Welcome from the President
Wow! I hoped last spring that by now we would be through the worst of the pandemic. Somehow it was too painful to even envision that we wouldn’t be at a better place by this time. My best wishes to all our Circle family. Thanks to the board members who are reaching out to our members. These calls are reminding us of our connection to one another. They have revealed a resilience during this difficult time.
How have we coped? Well, like you, I grieved as activities and plans came to a sudden stop. I started cleaning all the corners of my house. Files that had not been looked at for years were sorted and updated. The news became an obsession and my escape was turning to detective mystery series where everyone was driving on the wrong side of the road. “City Homicide,” based in Melbourne, despite its gruesome content, seemed a pleasant reprieve from the real world. Writing postcard after postcard to get out the vote was less numbing, I discovered, by listening to audiobooks. Tom Hanks’ voice was calming as he read Ann Patchett’s, The Dutch House. I could smile, while gardening, as I enjoyed The Crazy Rich Asians. Walks became a joy during the day. I’ve maintained 125 days straight of French Duolingo. Too bad I haven’t used the same will power to deal with the fruits of my excessive baking. My family was able to escape to Maine for a month in August where it was a joy to quarantine with family and feel like we were in another universe.
The Courier has news about a modified version of Circle’s annual Adopt-a-Family Holiday Project for Northwestern Settlement families, a report about long-time Circle members who knit for Settlement, and photos from Piecemakers’ (inaugural?) outdoor quilt show. And without the chance to gather together at our traditional fall programs, we gather instead on the pages of this newsletter, sharing news from members about their lives during this unusual time.
The sunflower is from our yard. A lovely reminder of better days to come. All my best wishes to you and everyone you hold dearest.
Patricia Ulmer pat.ulmer@gmail.com 847-682-5741