12 minute read
Spectacular Spring Centerpiece
Spectacular Spring Centerpiece Spectacular Spring Centerpiece by Elyse Sensabaugh
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Spring brings about new beginnings as we think of planting flowers and vegetables. What better way to celebrate than to bring a bouquet inside as a beautiful centerpiece and celebration of color, not only with flowers but also with colorful vegetables!
You will need:
8” or larger glass ginger vase
Oasis wedding belle bouquet holder - grande (Amazon)
Wood skewers or wood floral picks
Garden clipper
Flowers of your choice
Ivy or greenery of your choice 1-2 bunches of fresh carrots (6-7” long)
Brussel sprouts, various colored radishes
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
Preparation:
Wash vegetables and allow to dry thoroughly. Rub each vegetable with a small amount of Vaseline (this makes the color of the vegetables pop). Cut handle off bouquet holder and discard, leaving flat base with cage around foam. Soak foam holder in water until thoroughly saturated
How to put together:
Cut stems of each carrot close to base. Using skewers or floral pics; stick into each carrot base. Cut opposite end of skewer at an angle, leaving enough to stick into base of foam. Stick each carrot into base of foam.
Place bouquet holder on top with carrots hanging inside the vase. With clipper, cut each flower stem at an angle to desired length and stick into floral foam, one at a time. Do the same with greenery pieces. Fill to desired fullness leaving space for vegetables.
Stick skewer or wood pick into each Brussel sprout and each radish. Cut opposite end of each skewer to desired length at an angle. Stick each vegetable into floral foam. Continue adding flowers and vegetables to desired fullness to cover foam.
Floral Tips:
Be sure to water the foam every few days to keep the flowers hydrated. Keep arrangement away from direct sun or warm spots. The cooler the flowers are, the longer they will last.
MOVIE NIGHT:
Suggested by Dean Eckenroth, Jr. What is hope, exactly? Merriam-Webster’s definition makes hope very similar to wish: “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.” Hope can be spiritual in nature, having faith in a higher power and believing that good things will happen through that faith. Generally hope indicates a desire for things to change for the better, be it personally, or for the world at large. “Four Weddings and A Funeral” is a movie with a message of hope for “true love.” Starring Hugh Grant (in his rom-com sweet spot) and Andie MacDowell, the film follows a circle of friends through their social occasions (four weddings and a funeral) and their encounters with romance along the way. Funny and endearing (without it being overly sappy), the film reminds us that true love is worth hoping for, valuable in all its many facets, and something to be held onto when it is found.
Suggested by Brooke Clifford “Rise of the Guardians” is the perfect springtime movie for the whole family to enjoy. DreamWorks Animation’s film based on William Joyce’s “The Guardians of Childhood” books is a beautifully crafted story about self-discovery, belief, and hope. Using the sort of characters that fill out our modern-day mythology of childhood - Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and the Sandman - “Rise of the Guardians” follows the journey of Jack as he becomes Jack Frost and a Guardian in his own right as they protect the children of the world from Pitch Black, the Nightmare King and Boogeyman. The film manages to be both a fun romp with an incredible voice cast bringing these characters to life in unexpected ways, and an experience filled to the brim with sincere emotion, examining what makes these mythologies such important parts of our lives and what they represent for each of us.
Suggested by Christine Johnson With the classic line “If you build it, he will come,” the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” takes the viewer on an adventure of hopes and dreams. This is a movie of lost opportunities, missed connections and parallel universes. Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) hears the voice whispering those words amidst his corn fields and follows his instincts to build a baseball field in the middle of his crops, partly to connect with his dead father who loved baseball and idolized baseball blacklisted Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta). He is supported by a very understanding wife Annie (Amy Madigan), even though they could lose their farm. Ray travels to Boston, to convince author Terrence Mann (James Earl Jones) to visit their field of dreams. Ray takes this pathless journey with childlike enthusiasm that draws us in and gives us hope that life will bring us the answers we need. As we watch Ray make personal yet unexplainable connections to people along the way, we start to believe that ghosts do exist, miracles do happen, and that karma plays a real role in the decisions we make in our lives. We believe there is hope for even those that might seem unredeemable. Hopes and dreams are real. Like “Field of Dreams,” it is just up to us to keep them alive.
A Month of Hope
Suggested by Alessandra Selgi-Harrigan Starring Edward James Olmos, “Stand and Deliver” has a positive message of hope, overcoming obstacles and believing in yourself. Based on the true story of Jaime Escalante, a math teacher at a high school in East Los Angeles, who seems mildmannered, but actually has a fire in his belly. Viewers will be surprised by his teaching style. He faces obstacles but nothing seems to stop him, especially with his students, who are from working class families. No one expects the students to do well, including Escalante’s fellow teachers, but they end up performing beyond everyone’s expectations by believing in themselves and knowing they are smart enough. Throughout the film, Escalante gets to know his students and their personal struggles and when everyone suspects his students cheated, he proves everyone wrong. Escalante is the glue that keeps the students motivated. Released in 1988, this movie is still current and shows how students, when motivated, can reach goals society has not prepared them for. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips stars in this movie and was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actor. Olmos was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in his portrayal of Escalante. In 2011, this film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry and declared “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress.
Suggested by Maria Simon The 1993 movie “Rudy” is a true story of a young boy (Daniel Ruettiger) whose dream in life was to play football at Notre Dame. Unfortunately he didn’t have the grades he needed for admission, or the build or athletic gift that was needed for a spot on the famed Fighting Irish squad. Initially most people, including his family, teachers, and the football players and coaches, mocked him and told him it was an impossible dream and he should go work in the steel mills. But it wasn’t their dream, and Rudy just refuses to let go of the hope. Watching him determinedly plow through so many ups and downs with sheer will and heart eventually wins over his family, teammates, classmates, and the audience. He goes from being the team’s punching bag to their hero in the final scene that brings tears of joy and gets you on your feet - no matter how many times you watch it. It’s the kind of movie you want to show your kids early and often, and remind them that it’s a true story. It’s about being true to yourself, believing in your potential, and the ultimate lesson that only you can define your dreams. Plus there is humor and it’s just a fun movie!
Suggested by Linda L. Austin “The Blind Side” is a feel-good movie based on a true story, which is a plus for me. Released in 2009, it was a box office success despite mixed reviews. The biographical sports theme relates the story of 17-year-old Michael Oher who was a foster teenage African American, often homeless, until Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy took him home for one night - that later extended to an invitation to join their family. With little education and few skills to improve his status, the caring, affluent Mrs. Tuohy barges into every realm of his life and affords him the opportunity for success. Because of his size, he is a natural for football and expresses an interest. Motivated by Tuohy, Oher applies himself to the books with the aid of a devoted tutor and the football field with the faith of the coach, eventually becoming a first-round NFL draft pick. The movie stars Sandra Bullock who won multiple Best Actress awards including the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award. Tim McGraw stars as Sean Tuohy and Quinton Aaron as Oher.
Confessions of a Perfect(ish) Mom
Positive in Well, it happened. After 11 months of bleaching everything in sight, wearing masks, practicing social distancing, I heard the most feared words of our lifetime. My husband Chris was getting ready to leave for his volunteer shift at the COVID-19 vaccination clinic, and he nonchalantly proclaimed that he “had a funny tickle” in his Paradise By Hattie Foote throat. My first thought was “man cold” (and we all know how that goes). He had just gotten his first vaccination the week prior, so COVID wasn’t my initial reaction.
He called in sick to the clinic just to be safe, because who wants to be that guy?
We hadn’t really had a scare with this yet, so I wasn’t familiar with testing procedures. However, I quickly became an expert and found a testing site that did a rapid PCR, which apparently is the gold standard for accurate test results. I went to grab the kids from school and as we were driving home, he called and said he was positive. I was shaking, shook I tell you.
Let me start by saying I love our cozy Coronado home; it is my favorite place in the world. However, it is not set up for quarantining people. We did the best we could. We locked Chris in our bedroom, and I put the kids in my daughter’s bed, and I slept in my son’s room.
That is until my son sneezed. And sneezed. And sneezed directly into my mouth.
My stomach dropped, as the realization that we were all going down hit me. So off we went for Hunter’s rapid PCR test and surprise, surprise he was positive.
Logistically this was a nightmare. How was I supposed to isolate a 4-year-old? I notified the schools and our best friends who we do life with. First came the email from my son’s preschool notifying all the parents that there was a positive student, and they were expected to quarantine, and school was shut down for two weeks. Mortifying.
Then came the call from my daughter’s school giving me the run down on the plan of action. Lastly, the phone call from my best friend who informed me they weren’t feeling well.
The “good” news was that both Chris and Hunter did not have horrible symptoms. We were lucky, and I am forever grateful for that. I slept on the couch for two weeks. I liked to describe myself then as the exiled spouse in a loveless marriage, who drinks scotch at the Cheesecake Factory, comes home and sleeps on the couch.
I would lay there every night thinking I felt a cough or sniffle coming on, but it never came. After spending a small fortune on rapid PCR tests, my daughter and I went to the Coronado testing site a few times, which was covered by our insurance. We tested negative over and over.
The “bad” news was something I was not prepared for. Let me preface this by saying the schools are doing the best they can in an impossible situation, and they were very helpful and sympathetic to our situation. The nurse called me to let me know that Lux and I, who continued to test negative and showed zero symptoms had to quarantine 14 days from Hunters first symptom and then an additional 10 days in order for her to return to school.
Yet, everyone who tested positive around us were able to go back to school and work and we were locked in for almost two more weeks.
Sighhhhhh. I am not going to lie, it took a toll on Lux and I.
It is not normal to be locked in your house for 25 days. Being the rule followers we are, we did it and with four days left of our sentence, another nurse from the school called and said they had changed their guidelines. We scooted down to the school for one more test, and we were free!
The last two months have tested me. I found out what being on the brim of a nervous breakdown was like, and I also discovered how strong we were as a family. I sound like a broken record, but a month after losing my dad, our community once again lifted us back up on our feet in a time of need during this COVID trial. I owe a lot of you out there casseroles and wine, I promise to be there when you need it.
Stay well Coronado, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
