Common Ground remembers with Riley's Gift

Today was an awe inspiring day. My Common Ground group sponsored a shower for three refugee moms-to-be who are newly arrived in the US. None of them has been here more than six months. One has already gotten a job and received a promotion. She is from Somalia and arrived from Kenya. Another is from Somalia and arrived with her husband and six other children one month ago. The third is an Iragi refugee who met the man to become her husband (also Iraqi) the day she arrived in Memphis. All three are beautiful women of amazing strength and determination. They brought friends and translators with them who are also refugees. We had food aplenty and so many gifts it was amazing. Lots of the gifts were donated by friends of our Common Ground-ers. It is astounding what these women manage to do when they get here--although sponsored by an organization they receive help for such a short amount of time and then they are on their own.

Today's shower was in memory of Riley Jane Lawrence who died one year ago today at the hands of an habitual criminal who killed Riley, her companion Claudia and injured Claudia's mother. The two girls, 4 and 5, were innocent victims of a system that allows criminals to live in violation of parole for way too long. But today was a day of remembrance, so we had a baby shower to celebrate the upcoming births of four precious babies--yes four, as one of the mother's is having twins! Today was called Riley's Gift.

Just spent a week in KY with Mother, who is 87 and really becoming more frail, but hanging in there. Hub is there now seeing about his mother who is a victim Alzheimer's, that horrible disease.

Plans for daughter's wedding continues---flowers the topic of today. There is something called an Adirondack basket pack--florists use them to make beautiful flower arrangements which will look beautiful in the Adirondack chairs next to the lake where the wedding will take place.

Next week looms with lots to do but for today that's the way it is here in Memphis town. Will the mayor REALLY leave office this week--we will see!

Cool Spell

Wow, it's been a cool three days, especially for Memphis. The days are in the low 80's reminding us of our years in New Hampshire. Of course, it's bound to heat up again like it was in June when we were scorched.
It's been a long time since the last post and a lot has happened. We took a trip to New York to New Jersey to attend our daughter's graduation from graduate school. She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School in NYC. We also got to spend some time and get to know her then boyfriend, now fiance. They got engaged soon after graduation and are getting married in September. The wedding will be in the Adirondacks on a beautiful lake. A destination wedding!
Because her fiance has not met the extended family we are having an engagement party in KY in August--it's turned into a very busy summer.
Other good news. Our son moved here from LA and has secured a new job. In this time, that's a good thing.
I have taken on two new volunteer jobs that are taking time but I am enjoying them. That is in addition to the other two or three things I already do.
Knitting has taken a back seat but I've just finished a lap blanket and two hats for charity. I knitted the Sampler Shawl from the book Folk Shawls. I also knitted the Adamas Shawl by Mimknits, an online site. Both are in blue though of a different family of blue. The Adamas Shawl I will probably give to charity and I hope to wear the Sampler Shawl at my daughter's wedding. I already knitted her the Sampler Shawl in an olive shade that turned out beautifully.
I have several projects in the planning to knit now. I ordered a lace yarn sampler from KnitPicks that included a pattern. I will start that soon. I need to finish a sweater vest that needs to be put together and I have a few other little things going that don't seem to be interesting right now. Socks of course are in the project basket and those need to be worked on asap. I have one toe up pair--my first--and one pair of cuff down socks that are about finished.
Reading--slow going too.
I have read several good books but not as many as I like. I loved "Help" by Karen Stockett and have enjoyed Dorthea Benton Frank's "Bulls Island". Now I"m reading The Girls from Ames about 10 midwestern life-long friends. I have enjoyed my Kindle and love, love, love the prices of the books and that they can be downloaded in a few seconds, literally. I'm really looking forward to reading Pat Conroy's upcoming "South of Broad" about Charleston.
This next week I'll be in KY helping Mother. Then back here to host a shower for three refugee women who are expecting very soon. This is something I am doing as a favor for a friend in my Common Ground group. I took this series of group meetings back in the spring and it was about the best thing I've done in a long time---learning about racial issues in our city and what I can contribute to improving them was quite eye-opening. More about Common Ground later.
The title of this blog I lifted from Walter Cronkite's last words at the conclusion of each broadcast. He died this last week and it is very eye opening to remember how much his career mirrored our growing up--from the 50's through the 80's he was our source of the way it was. RIP Mr. Cronkite and thats the way it is....