A Note from our Co-Presidents:
Marilyn Dronenburg and Maureen McMahon
November is not the most exciting month in San Diego’s gardening calendar but it does have quiet charms. We are reminded of a comment Gabriela Salazar made during her wonderful Meet the Masters presentation last March. “See your garden with new eyes every season because different things are happening.” As we see our November gardens with new eyes, the importance of flowers recedes and we have a renewed appreciation for foliage: the rich green of magnolia leaves with their felty brown undersides, wheat-colored grasses, the burgundy reds of liquidambar leaves. And is there anything more elegant than a beautiful pomegranate?
Many of these elements were incorporated into wreaths made at last year’s Thanksgiving Wreath Workshop organized by Louarn Sorkin and Taunya Daley and taught by our in-house heroine, Annette Gomez. We had a wonderful time as we ate lunch together, laughed, learned, and created. Each wreath was a unique creation but all seemed to convey the beauty of welcome and hospitality--the essence of Thanksgiving. What a great example of what we still specialize in at the Village Garden Club: working with plants, creating beauty for ourselves and others and nurturing friendships. We encourage everyone to keep an eye out for upcoming activities that will be just as special, such as our December Luncheon and our Field Trip to the Balboa Park Botanical Garden in March. We can’t wait for both events!
In this season of gratitude, we are thankful for our fantastic Governing Board. This is the group that makes our Club one of the best garden clubs in the United States! We want to give a big thank you to Janet Cooke and Taunya Daley for lining up this year’s enticing workshops. What fun for the lucky members who get to plant paperwhite bulbs in antique containers in November, make holiday centerpieces (taught by René van Rems) in December and flower-decorated cookies in March! Check out The Spindrifter and your Yearbook for details. Very hearty thanks also to Glee Logsdon and all of the dedicated Bouquet of Thanks ladies who decorated pumpkins for our veterans at the VA Hospital in San Diego. What a nice way to say thank you to the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our great country. Pretty awesome!
Lastly but most importantly, we want to thank all of our members for your loving enthusiasm and support as we serve as co-presidents and for being the wonderful people that you are. The best part of our job is connecting with you! We end this November letter with warmest wishes for a happy Thanksgiving and a favorite stanza from America the Beautiful.
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
Love, Marilyn and Maureen