Ladies catch up at Garden Club luncheon

Last Updated on Monday, 23 January 2012 13:03 Written by Cathy Finnegan Friday, 20 January 2012 00:00

It was a beautiful, but cold winter day when I arrived at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for the Garden Club luncheon. I passed Dottie Cianci in the hall heading home after finishing her work for the Food Cupboard. Edith Himmelberger greeted me at the door and told me she just returned from visiting her daughter and family in Chicago over Christmas. Rae Jaffe-Mullineaux was delighted with the great turnout at the Garden Club Christmas luncheon at Smithville Inn with 44 in attendance. I enjoyed meeting Kathy Wheatcroft who moved from Marlton to Ocean City in June 2010 and keeps busy at the Ocean City Fine Arts League. Mary Geraghty hosted a big Christmas Eve party at her home. Mary Hughes had to cancel most of her Christmas activities as she had a bad leg that is still giving her problems and had it propped up on a chair. Angel Smith, co-vice president of the Garden Club, spent Christmas with her son and his family. Co-Vice President Cheryl Kelchner takes lots of pictures at the meetings and showed me the scrapbook she is making for co-Presidents Carolyn Lothian and Kathy Keefrider. Angel and Cheryl won best in show at the June flower show and have been good friends ever since. Lorraine Scott is heading for Georgia and Florida for two weeks to visit her girlfriends. Georgi Herninko, who sported a cardinal sweater and has a summer home at Ocean Reef, stayed home in Pennsylvania for Christmas to entertain her seven grandchildren. Now she’s in Ocean City visiting her sister, Cheryl.

Kathy Keefrider spent Christmas with her family in Pennsylvania and is looking forward to a six-week vacation in Florida. When I admired Hope Shaw’s red and green sequin poinsettia pin, her daughter, Joan Shaw, admitted she designed and made the pin that later was copied by Charity League for their annual pin.

Kay Reilly is still washing beach towels after her entire family took the plunge in the ocean at First Day at the beach. Evelyn Hanly had a quiet Christmas with her kids calling with their wishes and now each family will take turns coming to visit during January and February. Cecilia Unrath enjoyed Christmas with her three grandchildren in Fogelsville, Pa. Marge Roth is headed for San Diego in March when her granddaughter will receive her master’s degree. Barbara Weber, who was ready for winter in a cute snowman sweater, hosted 19 for Christmas dinner. After being sick for over six weeks, Carolyn Lothian finally started to feel better just before Christmas when husband Terry ended up in the emergency room on Christmas Eve with pneumonia. This happened after serving dinner to the homeless at the Rescue Mission in Atlantic City. While members enjoyed their bag lunch, Jean Robinson, Marge Roth and Rissa Trofa set out the snowmen table decorations and desserts on the buffet table. Mary Trueman arrived just in time to get in my last picture, however Noreen McBride and Joan Ferko missed out as they were very late due to getting too many phone calls at home. I chatted with Donna Halper as she sorted through the Aloe plants and told me she recently got together with her eighth grade classmates, class of 1956, who all went on to graduate high school together and were bridesmaids in Donna’s wedding.

Marie Platzer spent Christmas and New Year’s in Connecticut where she celebrated her grandniece Sarah’s first birthday on New Year’s Day. Donna Leone couldn’t tell me the date of the flower show as she admitted that’s husband Frank’s project. Dot Turner regaled us with the tale of when she was a guest on the Antique Road Show in Atlantic City where she showed off her Lennox tea set, which she discovered was made in 1905 and was worth between $500 and $700. This show was taped and aired two years ago and recently repeated, but Dot missed it. Dot told us she and her husband saw the tea set in Hilton Head, but she didn’t purchase it. However, after they got home, her husband called and had it sent to Dot as a Christmas gift. As Carolyn Lothian called the meeting to order and introduced the guest speaker, this columnist bid the ladies farewell and headed back to work.

A reception to meet January’s featured artist, Christine Lockwood McPartland, was held recently at the Arts Center. While I checked out the lovely pastel, watercolor and acrylic paintings throughout the gallery, I got up close and personal with Christine and her husband, Michael, who have been married 42 years and friends since childhood. Christine was a nurse and in hospital administration while Michael was in human resources at Smith Kline. Christine and Michael have sand in their shoes growing up on Rockaway Beach and moved to Ocean City in 1991, living here year round for the past 15 years. While Christine keeps busy with her painting and Ocean City Library discussion group, Michael loves relaxing on the golf course. Noel Wirth and Kathy Giel arrived at the reception with a beautiful flower arrangement for Christine. Kathy showed off her Picasso scarf that she got in Spain to Dot Turner and Peggy Lloyd. I enjoyed catching up with Dave Sullivan, who after working the past 35 years for the U.S. Postal Service, is looking forward to going out with a big bang this year on the Fourth of July. Marion Talese told me she just saw a great movie “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” Mary and Warren Hughes brought their son, Scott, and their three blond granddaughters to the reception; proud grandfather told me they are all perfect and get straight A’s in school. Artist, Lance Balderson, stopped by along with a large contingent from the Art League and Lance told me he set up the entire exhibit for Christine. Thanks to Ralph Cooper, who told me how much he enjoys my column. When I took a picture of Alisa and Al Harris, Lance Balderson and Don Smedley, they all admitted they were Penn State alumni. Don reports his mom and three sons also went to Penn State. Arts Center Director Roz Lifshin told me the Arts Center is having a great winter session with many children’s classes filling up. Before heading home, Diane and John Van Stone and I enjoyed watching Mary Yoa ballroom dance with her instructor Edward Fischer then chatted with Joe Iudica when he arrived for the 8 p.m. dance class.

Kathy Keefrider, Hope and Joan Shaw, Rae Jaffe-Mullineaux and Kathy Wheatcroft smile for the camera at the Garden Club luncheon. Kay Reilly, Evelyn Hanly, Cecilia Unrath, Marge Roth, Barbara Weber and Carolyn Lothian line up at the Garden Club luncheon. Marie Platzer, Edith Himmelberger and Donna Leone, seated, enjoy the Garden Club luncheon with Dot Turner, Donna Hapler, Mary Trueman, Rissa Trofa and Jean Robinson. Artist Christine Lockwood McPartland, second from left, poses with daughter-in-law and son Jennifer and Myles McPartland, husband Michael McPartland and friends Kathy Giel and Noel Wirth. Dave and Lynn Sullivan, Carla Migliaccio, Roz Lifshin, Peggy Lloyd and Jack Devine get together at the Arts Center reception. John and Diane Van Stone, Marion Talese, Cathy Finnegan and Warren Hughes check out paintings at the Arts Center reception. Al and Alisa Harris, Lance Balderson and Connie and Don Smedley enjoy the Arts Center’s meet the artist reception.