Kris kindly hosted our August meeting to show off the beautiful new patio that Scott recently built with paver stones and complete with a cover (still in process). It was lovely dining in the back yard enjoying the comfortable summer's eve. And we had so much to dine on - a delicious heritage pot-luck with Guinness Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, Shepard's Pie, Irish Potato Salad, Currant Bread, Kasespatzle, Avocado Salad and Apple Cake.
The Orphan Train was well liked. Some of us preferred Vivian's character over Molly's. We all appreciated learning about a large event - 200,000 children over several decades - that is rarely mentioned in our history lessons. I liked the author's comparison of our journeys through life as a form of a portage. Two quotes we like from this story:
"Aspects of Vivian’s memory are triggered with each box they open. The sewing kit wrapped in cheesecloth evokes the Byrnes’ grim home. The mustard colored coat with military buttons the felt lined knit gloves, the brown dress with pearl buttons. Soon enough Molly is able to keep the cast of characters straight in her head…..as if joining scraps of fabric to make a quilt, Molly puts them in the right sequence and stitches them together, creating a pattern that was impossible to see when each piece was separate.
"Time constricts and flattens, you know. It’s not evenly weighted. Certain moments linger in the mind and others disappear. The first twenty-three years of my life are the ones that shaped me, and the fact that I’ve lived almost seven decades since then is irrelevant."
Our next meeting will be at the Dalgas retreat "The Pines" on September 7th where we will review "All the Light We Cannot See". Looking forward to seeing everyone there.
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