32nd Annual Cathedral Flower Festival~

Our Glenwood Garden Club, had planned a trip to attend this incredibly beautiful event at the Saint Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha.  The sky was blue, sun was yellow & air was fresh, if chilly when we arrived!  We found a parking spot & were some of the first to be welcomed inside!  Several young men were available to lend a helping hand or arm to some of the more elderly attendees.  (The Cathedral Arts Project mission - is to bring the arts to the heart of the city.") 

Entrance to Saint Cecilia Cathedral~

 Very well organized, all the halls around the sanctuary were lined with exhibits!  Many of the vestibules too - were decorated with an amazing assortment of floral arrangements!  This year's theme was A Shared Story - Nebraska at 150-years. 

"There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before."  - Wilia Carher

 Each display had a informational board, explaining what the designs signified & what part of Nebraska's history was depicted.

Hanging from the ceiling!

 To be in such an amazing, historic place, so full of grace, with the choir singing & organ playing was almost dizzying in it's grandeur.

Such incredible mixing of perfect blooms~

 I took over 100 photos - just a few of the highlights here ~

One of the many informative signs~

 When Clara entered this room ahead of me, I heard her exclaim, but I certainly didn't expect to see a saddle!  Why not though!  Without horses, the ranchers would have had a much tougher job.

The depiction~

 It must take an army of volunteers to put these scenes together - the flowers were so fresh I just can't imagine the work it takes to grow them, have them bloom at the right time, deliver & arrange them all!

One of my very favorites :-)

 Without the cattlemen & ranchers, we'd all be wondering where the beef is :-) 

Impressive statistics~

 Many famous people were represented too...

The West!  I was surprised to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show!   Lookout Mountain, outside Golden, CO still claims to be his true resting place, but stories abound!

Bill would have been surprised!

 As the morning progressed - we worked our way around - Clara & I stopped many times to take photos.

One of the larger displays~

The Railroads - of course played a huge part in the growth of Omaha & our country.

Simply beautiful~

 Leaving the Cathedral, we entered the Msgr. Ernest Graham Building.  Here - we visited the Art Gallery & Gift Shop - where we purchased fresh cut flowers!  In the cafeteria, where large windows gave views of the surrounding neighborhood, we enjoyed a catered luncheon.  The hot chicken dumpling soup was perfect on a cold winter day!  If I mention the desserts...  yes...  We shared one of the huge, home made pecan rolls!

Looking at one end of the Church~

As we were driving in Omaha, with no traffic, I had to ask if we were in the center of town & we were.  Even with the new buildings & evident growth - it's still so easy to get just about anywhere.  Stop lights timed to turn green as you approach - no long waits & again I'm just shocked at how accessible things here are.   What an enjoyable day!