QVSBoston House Newsletter
October, 2022
By: Samantha Paladini
As I took a walk, returning to the Boston house with a bag full of groceries from Star Market, I noticed a black cat with stunning, yellow eyes. While the luminous sockets were not quite as bright as the newly turned autumn leaves, I felt the soft soul of an animal that reminded me of the spooky, whimsical spirit of October. Welcome to the October QVS Boston house newsletter!
October 11th
For the first time in my life, I made risotto. It felt fitting for our regular group meals because the Boston house is a big fan of butternut squash and rice! Most of the time, one could catch us munching on kale and Molly’s expertly homemade sourdough. In the evenings, we listened to music and delighted in Bridget’s fantastic baking skills. So far, she’s made Boston cream pie, apple cake, and Oreo pavlova. While we found common interests in food, most of our differences can be observed in our unique bedroom decor. Annette finished painting her room a soft yellow and pale green; it echoes her brightness and compliments all the plants she’s given this house. Evan put up a remarkable amount of maps in his room. Hannah’s room was one of the last to come together because she embarked on some marvelous adventures, even visiting the QVS house in Philadelphia!
October 14th
One of our favorite QVS days this month was on a rainy Friday, so Zenaida began the program at our house. They brought us the most comforting and delicious snacks from Trader Joe’s. The fact that we don’t have a Trader Joe’s near us made the occasion extra special! A group favorite was the dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Zenaida has great taste when it comes to introducing us to new foods and ideas.
During a peaceful meeting for worship, I watched the raindrops race each other down the window, something I hadn’t done in a long time; it doesn’t rain very often in Los Angeles.
Then, after a deep and respectful reflection on Indiginous Day, we took a trip to the Boston Nature Center where we split up on a scavenger hunt for the Quaker values. They were difficult to find amongst a garden full of colorful melons and peppers, but we eventually found the words in Easter eggs hidden under trees and foliage. After discussing what the SPICES meant to us, we made our way back to the house to wind down.
October 20th
Molly made a delicious batch of butternut mac and cheese for our dinner guests Eva and Sylvan, QVS fellows from the previous year. It meant a lot to learn that Boston has such a strong network of past fellows. We reflected on how helpful it was to have Colin and Campo (also fellows from last year) guide a few of us smoothly into our site placements. One transition that’s been difficult for me (coming from Los Angeles) was the adjustment to colder weather; I started wearing my thermals and it’s not even winter! Even though my mom had to send me warmer socks, I began to understand that people keep moving forward through the day, despite the chilly mornings. Talk about resilience!
October 27th
The end of the month was a wild journey! I equated it to the spinning teacup ride at Disney: disorienting and a blur. Besides some inconvenient health struggles, we spent the week scattered all over town. The fellows stayed in different homes while the Boston house received some TLC. We managed to find some lovely moments throughout the hullabaloo such as listening to music and taking walks. Something that I took away from this experience was gratitude for settling back into routine and a grown appreciation for each other.
We wanted to thank everyone who spent time with us on our QVS days and opened their homes to us. We are so appreciative for the support.
Happy Halloween!
QVS Boston House 2022-23
