circle
A lovely morning with mosaics in the garden.
The International Food Circle
The International Food Circle held its first Russian Lunch in February at the home of Inna Kirillova. Inna cooked a wonderful lunch for fourteen ladies by herself and showed us a great deal of her culture.
First, she offered us bread dipped in salt as a welcome dish. This was followed by a beef and vegetable soup with herbs. The next dish was so colourful, a beetroot and herring salad. The main course was dumplings with various fillings and served with several dips as well as filled rolls and salad.
Inna entertained us with a YouTube presentation showing Russian scenery, singing and even dancing which we all had a go at. The tasty herbal tea was served with frozen berries dipped in honey and there were three other desserts.
Inna wore a beautiful traditional black dress with flowers and a red headdress. All the ladies wore a Russian style shawl. It was a great cultural occasion enjoyed by all. Thank you, Inna, for a fantastic afternoon out.
The Poetry Circle
The Story Telling Circle
This month’s theme for the Story Telling Circle was to bring a vintage family photo and talk about it. Unusually most of the stories were from the 1950s. Soraya told us about her mother-in-law, a very sweet lady. Carole described being a maid of honour at a Penicuik gala day in 1957. Aditi spoke about a special time spent with her grandmother in her old age and Inna spoke about her mother as a child and the naughty things she did. Lynne couldn’t come but she sent us a photo of her great grandfather a Northumberland hill farmer and finally Nancy showed us a photo of her and her husband shortly after their marriage. She was a real stunner. Altogether it was a very interesting afternoon.
The Aquafit/Circuit Circle
The AquaFit / Circuit ladies are smashing their workouts! Getting fit with friends is more fun. Garden Circuit is on a Wednesday and Friday morning at 08:45 until the end of March and then we will move back into the pool when the weather warms up.
The Decoupage Circle
Decoupage Circle is having fun and busy making exciting Ramadan decorations.
Do you have anything you would like to share?
This is your newsletter, and we need your contributions! What can you share? Something from your Ranches Ladies Circles Activities which are connected to the interests of the other ladies in the Circle. Please send short articles (as a guide 200 max), with photos, if possible, to ranches.ladies@gmail.com or the RL Web Updates Group.
Our newsletter is now a monthly publication, on the second Monday of each month. Please can all articles be submitted within 5 days of your event. In the instance that your event occurs at the end of the month, please can your article be submitted 7 days before our publication date to ensure it is included. Articles not received in time may be held over to the following month. Thank you for your understanding!
RL Circles Calendar
For more information on February’s Circles activities, please refer to the individual Circle WhatsApp groups.
Email circles.ranches.ladies@gmail.com if you would like to join any circle. If you are a member but not yet on the members only Ranches Ladies Whatsapp group please email ranches.ladies@gmail.com. Enquiries will be responded to within one working day.
Check out our website at http://www.arabianranchesladies.com and you can find us on FB and Instagram as Ranches Ladies
Your Suggestions Matter
Do you have any ideas for Ranches Ladies activities and are you willing to get involved?
Would you like you start a new circle? Or would you just like to give some feedback?
We would love to hear from you!
Contact us on ranches.ladies@gmail.com or circles.ranches.ladies@gmail.com. Circles enquiries will be responded to within one working day.
Discounts
We are pleased to welcome Sisi’s Eatery to Arabian Ranches 1. A charming new café inspired by Viennese elegance, offering comforting dishes, specialty coffees, and beautiful cakes in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Sisi’s Eatery team is happy to collaborate with the Ranches Ladies and is offering Ranches Ladies Members an exclusive 20% discount, the perfect reason to discover this lovely new neighbourhood spot.
Your RL membership card is your passport to great discounts from our dozens of discount partners. Check the discounts section on the website for a full list (use the drop down category list), including recently added new discounts.
Present your membership card to avail the discount. For any discount related enquiries or suggestions please email discounts.rl@gmail.com
For any enquiries or suggestions please email ranches.ladies@gmail.com
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