Looking To The Future-All Is Bright
Dear Members,
Welcome to March, the month when we look forward to daylight savings time and the start of spring. I feel so lucky to live in Southern California where the flowers never stop blooming and our winters are mild.
I’ve been spending an hour a day planting and cleaning up the garden in front of my home. One of my favorite native plants is a Dudleya that I’m growing. It is a beautiful bluish-green succulent that loves sunshine and is ready to bloom flowers soon!
Save The Date: Garden Tour, May 1
Time certainly flies! The Gate & Garden Tour is just two months away on Saturday, May 1, and it will be in-person! Susan Denton, Director of the Garden Tour, has great plans for its success and is leading a fabulous team. (By the way, did you know that Susan is a retired nurse practitioner? And that team member Melissa Rapp is an MD?)
Right now, we are working with the City of Laguna Beach to ensure COVID protocols are in place to keep us safe so we can enjoy a wonderful tour. We are also working with Laguna Beach Water District, which has graciously agreed to allow us use of their gorgeous outdoor garden as our reception venue. Much thanks to the City and to the Water District for their support of the tour, our major annual fundraiser that helps support scholarships and educational school gardens.
Tour Tickets Available: Starting March 12
Your chance to buy tour tickets at the best price is coming up Friday, March 12 at our “drive-through” event from 1-3 p.m. in the Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church parking lot. Bring checks or cash only to purchase tickets at $50 each. That day, we will also collect cash and checks for the Penny Pines Reforestation Program, and we will accept food donations for the Laguna Beach Food Pantry. You will be able to purchase club swag (branded hats, aprons, pens, etc.)
One last item about the March 12 event . . . We need your culinary support! Please be prepared to sign up that day to bake cookies for the tour reception or to make a $20 donation for supplies so someone else can do the baking! We’ll have a volunteer sign-up sheet ready and provide an envelope for your cash or checks. (BTW–We’ll let you know cookie drop-off locations and times later.)
Great Guest Speaker: March 12
Our speaker on Friday, March 12 is one of my all-time favorites and a personal friend, Debra Lee Baldwin. Debra is succulent expert, author, speaker, award-winning photojournalist, and a genuinely great and kind person. Plus, she has a wonderful sense of humor! She’s a fabulous speaker in-person, so I know she’ll be great via Zoom, too. Remind your friends who may have missed some of our monthly meetings that they don’t want to miss this one – check your email in-box for the Zoom meeting invitation.
Future Vision: 2022
My mission as your president is to return the club to its pre-COVID status by the end of my tenure, May 2022. Meanwhile, your board of directors has been working very hard to keep our club engaging and vital during these challenging times and has done an outstanding job — not to mention the work of other volunteers who have pitched in to make our club a success.
I am pleased to tell you we have individuals interested in open positions on our board for the next club year. If you are interested in being a board member or looking into being a board member, we would love to have you attend a Zoom board meeting to meet us and see us in action! Just call Nancy Englund at 949-370-7713 for information or let me know.
This month, I’m going to close with a little update on Tripp, my cute, adopted doggie. It’s been seven months since we rescued each other! You may recall, Tripp had his leg amputated about two weeks before my husband and I adopted him. Tripp now enjoys sitting on the couch and sleeps with us most nights. Tug-of-war is still his favorite game, and he loves every chew toy he’s ever been given. Fortunately, he does not like to chomp on succulents! Life is definitely better for the Keenan family now that it includes Tripp.
Happy spring, dear members!
Be healthy and happy, always,
-Mariann Keenan