Thoughts from Friends: Natalie Gordon

Thoughts from Friends

Below is an inspirational message from Friend Natalie Gordon.

Audrey Hepburn once said, "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

These days, there is a strong preoccupation with tomorrow. Questions like, "When will we get a vaccine?" or "When will life return to some form of normal?" dominate nearly every headline. And while the often-devastating news rages on outside our doors, many of us remain at home, hoping for a brighter tomorrow.

According to Audrey Hepburn, planting a garden is an investment in the future. You sprinkle seeds in the hope that they grow into fabulous flowers and timeless trees. You plant, water, trim, prune, and maintain all so there is more beauty and nature in the world tomorrow. Nearly everything about gardening is for the future. It's an act of hope.

While I am sure many of us are grateful for myriad things this year, I am equally sure that 2020 has presented us each with a number of challenging days. And it is on these days, where a happier tomorrow seems so remote, that I want you to remember the Virginia Robinson Gardens. You know the place, with its verdant Great Lawn, peacefully swaying palm trees as towering as giants, and pool that looks ready for Esther Williams to emerge from its shimmering depths.

None of us were alive when the Robinsons first planted their garden. And yet here we are, in the future, helping keep the garden alive. We are the stewards of their little act of hope, and it is our job to preserve it for the people who will come to experience its magic in the future.

So, while the future still seems uncertain, while hugs and kisses may be a ways off, and while life might not be normal for some time to come, look towards the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Look at the lofty trees or lush garden of roses and take it as proof that someone else believed in tomorrow. And when our brighter tomorrow comes, I'll be at the Gardens. I'm excited to see you there.

The recipe below for delicious ginger cookies comes from one of our wonderful bakers, Elaine Stein

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Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup molasses - Grandma's Molasses
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar for rolling

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper - set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds with electric mixer. Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
  4. Add egg and molasses, and beat on medium low speed until combined.
  5. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Gradually add to the sugar-molasses mixture, and beat on low till combined.
  6. Place ¼ cup of sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop cookie dough with a medium size cookie scoop, and place directly on the sugar. Roll a few times, and then form a ball in your hands. Place on a cookie sheet, leaving about 2" of space between cookies.
  7. Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool for 2 minutes on the sheet. Transfer cookies to cooling rack.

This week we can all enjoy these photos from President Betty Goldstein's lovely garden.

We ask that you share photos of what is growing in your garden too. Just send them to our office at [email protected].

With open arms, the FRG family welcomes our two newest members..."The Precious Peas"..Phoebe and Penny. We congratulate Keeley and Juliana on the birth of their cherished little daughters. We all look forward to being able to wander on the Great Lawn with them soon.

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