Our thoughts and good wishes continue to be with:  David Pitts has tested positive for COVID. Elizabeth, who lost her husband four months ago. George Brandon has received some good news that he can receive his chemo treatments at home, maybe even via a pill! Pam Leland’s fur baby, Will, has passed over on the rainbow bridge.  Barbara Molfese had NO medical issues during the month of October, and is feeling so much better. Kate Weinstein’s father-in-law died last month. Babs Herrli’s brother is having trouble walking. Rev. Nickel acknowledged our fears for this election and our concerns for everyone affected by the CO fires. Andrew Churnside who has been working the fire lines. Diana Maiden’s nephew has COVID. Both Julie Neway and Linda Backup were evacuated from the fires, but are safely back home. Dorothy Ciarlo was concerned about her cabin in Estes. Heidi & Steve Todd’s daughter, Cari, who is a hospital administrator in WI. Allison Churnside asked us to remember the Endo family and honor the memory of their son Yoshi. Laura Kalafus  is concerned about the homeless in Denver. Hilton & Jenny Fitt-Peaster had a family of four from Estes Park, staying with them during the evacuations. Peter Knudson’s son, Jeff, in San Francisco, is going through rigors of testing for COVID.

Congratulations, Good Luck, Blessings, and Thanks to:  Special blessings to newly ordained Rev. Emily Conger. Emily and partner Ted Burnham, plus daughter Lily are currently living in Salem MA with relatives. Fred & Moi celebrated that we had our first date 40 years ago last month. Lisa Hughes grateful for the people who completed the playground work. Chris & Tom Zanoni’s grandson, and his partner, visited from TX last month. Bev Sears son, Keith, from CA visited her for two weeks in October. Debra Hammond’s crazy kitty, Cat, meows during the music. Miles Rowe has his drivers license! Eliot Rowe is doing great at Case Western Univ. We were so grateful for the rain, and then the snow last month. Kate Weinstein’s nephew is father to his first baby, named Tatum. Becky Palmer got to carve pumpkins with her grandson. Amy Szen and her partner have a new fur baby dog whose name is Bucky.

Special Welcome to New Members: Monica English and her daughter joined October 6th, and Clyda Stafford joined on October 8th. Clyda has been with UUCB through the years, and most recently was seen every Sunday morning providing coffee and treats during Fellowship hour. Remember those days when we were together?

Random Thoughts: Fred and I had a joyful, safe, outside, “reunion” last month at the home of Diane Curlette spending time with she and her son, Chaz (Charley) Vaughn who was visiting her from CA. I actually was Charley’s Director of Religious Education at First Universalist Church of Denver, long before he was a 9th Grader. Charley as we knew him is one of “our” 350+ extended family of 9th Grade Trippers. Even though he is now 53, married with two beautiful daughters, and a very successful career — we still claim him — as we do all of the Front Range youth we shared that adventure with — Fred for fourteen, and Moi for ten years.

This weeks news from UUA GA (General Assembly) came as a big blow to me, actually to both of us. The 2021 GA in Milwaukee will follow in the 2020 Providence RI footsteps; and will be a Virtual GA. It was so hard to give up our annual trip in the third week of June. Until this week, I could at least look forward to next year. In June 2020, we had six “GA junkies” all ready to go — and even more exciting was the fact that two others were people who would be attending their first GA!  Fred and I have attended seventeen GA’s together, and twenty total for each of us.  Hopefully we can make it eighteen together to Pittsburgh in 2022!

The only positive about a Virtual GA is that even more of us at UUCB can register and attend, without incurring the travel expense. Registration will open on Dec. 1st.