Mother’s Day can always bring out a lot of emotions, whether celebrated on the path around the Falls or another location that requires travel time. The emotions can be especially strong for those who are celebrating the day for the first time or two after one’s mother has passed away. Equally strong emotions can be experienced by those who are celebrating as first-time mothers.
Regardless of the particular status, Mother’s Day is an important family time for many. Many people make a special effort to be with their moms if there are reasonable travel distances. If a physical visit was not possible, most moms expected a phone call. In the past, statistics have been reported indicating that phone companies experienced the highest volume of phone calls on Mother’s Day.
This year those media reports were not very prominent, if they were even announced. Perhaps it is due to the fact that phone calls are much more difficult to track, given the migration away from land lines with cell phones and various types of Internet-based messaging. Now the pattern seems to be posting of Facebook messages and pictures of those gatherings. Much wider audiences are reached with those messages today.
Mother’s Day celebrations can take a number of different forms. The Mother’s Day brunch can be one of the more popular forms. Overflow parking was observed while on a midday drive past the Holiday Inn at Kelly Lake.
Saturday’s Steinway Centerstage XII concert paid tribute to Mother’s Day. This event made a complete dozen concerts featuring young pianists, along with a featured accomplished professional as the final act. The intent of the concerts was to showcase a range of keyboard talent, along with raising contributions for the Steinway Challenge, an effort to provide a 50 percent match for purchasing the Steinway.
This year’s event came as the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of “The Sound of Music.” Readers will recall the true story of the Von Trapp family and the loss of their mother. The governess who is brought on board to help manage the children turns to music as a means to bring the family together. The plot uses a stage performance as the trigger for an escape from Nazi-controlled Austria. That sequence includes the line, “So long, farewell,” as the family makes its exit from the stage and off to freedom, which eventually led to America.
The line is also appropriate, as this was the final Steinway Centerstage event for which this observer will serve as the master of ceremonies and most likely the last to be held. To bring closure to the Steinway Challenge, a marble plaque recognizing the contributors to the fund was unveiled. It features Steinway and Sons logos that were used with permission from the company.
Yet one more Mother’s Day-related event at Oconto Falls High School was the ag department Mother’s Day plant sale. A number of very attractive potted arrangements were available and made their way out the door.
First-year agriculture instructor Rachel Kroeplien has done an outstanding job with the program and has a well-run greenhouse program that not only focuses on growing plants, but also on running the operation in a business-like manner.
She has a strong vision for how she would like to take the program to the next level. She was instrumental in putting together an application for a Monsanto grant to significantly upgrade the greenhouse. Notices of applications that were funded should be coming out shortly.
Speaking of people going through the ag program, Monday’s start to the work week was a wet one, which was appreciated by farmers who have been a bit concerned about dry conditions. Relief is on the way. The lack of moisture was also a concern for those watching the new seeding on the Dan Rider Field. The new field was seeded last fall, but adequate moisture for the start of the growing season was critical.
The field has an irrigation system, but the well pump has not yet been connected to electric power, and the protective well house is not finished. All of this will be coming together very shortly.
In the meantime, we have to pay tribute to one more mother. Thanks, Mother Nature, you are a great mom, and thanks for your recent gift of rain. We appreciate it.
Categories
