Open the Hatch - A Blessing for a New Opening In Life

On May 2nd, our church, the First Unitarian Society, called the Rev. Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson to be our Co-minister. He, along with Rev. Kelly Crocker, will have co-equal status as senior ministers and will function as a team.  Kelly just celebrated her twentieth year as our minister, starting as a contracted assistant minister.  

Kelly AJ, as he will be referred to, handed me this poem during a "drive through welcoming event" after the congregation overwhelmingly voted to call him. He wrote the poem. The poem expresses the promise of our new type of ministry as well as the promise and challenge as we continue to transition from the pandemic. 

A Blessing for a New Opening in Life

The scent and beauty of the flower,
Is formed out of light, and water, and earth; 

It is not all contained within the seed, 

Yet the idea of it is.
With each moment that opens before us,
We cannot know all that will come after;
Nevertheless, we can choose to make a beginning.
May the way become clear,
But rather than wait until it does:
Let us plant the seed,
Draw the breath, 

Set out upon the journey, 

And open the hatch.

The journey of caring for Prospect Gardens continues. The hatch was initially opened twelve years ago and with each spring the hatch is reopened. 

On a balmy Saturday, May 22nd, seven volunteers joined Ann B. and I.  A perfect late spring day with a light breeze that made for comfortable weeding. West High School Leo Club members returned once again. 

Here they are tackling Bishops Weed. Misha is on the right, Sydney in the middle, and Olivia on the left. Misha was with us during our last work session while this was the first time for Sydney and Olivia. The three quickly and effectively removed the tenacious Bishops Weed. Thank you.

  

Sydney and Misha on a well deserved break under a blue sky with white fluffy clouds. 

Olivia during a break. Come back again. You are now an experienced Prospect Gardens caretaker. 

And here's Sydney striking a pose. You too are now an experienced Prospect Gardens caretaker and we would so welcome your return.

All three Leo Club members are sophomores ending a very unique year. Next school year will have new beginnings and offer opportunities for opening hatches. May you all enjoy the summer.

Annette, a nearby neighbor, joined the gang. This was Annette's first time. Thank you, Annette.  You are a quick learner and now an intrepid volunteer. We will welcome you any time you have the urge to garden. 

Hanns, an experienced volunteer, focused on removing the fading dandelions from throughout the Gardens. I always enjoy Hanns' humor and wit. Glad to be gardening with you again.  Thank you.

Here's Nick busy pulling--- guess what---- Bishops Weed! Thank you Nick for once again tackling the self-renewing Bishops Weed. This year is an especially good one for Bishops Weed. Some have flowered and the lacy blooms are pretty.  Oh my.....am I developing a soft spot for this challenging weed? 

Laura and my wife, Ann B., the two remaining volunteers, escaped my prying camera. Thank you to both of you.  Ann B.  makes sure we take a break with treats. I affectionately call her the "union steward."

Also contributing to the Gardens and not pictured are nearby

neighbors, Marcia and Jim. The couple, without being asked, have weeded and mulched for several years the Peg Arnold memorial garden. This year they mulched the area under one of the cherry trees. They provided the mulch for both areas and  for another section which I reconfigured. Their generosity is greatly appreciated. Plus our chats are always enjoyable. Thank you for being good neighbors. 

Twelve years ago when Steve A. and I were planning the Gardens, we talked about including art. Quite spontaneously four sculptures by Marcia's beloved sister, Patty, are now installed. 

This piece is made of white marble and rests against a rock I brought in when the memorial garden was developed. The little birds, which Marcia added, are just the right items.  

The circle of the sculpture reminds of a hatch. I wonder where in leads to?  What does the sculpture evoke in you?

This piece is a porotype for a large sculpture that Patty never completed before she died in her mid-sixties. It would have been at least four feet tall. 

I said that Patty's sculptures spontaneously became part of the Gardens. On a Saturday morning, I arrived early to plant two wine cups (callirhoe involucrata) donated by Jane H., a nearby neighbor, and to finish mulching the section that I reconstructed. Thank you Jane for your special gift. 

While I was picking up the mulch from Marcia and Jim's driveway, we begin to chat.  During our chat, Marcia mentioned her beloved sister, Patty. Well, one thing led to another, and to harken back to the poem, the hatch opened and art made its way into the Gardens. 

Here's Patty with the fifth piece that may be installed in the Gardens. It's white marble and Marcia says it's heavy. How to situate the heavy piece and how to move it into the Gardens could be challenging.  

How Patty's art became part of the Gardens fits a pattern I have experienced throughout the history of the Gardens. Hatches open and things appear at the right moment. 

Here's  another example of how  things appear at the right moment. It's a mobile of pottery bells and beads which now compliments the nine bark blossoms that spill over the old weathered picket fence.

A few days ago, Ann B. and I met Sandy, the crew chief of Glenway Prairie, to dig up Pennsylvania Sedge and prairie Jacob's Ladder. These were to be transplanted into Prospect Gardens.  

When we finished digging the plants, a man came walking by and stopped to talk first with Ann B., and then Sandy and I joined in. He was carrying the mobile. He asked Ann B. for directions to the nearest gas station which Ann B. relayed to me. I asked if he needed a bathroom. He replied "no" and was looking for a job. Perhaps he was homeless and I never asked. Sandy and I gave directions to the nearest gas station which is on Speedway. 

I like mobiles and have made a few. So his mobile caught my attention. I said something to the effect, "That's an interesting mobile."  In a soft voice he asked if I would like to have it and that he would accept any offered sum. Ann B. and I quickly agreed, and I handed him ten dollars.  He thanked us, smiled and left in the direction towards the gas station on Speedway while saying: "God bless you."  

Here's Sandy after we dug up the plants.

Still another "open the hatch" experience is the June 1st work session with a crew of seven young men from Operation Fresh Start (OFS) and their two leaders. Maddie, City Engineering's Green Space Coordinator, provided the crew. OFS is a program that serves youth ages 16-24.  Thank you Maddie. 

Here is the hard working crew. Robby, the newest Conservation Supervisor, is standing in the front, left side. Starting at the top left on the stairs is Juan, Taylor, the experienced Conservation Supervisor , Axel, and Muntadher.  In the middle of the stairs and sitting is Mitchell, his first day in the program. Next to him is Reece and in front of Reece is David.  Standing on the right is Alexis. 

              

After introductions were made and a brief orientation, the crew went to work. Under Robby's guidance, a group cleared out several different kinds of weeds along the Regent side. Robby first identified several weeds, pulled them out, laid them in row, and then told his students about each one. This helped his charges to tell which weeds to pull.

Another group worked with Taylor to remove ditch lilies that encircled a cherry tree. Digging ditch lilies is definitely a young person's job. Many of the removed lilies were there when the trains slowly passed by. Tubers are numerous, compacted and deeply rooted. Just when you think you got them all, more turn up as you dig deeper. 

Weeding and digging those hardy ditch lilies saved me so much time and labor. Plus now air circulates around and through the cherry tree. Please come back when the cherries are ripe. The ripe raspberries will also be waiting for you. You all deserve these treats.

Here's David during a well deserved break. I sense that you and other OFS crew members understand one of  the messages within Rev. Kelly AJ's poem. 

"With each moment that opens before us,
We cannot know all that will come after;
Nevertheless, we can choose to make a beginning."

Muntadher looks relaxed after working hard. The best to you and to your fellow crew members. All of you have opened hatches. It was a pleasure spending a sunny late spring morning with all of you.

Spider Wort 

 Here are pictures of seven plants that are benefiting from the generosity of all the mentioned volunteers. 

Golden Alexander 

Blue Indigo 

Milk Weed Loved By Monarchs

A Species of Lilac 

A Species of Primrose 

Columbine 

  

 

 

The columbine, the golden alexanders, and lilacs are fading. Summer and fall plants are waiting for their time in the sun. 

May and June offer new beginnings for our graduating youth.  Here's my nephew Vince celebrating the college graduation of his oldest son, Cole. Several weeks later, Luke (on the left) graduated from high school. His brother Ben (on the far right) has already graduated and is involved in body building competitions.  As my brother, Leo and the boys' Grandfather, often said: "Fine boys." And indeed they are. 

In 1962 I graduated from Pulaski High. Here I am with my mother. That was a year of several new beginnings and the way was not always clear. 

In April, 1962, the family farm was sold. Along with my younger brothers, Ernie and Louie, we moved into Pulaski on Front Street across from the high school. Louie worked for the Red Owl grocery store in Pulaski. I first packed pickles for John Wood's Pickle-Right and then the bean factory before going to the then Stevens Point State College. I disliked Stevens Point. After one semester, and unclear about the future, I transferred to a two year UW Center that is now the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I lived at home and commuted to the Green Bay campus.

The way became clear as I entered my junior year and enrolled at the UW-Madison. My friend Lester and I arrived in Madison in his 1957 green Chevy. Lester kept that car spotlessly clean. I still recall my excitement as we traveled down Johnson Street, heading toward the University and moving into an apartment shared with my brother, Tom, Lester and Vedo, a Ph.D. student. We lived in an apartment with two large rooms. 

Lester and I slept in bunk beds and Tom in a bed on the opposite side. Vedo created a space for his single bed in the corner of the second room that also had a kitchen. His space was surrounded by his beloved books. Vedo had a large briefcase to carry his books. Briefcases were very popular. My budget did not allow for one.

We always made it a point to have dinner together. Weekly we rotated who would cook and who would do the shopping. If I recall right, this was Vedo's stipulation.    

I knew I would complete my degree as I went from building to building to register and appear in front of tables staffed with individuals. If a class was open, you signed a sheet and handed in a punch computer card. If not opened, you scrambled to find an alternative.  Beforehand, I carefully mapped out the locations of the several buildings spread across campus involved in the chase for classes.  

After I completed registration, I sat at the base of the Lincoln statute taking in the view and savoring being in Madison. Another student approached me and asked me for assistance because he was having a difficult time registering and couldn't find the next building to hopefully enroll in a class. I offered assistance while feeling confident about the journey that lay ahead. 

Now here I am reminiscing about the past and noticing instances of Kelly AJ's poem.  At this moment I am once again drawn to these phrases: 

"Draw the breath, 

Set out upon the journey, 

And open the hatch." 

So the journey continues and another 90 degree day unfolds. Ride the Drive, a biking event on the closed streets of our neighborhood, is now history. I rode the two mile course along with many others, including parents and their children. 

I close with sharing these two small painted rocks that I unexpectedly found in Prospect Gardens. Katie, a neighbor, thinks a little girl on the next block created them. Katie say it's the latest ritual stressing sharing. When you find a painted rock,  you are to leave one of your own that you decorated.