All the HGC members that helped decorate the gazebo at Cate Square Park including Chopper the black dog that helps every year! Seated from left: Jennifer Allen, Marta Lichtl, Karen Nelson, Deborah Garafola, Phyllis
diBenedetto, Linda Ryan, Lee Collins and Sylvia Dileo with Chopper. Back row: Brenda Daussat, Phyllis Mire, Linda Broussard, Johanna Dagro, Clara Houston, Mona Crapanzano and Karen Granier.
Christmas Party Dec. 11, 2019
Well dear friends it’s almost the close of another year! Christmas is almost upon us and we’re looking back at all the accomplishments of this past year…..but I’m getting ahead of myself…..I need to tell you about this month first.
We have been so busy with community projects and we hope it is all for your benefit or I should say for the benefit of the entire community. First I would be derelict in my duty of being a good reporter if I didn’t say how beautiful the whole downtown of Hammond looked all dressed up for the Christmas holidays! Don’t you just love all the bright lights leading us to the middle of town and all down Railroad Avenue! I have to sing the “Twelve Days Of Christmas” every time I pass! I’m sure you can tell this is my favorite time of year!
Which brings me to one of our projects decorating the gazebo in Cate Square! From my last column you may remember that we made all the garlands at our last meeting and now it is time to wire them to the railings.
We met at the gazebo, on a freezing cold morning…..it’s always like that when we decide to decorate outside; 15 of us humans and one black dog named Chopper, belonging to member Sylvia Dileo. Thank goodness we had put the garlands together before wiring them on. Bows were made to be tied to the columns and the handrails. At night it looks so beautiful with the little white lights peeping through that gossamer gold, silver and white netting, a lovely sight to behold when passing around the park, done just in time for the Christmas parade.
After decorating the gazebo we all stopped for lunch at Lee’s Diner, so good after all of our labor in the cold weather before going on to North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital and Outpatient Rehab Facility to, we thought, decorate their trees! But that wasn’t to be as the dates got confused and the trees weren’t up. They apologized and we returned on Monday for our next community project.
This time there were 10 of us and no Chopper but we managed without him and got both trees adorned one in red and green and the other in gold and white, both beautiful in their own rightful colors and both helpful in making those that are in pain something to take their mind off of their problems if only for a short time.
Our next community project was picking a winner from all the trees standing around the Cate Square Park, decorated by children in grade school from Private, Parochial and Public schools. Lisa Lambert from the City of Hammond only needed 3 people to choose the winners and Carolyn Todd, Clara Houston and Mona Crapanzano volunteered their services and said they had a great time doing it. The winners were all new this year and they were: First Place going to Holy Ghost Catholic School, Second Place went to Greenville Park and third went to Hammond Eastside Magnet.
Now that our community services were taken care of the 2nd Wednesday is here and it’s time for our December meeting which was held at Oak Knoll Country Club. What a beautiful sight entering into the large room in the front of the club that was so beautifully decorated in gold and white. Long flowing white tablecloths with a silky organza topper, sprinkled with gold and a heavily gilded gold runner decorated with a lamb’s ear wreath, a silver candle holder ensconced in the center. Stunning, absolutely stunning!
The fireplace was aglow with a beautiful fire sparkling, the mantle above decorated in gold and white poinsettias and a most gorgeous 10’ tall flocked Christmas tree embellished with gold and white ornaments stood stately in the corner showing off it’s graceful boughs laden down with decorations; it was a room fit for a queen’s dining parlour.
The “meeting” began as always with an opening prayer by Ann Crain and of course that wonderful Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our country.
Mary Thornhill our President then asked for us to begin forming a line to partake of our terrific meal prepared for us by the cooks and waite staff of Oak Knoll. Tender pork roast with onion au jus, velvety smooth mashed potatoes covered in golden yellow cheese and green beans as a side vegetable. There was a mixed green salad with Christmas red ripe tomatoes, cloud soft buns and a most delicious banana pudding, coffee and iced tea. The meal so lovely that it made the decorations that much more pleasing to the eye!
After dinner Mary said we weren’t going to have a meeting per say but we did need to know the Garden of the Month winner which Kathleen Bohlinger announced that the award was given to Sam and Katherine McClugage at 1101 General Jackson, Kathleen said it was spectacular. She then asked Linda Ryan if there was any news about the bus trip to Bellingrath Gardens in April that we needed to know except to ask more people if they wanted to go.
No further news to discuss Mary said she would like to read us the story/information on “How The Poinsettia Became the Christmas Flower”. It’s the legend of a small Mexican girl that had no gift to give the Christ child at the Christmas Eve procession. She gathers up some weeds from the roadside and because she gave them from her heart, they are miraculously topped with glorious red flowers which are now called poinsettias.
There is a lot more to the story and a lot of information about the poinsettias that Mary gave us but the gist of the story or legend is giving from the heart is so much better than just giving with plenty of money.
May everyone have a Merry and Blessed Christmas and a Joyous and Healthy New Year.
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of the District VI, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. and the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America!
by Linda Broussard
she is a member of the Hammond Garden Club