Meet Me at the Corner

Congratulations are in order to the Hawthorn Garden Club, which is celebrating 80 years in the community.  A special luncheon and program will be held this week Tuesday in the Ben Hunt Room at the Hales Corners Library.

Garden Club members Nelda Vanicek and Betty Braun shared some history notes with me.  The idea for a garden club was initially discussed when a group of local women got together for lunch at the home of Mrs. John Paul in 1925.  (Those were the days when women used their husbands’ names rather than their own, so if any of my blog readers know Mrs. Paul’s first name, please pass that information on to me.)  Among those present, according to local historian Jane Morgan, now deceased, were: Mrs. Ida Sperber, Mrs. Martha Malisch, Mrs. Harry Berger, Mrs. Arthur Johnson and Mrs. Ed Hunt.

In 1929 the group chose its name, Hawthorn Garden Club, and joined the newly organized State Federation of Garden Clubs.  Hales Corners’ own Martha Malisch served as the first State Federation president, and Ida Sperber as secretary.  Another longime member of the Hawthorn Garden Club, Ruth Harries, served as president of the State Federation of Garden Clubs in 1948. 

Now there are probably people out there who think all garden club members do is sit around with fancy hats, drinking dainty cups of tea, and quietly admiring each others’ gardens.  If you continue reading, you’ll find out there’s a lot more going on.  For those who have studied Hales Corners history, you know there was once a Railway Depot in Hales Corners – but did you know that the first community project undertaken by the Hawthorn Garden Club was to beautify that depot with shurbs and bulbs?  In 1940 the club sponosred an outdoor Christmas Decoration contest and, beginning in 1941, club members delivered May Day baskets to area shut-ins.  Club members were also strong advocateds for continuing the Whitnall Park Arboretum. During World War II, club members helped roll bandages to support the war effort.

Anyone visiting Hales Corners and Whitnall Park in the spring will notice the hundreds of beautiful flowering crab trees.  The Hawthorn Garden Club deserves credit for many of these trees because of their promotion of a Roadside Beautification Committee, appointed in 1964.

Another long-time community project, which began in 1969, was the Therapy Garden Club established by the Hawthorn Garden Club in cooperation with the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Once a month, October through May, garden club members from the Hales Corners area would assist those with multiple sclerosis to make special crafts.  The club received many awards for this service and, during Irene Novotny’s term of office (1981-1983) received “Club of the Year” award.

Many people in the community became aware of the Hawthorn Garden Club through the annual “Weed Sale”, which started in 1980.  Club members cultivated and harvested decorative “weeds” and collected some from public roadsides; then they would arrange them in attractive bouquets, wreaths or use them to make other decorative items and sell them to the public.  Proceeds from these sales were used to provide outdoor plants and other landscaping at the original Hales Corners Library (on Highway 100 and Edgerton Avenue); to purchase library books on gardening; and to move the Ben Hunt Cabin from its original site to the present location on Hales Corners Library grounds.  The Hawthorn Garden Club has also supported the Nature Conservancy, Friends of Boerner Gardens, Friends of Wehr Nature Center, the Stahl-Conrad Homestead, and various projects of the statewide garden association.

Past members, now deceased, who have been honored for accomplishments within the club as flower show arrangers, flower show judges, and teachers, include Henrietta Erickson, Marjorie Wolf, Marion Hickman, and Betty Moldenhauer.

Among some of the special memories current Garden Club members share include: a presentation of “Vintage Plants,” a Christmas party in the Ben Hunt Cabin, a February Valentine show named, “Quilts, Heirlooms, and Flowers.”

The club continues to meet monthly, featuring an informational program to further interest in flower arranging, indoor and outdoor gardening, conservation, birds and butterflies.  At the anniversary celebration this week, Michael Gaffney, owner of Tulipomania garden shop, 319 E. Howard Avenue, will demonstrate his unique floral arrangements.  Catering for the luncheon is by Franklin’s gourmet caterer, Sharon Holden.

Current president of Hawthorn Garden Club is Judy Strampe.  Information about membership may be directed to Betty Braun, 425-4773. 

If you have other information about the Hawthorn Garden Club, please add your comments below or contact me (Marjorie Pagel) via e-mail: mepagel@yahoo.com.  I plan to add photos and updates in the near future.

My home in Franklin is less than two miles from three other neighboring communities:  Hales Corners, Muskego and Greendale.  Our dog Annie gets to visit all of them.

Annie is a friendly, active English cocker spaniel, six years old.  She likes going on walks in all these communities, usually with her nose to the ground in case someone has dropped a morsel of food that she can snatch up before we spot it.  In our own yard she sometimes settles for twigs and acorns, which probably aren’t good for her digestion, but the breeder who sold her to us says all her dogs do it and there’s usually no harm. 

Still. . .I would love to have Annie walk in a more stately manner, head erect, as those show dogs do on TV.  Annie’s grandfather knows what it was to be a show dog – he has ribbons to prove it and though he’s officially retired, I’m sure he could teach Annie a thing or two if they started hanging out together.

Well, I digress – the way we dog owners sometimes do.  As I was saying, there are many excellent walking trails in Franklin, Hales Corners and the other suburban communities.  Franklin’s parks even have blue plastic bags available in case the owners forget to bring them along. 

People who walk their dogs tend to stop and talk to other people walking their dogs; it’s a good way to socialize.  We get acquainted with all the people who walk their dogs on Scherrei Drive – and there are lots of them!

On Saturday, my husband and I took Annie to the Village of Greendale, which boasts an entire network of paths for walking – with or without a furry friend.  It happened to be October “Hay Days” and there with hundreds of visitors taking in all the activities, checking out the shops for the specials, listening to live music, and visiting the Farmers’ Market. 

We were immediately drawn to a congregation of dogs and owners at the corner of Broad Street and Grange Avenue.  It turned out we were just in time for Blessing of the Animals.  The Rev. Carla McCook, pastor of St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church (http://www.stocchurch.com) had printed bulletins with a brief order of service, including responsive readings and prayers.  There were probably two dozen dogs and their owners who all stood and listened respectfully and then lined up for the blessing. 

During the brief service, there were some loud meows of protest from one disgruntled cat inside a carriage with a mosquito-netting canopy.  He seemed to be protesting his presence in the midst of so many dogs. But even the cat quieted down when his owner brought him out for Pastor McCook’s blessing and a sprinkling of water.

As for Annie – well, she had never been blessed before but she was very well behaved, I thought.  She did seem a little disappointed that she didn’t get to put her nose into the silver dish of water.  She was probably hoping for some special treats.

But I must say, our dog has been especially well behaved since getting blessed in Greendale.

***

Note:  I learned that the Blessing of Animals is traditionally held near the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.  A little web surfing led me to the following site:  http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/francis/blessing.asp

Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M., (of the Holy Name Province) writes:

“As autumn arrives, people in various places may notice something odd.

“A procession of animals, everything from dogs and cats to hamsters and even horses, is led to churches for a special ceremony called the Blessing of Pets. This custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures.

“Francis, whose feast day is October 4th, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey. Francis wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. ‘All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.’

“At Franciscan churches, a friar with brown robe and white cord often welcomes each animal with a special prayer. The Blessing of Pets usually goes like this:

‘Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.’

Mackin also states: “The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love. No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing.”

Mackin concludes: “I believe every creature is important. The love we give to a pet, and receive from a pet, can draw us more deeply into the larger circle of life, into the wonder of our common relationship to our Creator.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I lost both my mother and sister to breast cancer – my mom (Vivian Ellingson Johnson) in 1974 at age 62, and my sister (Wanda Johnson Iverson) in 1988 at age 51.  Fortunately, the survival rate of women diagnosed with breast cancer continues to increase.  Redbook magazine has just published an article, "Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives?" crediting “focused research and awareness campaigns” with this promising trend. 

Everyone with access to a computer can help women without financial resources to receive a free mammogram – a key factor in early detection.  I just received this e-mail from a friend reminding me how easy it is to keep this program going.  Robin Fatla wrote:

“The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on ‘donating a mammogram’ for free (pink window in the middle).

“This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.”

The web site where you and I can click daily to support these free mammograms is:
www.thebreastcancersite.com

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has its own website as well: www.nbcam.com

There you will find links to “Patient Services” (Newly Diagnosed, For Survivors, Find Support, Patient Assistance, among others); “Disease Information” (including Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Male Breast Cancer, Clinical Trials and Dispelling the Myths.)  Two other information-packed sections include “How to Help” and “Newsroom” with links to events and media contact.

Hundreds of individuals and organizations are doing their part on the Worldwide Web to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I even found a network of women working out of their homes who have devoted space on their website to help stop the spread of this insidious disease:

http://www.internetbasedmoms.com/  Follow their link to "breast-cancer-awareness/prevent"

The following excerpt is from a recent White House proclamation:

“Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American women. During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we renew our commitment to fighting this disease, raising awareness, and supporting those affected by breast cancer.

"Research has shown that several factors may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, including family history, age, genetics, and obesity. By making healthy lifestyle choices and exercising regularly, individuals can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. Mammograms, regular self-exams, and clinical breast exams are also vital because they can help doctors diagnose cancer before it has a chance to spread. When breast cancer is detected early, treatment is more effective, giving hope to patients and helping save lives.

“My Administration is committed to strengthening our Nation's efforts against this devastating disease. Earlier this year I was pleased to sign the "National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act," which will allow us to continue helping low income and uninsured women gain access to vital cancer screening. In order to best detect and treat breast cancer, Federal agencies are collaborating with national organizations, State health agencies, and other key groups to promote important disease education and prevention activities. Our Nation leads the world in medical research, and through the dedicated efforts of thousands of Americans, we can build a healthier and more hopeful future for our citizens.

“During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we remember those living with breast cancer and their family and friends who provide them with love and support. Their courage and determination are an inspiration to us all. We also recognize the innovative, lifesaving work of doctors, researchers, and other medical professionals. Through their efforts to prevent, detect, and treat breast cancer, they are helping make a difference in the lives of our citizens. Until we find a cure for breast cancer, we will continue our Nation's fight against this disease.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070929-2.html