Gardening With Historic Annapolis, Inc.

I am about to reveal a huge secret: If you don't know it by now, I am a huge Groupon and Living Social junkie. I love a good deal when I see it. Last weekend, I saw one for half-price+ tickets to a gardening lecture in Annapolis at St. Anne's Church which sits in the middle of the famed Church Circle. Being an avid gardener and never having entered St. Anne's, I talked my husband into going on Sunday evening with the promise of a pint at the Ram's Head upon completion. As we drove into Annapolis on a lovely Spring evening, we commented on how nice it is there and maybe Annapolis would be a good place to retire.

The lecture was an author's presentation on a book she had written a few years ago. The book is Founding Gardeners by Andrea Muth. Even though she is presently on a book tour for her most recent book (something about the planets with Venus in particular), she was "persuaded" (euphemism for "paid generously" - more on that in a moment) to speak about her other book by Historic Annapolis, Inc., a nonprofit who restored and manages the William Paca House among other properties and endeavors.

Her discussion was very interesting as she chronicled the gardening habits, preferences and beliefs of our founding fathers: Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Madison to be more specific. As I was listening, it confirms my suspicions that I own this book! My friend, Amy, gave it to me as we left the UK and it is sitting on my bookshelf to read this summer. Too bad I didn't make the connection sooner or I would have had it signed.

The beginning of the presentation was even more interesting. Historic Annapolis, Inc. is a quite obvious members-only sort of Inc. Craig and I were probably two of five people who didn't look like they attended the members-only, pricey ($250 which did include a $25 ticket to the talk for which I paid $20 for two tickets) and private author's reception/garden party (litruhlee) an hour prior to the presentation. In fact, the man at the door had a list of attendees from which of course, our name was missing. To his credit, he did write our surname on the margin with a (2) when all he had to do really was gate-count the Groupon people. 

So we all file in and the CEO of Historic Annapolis, Inc. appears and begins a weirdly disjointed speech and gives a lecture on the history and benefactress of the group. Now, seriously, there are FIVE people who are probably not members (meaning we are not dressed in our flowered garden party dresses, wearing cardigans embellished with tennis rackets) and who may not know how wonderful St. Clair Wright is (yes, her first name is St. Clair which he pronounced all British-like as "Sinclair"). His spiel is not to actually ask us to join the membership which is what I expected, but instead he is lauding praise upon the benefactress and her family for her support and all of the members clap clap clap enthusiastically because she is so rich. I kid you not. I clapped a few times but once it got to ovation status, the plebeian in me drew the line. So then the CEO ends as abruptly as he started and with no segue at all introduces a Trustee, I believe, who is going to introduce the speaker.

Up comes Mr. Fwah Fwahfwah who had previously been blocking the entire aisle so no one could sit in a seat with a good view whilst yukking it up with two of his contemporaries. Also, I believe he was wearing a cravat like Freddy from Scooby-Doo. He definitely looked like he ate as much as Scooby and Shaggy combined without the metabolism to match, but I am not judging. Me? Judge? NEVER! Anyway, he talks about how he and his wife have been forever members (they were both probably Historic Annapolis, Inc. legacies) and how they enjoy giving something back to the community, blah blah blah. You're preaching to the choir, dude. As he is speaking, my mind drifts and asks itself, "Self, why in the world did they offer this lecture on Groupon?" The only answer that seemed plausible was that they needed to get some riff raff in to offset the cost of the pre-lecture garden party and also to make it look like they were "giving something back". I know, I am so cynical. Whatever.

After the lecture, both Craig and I pretty much at the same time decided that we never want to live in Annapolis. Kentucky is looking better and better. Besides, we probably would feel much more at home in District 12 than the Capitol anyway. And then my garden could look however I wanted it without any infringements on Historic Annapolis, Inc.