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Spring rides no horses down the hill,

But comes on foot, a goose – girl still

And all the loveliest things there be

Comes simply so, it seems to me.

                                                            Edna St. Vincent Millay

And with what joy we turn to our gardens and our seed catalogs and our local farms and nurseries. My mother Vassar ‘1916 became a fan of Edna St. Vincent Millay who was in the class above her.  The Goose-Girl remained a favorite, and  each Spring as we planned our garden, she would quote these lines.  So to you I quote them, and start by congratulating the Rochester Branch for its lively newsletters which are full of activities and opportunities geared to its members. Their Pre –K Planting Project is such an important one.  We all must teach our younger people the value of gardening…value that is Green and of money saving.  Do you remember who taught you to plant seeds?  Do you remember who showed you how to hoe, how to tell a weed from a watermelon seedling?  I am sure that memory is a dear, cherished part of your childhood store of “growing –up” and a subconscious pointer to WNF&G membership.

            Also in the Rochester Branch newsletter, under special projects there is a Beekeeping Student, Brian Oeterson, Musson Elementary School.  The minute I saw that I talked to Temple Ambler about their having a course on beekeeping.  There was such a course back in the time of Jane Haines.

            Another point about the Rochester Branch from which some of us can learn.  It is very clear about membership. It sends a form listing dues, categories for committees and social events among the opportunities it offers.  That is a most helpful sheet, especially for new members.

            So far we have received a great deal of help and interest in our handkerchief project to augment our income.  Kathy Beveridge will have a beautiful bee design I ‘m hoping, in the forthcoming magazine by an artist from the Keystone Branch and the Mayflower Branch has submitted designs featuring a dogwood bloom and another with bees and honeycomb edges.  There is more to do before these materialize but the prospect is pleasing and Hazel Herring shall be given the first one “hot off the press” so to speak for her tireless work on the Ambler WNF&G Home and Head house fund.

Barbara Hochstettler, who has envisioned and given us so much important form and focus, has an article in the upcoming new magazine about our focus endeavors.  We must not loose sight of method and meaning. Kathy Beveridge continues to make our magazine beautifully readable and sumptuously colorful in its covers.  How lucky we are to have her expertise.

            And  Mary Bertolini’s expertise.  She has contracts well in hand and being a consummate businesswoman, she is still making adjustments in our favor.  Boston should be a memorable “learning vacation” from intellectual luncheons (Harvard, and author Allyson Hayward) whacky and possibly wet Duck Tours filled with historical facts and stories, to a Down East clam bake in a tent on my front lawn, put on by a well-known Maine caterer.

So…You’ll ride no horses down the hill

But come by bus…and I’ll be your goose-girl still.

Faith

Order now….plant later

Yes. Yes and yes. We should be scouring our seed catalogs to find the best things to plant when Spring finally comes.  Mother Nature is generous.  She gives us prodigiously of the best fruits, vegetables and flowers.  Don’t forget flowers.  They cheer us and along with certain house plants, help with air quality.  If you need advice, check with our capable Focus Chairmen. Depending on your need, Jerry Howard for Horticulture Therapy; K.S. Sury, Gardening Focus;   Environmental concerns, Betty Monahan and Barbara Hochstettler for Floral Arts Focus.

Not only will planning a garden already in place be a pleasant thing, but the result will be a more healthy you and family, safe from some of the toxins at our supermarkets as well as saving a great deal of money.  And if you currently don’t have a garden to dig up, this is an ideal time to plant one.

But if this is not practical for you, DO buy locally from your own neighboring farmers and growers.  Remember, we are the Woman’s National Farm and Garden Association, Inc.  Our name should say it all.

On the “Bee” front….the Rochester Branch had a program, “Chapter Two-the Life of Bees” with speaker Dr. Dyanne M. Tracy.  From the Bee Journal, we learn that there is a new glass chip that can “read” any of the bacterium etc. plaguing bees and will point to learning much more about bees and the survival of our food supply.  Marla Diamond, our dearly loved Advisor and immediate Past President, sent several articles among which was one using a penny to ease bee stings.  She allowed (with something of a written wink) that she hadn’t tried it yet. No wonder.  Bees won’t fly if the temperature is below 50 degrees.

Jean DeDecker is anxious for you to send the National Award Applications on to your chairman and to encourage everyone to submit applications.

Thank you all for your response to my Arts and Crafts call for help.  Susan Yeager from the Ambler Branch had some excellent suggestions as did Audrey Ehrler, President of the New York Division and others more locally.  I’m excited about the possibilities.

The Mayflower Branch, Susan Hunt and the two Lisas’ spent most of their last business meeting planning for your visit in June.  Needless to say Mary Bertolini has on her magic hat and is organizing your June visit to be the best yet, in spite of the economy, while in Texas our indefatigable Hazel Herring continues the fund raising for our Ambler home.  And when we speak of “our home”, we must not forget the part that Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey as well as New England contributed as pioneer founders.

Kay Engelhart continues to graciously take care of these letters and of basic budgeting communications, for which I humbly thank her.

                                       The Earth IS our only home, isn’t it?

Think Lobster

Mary Bertolini performs miracles. You all know that from our past meetings, trust this year Mary is out doing her previous years leger-de-main, and we can all look forward to a meaningful meeting of fun and friendship, and, in fact a mini-vacation in Boston area for an astonishingly all inclusive small sum. Wait until you see what Mary has arranged for you. It will be “Duck”, and “Ducky” is a clue.

In the meantime, The American Bee Journal, the January 2009 issue, is reporting that both in Paris and in London, rooftop apiaries are thriving. One of note is on top of the marble façade of Palais Garnier, [the Paris opera house] from which the bees are foraging on the chestnut and linden tree as well as the Palais Gardens.

In London, hives atop Fortnum and mason at 181 Picadilly are in elegant designer hives, with arch facades – Roman gothic, Chinese or Mughal design, an idea for us who need to have our hives attractively placed. These mansion English bees get to forage in Buckingham Palace 42 acre private gardens. [I’ve read recently that Queen Elizabeth will open her gardens this coming summer on a limited schedule].

According to the Bee Journal, roof top bees fly longer, going to work earlier in the morning and coming home later, laden with their golden pollen. They are twice as productive as their country cousin.

I’ll bet “Royal Jelly” from their bees, is “Royal Jelly”.

The winter meeting at Ambler has been postponed until the Provost report is made. Linda Lowe, our splendid liaison, is coming to my home in Sherborn on January 28th, with your Vice President, Jenny Rose Carey, so I’ll have some fresh news for you then.

How lucky we are to have Hazel Herring, with her wealth of experience working on Ambler “Anchor” project. Our anchor in history and in our future.  She is in constant touch and always ready with something helpful.

Does anyone know anything in the line of printing handkerchiefs – ala arts / crafts? I saw one English made hankie for children the other day which was charming. Such a thing might be adopted for Farm and Garden. Let me know?

Seed catalogs are brightening up these long snowy days and aside from dreaming of brussels sprouts, cabbage and green beans next summer, it is possible to have a lot of healthy greens, vitamin packed produce in a week or ten days by “sprouting” in an area as small as a kitchen windowsill. Fun to watch grow, good to eat sprinkled on salads and soups.

Our thanks to Kay Engelhart who faithfully sends you these messages.