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Quality Time
April Showers Bring May Flowers
By Georgiana Lee
The weather has been absolutely lovely, at least where I live and I hope where you live also, with just enough sunshine and plenty of flowers and birds and those other nice outdoorsy things the poets have been talking about for ages. I was thinking that since Mother's Day is this weekend it might be nice to take your mother, or your sister, or your aunt, or your daughter, or your cousin, or possibly yourself to the arboretum to celebrate. Luckily for me several arboretums also thought this was an excellent idea and have various programs and brunches already planned.
Although it's too late to register for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum's brunch, you can still make plans to attend the free Mother’s Day Walk, called the Arboretum Sampler. The walk starts at one p.m. on May 11th, takes about an hour, and will encompass a wetland, a woodland and a prairie. Afterwards you can take Mom to the Longenecker Gardens to enjoy magnolias, lilacs, crabapples and other flowering trees. A naturalist will be on hand answering questions until three. Directions and more information can be found here.
The Dallas Arboretum is having a fancy shindig which includes a smoked salmon display, but make sure Mom is dressed for the occasion before you leave the house because their hard to navigate website specifically outlaws changing your clothes in the restrooms. (Why do they need this rule? I'm afraid to ask.) You're also not allowed to bring any noise making devices so leave those tambourines and maracas at home. The brunch is also serving mimosas and bloody marys however, so maybe that makes up for it. For seating times and other information see aforementioned hard to navigate website.
The Arboretum at Flagstaff has a rather terrifying proposition. Their website states that Mother Nature herself will be in attendance on Mother's Day, from nine a.m. to one p.m., "greeting all mothers with a flower and special welcome." (Emphasis mine.) I'm not sure that meeting Mother Nature is a good idea. Recent headlines indicate that she would be in a very grumpy mood indeed. What if she wants your mom to explain why the Pacific sardine is on the verge of extinction? That could be a very awkward conversation. But if your mom is brave you'll be pleased to know that admission is free.
The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains offers quite a nice weekend getaway that includes a Mother's Day luncheon with a special guest, Duncan Hines, someone who I hadn't realized was a) a real person or b) still alive*. If you have a traditional sort of mother who likes cooking, flowers and overnight stays in a whirlpool suite, this could be the perfect gift. You also get to attend a Planting a Monarch Waystation class. I'm just wondering if they mean the butterfly or actual royalty…
Willowwood at Morris County in New Jersey is having a Mother's Day bash from one to four p.m. on May 11th. You and Mom can explore on your own or you can take a tour with a member of the staff. I would probably opt for that one just so I could learn the names of some of the spring flowers that will be rioting everywhere. (Rioting in a totally safe way of course.) This event is free and you're welcome to bring a picnic. Directions and more information can be found here.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is hosting several events, including a Mother's Day hike on the tenth in the Celebration Garden. (Doesn't that sound like something out of Dr. Seuss, or perhaps Alice in Wonderland? I think everyone should have a celebration garden.) There will be a two day Mother's Day geranium show, running from the tenth through the eleventh, in Ayres Hall and Gate. And finally there will be a Mother's Day hike and tea on Monday the nineteenth, in the Celebration Garden, possibly for all the Moms who were too busy to come to the on the tenth. More information can be found here.
While not specifically a Mother's Day event, Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University does take place on Mother's Day, so you can kind of fake it. This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the event so the celebration should be even more spectacular than usual. Be sure to pack a lunch as this is the only day of the year you're allowed to picnic in the gardens. There are lots of events planned; several kinds of dancing including belly and morris, and things like a fragrance guessing game. That one sounds a bit dangerous, I can think of plenty of outdoor smells I would prefer to avoid. More information can be found here.
And finally if you and Mom would like to do something a little different, try the Mother's Day tour of the ScharffenBerger Chocolate Factory sponsored by the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society. The website states that no golden tickets are required, this is not the ordinary tour, this is a very special fancy one-of-a-kind tour and there will be a master chocolatier in attendance. (Golly, just think how much chocolate you'd have to eat to become a master. I don't think I've ever managed to get out of the apprentice class.) The event takes place on Sun, May 11, at 1:30 p.m.
One-Paragraph Review
This week's one-paragraph review is from ZBOWL, who wrote in to tell us about a movie that is now out on DVD. "If you have the chance to watch "CLOVERFIELD"…..DON'T!!!!! Life is too short and you can't get that time back. If you liked Blair Witch you might like this, if you don't like first person, handheld cameras, DON'T!" Have you got a one-paragraph (or smaller) review you'd like to share? Send it in to me and I'll run the most interesting ones. You can reach me at georgiana.lee@sourcemedia.com.
This website says that Mr. Hines is in fact deceased. Does the arboretum plan to host an actor playing the part? Is there another Mr. Hines? Or will there be a séance? If anyone attends this event I would love to know the details. As long as they aren't so scary they keep me up at night.
More Quality Time columns by Georgiana Lee.
Boomer Box
Reviews for baby boomers that still listen to music
BOOMER BOX is taking a break while its author starts up a new publication
for SourceMedia. But all previous columns are on archive and available
for viewing by clicking here. The first reader to find a reference to the 60s band ? and the Mysterians will win
a free lunch with the author and Beyonce (assuming I can convince her).
Click here
for the Boomer Box archive.
Smorgasbord
A Listing of ten intriguing events happening now.
By Georgiana Lee
"Speed Racer" - Everywhere
Opens May 9
The Wachowski brothers, of The
Matrix fame, team up with Emile Hirsch as Speed and Christina Ricci as
Trixie in this adaptation of the famous television series. In theaters everywhere May 9. Rated PG. Trailer found here. For tickets or more information visit http://movies.yahoo.com or http://www.fandango.com.
"What Happens in Vegas" - Everywhere
Opens May 9
Two strangers, Cameron Diaz and Ashton Ashton Kutcher wake up married
in Las Vegas. But wait, there's more, they also won an enormous jackpot and a judge sentences them to stay married
for six months. Cruelty ensures. Rated PG-13. Trailer found here. For tickets or more information visit
http://movies.yahoo.com or http://www.fandango.com.
"Colorful World (a superhero play)" - New York
Through May 31
Nosedive Productions presents a new play deconstructing the superhero
genre. It's 2005. A superhero walks the earth. The Twin Towers are still standing. The Iraq War is almost over.
Can the world get any worse? At the 78th Street Theatre Lab (236 West 78th Street @ Broadway). For tickets or
more information visit http://www.theatermania.com/content/show.cfm/show/142889.
Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival - Los Angeles
May 8-15
This year's festival features dramas, comedies, documentaries and short
films. The categories are: conflicts and issues, tradition and identity, history and legacy, coming of age and
inspiration. Special guests include Theodore Bikel and Joan Rivers. For more information visit http://www.lajfilmfest.org/.
Bluegrass and BBQ Festival - Branson, MO
May 10-June 1
There will be music (from the likes of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), competitions,
rides and attractions, arts and crafts and of course enough BBQ for even the most avid fancier at the the self
proclaimed "Midwest's Biggest Bluegrass & BBQ Gathering." For more information visit http://www.bransonsilverdollarcity.com/mini-section/default.aspx?id=10.
Neverwhere, A Circus Underground - Evanston, IL
Through June 1
The Actor's Gymnasium's presents an original, circus adaptation of Neil
Gaiman's novel, Neverwhere, adapted
and directed by Nathan Drackett. When Richard Mayhew helps an injured girl he vanishes from his ordinary life and
ends up in London Below, a terrifying and fascinating magical, feudal world. Determined to help her, he joins her
band and faces challenges he is ill equipped to handle. The Actor's Gymnasium brings to life this tale of magic,
shadows, heroism, and friendship.. At the Actors Gymnasium 927 Noyes Street. For tickets or more information visit
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/29695.
Creig Flessel Exhibit - San Francisco
Through June 8
The Cartoon Art Museum opened a special exhibit honoring the life and
work of cartoonist Creig Flessel on his 96th birthday. Mr. Flessel began working for DC comics in 1935 and worked
titles like Detective Comics and
and More Fun Comics. He is the
recipient of many awards, including the National Cartoonists Society Silver T-Square Award for Extraordinary Service.
At the Cartoon Art Museum 655 Mission Street. For more information visit http://www.cartoonart.org/.
Baby Otters - Tacoma, WA
Ongoing
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is proud to announce the debut of three
Asian Small-Clawed Otter babies. Born on Super Bowl Sunday, the triplets, Mac, Hank and Charlie are on on exhibit
in the Asian Forest Sanctuary. They are members of the smallest otter family in the world and parents Chunk and
Denali are rumored to be very proud. http://www.pdza.org/.
Gustave Courbet - New York
Through May 18
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents the first full retrospective of
the French artist Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) in thirty years. The exhibit consists of 130 works by the creator
of the Realism school of painting as well as relevant nineteenth-century photographs that pertain to his work.
Featured works include the vibrant "The Desperate Man," the scandalous "Young Ladies on the Banks
of the Seine" and the powerful "The Wave." For more information visit http://www.metmuseum.org/home.asp.
George Washington Carver - Chicago
Through July 6
While mostly known for his revolutionary approach to the lowly peanut,
George Washington Carver was a scientist and inventor who laid the groundwork that is used today in the green movement.
This exhibition at the Field Museum in Chicago looks at the many contributions this great man made, from organic
farming to plant based cleansers to home improvement. With more than a hundred artifacts, videos and interactive
displays, the exhibit traces his life path that led him from a small frontier town to his eventual place as a teacher
and researcher at the Tuskegee Institute. On 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr. For more information visit http://www.fieldmuseum.org/carver/.
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