With Athena

Well, Valentine’s Day is over and I hope you all had a nice one. It won’t be long until St. Patrick’s Day and the parade on Franklin Avenue will take place on Sunday, March 6th and dollars to doughnuts (green ones of course) you will find the smiling Irish eyes of Kathleen Mullooly somewhere either in the parade or cheering them on from the sidelines. This is a good warm up for the one next week in New York City.

The Groundhog aside, my snowdrops are showing color and my daffodils are up about an inch and a half. They are getting ready to greet the Easter Bunny and so am I. It’s time for my annual statement! Take down the Christmas Wreaths. When they turn brown (and all the live ones have) they are dead so give them a decent burial. If they are still green, they are artificial and you can put them away for next year.

Nancy Fardelman did a wonderful Memorial Retrospective of her late brother’s pastels of scenes of Southampton and other places on the East End at the Garden City Library. Do go and see them, they are delightful and very restful. Good work Nancy!

There was a good turnout for the Community Club Art Department program on Romantic Imagery and The Lost Cause (The Civil War period). Among those enjoying the afternoon were Carol Countryman, Maureen Fraser, Marcia O’Brien, Nancy Farlelman, and Gladys Clemmensen among many others.

It was a program that really got you thinking and we have Louise Abitable the Chairlady and her department members to thank for it.

Jack Renouard attended the Monday Movie Matinee at the Library with his wife along with Tom Richmond, who give the introduction to the movie, and his wife Sally. Jack has been under the weather for some time, but he is definitely looking forward to doing his pool walk (and talk) with his friends this coming summer. We will all be happy to welcome you back as you were missed by one and all of the pool walkers.

February is Presidents’ month what with Lincoln’s Birthday on the 12th and Washington’s on the 22nd and it is also the month when the American Legion holds their Oratorical Zone Contest. The Zone contest was held this year at Hofstra University and the winners of this contest will go to the State contest and then to the National contest. As always it is based on the Constitution of the United States and among the four judges this year was Muriel Urban, who had judged for a number of years before. The National winner gets between $18,000 and $22,000 dollars in Scholarship money paid to the school of their choice. the contestants were all excellent and the judges had their work cut out for them but were very pleased with what they saw.

Again we have a number of Wedding Anniversaries being celebrated during this month and among them were Lesley and Pat Merola, and Rosalie and Walter Miceli, who are celebrating 50 plus years of wedded bliss. May both of the happy couples have a wonderful day and year filled with good health and much happiness with many more years to come.

February has been a busy month for Linda and Bob Wagner, who are busy planning the wedding of their daughter on March 5th at the Garden City Community Church. All those who have planned weddings will have a spot in their hearts for the parents of the happy couple to be what with all that goes into the big event. May all go well and the day be a fair one for the happy couple.

Donna Selover is at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset and would welcome some Get Well cards from her friends here in town. Remember, they really do help when you are not feeling that good.

The ladies of the Woman’s Auxiliary of our American Legion Post under Joan Nedelka, are busy planning their 86th Birthday Party of the American Legion with a date of Sunday, March 13th at the Senior Recreation Center from 12:30 to 5 p.m. The party will feature a hot meal of Turkey, Pot Roast, and all the fixin’s, along with Dessert and Coffee or Tea. Rose Forgione will be accepting reservations in the amount of $17 per person made payable to American Legion Auxiliary Unit #265 and sent to her at 100 Tanners Pond Road, Garden City, N.Y. 11530. If you want to play cards, bring your own and tables will be available.

On Monday we will celebrate President’s Day, but Washington’s Birthday is the 22nd. I can highly recommend “Founding Fathers” by Richard Brookhiser along with “Washington’s Lady” by Beeke, Elswyth Thane. Both are good reads and will make celebrating his Birthday more meaningful.

Have a happy and I’ll see you next week.