Pretty Pumpkins Adorn Elegant Table Settings
I guess all columns start with approximately the same information or questions right now, but here goes…Sure hope “IDA” has treated you okay, not too much damage that you are able to get the Daily Star delivered to your home and furthermore that you are able to read it! I would be upset if you couldn’t read this column since it seems like months since I wrote the last one and we do have a lot to talk about.
Let’s start with our last meeting and what it was about. I’m sure that we all know the holidays are upon us and our speaker(s) were members of our own club. Juanita Pearson, whom we all lovingly refer to as “Miss Manners” was partnered with Phyllis Mire whom we all lovingly refer to as one of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” that CAN make a “silk purse out of a sow’s ear”!
Juanita showed us how to decorate our holiday (or any day) table with the linen tablecloth and napkins, good china, crystal and silver that she expressed sadly was becoming a lost art. “The children of today are becoming the “Throw Away Society”…paper plates and Dixie cups are good enough for them! They know nothing of the grace and beauty of her settings shown to us today against the other setting placed in front of the real china…a paper plate, plastic cup and plastic knife and fork. Most of the ladies in the club agreed that we have all this beautiful china and crystal and no one to leave it to because you can’t put it into the microwave or the dishwasher, so they don’t want it, it’s absolutely shameful. Juanita also had a great idea for those with perpetual cell phones glued to their hands that goes along with the “Throw Away Society” and that is to have a lovely basket sitting close to the dining room to put all cell phones in when coming to the table.
While Juanita was showing us the beauty of such lovely table settings Phyllis was working on a piece of art that started with a pumpkin set atop pieces of wetted foam placed in a pyrex baking dish and things taken from either her yard or a friends and places like Hobby Lobby or the Dollar Store. The pumpkin was of course the center piece and soon it took a wonderful shape with branches of Little Gem Magnolia leaves all around it. Then she began filling in with smaller pumpkins, tangerines and kumquats sitting amongst the magnolia leaves. She then stuck some wheat seeded plumes sticking out of the entire piece, placed it all in a silver tray and put it on the beautifully set table of Juanita’s. What a work of art by both, so beautifully elegant! Wouldn’t you rather sit at this table for turkey and all the dressings than paper plates and plastic cups? I think I know your answer.
There was much ado by many in the membership wondering the same, “What will I do with my cherished china or treasured crystal handed down by my Mother or Grandmother”?
What a wonderfully poignant program by Juanita and Phyllis as we come back from COVID and Ida in the beautifully decorated tables at Oak Knoll Country Club. There were the long white table cloths with vases of beautiful creamy white magnolias so real looking you could almost smell that terrific vanilla fragrance so marvelous in the genuine flower. Stuck in the vase next to the magnolias were small scarecrows giving us a hint of the coming children’s favorite…Halloween! Mary Monteleone and her crew always do an astonishing job decorating and with the delicious lunches. There are always specials of the day or you can choose from the entire menu, everything invariably scrumptious.
President Sue Parrill had opened the meeting with Chaplain Mary Thornhill saying the prayer and the membership reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” after which there was the acceptance of the minutes by Secretary Karen Granier, the Treasurer’s Report given by Juanita Pearson in Phyllis deBenedetto’s absence.
Sue called on Pat Graves for her report on The Arts In Bloom program that she and Linda Ryan are spearheading. There was a meeting last month, funding is almost completed and it was discussed that they are looking for recruiting Play Writes, Floral Designers and Arts and Gardens. The meeting went great but they are in need of more people with those qualities. She asked if we knew of anyone with those essential features to please get in touch with her.
Linda Ross then reported on the October Link Award which they gave to The Grand Student Apartments at 2400 North Morrison Blvd. She said it is astonishing what they have done with the gardens there throughout the entire grounds, it is absolutely beautiful and gives the students something fantastic to look at especially as they cross over the bridge to get to campus.
Glenda Nelson was next reporting on Keep Hammond Beautiful which the next date is Saturday November 6, from 9 am till 12 noon in front of Westdale Subdivision, by Annettes Diner on Morrison Blvd. She asked for all to come that were able to help.
It was also reported by Jennifer Allen that Ginger Tastet Executive Director of Keep Tangipahoa Beautiful Organization has begun a club with the Ponchatoula Junior High classes teaching them about litter and how it affects our universe which is big news since before now it has always been an educational program that starts in the lower grades. So, as it’s been said…”We’re moving on up” and hopefully there will be big rewards for her efforts with litter programs that hopefully will benefit all of us!
I’d like to leave you with an anonymous quote that I saw in Thomas Kinkade’s book “Simpler Times because it is about homes and what they mean to us.
“Home is where the heart is, The soul’s bright guiding star. Home is where real love is, Where our own dear ones are. Home means someone waiting To give a welcome smile. Home means peace and joy and rest And everything worthwhile”.
Some of you may have lost your home or parts of it during Ida, but the real treasure of a home can never be completely lost as long as you have a home where real love is!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of 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 the City of Hammond and God Bless America!
by Linda Broussard
She is a member of the Hammond Garden Club
I guess all columns start with approximately the same information or questions right now, but here goes…Sure hope “IDA” has treated you okay, not too much damage that you are able to get the Daily Star delivered to your home and furthermore that you are able to read it! I would be upset if you couldn’t read this column since it seems like months since I wrote the last one and we do have a lot to talk about.
Let’s start with our last meeting and what it was about. I’m sure that we all know the holidays are upon us and our speaker(s) were members of our own club. Juanita Pearson, whom we all lovingly refer to as “Miss Manners” was partnered with Phyllis Mire whom we all lovingly refer to as one of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” that CAN make a “silk purse out of a sow’s ear”!
Juanita showed us how to decorate our holiday (or any day) table with the linen tablecloth and napkins, good china, crystal and silver that she expressed sadly was becoming a lost art. “The children of today are becoming the “Throw Away Society”…paper plates and Dixie cups are good enough for them! They know nothing of the grace and beauty of her settings shown to us today against the other setting placed in front of the real china…a paper plate, plastic cup and plastic knife and fork. Most of the ladies in the club agreed that we have all this beautiful china and crystal and no one to leave it to because you can’t put it into the microwave or the dishwasher, so they don’t want it, it’s absolutely shameful. Juanita also had a great idea for those with perpetual cell phones glued to their hands that goes along with the “Throw Away Society” and that is to have a lovely basket sitting close to the dining room to put all cell phones in when coming to the table.
While Juanita was showing us the beauty of such lovely table settings Phyllis was working on a piece of art that started with a pumpkin set atop pieces of wetted foam placed in a pyrex baking dish and things taken from either her yard or a friends and places like Hobby Lobby or the Dollar Store. The pumpkin was of course the center piece and soon it took a wonderful shape with branches of Little Gem Magnolia leaves all around it. Then she began filling in with smaller pumpkins, tangerines and kumquats sitting amongst the magnolia leaves. She then stuck some wheat seeded plumes sticking out of the entire piece, placed it all in a silver tray and put it on the beautifully set table of Juanita’s. What a work of art by both, so beautifully elegant! Wouldn’t you rather sit at this table for turkey and all the dressings than paper plates and plastic cups? I think I know your answer.
There was much ado by many in the membership wondering the same, “What will I do with my cherished china or treasured crystal handed down by my Mother or Grandmother”?
What a wonderfully poignant program by Juanita and Phyllis as we come back from COVID and Ida in the beautifully decorated tables at Oak Knoll Country Club. There were the long white table cloths with vases of beautiful creamy white magnolias so real looking you could almost smell that terrific vanilla fragrance so marvelous in the genuine flower. Stuck in the vase next to the magnolias were small scarecrows giving us a hint of the coming children’s favorite…Halloween! Mary Monteleone and her crew always do an astonishing job decorating and with the delicious lunches. There are always specials of the day or you can choose from the entire menu, everything invariably scrumptious.
President Sue Parrill had opened the meeting with Chaplain Mary Thornhill saying the prayer and the membership reciting the “Pledge of Allegiance” after which there was the acceptance of the minutes by Secretary Karen Granier, the Treasurer’s Report given by Juanita Pearson in Phyllis deBenedetto’s absence.
Sue called on Pat Graves for her report on The Arts In Bloom program that she and Linda Ryan are spearheading. There was a meeting last month, funding is almost completed and it was discussed that they are looking for recruiting Play Writes, Floral Designers and Arts and Gardens. The meeting went great but they are in need of more people with those qualities. She asked if we knew of anyone with those essential features to please get in touch with her.
Linda Ross then reported on the October Link Award which they gave to The Grand Student Apartments at 2400 North Morrison Blvd. She said it is astonishing what they have done with the gardens there throughout the entire grounds, it is absolutely beautiful and gives the students something fantastic to look at especially as they cross over the bridge to get to campus.
Glenda Nelson was next reporting on Keep Hammond Beautiful which the next date is Saturday November 6, from 9 am till 12 noon in front of Westdale Subdivision, by Annettes Diner on Morrison Blvd. She asked for all to come that were able to help.
It was also reported by Jennifer Allen that Ginger Tastet Executive Director of Keep Tangipahoa Beautiful Organization has begun a club with the Ponchatoula Junior High classes teaching them about litter and how it affects our universe which is big news since before now it has always been an educational program that starts in the lower grades. So, as it’s been said…”We’re moving on up” and hopefully there will be big rewards for her efforts with litter programs that hopefully will benefit all of us!
I’d like to leave you with an anonymous quote that I saw in Thomas Kinkade’s book “Simpler Times because it is about homes and what they mean to us.
“Home is where the heart is, The soul’s bright guiding star. Home is where real love is, Where our own dear ones are. Home means someone waiting To give a welcome smile. Home means peace and joy and rest And everything worthwhile”.
Some of you may have lost your home or parts of it during Ida, but the real treasure of a home can never be completely lost as long as you have a home where real love is!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of 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 the City of Hammond and God Bless America!
by Linda Broussard
She is a member of the Hammond Garden Club