May 2008

All events are FREE unless noted

Visit the web site for more information and current scheduled events

* Centennial Rose *

Centennial Rose growers - if your rose did not appear to thrive over the winter, check our website for information

We still need hand tools for the volunteers.  If you have a spare, please help by dropping it off at the Information Center.  Or bring it with you when you come to a volunteer  work day.  Thank you!!

Perennial Plant Sale –

Don’t miss it!

May 17

10 am – 1 pm

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Croquet Time!!!

Sundays around 1:30 pm. Weather and player availability permitting, we play mid-May thru October.  There is no fee.  Walk-ins (flat-soled shoes or sneakers) are welcome. 

Greater Hartford Bonsai Society Meeting & Workshop

May 19, 2008   7 - 9:30 pm

Guest Artist Pedro Morales     http://www.pedrojmorales.com/index.html

Wethersfield Community Center
30 Greenfield Street, Wethersfield
www.GreaterHartfordBonsai.com

Spring in the Park with Earle Stone, photographer

“God made a wonderful mother,

A mother who never grows old;

He made her smile of the sunshine;

And He molded her heart of pure gold;

In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,

In her cheeks fair roses, you see;

God made a wonderful mother,

And He gave that dear mother to me.”                                                 ---- Pat. O’ Reilly ---

The history of Mother’s Day dates back to the ancient Greeks when it was a springtime celebration in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.  In the 1600’s, the English celebrated “Mothering Sunday” on the 4^th Sunday of Lent to honor their mothers.  Servants who often lived at the homes of their wealthy employers were given the day off to spend with their mothers.  Many returned to their homes with a special cake, called the mothering cake, for this special event.

In 1872, Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”) was the first to suggest that a day be set aside to recognize mothers in America.  It would also be a day dedicated to peace.  In 1907, Ana Jarvis from Philadelphia began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day holiday.  She chose the 2^nd Sunday of May which happened to be the anniversary of her mother’s death.  Ana and her energized supporters wrote to the influential people of the time lobbying for their cause.  They were successful and by 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated, as it is now, in almost every state.  It wasn’t until 1914, however, that President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that Mother’s Day would be a national holiday celebrated each year on the 2^nd Sunday of May.

I can’t think of a better time than May to celebrate Mother’s Day, especially here in New England.  The cold weather is behind us and most of the growing season in front of us.  Mother Nature puts thoughts of rebirth, renewal and hope foremost in our minds.  She nurtures our spirits with her annual show of spring flowers.  As we enjoy Mother Nature’s display, we gardeners reconnect with our world by getting our hands back in the soil.  We till, prune, plant and sow to create what will be this year’s precious blooms and rich harvest.  We are inspired to “mother” our plants with water, fertilizer and tender loving care.

How many of you were brought to Elizabeth Park for the first time by your mother?  Many of you probably made the trip in a stroller and stopped along the way to feed the ducks.  Later, you probably remember running through the rose covered arches and into the gazebo.  I remember finding a duck’s nest by one of the stone bridges near the water when I was a kid and thinking about the story of Jack and the Beanstalk when I was in the gazebo.  “What giant, Mom?”  Did your mother bring you to skate on the pond in the winter, too?   And, are some of you now taking your mother to Elizabeth Park to see the roses, tulips, take in a concert or to have lunch in the Pond House?  I know for a fact that many of you are!

My mother didn’t make a big deal out of Mother’s Day.  Nevertheless as mothers go, she was second to none.  She used to say, “Every day is Mother’s Day”.  She was content and happy to be a stay-at-home mom.  She took great pride in what she did and was never idle.  No mother ever took her calling more seriously.  Helping out with the family business, being active in our church and taking care of my father, my brother and me was a full time job.  I am grateful that I had an opportunity right before she died to thank her for everything both big and small that she had done for me.  She knew I was one of her biggest fans and also was undeniably her best customer at mealtimes.

Proverbs 10:1 says, “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother”.  I hope that all of you will have time to bring joy to your own mother this Mother’s Day.  Remembering your Mom on Mother’s Day is a great way to thank her for all that she has done for you.  So, to all of you moms out there, “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY”.  See you in the park!   ---   Dave Peterson

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Asian Lily

What can I say about my painting?  I am driven!  To get lost in a painting is a wonderful journey into feelings, colors, and working with light  The visual and mental challenge that goes into a painting is all encompassing when one puts the first brush to the canvas and journeys toward the final framing.  Seeing my vision captured on canvas is extremely satisfying.

Tulip Time in Elizabeth Park

The visual arts, primarily oil painting and photography, have been a lifelong undertaking.  Since retiring they have become a major part of my life.  My work has been representational but is evolving into American Impressionism.   I have enjoyed the evolution and hope to become more fluid with the use of colors.