By this time everyone must know that we have won for the 11th straight year in a row, not just district, but the state title for the Cleanest City Award! WOW! This is unheard of, over the top, most wonderful of all cities and garden clubs in the state of Louisiana by designation of the amount of population in our city.
There are so many people to thank for our success starting with Mayor Panepinto who can be seen at the crack of dawn out walking the streets to pick up trash. The city workers who tirelessly pick up trash every day, Whitney Statham and her crew that beautify the planters and beds with wonderful flowers, the volunteers, the Keep Hammond Beautiful organization and all their volunteers, individuals like Barbara McKaskle and E. J. Forgotston who at any chance get out of their cars on the highway if necessary to pick up trash. And last but certainly not least the Hammond Garden Club itself where all of this emanated to begin with! All involved can stick out their chest and be proud as peacocks of what has been accomplished making our beautiful city one of the cleanest in the nation for ELEVEN STRAIGHT YEARS!
Well everyone this is May and that means it is the last regular meeting of the garden club for the year 2016/17. It is also the meeting where we usually induct any new officers but we have been so privileged and fortunate to have all officers accepting another year fulfilling their positions so that didn't have to be part of the meeting. And so we have very little official news to report partially because there were no minutes since our last meeting was a road trip and no Treasurers report as our Treasurer Phyllis diBenedetto was unable to attend the meeting.
Member Linda Ross said the Link Award winner for April was 51 Car Wash and the office of Sam Dileo, Attorney and husband of member Sylvia Dileo received the award for May. Carolyn Schwebel, President gave a few other announcements, the Summer Board meeting which will be in Baton Rouge on July 17/18 and our (HGC) Executive Board meeting will be Monday, May 22 at my house 12 noon.
We always give a scholarship or stipend to a deserving student and at our luncheon we gave it to Corey Hayes, son of Bruce and Melanie Hayes, that has just graduated Ponchatoula High School and will be taking his basics at SLU. He hopes to continue his studies in culinary school in Baton Rouge and become one of the top chefs in Louisiana. He said he is beginning his culinary training by starting his own herb garden. We congratulate him in his endeavors and hope to see him as the top chef in one of the restaurants in Hammond!
Since this was our last meeting of the year we wanted to celebrate all that we have accomplished this year and Lee Collins generously donated the use of her carport, patios and lovely yard for our "Having Mimosas under the Mimosa Trees"! Most everyone wore hats, one more elaborate than the next, some even wore gloves. The tables were all decorated with lovely bouquets of yellow hued roses, pinkish lavender alstroemeria, pert little yellow centered daisies, English ivy and greenery by Phyllis Mire. There were cream colored linen tablecloths printed with light green English ivy and a mixture of pastel colored napkins. Hailey Thonn of "The Mustard Seed" granddaughter of Sue Parrill, HGC's Historian, made adorable and delicious cookies for each of us that were decorated as pink or lavender sun hats, bows and flowers encircled the crown. Everything was so picture perfect like a garden party would look in a Southern Living magazine!
It was catered by Marilyn's Catering, a spectacular meal of lasagna, loaded with ground meat and cheeses, covered in a scrumptious tomato sauce, crispy green Caesar salad with just the right amount of dressing and Parmesan cheese, crunchy garlic bread doused with butter, iced tea and fantastic home-made pound cake with fresh strawberries in a luscious sauce poured on top and whipped cream over it all...I'm hungry again just remembering how delicious it was!
After the luncheon Linda Ross brought and demonstrated a solar lamp that she made out of a purchased large bottle with a long neck, the solar light perched into the opening and a lamp shade on top of it. It made a great patio light at night without electric bulbs, no cords or candles needed. Everyone was eager to go home and try to repeat the demonstration for their patio.
I hate to sound like I am repeating myself but it is always so much fun to be with a group of ladies, all interested in many of the same things, that enjoy being together. We always have such a good time and what more could you ask for...good company, lovely venue for a garden party, delicious food and Mother Nature did a wonderful job on the weather, even had a few cool breezes that were helped along with all the ceiling fans.....and the mimosas, the drinks and the beautiful trees with all their pink powder puff blooms shading the roof of the patio as Father Time turned our day into a lazy afternoon. Now its time to say our good byes until we meet again in August for our President's Tea. And to coin a phrase, "Parting is such sweet sorrow!”
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of the District VI Garden Club Federation and the Deep South Region of the National Garden Clubs 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!
Until we meet again in August...Hugs
from Linda Broussard and all the members of the Hammond Garden Club!