Hi All,
November has been a good month for our coffee klatches! Lots of great conversation taking place at each gathering! Here’s a rundown.
Astoria (1st Saturday): our host, Arline LaMear, got us thinking about the questions “what would you do if…..” and provoked wide-ranging conversations about places we’d lived, our hometowns, advice we’ve given our kids—and adults! What were three of our favorite foods? Any habits we’d picked up during the pandemic? Any new goals? And what, if any, great Joy has come to us?
Peninsula (2nd Saturday): Terri Daniels hosted our group. We had just learned that our longtime member Eldred Gilpin had died, so much of our conversation included fond memories of him and of the time our group spent at Golden Sands visiting Bev Gilpin and Wesley Taylor when they were there. Some members have loved ones who have suffered with memory loss; Helen T is interested in offering help to online groups needing help with caretaking.
Tillamook County (3rd Saturday): June Baumler, host, again provided her deck and delicious goodies! Conversation ranged from recent life concerns: the deaths of people who are “too young” to die; neurodiversity in difficult people and somehow caramels became part of the topic; husbands in general—this all-female group had a lot to say about neurodivergent husbands!
South County (normally 4th Saturday but moved for the holiday season to 3rd Saturday): Nancy Holmes hosted a potluck lunch of delicious soup, bread from DoughDough, crudites, and pumpkin dessert plus seasalt dark chocolate caramels from Chocolate Cafe. Conversation was dark, concerning the Rittenhouse case and other current events. Books always come up in this group: “Covered with Night” by Nicole Eustace who asks the impossible question: “what is the bright side of genocide?” and she answers it. (No spoilers here.) Laura may be persuaded to speak to PUUFers about it on a Sunday, once she finishes it. The woes of the Chinook/Clatsop tribes came up with another book recommendation: The First Oregonians. And Frank showed us designs he and others had come up with to solve the “bridge out” problem if a tsunami wipes out these links to higher ground.
I am enjoying these short moments with groups of PUUF members and friends and it’s fun to write this brief summary of what’s going on in these neighborhood groups.
If you’re interested in joining one of our coffee klatches, ask me about the one closest to you!
Rev. Kit Ketcham