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Carrousels of Los Angeles, California
                                                                                                                                                         Gaining some perspective

                                                   AT FIXINS





                                                                                                                                      Carrousel Veronica Glaze now         college.  She reconnected with old  Carrousel Gia Bosley has
                                                                                                                                      cooks for the entire week on         friends, visited family and realized   not missed a beat during the
                                                                                                                                      Sundays with her mother, Dallas      just how much Nashville has truly    pandemic with keeping up her
                                                                                                                                      Carrousel Sheila Glaze.  Together,   grown. While in the area, she visit-  philanthropic work as well as her
                                                                                                                                      they come up with a menu and         ed her sister Carrousel Adrienne     work as a public servant, which
                                                                                                                                      cook the same things together        Thomas Lamar in Atlanta.  And of     caused her to be called back
                                                                                                                                      in real time while on the phone.     course, Adrienne’s twin, Carrousel  into work long before many
                                                                                                                                      In 2021, Carrousel Veronica took     Hillary Thomas joined them for a     others. But of course, she did it
                                                                                                                                      a girls’ trip to the islands of St.   sister's weekend.  Ah, to be home   with grace and her effervescent
         Carrousels Theresa Lowe, Renai Fortuné,
         Rhonda Cotton, Jeannie Berrard Jackson,                                                                                      Thomas and St. John. While there,    again.                               unforgettable smile that is her
           Sheila Hill, Gia Bosley, Allison Herald,                                                                                   she enjoyed lots of sun and pad-     Carrousel Renai Fortuné was          trademark.  But don’t think she
            Cathy Ramsey, Kimberly Lee Lamb,      Left Side: Carrousels Kemberly Carruthers, Rhonda Cotton, Nedra Austin,             dle boarding at the Ritz Carlton.                                         didn’t catch up on her arts, crafts
         Helen Felton Martin and Veronica Glaze.     Helen Martin, Kimberly Lee Lamb, Cathy Ramsey, and Veronica Glaze.                                                    fortunate enough to spend more       and furniture making that we
                                                   Right Side: Carrousels Jasmine Bowers Brown, Jeannie Berrard Jackson,              Carrousel Nedra Austin who           time taking virtual art classes and
                                                   Theresa Lowe, Sheila Hill, Allison Herald, Gia Bosley and Renai Fortuné.           has had the opportunity to only      learning a few new recipes. She      learned is her hidden talent.
                                                                                                                                      attend one in-person Carrousel       was able to spend more time with  Carrousel Theresa Lowe finally
     Our second outing was this spring when we               player, Kevin Johnson, who was actually there when                       meeting after her induction but      family, especially her adorable      slowed down from the hectic
     went to view the Tupac Shakur exhibit in LA Live        we arrived. They have a great menu with of course                        before the pandemic began, says      grandchildren.                       routine of being a mom to her
     (Downtown LA). It was appropriately called, ‘Wake Me  a soul food staple and liquid offering of a variety                        she has spent more time with, and    In October, Carrousel Renai          teenage daughter and son,
     When I’m Free’ and proved to be a fully immersive,      of various flavors of Kool-Aid to choose from to                         caring for her elderly mother and    attended the Great Pumpkin           to develop and establish with
     thought-provoking experience that explores the life     accompany your meal —‘Red’ was of course the                             cooking more.  She too, will keep    Show Weigh Off in Circleville,       her family, The Lowe Family
     and legacy of the acclaimed rapper/artist and activist.   favorite. And yes, they                                                grocery deliveries coming post-      Ohio and ate her first “pumpkin”     Foundation, something she has
     After the exhibit, we walked around the corner to one  had a full bar!                                                           Covid. The one thing we have         burger.   Most of the pumpkins       wanted to do for a while.  It is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                a non-profit foundation with a
                                                                                                                                      learned about Carrousel Nedra,
     of the newer restaurants, ‘Fixins’, a soul food venue                                                                            is that she is ready at a moment’s   were over 1000 lbs.  Also during     mission to provide a network of
     owned by former Sacramento Mayor and NBA                                                                                         notice to suggest or attend a        this time, she has really enjoyed    education support that helps
                                                                                                                                                                           watching documentaries; many
                                                                                                                                      Carrousel outing.                                                         underserved boys, ages 8 to 18,
                                                                                                                                                                           are Carrafella Wallace’s choice!     to increase their opportunities
                                                                                                                                                                           Surprisingly she says she enjoyed
                                                                                                                                      Carrousel Cathy Ramsey says she
                       Gaining some perspective                                                                                       is now more conscious of always      the subject matter more than she     for succeeding and excelling in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                life.  This came out of recogniz-
                                                                                                                                                                           thought she would; she says she
                                                                                                                                      keeping her gas tank full—that
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ing the tremendous disparity
                                                                                                                                      is what she is going to continue
                                                                                                                                      after the pandemic.  Additionally,   feels like it has been an ongoing    that exists in Black, Hispanic,
                                                                                                                                                                           slumber party, especially during
     Trying to gain some perspective      over (or we reach our new normal)  line grocery shopping.  Carrousel                        she has just been overwhelmed at  the lockdown periods.                   and Indigenous communities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                in accessing learning resources
     on what we have all been             and what have you been up to        Helen has also kept us laughing                         the enormous value of friendship     Carrousel Jasmine Bowers             further compounded for
     experiencing these last two years,   this last year?                     with her precious stories of her                        and sisterhood that has come her     Brown, an anesthesiologist,          students who have, for example,
     COLA members responded to            Carrousel Helen Felton Martin,      Kindergarten students and how                           way, especially after the loss of    has been working very hard           ADD/ADHD or other learning
     a few questions posed to them        who has not had a break teaching    she has to deal with them as they                       her beautiful mother, Carrousel      in conditions that were not so       disabilities.
     to include in Sister-to-Sister:      the little ones, first via Zoom and   navigate the pandemic at 5 and 6                      Rita Malone in October 2021.         favorable at the beginning of the
     While the pandemic has been          now back in the classroom, says     years old.  Hilarious!                                  Carrousel Courtney Thomas took       pandemic.  But that is due to pure
     terrible, but trying to look at the   she spent much more time with      Carrousel Beverly Lofton has                            advantage of working remote-         dedication to her field.  She has
     situation from a glass as half-full   family.  Family dinners and game   been living her best life, just                         ly and went home to Nashville,       used the little down time she has
     perspective, what positives have     nights occur on a regular basis     chillin’ through this entire                            staying a little over two months.    had to allow herself to reevaluate
     come from being on ‘lock down’,      and are here to stay.  She does     pandemic, catching up on                                This was the first time she has      what is important in life: health,
     what ‘pandemic practices’ might      not foresee ever stopping on-       reading and movies.                                     been home for more than 3 or 4       family and relationships.
     you keep after the pandemic is                                                                                                   days since she graduated from

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