My Book Club

I love being in a book club. When the club was formed we decided that would we’d go alphabetically by our first names to determine the book picking order. Each person would pick a book, the date of the meeting and the place to meet. Of course the date could change several times to accommodate as many members schedule as possible but the majority rules. We meet in restaurants and homes, with a home meeting being our favorite. If we use a restaurant we try to find one with a private room or get there before it gets too noisy. We read 5-7 books a year and meet about every 5-8 weeks. At our first meeting in February 1997 we discussed “She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb.

While the main character was a little far out there we all found some way to relate to the book. It was a depressing sort of book but you kept reading hoping for some relief and a happy ending. It had a sorta happy ending. But it has still remained one of the most memorable books. The book gave us plenty of discussion that’s for sure. We met at the Houston Culinary Arts and Design School . It was pouring down rain and the parking was limited so we drove in circles until classes let out. For fun I took pictures and then sent out a review of the night and thus earned the title of the “Unofficial secretary/photographer”. After 14 years they told me I could be the “Official” secretary/photographer.

As the secretary/photographer I keep track of whose turn it is to choose. Sometimes I’ll provide reading guide questions if our discussion gets to far off base or there’s a lull. I’m also lovingly called the ‘Book Nazi’ because I send out reminder emails to get their book and start reading that the meeting date is fast approaching. For fun I created a website http://wtsbookclub.bravehost.com/  where I could post the list all the books we’ve read along with dates and sometimes the place of our meeting for easy access for everyone. I’m still in the process of getting all our photos and reviews on there. Takes time to recreate or scan everything. I used to create a copy of our group picture for each member but now with the website I can post the pictures and they can view and/or print at their leisure.

A book, good Friends, good food, and maybe a drink or two… creates discussion and lots of fun...  

 And this group always has fun.

This picture was taken this January for our book One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus. Some of the same girls are in this picture are in the picture from 1997. Think we’ve changed? This book is based on an actual event, during a Pow Wow between the white man and the Indian chief  who requested 1000 white women as brides for his braves and in return they would provide 1000 horses.

Well for obvious reasons that never happened but in this book it did. Some of the people in the book are real people and were involved with Peace talks and the rights of Indians.

 For fun, Cindy, the girl that picked this book gave us a challenge. She had us draw names and at our next upcoming meeting we are to announce an Indian name for that person whose name we drew. Everyone was in rare for this meeting so no telling what names we’ll hear. Can’t wait to hear my new Indian name someone has chosen for me. I wonder if I should be worried.

So until next time…………………………..... “If you read a lot of books you are considered well read. But if You watch a lot of TV, you’re not considered well viewed”  ~Lily Tomlin~

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      ((¸¸.·Carla.·´-:¦J)

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It's Saturday Night and It's Alright

Had a quiet day today. Went to the post office, 2 red boxes trying to find a movie we would watch or haven't already watched and finally ended up at Block Buster.
Then I went to an open house over in Memorial West. Okay no I wasn't looking to see about buying I just went to visit one of my favorite realtors. I said one of my favorite since I do have a couple of other realtor friends. Barbara Borchers with ReMax became a close friend back in 95 when she helped us sell our 2nd home and she put up with David and I till we found this home we've lived in since 95.  We drug her to 100+ houses for over a year trying to find one with the right price and something that would meet both our wish lists. She earned her commission.

So while I was out running around, those of you who know David can probably guess what he did. He was out intimidating the plants and trees. I think we've lost several plants but we'll see if anything comes back from all the brown as things start budding out. 

I'm feeling good but poor David can't get rid of the cough. I'm sure working in the flower beds didn't help. He took my cough medicine with codeine about 15 minutes ago so that'll knock him real shortly. So no partying for the Kennedy's that's for sure. ;o) 

Just a four more days and Pamela will be celebrating her 24th birthday and 3 days after that I'll celebrate the big "55". Yikes! time has flown by. I was told it does that as we get older. For our birthday we're headed to the rodeo for Ladie's Night Out. It's a great evening with all the food and drinks we can or care to consume plus miscellanous other activities they set up for the ladies and we'll get to see "Sugarland" perform. Can't wait plus it'll be nice to see the kid. Haven't seen her in almost a month. I kinda miss her when she's at off at school.

Oh  David and I watched the movie "Unstoppable" with Denzil Washington. The movie about the runaway train. Great Movie!

Until next time...........................  A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart
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 ((¸¸.·Carla.·´¨¨))-:¦:-         
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Books and More Books….They’re everywhere

Even as a small kid I always enjoyed reading. I’d go to the local library every summer and join the reading contest. You know where they would give you a picture of a clown holding a handful of balloons. Then every time you finished reading a book they’d put a sticker on a balloon. I think I got a book mark or candy for every 20 books I read. Life was so easy then. My reading waned some as I got older and you were assigned books to read for school. In 1997 I joined a book club formed by a fellow co-worker at the time.  Twelve of us still remain of the original 20. Being in a book club gets you to read a book you would never have necessarily picked up to read on your own. Almost 99% of the books our group have picked I’ve really enjoyed. When I’m not reading a book for the club I pull one out of my book closet. Yes I said book closet.

It’s stacked high and 3-4 deep. I have acquired books from strangers, family, friends, and bought some on my own. I’ll go in to buy 1 book and come out with at least 3. I even worked part-time at a neighborhood bookstore for a 1 ½ years and I acquired many books from there.

David will look in the closet and ask where did they all came from and why don’t I get rid of some of them. I have to explain to him these are the books waiting to be read. Now I do share books I've read sometimes with friends, my mom but generally I take them to the book store to trade and get more books.  Then there's the books I keep after reading. Like the book case below in our Family Room. I share some of the shelf with David for his landscaping and gardening books. I also add pictures and what-nots. Makes it hell to dust.

Now I’ve added Quilting books, scrapbooks, and magazines to the stash I keep. The book case below is in my sewing/craft room.

Yep my name is Carla and I’m a Bookaholic.

Could be worse things right? "Like say sitting on the couch drinking beer getting drunk and watching TV" Barbara Terry….  

Reading is a cheap vacation without ever leaving your couch.

Until next time………….. Happy Reading or whatever makes you happy!

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      ((¸¸.·Carla.·´¨¨))-:¦:-         -:¦:- ((¸¸.· -:¦:-

Am I turning into my grandmothers?

Well this wasn’t my intended subject for today’s post but in light of what happened I decided to write about my lack of brain matter. I seem to be following in my grandmothers foot steps only they were in their 70’s and 80’s while I’m only my fifties.  

My grandmother on my mom’s side would get up in the mornings, put on her clothes, shoes, grab her purse and head out the door to town, the store, to a friends or wherever. She never learned to drive so she walked everywhere no matter how far. She would walk down the highway toward the next town that was 23 miles away. She was in great shape physically. Not sure how far she got before someone would pick her up and drive her rest of the way. I’m talking small town so everyone knows everyone and a majority of them are related to me. Now all this was okay in the beginning but as time passed Othermom (that’s what I called her) couldn’t remember how she got to the other town or why she was there. My mom and uncle started getting a lot of calls from concerned folks from our hometown in Missouri. When David (my husband) and I went up to visit one time she hide the Fluffo on me while I was cooking breakfast. (Fluffo is like Crisco in lard form.) I found it later that evening when I went to pull the ice cream out of the freezer. Othermom had no clue why or how it got there. You see Alzheimer’s was setting in. While I don’t really think I have the on set of Alzheimer’s, I do have problems of getting side tracked sometimes.

Then there’s my Grandma Flossie, my dad’s mom, well she smoked and would leave still burning cigarettes just about anywhere in her apartment. She’d just forget where she left them. Her bed, the couch, or the kitchen counter, you get the idea. She almost burnt down the little apartment building down more than once. My dad would stop by to visit her in the mornings and would find the gas stove burner on. Oops not a good thing.

Now my personal stories – Monday I was getting ready for work, plugged in my hot curlers and once I was finished I walked out the door. Did I forget something? Well David came home that evening walks into the kitchen and asks “Where are you going tonight”

I look at him like he’s crazy because I’m cooking dinner and in my comfy clothes. So I say “No where”

He replies sarcastically “Your curlers are plugged in and I know you wouldn’t leave them on all day”

Well I won’t repeat the rest of that conversation.

Now last night I’m cooking dinner. I put the vegetables in the steamer on low-medium heat so they would be done by the time David walked in from work. No biggy right? Well I went upstairs to my sewing/crafting area, Next thing I hear “Are you trying to burn the house down”. Hmmm. My 10 minutes had turned into just a little over 15 minutes and the kitchen was full of smoke. I had put butter on top the veggies and the water had boiled away and the butter was smoking and the bottom of the pot was black. Again won’t repeat the rest of that conversation but I’m sure your imagination can come up with something.

So you tell me .. Am I turning into my grandmothers?  Maybe when I’m cooking I shouldn’t multi-task.

Or maybe it’s this upcoming birthday getting to me? I’m hoping it was just a bad week.

Until next time……. I’ll try not to burn the strawberries or the house.

Where shall I begin

I kept saying to myself  “who would want to read my blog. Probably should state right off I don’t claim to be a writer, a person of great wisdom, knowledge or talent but sometimes I surprise myself and those around me. Then I had to ask myself “what should I write about”…. Hmmm. Well here goes nothing.

I have a wonderful family which includes my hard working husband David of 32 years as of September 2010; a beautiful loving daughter Pamela who at the age of 23 graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Health in May 2010 and has returned to school to get a nursing degree; and then there’s our loveable 14 year old sheltie, Dexter. Of course there are other loving family members like my mother, father, step parents, siblings, in-laws, and nieces and nephews. All of which may show up in my blog at some point in time.
  
I attended the University of Houston where I majored in Accounting but came up short of graduating. I can’t lie I had too much fun socializing and then got married. I am a Phi Mu Soroity sister alum and a Lamda Chi Alpha Fraternity little sister. When I thought about going back to school toooo much time had passed and would have required me taking almost all of my classes over. There's been a few changes in the curriculm, go figure. At this stage in my life I don’t plan on changing careers and I’m not sure of my retention or attention span which does tend to be a little short some days if non-existent. My husband would agree with the non-existent. So maybe I’ll just take some classes thru Leisure learning and quilting classes at my local quilt shops. Or maybe just practice my various hobbies. They say practice makes perfect. I'm not going for perfect but well done would be nice. Oh and finished.
   
I love to read, take pictures, scrapbook, sew and I attempt to quilt. So I guess my blog will follow my stitches, pictures, books and life in general.

Until next Blog.............. Keep a Smile on your face. It's Contagious!

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(¸.•´(¸ ;.•Carla.♥