Garden Club's 50th Anniversary

Yesterday the  local garden club of Forsyth Missouri celebrated 50 years of service to the community.

Our local garden club is a small self- funded group of 20 local residents who live in the Taney County district. Most of them residing in the area for 20 years or more.

Our goals are simple. We work on the city garden, participate in local events that support the well-being of our community and support 2 students at the local College of the Ozarks with small scholarships every year through monies we raise with our small plant and bake sales, and this year we produced a cook book that sold for 10 dollars a copy.

We are not federated. We are HOMEMADE, and what I enjoy the best about our little group.  We all pitched in a put our litte party together, cakes, punch, coffee and flowers and hosted it at a local church.

Yesterday the Mayor, the president of the College of the Ozarks, local newspaper persona, and citizens of our community and those surrounding us whom we work with throughout the year, joined us in our celebration.

We also recieved a proclamation from the state of Missouri. A nice suprise!

Each lady baked a sheet cake for the event.

  I in my infinite maddness put the center cake together. Still in the throws of moving 3 years ongoing now, all my equiptment still in deep storage, I purchased over the counter disposable tips and such to put this together.

I created silk flower arrangements and I had to finish it at my friend Mary's house, my kitchen is not large enough nor do I have the storage to pull off decorating a cake( I guess what I am trying to say...twas not my finest...but I had fun).

One of the members, Georgia, made a classic pineapple punch with ice ring in a crystal punch bowl( with matching sugar and creamer servers) the likes of I have not seen since I was a child. It was like taking a step back into the past 45 years ago.

The president of the college brought us all corsages of orchids from the college green house.

And I got to meet some of the charter members of the club, now in their 90's.

I also took the opportunity to discuss Ellie's  Oregon coast pic's of the ancient forest with the owner of an area business The Wood Merchant, 

                               http://wood-merchant.com/ 

 whos business is built upon salvaging first growth wood that is being cut down. He swoops in and saves this precious wood from being burnt or otherwise, and turns it into fabulous pieces of furniture artwork, preserving its history in his creations. But I would like to add that he first attempts to talk them out of cutting it down( which makes me like him and his wife very much!) I thought he might be one to take a trip and see it for himself.

I had a nice talk with one of the Horticulture Specialist from the College, who by the way, remembered my face( NOT SUPRISED) from my visits to their green houses. He remembered that I was the one who was always looking for what they did not have....but invited me to come see what they were working on.

It is nice to be part of small community sometimes!