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1502nd Meeting
May 1, 1986
Pen-Y-/Bryn
Peg Gibian

The Association's 1502nd meeting was held with Peg Gibian at Pen-Y-Bryn on May 1st.
After an enjoyable, leisurely lunch, the meeting was called, and chaired by Louie Canby.
Peg's guests were her sister, Babes Hartman, daughter Barbara, and Sylvia Woodward's
daughter, Carol Arnett. This being Peg's first meeting, there were only minutes for the
April meeting, which were read and corrected. The Treasurer reported $79 and $3 owed by
someone. The next three places of meeting were announced as: Riverside with Bette Hartge in June,
Roslyn with Caroline Hussman in July, with Rose Hutton in August.

Sentiment of the hostess - a quote from Wayne Gretzky, the hockey star: "From the
time I was six my Dad told me to expect good and bad in life, not to get all puffed up
or way down in the dumps."

Chris Kolstad read a thoughtful statement by Enid Bagnold, author of National Velvet
on the compensations of old age, among them, the loving relationships that can develop
when parents have given up their parental responsibilities.

Martha Ligon read from the diary of an Edwardian country lady on the significance of the
first of May. Maia in mythology was the mother of Mercury, and in the Roman calendar
May is the month of Mary.

Carolina Hussman recalled a teacher's instruction to say "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" on the
first day of the month to insure good fortune, and she described a variety of rabbit
superstitions existing in different cultures. Caroline's question: does anyone have
information on knitting for a cohort at Cathedral School who is writing a book on the
who, when and why of Americaan knitting? Deb Willson has a friend who does very complicated
knitting. Sylvia Woodward made a doll's sweater on meat skewers when she was 7. Bette
Hartge has researched knitting, and several members knew hammocks knitted on broomsticks.

Mary Moore Miller read an article in defense of the dandelion - a flower that homesteads
on barren ground, lives a clean and simple life opening in the morning and closing at
night, loves children and is resistant to weather - in fact, truly a national flower.

Deb Willson continued reading from Centennial of the Sandy Spring Meetinghouse,, noting the
tremendous changes that have taken place in the neighborhood. Agriculture was the major
activity and tobacco the chief crop into the 19th century until the soil was exhausted.
By 1874 Edward Stabler was using guano on cornfields with excellent results. The earliest
record of the founding of the Friends Meeting appears in 1753 and the first prohibition
law appears in 1842 well ahead of the national movement.

Hennie Bregliano, on the subject of knitting, remembered Anne Gilpin who knit the European
way as being able to knit, read and watch T. V. all at one time.

Elizabeth Ligon had enjoyed "Washington Then and Now", the reminiscences of Peggy Stone of
Friends House who described Washington of World War I as a sleepy village not equipped to
handle the influx but which became a thriving town.

Carolyn Arnett read excerpts from a book about French kitchens of the Middle Ages called
Savoring the Past. We learned that the original trencher was a slab of bread. Carol's
question concerned removing rust stains from linen. She had tried cream of tartar and
also salt and lemon juice. Babes Hartman suggested Whink - a stain remover that works on
any material.

Kay Metcalf had brought a very humorous letter from a travel agent attempting to explain
and rectify a billing error of a few pennies. Kay lead us through a labyrinth of words that
left us totally confused but provided a good belly laugh.

Nell Johnsen brought us more of her trip to China, this time, gardens they had visited.