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28 | OHCC LIVING | FEBRUARY 2025 | Transform Your OHCC Backyard into a Mediterranean Oasis Living in OHCC evokes the charm of a Mediterranean villa with our white stucco walls and red tile roofs. But how do we design our backyards to complete the picture? Join the OHCC Garden Club's February program, "Roses and Mediterranean Gardens for Small Southern California Gardens," to find out! We're excited to welcome Marc and Mariah Smith, co-owners of Anderson's La Costa Nursery, as our featured speakers. Established in 1954 and nestled near the Batiquitos Lagoon in Encinitas, this renowned nursery boasts over 3,000 plant varieties, including drought-tolerant natives and specialty plants. With their extensive expertise in sustainable garden design, the Smiths will inspire you to refresh aging plants and create a beautiful Mediterranean-style garden. Event Details: Feb. 12, Abravanel Hall, Social time begins at 9:30 am and the meeting starts at 10 am. Join the Garden Club for just $10 per year — sign up at any meeting. Be sure to stop by the Share Table for gardening treasures. We look forward to seeing you! Written by Jan Vaccaro Garden Club Village Vets Village Vets Update: Looking Back and Moving Forward Hello, Village Vets! This update will feel a bit like Back to the Future, as we ref lect on some fantastic events from the end of 2024 and look ahead to the exciting things we have planned for the new year. We ended 2024 on a high note with two amazing events. First, our annual dinner dance was a huge success! With 116 members and guests in attendance, we also hosted 24 active-duty service members and their families. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to provide a delicious meal and thoughtful gifts. Many of the service members have reached out to express how much fun they had and how much they appreciated the event. A big thank you to everyone involved! Next, one of our members, Rich Halkyard, organized a fantastic Army- Navy Game viewing party at our new Lanai. It was an unforgettable event, especially as the Navy triumphed over Army with a dominant 31- 13 victory, reclaiming the Commander-in-Chief 's Trophy. As the author of this article, I think "thumping" is the perfect word to describe Navy's win! We didn't slow down as we entered 2025. First, we're excited to welcome a new Board member, Susanne Clark, Colonel (Ret.), United States Army. Welcome aboard, Susz! Our leadership team is strong, but we would love to add a Marine voice to our Board. If you're a Marine and are interested in joining, please reach out to me. We'll make sure to provide plenty of crayons (you know the drill, Marines). Our "Do Due's" event was another success, thanks to David Hef ler and our reliable treasurer, Smitty. It was great meeting and chatting with all of you! At the end of the month, we were fortunate to have a fantastic presentation by Harriet Jo Joslyn from Honor Flight San Diego. Several of our Vets have taken part in the Honor Flight journey, and many more of you qualify. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you've earned, so please take advantage of it. Looking ahead, we have even more exciting events in store. Village Vets leadership will continue to keep you informed through OHCC Living, e Bugle, and our website at https://jackshabel.wixsite.com/village-veterans. As always, if you have any suggestions for how we can make our club even better, please reach out to any of our board members or send a message to bechillnavy@gmail.com. Here's to a fantastic 2025! ~ Bob Bechill, Commander