July and August have proven to be busy times. On the 16th of July, Chris and I had a Progressive Ladies' luncheon and then later in the day attended an ACLU workshop. It focused on being informed and asking candidates strong questions that will draw out their positions on specific issues. There were quite a few people present and it is always energizing to be around such wonderful, motivated young people.
I was so pleased when Cheryl made time for a visit. Other than my principal, she was the first person I met when I went to Saudi. I arrived late at night but she had food ready and Jan had sent over a bottle of wine. At our first meeting, even late in the evening, I remember us talking for a good, long time. We have remained friends ever since and it was good to have a chance to catch-up, recalling everything from Nurse Neva and Ivan the Terrible to trips taken together. I'm fortunate to have such good friends and good memories. It was also nice to be able to do a few things around here at our own pace. We did a little walking tour of Bluffton with Rosie and also had an afternoon at Palmetto Bluff, one of my favorite places. As I always try to do, I called the troops (my local friends) to get together for lunch at the Olive and Fig. Cheryl and I pick up Reyna and Lynn while Tippy and Chris met us there. As we were picking the others up, I mentioned that I might begin referring to us in my blog and "The Girl Gang." Without hesitation, Lynn said, "I've got a better one - The Squad!!" She was right! From henceforth we shall be known as The Squad!! Everyone was in fine form at lunch and there were lots of laughs. I'm mad at myself for forgetting to take a photo...and that no one in the Squad reminded me (that is their charge from now on!)! For me, it was a real joy to share time with longtime friends and relatively new ones. Needless to say, the weekend went by much too quickly but I do hope we will be able to get together again soon.
Otherwise, my typical routine continues. Most recently, I've done the Liberal Ladies' newsletter (which you can see HERE) and am an administrator for the Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate's Facebook page. Being vegetarian, I enjoy preparing my own food (and all of my guests have been very gracious about a veggie menu, although I do try to give them many opportunities to have other options away from home). My Instant Pot is a lifesaver in the summer and I've experimented with it a lot. After Cheryl's visit, I'm also trying to get back into zentangle again, however slowly. My walking routine continues. Out of the last 48 days, I have only missed 10 days, which is very good for me. There is also Drinking Liberally, which we now have a Bluffton and a Hilton Head chapter, with both going strong. Here are some photos from Tippy.
I'm sure you've all heard of the horrible mass shooting in Texas and Ohio. It is just such a sad time in this country and it is difficult not to feel that we are teetering on the edge of the abyss. Each day is worse than the last and our leader (the term used very loosely) is a madman. There are days that are just sad to the bone. Shortly after the shooting, our local Indivisible and Moms Demand Action organized a vigil/protest. It drew only about 100 people, but it was hurriedly arranged in less than 36 hours, so for this area, it was a good turnout. I attended and was impressed with the service itself and the opportunity to unite with others who hate to see what guns (and those who value them more than life itself!) are doing to this country. My hope is that this is an episode that we will not let pass as more obscene news breaks. The coverage of one of our local news stations can be seen HERE.
That brings us to yesterday when Chris and I did part 2 of our donate-to-a-fundraiser/tour-a-home project! This time the fundraiser was a brunch in Beaufort to benefit Jaime Harrison, who is running against Leningrad Lindsey. The hosts live in a fabulous apartment with a grand marsh view. There were about 50 people in attendance, with many new faces. Jaime was there also and he is a great person/candidate. He is a wonderful storyteller and his personal story is compelling - born to a single mother of 16, going to Stanford and Harvard, working with James Clyburn, and so much more! Our hope is that he will become better known and get the backing he needs. Needless to say, we will do everything we can to help.
