November Newsletter

November meeting flowers by Kate Chartner

This newsletter may be arriving in November, but it’s all about December (mostly). Our busiest fortnight of the year will soon be here. 

Pat Lescaleet Lashley is prepped and ready for Town Wreath squad to descend upon her basement November 28th and assemble the many elements she has been preparing in mini sessions all fall. Pat’s lovely design and perennial organization produces an annual gift to thank our town employees who do the invisible work of keeping Concord going. The wreaths will be be delivered and hung ahead of the Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, December 4th. 

Cans for Caring is in good shape. Our mysteriously most aspirational event will take place at Ellen Whitney’s home on December 6th. Those of us who missed out on a spot will have to settle for Taylor Swift tickets. 

The Concord Museum Family Trees opens this week. On Monday, the Garden Club’s decorators will decorate our contribution, based on the book Butterflies are Pretty . . . Gross by Rosemary Mosco and Jacob Souva. Hand painted butterflies, yarn ball larvae, and googley eyes will festoon our little tree. 

Holiday Workshop, in case you haven’t heard, will be helmed by Anne Humphrey and Anne Hrabchak.Please see above a photo of their stunning planned project. For the purposes of securing materials, the sign up deadline is Monday the 21st. Please remember to send in your $30 check ahead of time to Anne Hrabchak as everything will be reserved for you. All the details are on the sign up.

A new item on our calendar is a flower arranging session over at the Council on Aging. It was such a hit last year, we’ve added it to the regular schedule. This year Jeanne Hamilton is heading up the workshop for 12 COA members with three capable assistants on December 8th. I know we will all want to see photos!

And last but not least, our Holiday Luncheon will be hosted by Kim Burns this year on December 7th, 11-2. There will be a digital Evite sent out any minute now and a Sign Up Genius for food and accessories will be dispatched once we have a better idea of how many members can attend. The Grants committee will present for membership approval this year’s recipients during the business portion of the luncheon. The nominees this year are:

An end of season note on the Town Gardens: Amanda vonWeise and Sarah MacEachern have done a terrific job of marshaling volunteers and filling in the gaps in the upkeep this year. They have been them lush and lovely throughout the summer. A gentle clean up will happen after Thanksgiving. 

News to Use

Massachusetts Horticulture Society’s 14th annual Festival of Trees opens at Elm Bank November 25th. 

The Mount is promoting an after-dark immersive sounds and light program called Nightwood until January 1st. If you find yourself in western parts, check it out. If you can’t get there, here’s a 4 minute taste

A Thanksgiving Prayer

For generous friends, with hearts as big as Hubbards and smiles as bright as their blossoms;

For feisty friends as tart as apples;

For continuous friends, who, like scallions and cucumbers, keep reminding us we had them;

For crotchety friends, as sour as rhubarb and as indestructible;

For handsome friends, as gorgeous as eggplants and as elegant as a row of corn;

— And for the others – as plain as potatoes and so good for you;

For funny friends, as silly as Brussels sprouts and as amusing as Jerusalem artichokes;

For serious friends, as complex as cauliflower and as intricate as onions;

For friends

— as unpretentious as cabbages,

— as subtle as summer squash,

— as persistent as parsley,

— as delightful as dill,

— as endless as zucchini,

— and who, like parsnips, can be counted on to see you through the long winter;

For old friends, nodding like sunflowers in the evening-time, and young friends coming on as fast as radishes;

For loving friends, who wind around us like tendrils and hold us despite our blights, wilts, and witherings;

And finally, for those friends now gone, like gardens past, that have been harvested – but who fed us in their times that we might have life thereafter;

For all these we give thanks.