Storied - Chronicles by the Circle of Six

PREFACE We did not intend to write a book. In the fall of 2017 we were a disparate bunch who shared a desire to tell our stories and to tell them well. By the time our month- long weekly workshops with facilitator Linda Bond ended, we had become a co-operative group—writers helpingwriters—and friends as well. Six of the group wanted to continue, agreeing to meet monthly at the Belleville library. Around the boardroom table we read our stories aloud, praising and encouraging each other while learning to give and receive feedback for improvements. Something left out? Too much detail? Some clarification required? We concluded our three- hour sessions with lunch at a nearby restaurant. Our camaraderie made the food taste even better. Then we went home to our computers to revise, sometimes rewrite, our stories. Who are we? All residents of the Bay of Quinte area on the north shore of Lake Ontario, we range in age from mid-50s through mid-80s. Veterinary technician Donna McDonald; author and retired school administrator Wendy Russell-Sheppard; restorer of historic buildings and artist Kim Fedor, and retired teacher Linda Bond, all live in Belleville. NellDavidson, a retired office manager and business owner, comes from Quinte West; Pat Whittaker, a retired journalist, is a Prince Edward County resident. At the end of 2018, as we celebrated the holiday season with lunch at a small Wellington restaurant and read our seasonal stories aloud, Linda took us by surprise. "These stories are so great! We should put out a book together." That was a daunting thought. Was it really possible? Linda has remarkable powers of persuasion. She assured us our stories were worthy of publication, with a bit of fine tuning. Six stories by six writers . . .. The idea started to take hold. In the spring, the hard work began. Our first goal was to complete one story every two months for a year. Decision bycommittee is not a fast process, but it was important to reach consensus on a myriad of details. We needed a name for our group; after much deliberation, we arrived at Circle of Six. We would be self- published. But we needed a copy editor, a contents editor, a graphic designer, and a printing company. We chose a title, a cover, worked out the story order. We composed this preface and the other necessary parts of our book, all while supporting one another through family illness, the deaths of a brother, a father, and a husband. Our venue changed a few times. Besides the library, we met at the Al Purdy A-frame cottage in Ameliasburgh, as guests of Eurithe Purdy, and took advantage of a free meeting room at a funeral home. When COVID-19 hit, we switched to Zoom.As restrictions loosened, we greeted each other in person again at Zwick's Park in Belleville. Versatility is one of our hallmarks. This quality is clearly evident in our stories. You will be transported to a 1950s beach in South Africa, to the middle of abustling Winnipeg Free Press newsroom, to the bench of a girls' soccer game in Calgary. You will witness a happy gathering inhurricane- shattered Haiti. There's a coming-of-age tale, a mid-life revelation, an examination of the hard choices that come with aging. And much more. As you read, perhaps your own stories will come to mind. Perhaps you will want to tell them, write them down. The door is open . . . Welcome CIRCLE OF SIX — Canadians.