Crystal Ladies founder Elaine Tull (seated) and President Joyce Spartonos
Jo Schenk
On Monday, February 9 the Oakwood Crystal Ladies Club of East Crystal Drive chose their monthly coffee morning to surprise their founder, Elaine Tull, by crowning her the Queen of East Crystal Drive. Gathered at the home of Joyce Bachman 13 years after the very first coffee meeting were 24 ladies bidding Elaine a fond farewell. Current President Joyce Spartonos presented her with a crystal slipper in a sly poke at her fondness for shoes.
Transplanted from Connecticut to Arizona, Elaine began the club by slipping flyers under the doors of homes up and down the street inviting her neighbors for coffee. From that tiny spark of friendship an inclusive, close-knit community has grown to include a yearly progressive dinner, semi-annual neighborhood cocktail gatherings at Poolside, Thanksgiving dinners for snowbirds at Cottonwood, monthly Pasta Night dinners in the Oakwood Dining room, a book club, a Chick Flickers Movie Club and more.
Known by everyone on the street for her exceptional talent at gathering folks together and helping everyone to make friends in their new home, Elaine and her husband Allan will be very much missed. Off to Texas soon, all their East Crystal Drive friends know that they will be creating many new circles of friendship.