Dear Members,

Your wandering President has returned for the duration. My trip to the former Yugoslavia was, as all visits to an unfamiliar country, a time to open my mind and allow new sights, faces and stories to flood in. My knowledge of the region upon arriving in Croatia was limited to Yugoslavia, Communism, Tito and, later in the 90’s, war, Sarajevo, Srebrenica. I had attempted to learn some history of the region before making the trip but was lost in a confusing maze of invasion, occupation, and unfamiliar names. Oh, the names - with their lack of vowels and myriad diacritical marks! I gave up. So, this trip was an intense learning experience made exciting and pleasurable by the beauty of the landscapes and the openness of the people I met. For me, the stay in Sarajevo, a city that survived a 4-year siege during the Bosnian war, was the most meaningful of the trip. I dined in the home of a woman who was in her early 20’s during the siege, huddling in the basement during bombardment, scrounging for food and water, but, with the attitude that “life must go on”, dressed in her best and went out to party with her friends at night in the ruined city. Although Sarajevo still bears the physical and emotional scars of war, and the country’s political system is byzantine, life goes on, and the youth have hopes for a rosier future in the country they love.

In the giving department, the Senior Gift Project is in full-swing with Leilani Williams at the helm. Julia Kern will tell us at the meeting how we can help with the Kinderhaven Tree project, which will culminate in the auctioning of the tree at the Kinderhaven Gala. If you can’t attend the Gala, please consider attending the Kinderhaven Luncheon on November 30. All of these giving activities, help those in our community who are not as fortunate as we are.

Most of our focus is already on Christmas, but I wish you a wonderful and hopeful Thanksgiving THIS month. 

See you downstairs on Wednesday!!

Sherry Ennis
President