Wednesday, October 01, 2008


Hope for Our Hero:

Josh Continues To Grow Stronger...


Many members of our community have been following the story of Sgt. Joshua Eckhoff since he was injured by an improvised explosive device during his second tour in Iraq with the Army. He recently was back in St. Louis for a wedding. Here is an email update from his mom, Jan:


Josh returned to Minneapolis this evening after thoroughly enjoying 5 perfectly splendid days here with friends and family. He was home specifically for the wedding of his buddy Theo. From the rehearsal and dinner on Friday through the ceremony and reception on Saturday, Josh was exhilarated. He seemed to draw energy from each encounter. It was wonderful to see the smiles come so easily and be so lasting. Though he was overjoyed with being part of Theo and Emily's celebration, he was also excited about seeing some of his buddies he'd not seen since Baghdad including the guys that commandeered the vehicle that got Josh back to the base. This two day event was chock full of emotions and probably the best all around therapy ever! The photos attached are especially for you.

Medically he is progressing well. He now wears the Bioness electrical stimulation for his foot all day. There is new strength in his left leg. He surprised me while I was helping him don the apparatus on his calf by extending his leg and pushing my chair back. I'd not seen him display that sort of strength on command away from the exercise weights in the fitness room at the hospital so this was a great smile maker for me. "It's coming back," he said with a sparkle in his eyes. There is also definite improvement on stairs. The arm is a bit slower. Another Bioness system works his hand and is worn for 30 minutes three times daily. That routine is new and he has just recently assumed full responsibility. He insures both systems are charged properly and must don and doff them himself. All this takes considerable time and patience when only one hand works. Josh perseveres and just gets it done.

Your prayers and caring ways bring inspiration and hope. Please continue to share and He will continue to bless.

Love,
Jan


May God continue to heal Josh and protect the men and women in our armed forces.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008


Art In The Garden: Featuring Handblown Glass
Glass artist, Michael Wyatt, displayed his creations all weekend as part of Art In The Garden at Greenscape. He practices this artform at Third Degree Glass in University City. His specialties include glass flowers, ornaments, and fountains. For contact information, call Greenscape at 314-821-2440.

Phase 1 of Habitat for Humanity Landscapes Now Complete!

Greenscape Gardens was proud to design and coordinate the landscapes for the Habitat for Humanity St. Louis houses on September 27th. The landscapes of ten of the twenty-seven houses were completed on Saturday, Phases 2 and 3 will be completed in the end of Oct. Contact Jennifer at Greenscape (jennifer@greenscapegardens.com) if you are interested in lending a hand!

A Special Thanks To Our Community For Your Support & Friendship


The last two weeks have been a rush to get cleaned up after Hurricane Ike ("remnants") rolled through on September 14th. The 6" inches of rain in the gauge amounted to 2-4' of water. We truly appreciated the help from our team, friends, and community to get us back on our feet. Through hard work and determination, within 24 hours, we were able to ring out our first sale.


This was a test of our strength and resiliency, and through it all, we passed the test! Thank you to our community for supporting us, we are truly blessed that you are a part of our lives. We'd also like to thank the members of our industry that lent a hand to pull us back on our feet! Special thanks to Sandi and Scott of Hillerman Nursery whose help (& expertise!) was much appreciated. We value their friendship and kind spirits!


The fall rush is now upon us and we are fully stocked with loads of fresh color. We are looking forward to beautiful weather all week long!