Time is growing very short. Any last-minute reservations for the annual “Holiday Party & Themed Gift Basket Silent Auction” should be made with Murray and Maggie Forth (mmforth51@gmail.com, 518-477-7433) by this Sunday.

The party will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 21, at their residence in East Greenbush. Attendees are asked to bring a small appetizer for six people. The Talk of the Town catering service will provide the remainder of the dinner ($25).

A reminder: The themed baskets are a major part of this social event, and all winning bids go to the club treasury to help support our many public outreach initiatives. We suggest baskets in the $15 to $45 range. And, of course, the more variety the better. Anyone needing an imagination jump start may want to revisit the suggestions we’ve posted in recent weeks on the club website. Check here, here, and here for some examples such as those below.