Florida Estos

Dear Members and Friends of the Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts!

Please plan to join us as we gather for our traditional and popular Estonian Soup and Sandwich Luncheon!

Sunday, January 19, 2025

12:00-4:00 pm

Volunteers are welcome to arrive at 11:00 am to help us set up and to remain after 4:00 to help us clean up!

WE ARE RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY CLUB HOUSE AND RECREATIONAL CENTER AT THE WINTER HOME OF INNE AND HEIKKI JOONSAR. We have celebrated our soup-and-sandwich luncheon and other events there in the past.

TAMARAC BY-THE-GULF, INC.
9099 141st St.
Seminole. FL 33776

Tamarac By-the-Gulf is a community of 380 individual homes all painted white with white tile roofs. The best way to enter is at the TRAFFIC LIGHT on 86th Ave. N. and Oakhurst Rd. (137th St.) where there is NO sign. Then turn right onto 140th Way. Continue until you make a slight left onto 141st St. where parking and the club house are visible. Parking is available on both sides of the club house. The entrance at the TAMARAC sign off Oakhurst & 94th Place can be easily missed because it is hidden by a curve. A GPS can usually get you there.

This location is 5 minutes from the beaches if one continues west on Park Blvd. (694). Some of you may want to continue to the beaches to finish the afternoon and enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Please plan to bring a contribution to the potluck luncheon table, e.g., salads, sandwiches, side dishes, soup, and desserts. Traditional Estonian dishes are encouraged! If you are bringing a hot dish, please plan to bring it in your own crock pot or other warming appliance. The kitchen may be available for keeping dishes warm, but no cooking is permitted. Please bring your own beverages. Please note: This clubhouse, as a rental, does not permit alcoholic beverages to be served. Soft drinks, coffee and water will be provided.

Cost  is $10.00  per person, children are free. You can pay (1) with cash or check at the door, (2) via ZELLE  (KFES1918@yahoo.com) to the KFES bank account, or (3) check made out to KFES and mailed to Heikki Joonsar, 14932 89th AVE Seminole, FL. 33776. 

By Monday, January 13, 2025, to help us plan for the right number of people, please send an email to KFES Treasurer Heikki Joonsar and let him know who is coming with you (please include children’s names and ages too) and what you will be contributing to the potluck luncheon just in case we need to make some adjustments in the menu. Please email Heikki at kfes1918@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Inne and Heikki Joonsar

PS PLEASE SAVE THIS DATE: The Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts is planning to celebrate the 107th Anniversary of Estonian Independence/EVA 107 on Sunday, February 16, 2025, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Feather Sound Country Club, 2201 Feather Sound Drive, Clearwater, FL 33762. Information about the cost and making reservations will be sent in the new year; advance reservations will be required so meal orders may be placed with Feather Sound Country Club prior to the event. Volunteers are welcome to assist with set-up starting at 11:00 am. More information is forthcoming in the new year. Please stay tuned to email, this website, and our Facebook page.

Information about KFES events and photos may be found on this website, floridaestos.blog, and our Facebook page, Kesk Florida Eestlased https://facebook.com/groups/2497393393890607/ . To enhance security features for our Facebook account members, Kesk Florida Eestlased is a private account that asks you to click on a link to join. The account is managed by KFES member Birgit DeLaidatti, and she will respond to requests from prospective followers. Thank you, Birgit, for this wonderful service to Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts members! To join our email list, please send an email to Heikki Joonsar, KFES Treasurer and Acting President, at kfes1918@yahoo.com.

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Note: Groups of multiple photos below the opening group shot in this report are arranged in galleries. In the first gallery of photos, double click on the first photo to launch the carousel of photos. Starting with the second gallery of photos, please double click on the last photo to open the gallery in each section so you may scroll through the photos in groups.

Häid pühi! Season’s greetings! What another glorious blue sky sunny day–Sunday, December 15, 2024–for the annual jõulupidu (Christmas party) of the Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES) (Estonian Society of Central Florida) at the clubhouse in Birgit and Vincent DeLaidatti’s residential community in Largo, Florida! Sixty (60!) members and friends (including 8 children) gathered for our traditional Estonian Christmas meal, engaging conversation, the singing of holiday carols, and an early visit by jõuluvana just for our good girls and boys! Of course, all of our girls and boys were good this year!

Our KFES vice president, Inne Joonsar, welcomed friends and guests as they arrived. We especially were delighted to welcome first-timers to this event too: Diana Davi and her daughter Gabriella; Ted Erne and Helen, who currently are living in our area as they restore their sailboat Liberty; Kelly Myers, her daughters Jenelle and Kayla, and their friend Katlin Raidvee; Märten Vaikmaa’s friends Jaak Lugus and Tanel Lindmets; and Milja Webber. Though Helve Silah is a familiar friend, her 2-year-old son Justin attended his first KFES jõulupidu this year too!

Heikki Joonsar, who is our treasurer and acting president, and Moonika Mägi, our past president, welcomed us with opening remarks. In Estonian Christmas tradition, Moonika recited a poem. Vincent DeLaidatti blessed our meal and our gathering. Heikki thanked our primary verivorsti makers, Kaie Põhi Latterner and Virve-Kai Bulla. Additional vorstid came from a second kitchen too–the home of Triin Karr–where Moonika Mägi, Marju Dishmey and others made their vorstid too ahead of the holidays. Thank you to you too! Everyone jumped in to help today, from setup to meal prep to clean-up, and we were thrilled that our newcomer Helen contributed a large pot of homemade hapukapsad (sauerkraut) too! As we do each December, we paused a moment to sing the Estonian version of “happy birthday” (Ta elagu!) to Heikki Joonsar as we clinked our glasses together in fine Estonian tradition.

Estonians love their traditional jõuluõhtusöök (Christmas dinner) and today’s menu exceeded everyone’s expectations. While our roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy were catered as in the past, everything else today was homemade. Our side dishes included cranberry sauce, hapukapsad, rosolje, potato salad, herring salad, fresh beet and spinach salad, and other delights too numerous to mention. The centerpiece of the meal was the deliciously seasoned verivorst–mostly provided by the loving hands of Kaie Põhi Latterner and Virve-Kai Bulla. Desserts included three kinds of kringel, piparkoogid, traditional Florida key lime pie, and so many additional sweet selections. Yum!

After lunch, Kaie Põhi Latterner, our Estonian Honorary Consul and KFES musical director, led us in song. When we weren’t singing, we were fully engaged in conversation. It was grand to be together again!

We hope you enjoy these additional photos from our gathering. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year! Please stay tuned to your email, this website, and our Facebook account for information about upcoming events. See the paragraph below for ways to stay in touch.

Information about KFES events and photos may be found on this website, floridaestos.blog, and our Facebook page, Kesk Florida Eestlased https://facebook.com/groups/2497393393890607/ . To enhance security features for our Facebook account members, Kesk Florida Eestlased is a private account that asks you to click on a link to join. The account is managed by KFES member Birgit DeLaidatti, and she will respond to requests from prospective followers. Thank you, Birgit, for this wonderful service to Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts members! To join our email list, please send an email to Heikki Joonsar, KFES Treasurer and Acting President, at kfes1918@yahoo.com.

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