Not as frenetic as last Saturday, but this Saturday was a day of much community activity (So what’s new?)…
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Thai CDC Strategic Board/Staff Planning Retreat
Saturday morning was spent at the Hollywest Apartments’ multipurpose room as Thai CDC had the first part of its board and staff retreat. As a member of its Board of Directors, I joined fellow boardmembers and members of the nonprofit’s staff as we collaboratively spent the half-day doing strategic planning for the next several years. One of the “aha” moments brought on by facilitator Tom Hayashi was that the organization needed to formulate a clear and definite “Vision Statement,” which is separate (yet related) to its Mission Statement.
I volunteered to join an ad-hoc committee with two other boardmembers and our executive director to draft it. The retreat continues with the second part in early June.
4 p.m. – 5 p.m.: A Little Library Gardening
Later that afternoon, I went over to the Cahuenga Branch Library to catch the end of their booksale – not to purchase any books, but to catch up with Sylvia Guttierez, who leads the Friends of the Cahuenga Library group. I needed to talk to her about our grant application for Council District 13’s Clean and Connected Communities grant that I was putting together, and getting their formal endorsement. Though they don’t plan to meet until May, She agreed to have the Friends Of The Library group be a partner in the beautification project.
Since it didn’t really rain the past week like it was forecast, I watered some of the native plants in our garden at the Library, mainly the baby California Golden Poppies in the front. I also pulled out some Common Mallow and other unsightly weeds that were sprouting out of the front planters. And since it was there, I made a mini (micro?) clean-up out of it, taking out the bits of trash in front of the Library.
Interesting thing – the wastebasket at the Santa Monica/Madison Metro Bus stop was overflowing as I arrived, but when I tended to the plants, it was emptied, with a new bag. I guess they made their infrequent rounds when I wasn’t looking!
At the back of the Library, I watered the sage garden in the rear entryway. I also discovered that one of the irises (a Pacific Coast Hybrid “Rubies” variety) in the back had begun to flower already:
The first iris bloom at the Cahuenga Library Gardens!
I also noticed that the lone Hummingbird Sage I planted after Park[ing] Day in September had really flourished. I mean it was all over the place:
New plants of this variety spring up from rhizomes underground. I need to learn how to divide them so I can plant them elsewhere. I’m still a n00b at this gardening thing, so bear with me!
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