INVITATION HLG Gathering - AHS Convention

[jgh]

INVITATION

If you will be in the Twin Cities during the AHS Convention, Jim and Sheila Hartmann (aka "The Idiots") would like to invite you to a gathering on the deck at Harbor Lane Gardens on

Friday, June 25
6 PM until ???

We'll have a variety of beverages, snacks, and horses ovaries (in French they say "hors d'oeuvers"). We're all going to be tired by that time, so don't worry about bringing stuff. If you want something more substantial than snacks and conversation, there are lots of places, fast food and otherwise, to eat nearby - we'll include details...

We'd like to get an idea of how many folks might attend, so give us a yes or a maybe... and also let us know if you need a ride.

email us at hlghartmann@gmail.com and we'll start a list and provide directions.


The convention schedule for Friday has us touring in the morning, then they serve us lunch and hold the auction in the afternoon. Dinner is "on your own." We figured since most folks will be leaving the hotel anyway, that would be the perfect evening to gather and swap some lies and connect faces with online "handles." We have a large deck, a screened porch, a tiny house, one fully functional bathroom, and about a half-acre garden with a few hostas...

And feel free to bring friends - they don't have to be forum folks... the more the merrier!

We are fifteen minutes, all simple freeway, from the convention hotel - when it isn't rush hour... of course, at six it will still be the end of a Friday rush hour, so figure a half hour or so. We'd be glad to give rides, and assume some of those who would be driving on their own wouldn't mind a hitchhiker or two as well. Arrangements can be finalized later... right now we just want to get on your calendar... and "maybe's" are OK - we know some plans might change, we're just trying to figure out if it will be 5 or 50...

[renaldo75]

Sounds like the perfect 'on your own' evening to me.

[jgh]

OK - if Reldon is going to be there, then we've already got a party!

[whamadiddle]

Oh Jim, Jim, JIm.... How could one turn down such a delectable offer in the tundra known as MN

[Linda P]

Okay, now we have Reldon and Ken and Jim, so it's definitely a party.
It's on my calendar, and I"ll be bringing my friend Linda, who is registered here as rainyday, but she never posts.

Linda P

[renaldo75]

I'm only a 'party' in hosta circles it seems...

[jgh]

no need for false humility, Reldon... I believe you've pollinated a few flowers in your time...

[DBoweMD]

I'm planning on being there with a small group of family... looking forward to it. I did a similar thing in 2005 at my house (Cleveland)
Dave

[jgh]

I remember you posted a pic of that gathering on the forum when George Donsky died. I remember thinking how nice it was that you folks got to meet in person in a gathering like that.

and any of you from the area - even if you aren't attending the convention, you know you are welcome to come and meet your other Hallsons friends... just shoot me an email to get on the mailing list... "maybe" is an ok reply!

[GrannyNanny]

Jim -- I'll be there. I would say that "I'll be there with my hair in a braid" (a la Bertie Wooster), except that there still isn't enough of it to even comb very much, let alone braid! It's re-establishing itself, however, like a lawn that has had half-strength Roundup sprayed on it, and I may even be able to attend without the requisite scarf! I'll have your "Dark Matter" hosta with me as well. It will be VERY glad to get out of that pot, I'm sure! See you at the convention. Love to you and Sheila, Phyllis

[Roxanne]

Bet I'll be there as well!!

Xela looks good this year Jim. I need a gardener to pull weeds. Think we have enough rain already!
Rox

[Marlys]

Thanx! for the invite. Reldon had mentioned it to me. Plan on 3 gals from Pella, IA - me, Connie D & my daughter, Robin. I sent you a email too.

I was just going to post: Who's going to MN?

It will great to see old hosta friends again & met new ones.

And - Reldon is a "party" where ever he roams. He kept me out all night a couple weeks ago. OK - just until 11:30 PM but we left home at 07:30 AM. It was a grand Hosta Adventure beginning with an ice cream hosta social at "In the Country" / Josh's place. It was of course, raining but then the clouds lifted and we played hosta games, showed off our seedlings, voted for our favorite one, & had yummy desserts. There was a bit of hosta shopping going one too!

Reldon insisted we journey on to Hosta Leaf Nursery near Colesburg, IA. Great Place too & we made the last hour of their Open House celebration. Then on the way home Reldon had to stop at another hosta friend's house to pick up a promised division of Lakeside Surf Rider. It was massive / tall / awesome. I thought I was going to have to give up my seat for it though.

Finally it was getting dark. I told Reldon we had to head home as Ron gets upset if I'm out with other boys after dark.

It was a good day. And the MN convention will be great fun too. Can't wait!!!

MM

[jgh]

don't know how I feel about a bunch of folks from Pella tromping around the gardens... those darn wooden shoes leave serious dents... the following year tulips show up in odd locations... next thing you know you are replacing all your windows...

speaking of that - we need a screen for an 18x30 casement... any change you've got an extra laying around???

glad you can come!

[Marlys]

Very Good - Jim! Took me a while to get the window part! None of us work at Pella Corporation formally known as 'Roll Screen' home of Pella Windows. Many in the area do though.

We are nearly over flood stage here by Lake Red Rock so those wooden shoes float, you know. If the Red Rock Dam gates are opened it is not pretty down below along the river banks. Glad our place is above the dam.

The Hallson party at Dr. Dave's in OH was really a special treat. And I know this party will be just the same. Good hosta stories! & new bonds of friendship formed.

Garden hats are always in style. It will be so good to meet you, Phyllis. It all ready feels like we know each other from sharing seeds and secret trades and postings here on Hallson Forum.

If anyone is also planning on attending the Midwest Regional Convention this year, our garden & Connie D's garden are optional tour gardens. So is another nieghbor's just down the street from me too. So you're all invited to come by on your journey to and /or from the convention.

I'm excited!
Thanx! again, Jim.
And Thanx! again, Dr. Dave for the good time we had in OH 2005.

MM

[renaldo75]

This is gonna be such fun when we all get together at Jim & Sheila's!!

And those wooden shoes pack a mean punch when Marlys kicks me in the butt.
Which she does quite a bit it seems... Maybe it's cuz I'm giving her crap all the time.

I do have a correction [or 2 or 3] to make in what she wrote though. She left her house at 7:30am.
It was raining so hard right then here in Ankeny that I waited a few minutes to see if it
would at least slow down. It didn't. So I made Marlys wait an extra, anxious 10 minutes
at the location where we were meeting.

And I noticed on Josh's Facebook pictures of the event that it wasn't an ice cream social,
but a dessert social. [Which explains why there was no ice cream there.] I guess
my mind automatically thinks 'ice cream' when I see social. And we did have a lot of
fun there, and it was good to see Josh, Sue, Jim and the rest of the family!!
And Roxanne, and Kit & Gary, and Always Weeding.

And since we were less than an hour away from The Hosta Leaf that Marlys has been
telling me about for years, I did insist that we go there. And the sun was shining hotly
and brightly by then. And she argued with me on the road I was taking to get there, and
that I didn't have the right location. But amazingly it was right where Google maps told
me it would be. And the reason she insisted it was on the left side of the road and not
right was because she'd always gone farther & gotten lost & had to backtrack to find the place.

And as long as we were headed back west, I wanted to stop and meet Mike/seedseller.
I'd tried to find his place last year, but never did. And had my cheap pay by the minute
cellphone with me and couldn't reach him. And yes he did give me a HUGE Lakeside
Surfrider. I thought Marlys might have to ride on the roof, but I did manage to get the
rest of our purchases moved around to be able to fit it in. But it is easily the tallest hosta
in my garden this year and it found a prominent home. Thanks, Mike!!

And I did hear that 'Ron doesn't like me being out with other boys after dark' line.
Pretty cute. About 30 min before I got her back to her car, it got noticeably quieter.
I thought I might have to drive her all the way home. But I got home about 11:30
and I think I have a little further to drive than she did.

And now you know more about that hosta~adventure. Than you wanted to know.

OH!! And I almost forgot that between stops 2 and 3 we got very hungry and stopped at
the DQ in Independence. Which I believe is owned by Jo [who's forum name escapes me at the
moment] & her husband. No Jo sighting though although it was a pretty busy place on a Sunday
evening. And my chicken strips were just pretty good!!

[GrannyNanny]

It''s good to know of some of the Hallson folks who will be at the convention. Please do come into the Stars of the North room, and check out JGH's and GrannyNanny's hostas. See you there on Thursday. Phyllis

[Marlys]

Oh, Phyllis!!! I can hardly wait to meet you & your hostas.
I think it is just wonderful to have this addition to the convention.
Are you a little nervous???
What a lot of work for those displaying their plants.

Thank you,
I'm getting so excited!

We are leaving tomorrow morning.
I better get packed.

MM

[putnamgardens]

WOW....so good to see GrannyNanny at our opening ceromony. I got to sit with Dr. Dave aka Bowe and his beautiful finance at dinner, Annette. I squeezed Roxanne and Marlous yesterday. Now I know there will be seats available at Bingo tonight cuz you guys will be in Plymouth. The raffle is going good. Thanks for all the $upport. Andy walked around after dinner saying. Cold beer, get your hot raffle tickets here. I paid off. Later, Love, Lisa

Did the video work?

http://www.kttc.com/Global/category.asp ... menu1348_7

[Trudy]

Have enjoyed reading everyones posts and updates about the convention. Will miss seeing everyone this year. Would loved to have met Granny Nanny...

Yesterday after seeing a few photos on other forums posted of the convention, I wanted to just head on up North!

WIshing you all a great time. Would love seeing more photos of the convention.

Thanks for keeping us updated and have a great time at your party tonight Jim!!!!