After a week of light snow, cold & cloudy gray days, it was a beautiful sunny morning with temperatures in the mid-20's. Laura & I met in town. We waited a few minutes to see if anyone else from our Garden Club would appear to car pool, but today we were on our own. Several members had mentioned that this was something the club had attended before. My response was; "Where
else can we go the end of January, to see amazing fresh flower arrangements, staged in the most beautiful Cathedral in Omaha?"
What's become
my annual visit to St. Cecilia's Cathedral, for the
flower festival, didn't disappoint. A trip to this event has been on our Garden Club calendar for several years now. My first visit was in
January of 2017.
Each year - the theme changes - too. This year; "For Everything a Season", set the stage for the arrangements incorporated into a variety of design elements. The
Cathedral Arts Project receives no funding from the Cathedral or the Archdiocese. All events are free to the public & underwritten by the patrons & free-will gifts.
The displays are a testimony to the hours of volunteer time involved.
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| Partridge in a Pear Tree~ |
I'm always so busy admiring all the fresh flowers, I don't take photos of the informational placards.
One of rooms to the side of the nave, held three displays of decorated Christmas trees, each more unusual than the last.
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| Christmas~ |
The theme here, was obvious! So beautifully done!
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| A time to marry~ |
The dress below was stunning & gorgeous enough to wear!
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| Evergreen ball gown~ |
I didn't bring my camera. Instead I was trying out the camera on my new phone.
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| Spectacular arrangement~ |
Below - another holiday that we all know well! Laura calls it; "Single person appreciation day!" Several ladies who overheard - laughed out loud!
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| Flowers & Candy! |
The Whitman's box of candies would last me a year!
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| Magnificent blooms~ |
How all of these plants & arrangements are transported without damaging the leaves, blooms etc., is a mystery to me. Especially in temperatures close to freezing, even at the warmest time of day. There wasn't a wilted bloom or crushed leaf anywhere.
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| Laura ~ |
The above display took a large section of the isle.
The
Chinese New Year has been so in the news this year, with the virus outbreak & resulting media attention. Here - it was all about the beauty of the celebration.
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| My favorite colors~ |
All of the displays assaulted your senses with their vibrancy! A children's choir was singing in the nave & almost all the pews occupied. We'd arrived early, just ahead of the rush, which gave us time to take photos without blocking the flow of visitors.
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| Green Gladiolas~ |
We walked over to the
Cultural Center & Art Gallery building for lunch, with the catering provided by
Wheatfields. It's always hard to walk away without buying something sweet! We shared a
Kolache, making me determined to pull out Grandma's recipe & make a batch!
We cruised through the gift shop - where Laura bought a beautiful Cyclamen. I came home with a bunch of green blooming Gladiola's - adding a bright spot to the dining room. Both of us returned to Glenwood, very happy to have had such a colorful break from winter gray! It wasn't long, until the morning sun was replaced by the cloud cover that's been sticking with us for a few days now.
What a lovely lovely outing!
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