“The William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh was the place that champagne music was born.” Lawrence Welk
Finally, then the champagne was poured. I went to dinner with my wife along with friends who also are garden communicators.
From the Left: Sara Brown, Doug Oster, Nancy Knauss, Sandy Feather, Martha Swiss, Phyllis Gricus, Denise Schreiber–Chairperson and Region II GWA Regional Director.
We communicated about another reason to travel back to Pittsburgh.
Garden Writers will be coming to Pittsburgh in 2014 for their International Symposium. 
They told me we would be eating Asian Fusion. That is possibly the name given to this plate of assorted fish strips. Or, culturally, we are trying to fuse with a lifestyle that requires less quantitative and more esthetically qualitative food. The presentation was beautiful. And I was admittedly not hungry at the end of the perfectly frozen coconut sorbet.
My 312 years of experience have elementally changed me.
The people on this committee are excited thinking that more of their GWA friends will be joining them in two years. Pittsburgh will have a magical opportunity to shine. Here at the beginning of the planning, it’s a time in any committee’s life when the members recognize the connection behind friendship. This group is united in its passion for the art, theory, practice, and excitement of Horticulture.
I love this group and the enthusiasm behind it!
John Bartram Lives! 
We just listened to John Bartram speak about his medicinal discoveries at Scattergood today. What a humble and fascinating man, who offered such noble contributions to the New World! Fantastic presentation, engaging, funny, interesting and inspiring. I came home to my own little herb garden and began to make greater plans for the inclusion of more medicinal species. Thanks to you Kirk and to the Scattergood Foundation for a lovely morning of Quaker and Early American Botanical history!
I have been extremely busy finishing up another lecture as Frederick Law Omsted. I just returned from its presentation to your wonderful note! I greatly appreciate your attendance. It was one of the most memorable of John’s career. My wife is thrilled with the beauty of the scarf and I’ve already opened and used the first pack of note cards. Last week, I had Carol sign the print that I had previously purchased. You do excellent work! I must see your shop sometime. It must be marvelous!