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Neighborhood Watch 26 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | NOVEMBER 2015 What a great time we had at National Night Out in September. It was a success made special by all of the wonderful residents who shared food to make it a delicious potluck. Our thanks go out to our Neighborhood Watch Steering Committee who made it happen: Anita Worthen, Susan Wilson, Al Gettman Judy Irving, Scott Britton, Andi Henderson, Jim Bushnell and Pat Hilles. Thanks to Irve Sturner for taking the time to photograph us at the event. Special thanks go out to our guest speakers Beaumont Chief of Police Sean Thuilliez, Banning Chief of Police Alex Diez, Banning Mayor Pro Tem Art Welch, Darren Meyer and Lt. Brian Gosales from the Highway Patrol. We always appreciate their show of support for us here at Four Seasons. Our holiday brunch/potluck is Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 10 am in the Lodge Ballroom and all are welcome to attend. We will have a guest speaker to talk about holiday preparedness. We look forward to seeing you there. Many thanks to our Block Captains. If you wish to know more please contact any one of our Steering Committee for more information. ~ Susan Wilson The Christmas season starts (pick a month) as soon as the Halloween decorations are gone. It is characterized with colorful symbols: trees, snowmen, wreaths, aromatic pine cones, blinking lights and poinsettias. For the gardener bringing home a poinsettia is a commandment that says, "OK, time to drag out the boxes, empty the attic and start decorating." The poinsettia, often described by heartless academics as "a small Mexican shrub" is the defining houseplant of the holiday. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett the first United States Minister to Mexico who introduced the plant into the United States in 1825. Euphorbia pulcherrima is a shrub or small tree, typically reaching a height of 13 ft. The plant bears dark green leaves and colored specialized leaves — which are most often flaming red but can be orange, pale green, cream, pink, white, or marbled. These bracts require darkness (12 hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. At the same time, the plants require abundant light during the day for the brightest color. The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebration. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus. The flowers of the poinsettia are unassuming and do not attract pollinators. They are grouped within small yellow structures found in the center of each leaf bunch. In areas outside its natural environment, it is commonly grown as an indoor plant where it prefers good morning sun, then shade in the hotter part of the day. Contrary to popular belief, flowering poinsettia can be kept outside, even during winter, as long as it is kept frost-free. Place it near a sunny window. South, east or west facing windows are preferable to a north facing window. Poinsettias are tropical and will appreciate as much direct sunlight as you can provide. Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don't let the plant sit in water. To keep the poinsettia in bloom as long as possible, maintain a temperature of 65 - 75 degrees F during the day. Dropping the temperature to about 60 degrees F at night will not hurt the plant. ~ Len Tavernetti Beaumont Blooms Attendees at the Neighborhood Watch National Night Out

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