by Mary Ellen Johnson, Sassafras Literary Exchange
originally published in the Pickens County Progress, Thursday, August 27, 2020
Sassafras group members were excited to have their first in-person meeting since March on Thursday, Aug. 20th, 6:30 p.m. at the pavilion at Lee Newton Park for a summer themed picnic: hors d’oeuvres, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and a variety of salads.
Tables for food were separated for social distancing, and chairs were arranged in a wide circle for conversation, announcements, and one reading from Maria Boling’s newly published book, Once is Enough! Growing Up in Georgia … and More (buy it on Amazon) before the sudden storm descended and the sun disappeared.
Seven and 1/2 of us enjoyed the novelty of seeing each other in person (grill master Alan Johnson, William Young, Maria Boling, Joe Fore, Mary Ellen Johnson, Jack Fay, Vivian Sheperis, and her very cute dog, Bingo). We missed members who couldn’t come, including two potential new faces, and relished seeing all of us at a non-Zoom meeting.
If you would like to be part of our group, let William Young or Mary Ellen Johnson know so we can add you to our next Zoom meeting Sept. 17th at 6:30 p.m.