176. Wednesday's Blog: Hope For The Future

So you might have gleaned that I was in D.C. for a few days.  One reason I went, as many of you guessed, is for more Red Scarf/Orphan Foundation fun. 

What can I say about this organization and association that I haven't already said? I just can't stop enthusing. How I stumbled upon this and got involved in it I can hardly remember, but now it just seems like it's a part of me -- a part of my family, a part of my being. Gah, now I'm getting sappy. All right, Norma.  Focus. 

*stopping to pull myself together*

Doug Sprei couldn't ferry me around personally because his daughter had a basketball tournament, but that did not stop him from hooking me up, big-time. Lynn Davis, Manager of Partnership Development and a perfect match for me (a real pistol), took over the job.  Did we have FUN!  She picked me up at my hotel and brought me to Georgetown where we met up with five Ohio teens in the program.  They are spending the summer in internships on Capitol Hill, and they are fantastic! 

Laura Adkins, who is the Ohio shepherd (Her official title is the Ohio ETV Coordinator.  I don't know what ETV means, so I'm going to call her "Shepherd Queen Laura.") for the interns and the aged-out-of-the-system foster kids, was on hand to take us all out to lunch at a French restaurant she knew from her days going to college in Georgetown.  What a wonderful, fun, and engaging woman she is!  Such a force! And her daughter and son-in-law joined us, as well.  Total.wonderful.fun.  Keep in mind that I hate kids.  Really. 

But when Laura introduced me to the interns, she said, "And this is Norma.  She is the blogger who..." and several of them interrupted and said, "The scarves?!  Wow!" They of course had me in the palms of their hands from that point forward.  Come on: I can only hate kids to a point, ya know.

None of the interns had ever been to a French restaurant before.  After we got seated, Laura said to them, "Now, I want to hear what you are going to order for an appetizer." 

Several of them protested, "Appetizers!  But it's so expensive!"

Laura said, "No. I want to hear how many of you are going to join me for escargot.  This is the day when you don't restrict yourself to living like you used to live.  Today you live like you are going to live in the future. Now, think about your appetizers.  How many are ordering escargot?"

I could have plotzed.  She was frickin' awesome!

I overheard in the conversation that Laura was responsible for having sent them all to an etiquette course before their internships so presumably they would know how to conduct themselves properly with the hoity-toity Capitol Hill folks. Of course, as we all know, and as a couple of the interns pointed out, nobody has any manners anymore, even those who were raised with all the advantages in life.  A couple of the interns were savvy enough to have observed that in many of the situations they'd been in where they were following all the rules of etiquette, the very hoity-toities that they were meant to impress were breaking all the rules.  Don't you just love it?!

This is Ralph, who sat opposite me, taking his first bite of escargot.

William is next to him going, "Dude!" when he takes a bite.  Actually, he didn't say "Dude," but I could tell he wanted to.  I love Will.  He apologized to me for wearing his do-cap. Love.him. 

Ralph asked me to help him choose what to order, and he wanted me to make sure he ordered things that were authentically French. He wanted me to describe quiche to him.  (He ordered it.  He said it was delicious, but not what he expected.)

I ordered brie and apples for my appetizer. 

All the interns tried some and loved it.  We all tried stuff off each other's plates. "Like a family," as Ralph observed. *sniff*  (hatekids, hatekids, hatekids)

After our entrees were finished, Laura urged that we all order dessert.  Who could pass that up?  I mean, really, in a French restaurant?  You nuts? 

Then something interesting happened.  The dessert was served to the five interns with candles lit, and Happy Birthday was being played in a recording in the background.  Laura said, "I never get to actually celebrate your birthdays with you, so this is my chance to be able to say happy birthday to you all." 

The smiles and genuine glee were so sweet.

This is Samuel Jackson.  No, really, it is.  With his "birthday" dessert:

That's Laura next to him (sorry it's blurry), and Laura's lovely daughter Megan, farther down the table.

Across the table from Samuel is his biological sister, Candace.

Both amazingly high achievers, gorgeous kids. 

Devon is behind her.

After we parted from the rest of the folks -- the boys were heading out to a kayak trip and the girls were heading back to their places of abode, Lynn and I later went on a fun shopping trip for makeup with Devon.  She needed to find a MAC cosmetics shop, and we found one for her nearby.  She bought her stuff.  Then next door was a Sephora, so I had to drag everyone in there.  They sell Philosophy cosmetics, my usual since Sandy turned me on to it, and it's always good to save on shipping charges, since there is no Sephora in Vermont. That's where I bought my Hope In A Jar.  I explained to them that since I started using it, I have not needed to bother with foundation makeup, and I reminded them I'm staring 49 in the face.  Lynn cracked me up.  She said, "Like that famous scene in When Harry Met Sally, 'I'll have what she's having!'" and Devon followed suit as well. 

As we were walking down the street to Lynn's car, Devon said, "And any time I feel a bit down, I'll remember that I have a little hope -- right in this jar." 

Excuse me. I need a moment. 

Bye-bye, Cafe La Ruche!  (That's Lynn Davis on the left with the bigggg orange bag.  See?  Told you she was a perfect match for me.)

P.S.  Doug informs me that our little Red Scarf Fund and the Network for Good initiative have raised nearly $40,000.  Our little fund that we started last August.  I could burst with happiness. 

Maybe we can even do better than that; what do you think?

My Sandy has pledged to me that she will donate 10% of her auction proceeds from the sale of her Starmore book.  w00t!  Click here for her auction.

More about the Red Scarf timetable to come very soon.

Comments

[Kristen]

{sniff, sniff, dab, dab} Damn kids.

[Helen]

I have fond memories of Cafe La Ruche. I went there a lot during law school. It is a great place. I wish I had known you were here. Next time, let us know! BTW, you can always go to Sephora.com. Glad you had fun. DC is my favorite place. I guess that's why I never left here.

[Carole]

What a great post, Norma. I really loved reading about this and I have such HOPE for the future.

[Jennifer]

Awwww - now you're making the rest of us cry! CONGRATULATIONS on such a splendid effort. 40K. Wow! That's utterly amazing.

[kathy]

Go Red Scarf fund. I will match Sandy's donation. You do good work whether it's in the garden of veggies or the garden of children (love kids btw).

[margene]

Way to go Norma!! Way to go Sandy!

[Amy O']

Norma, you should have warned us - I'm sitting at my desk at work eating my breakfast and reading this and I'm getting all weepy! Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful day.

[Lynn]

Awwww, too. You almost made me wish I had had kids. Almost.

[marianne]

Sure, bring some tears to an old woman's eyes first thing in the morning.... I love Laura. Glad to hear you had such a fabulous time!

[Kate]

Crap. I don't knit for charity (unless it was all those damn fun fur hats), but I see a few red scarves for the fall.

what great kids. Hmm... how can I go about getting my company to do a corporate donation??? ....off to call the head of the department.

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

PERFECT way to start my day, reading this. Great post Norma!

[Beth]

I've said it before but I really mean it: Norma, you rock! Think of the benefits all those kids are receiving because of your efforts to motivate the rest of us!

[Jean E.]

Great post! I love that the kids have taken an etiquette class and now are able to "out hoity the toities" I'm off to click on that paypal button!

[anne]

oh norma, this post makes me SO happy (and not just because we're the same age, looking at the same number!)!
we live across the street from a "pathways house" (i'm in ohio), which is a group home for kids that can't get placed in foster care. these kids are all about high school age and they are so great . . lively (they are the only kids on the block that play outside regularly, and not just to run away, either), social, fairly courteous (considering) . . . they are alive. i really enjoy living near them, and watching them from my office window each day.
i know they all won't go on to have opportunities like the kids you met in DC, but i DO know that where they are now, people are taking care of them in a way that is positive.

thanks for the donation button! this month i'm sending matching funds to claudia, but next month i will make red scarf my recipient of the month.

[Carrie]

I think I LOVE Laura.

[elizabeth a airhart]

thank you just thank you
faces to pictures are a good focal point
to start all us off and running

hi lynn davis looking good devon and every one else

[Beebs]

I am so impressed with so many people on so many levels. Will be able to contribute in July; meanwhile, casting on for a Red Scarf.

[--Deb]

That sounds like so much FUN! Isn't it nice to know there's hope for the next generation? (grin)

[Kelli]

Sounds like a fabulous day with fabulous company. Great post. Thanks for sharing.

[Annie]

Nice post. :)

Guess what was in my local paper this am? An op-ed piece on *your* Michael Pollan's speech. http://www.charlotte.com/409/story/684482.html

[jessica~]

What a fantastic trip with some fantastic peeps!!! How come you're not in that picture with them?! Your fund raising is fantastic - can't stop now!

[Beth S.]

Made of awesome, all of it. (And this from a confirmed kinderphobe. ;-)

[Josiane]

If you hadn't apologised for the bluriness of the picture with Samuel and Laura, I'd have kept on thinking it was my misty eyes that was making it blurry... It looks like it was a wonderful day spent with truly inspirational people, and I wanted to thank you for sharing it here.

[Lucia]

You hate kids? Even orphans?

[kathleen]

wow. great day!

[Pamela]

Kinderphobe: thanks Beth S.! That sounds much better. Me too, except that I did make a scarf last year, and every time I told anyone about the project, I got all weepy. Must not cry... still at work...darned orphans! Must make new scarf this year, must donate to cover mailing costs...must shop for red yarn...

[sandy]

Oh, god, Norma, that was beautiful! Made me cry! (Tears of JOY!)

[Evlayn]

These no longer children. These are fully formed human beings, they have out grown childhood and are on the verge of becoming adults. And they are charming, beautiful and full of hope. Thanks so much for sharing this experience with us.