News, happenings, and important dates

“Please let your CCSS members know that we are having a Show and Sale on June 14th and 15th. is being held in the Floral Hall at the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, B.C. The admission is free and the address for the event is: 5251 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC."

"From Seattle it is easy to get to:
Take I 5 North; once in Canada I 5 becomes Highway 99. Once you pass over the Oak Street bridge, Highway 99 becomes Oak Street. Turn left on 37th Avenue and The VanDusen Botanical Garden is on the right side."

"We’d love to have you join us."
- Dirk Himschoot

It is time to update you on the Mid-States Conference in Grand Junction, CO coming up June 12-15, 2008. The web site, www.midstatesconference.org has been updated and contains lots of new information including a registration form that can be printed and mailed in. The site also contains links to allow for online conference registration, payment using PayPal, and conference hotel registration through a Double Tree site set up especially to give the special conference lodging rate to attendees. I am also attaching a copy of the mail-in conference reservation form for your use. Please share this information with your local club and friends. Registration for one of the field trips on Sunday the 15th is limited, so we are encouraging attendees to register early so they don't miss out on this opportunity. We hope to see you in Grand Junction! If you have questions, please let me know.

Thanks, Reed Irwin, Conference Coordinator

Volunteer Park Conservatory is going to have a "Cactus Day" on Sunday, June 8th, where two or more members of CCSS will hang out for a couple of hours to chat with the public informally about C&S and encourage people to check out CCSS. A table will be set up to hold information or handouts. The Cactus House should be full of cacti in bloom and the orchid cacti will also be looking good in the Fern and Bromeliad Houses, so there's opportunity to talk about lots of different succulents. Those interested in participating in this program should contact Giselle.

Introducing a new page of the newsletter — “To the Point”, which will serve as a member sharing forum for photos or short informational blurbs. Are you doing something new and different with growing plants, or have a question about something? Have a photo of a special plant in bloom which you were not able to bring to a meeting? Is there a special event, article or item you want all of us to know about? This section is dedicated to encouraging members to share with each other. If you cannot attend regular meetings, you are especially encouraged to use this forum to stay in touch with other members.

Submit items for this section to: Sue Braaten, editor, ccss_sue@yahoo.com
(photo credits & member contact information will be published unless you request not)

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show is back in town! This year, the event will take place at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle from February 20th, 2008 through February 24th, 2008.

Visit the show's official website for more information: Northwest Flower and Garden Show

A fabulous cabaret program with music of Edith Piaf, Cole Porter, Gypsy jazz, Italian opera, Marlene Dietrich, Bizet's Carmen, French, American, and European favorites.

at: Crepe de Paris
1333 5th Ave, Seattle (in Rainier Square) 206-623-4111
On Fridays, Saturdays at 8:00 PM: Dec. 28,29 Jan. 4,5 11,12 18,19 25,26

Program will vary each night with an acclaimed steady cast and special guests!

Steady cast:
Bonnie Birch - accordion, Nick Heiting - guitar, Nikki DeCaires - vocals, Marty Dahlgren - violin

Special guests:
Fathia Atallah - vocals, Chai Ahrenius - baritone, Paul Ostler - bass, Duane Wright - sax/clarinet, Jim Tobler - accordion, Kelly Reed - vocals, Brigitte Hallert - vocals

6:30 pm Dinner
8:00 pm Show
$18 Show only
$48 3-course dinner/show package
a la carte menu available

After more than 12 years as editor of The Point, Eugene Collias will relinquish this position to Sue Braaten effective 1 January 2008. Sue is now looking over Eugene’s shoulder as they work on October's issue and the next two issues. She will need your cooperation for articles, event descriptions, information and photographs from the speakers. Being editor is not an easy task . But it is fun and rewarding. So give Sue your wholehearted cooperation and cheers.

On Friday, 21 September at 7:00 PM, the CCSS library found a new home. Karen Summers agreed to take the library to her home. There were three bookcases and many boxes of CSSA Journals and other journals that compose our library. If you want to check out a book or journal, CCSS members may contact Karen at 425-205-4520. She will have the desired items ready for you at the next meeting. In the near future, a catalog of our library will be available.

Don't miss these events!

March 31st, 2007 - The memorial service for Dorothy Collias takes place at 1:00pm at the University Christian Church, 4731 15th Ave NE, Seattle. For decades, Dorothy was instrumental to the success of our club. She is loved by many and sorely missed. Please join us to honor this wonderful woman who gave us so much.

September 9th and 10th, 2007 - We will NOT be holding our annual TOPSS (The Odd Plant Show & Sale) sale this year. Sky Nursery, our regular host, is undergoing a major construction project. We plan to resume this yearly sale, September 2008. Please join us at one of our regular CCSS meetings. Often times there are interesting specimens for sale. In addition, there will be a plant sale at our October 21st meeting!

To all members and friends of CCSS: The annual picnic of the Cascade Cactus and Succulent Society will occur this coming Sunday, 15 July 2007. We will meet in the Brown Cottage just west of the Volunteer park Conservatory. Giselle Blythe, our hostess, writes -- Summer Potluck Picnic at Volunteer Park Conservatory 1400 E. Galer St., in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill Sunday, July 15, 2:00pm. The picnic will be held outdoors at the brown cottage directly west of the Conservatory. Please do not carry your food through the Conservatory. Please bring your food directly to the cottage picnic area through the "people gate" in the fence just west of the Bromeliad House. You can park along the lower loop road near this gate or pull into the service yard at the lower greenhouse (limited parking space in service yard). Bring enough food for 12.  Enjoy yourself and the Conservatory!

The 32nd biennial CSSA cnvention just ended in Seattle. Our club sponsored this wonderful gathering in 2007. The sales room was open to the public. The seminars and auctions were open to CSSA members and took place May 25 - 30, 2007. The location was the Doubletree Hotel at the Seatac airport. Yours truly (the webmaster) attended both days of amazing succulent seminars, and one of cacti. The field trips took place on Monday the 28th and were a great success. I bought a bunch of plants and some beautiful artwork. For more information about this and the next Convention in 2009, please click on the link below:

CSSA Website  Our national club. In addition, you will find a link to the Convention blog...a fun way to remember the great time we had!