A Scandinavian Evening

A very big thanks to Nika for being our March hostess.  Who would have thought that we would have to consider snow and icy driveways when we set our meeting date of March 8th!  Once again, a smaller gathering due to winter weather. 

Thank you Nika for the very delicious Swedish meatballs!  Yum yum!  And all the other components of our meal were wonderful; thank you all for yet another memorable time with friends.

We reviewed the popular book "A Man Called Ove", a debut novel by author Fredrik Backman.  It is a story about an old crumudgeon who turns out to be a kind and caring - in his own fashion - man who is so very alone since the passing of his wife.  "And then she left him alone in a world where he no longer understood the language."  She was his connection, the person who understood him and helped him relate to the rest of the world.  His work meaning to his life, but then he was laid off, removing his reason to face each day.  "How can anyone spend their whole life longing for the day when they become superfluous?"  With the help of neighbors, whom he initially finds annoying, he learns how to continue living alone.  This was a simply written, well constructed story which at times was both humorous and thought-provoking.  Some of us really liked the book, while some not as much.  One was not able to finish as she found it so irritating.  My feeling is that your opinion of a story is affected by what is going on in your life; if your daily life is filled with aruguments and opposition, you don't enjoy spending your personal time reading about it also.  This story did start out with all of Ove's negative views of everything.  You had to stick with the story to see how various charachters understood how Ove was feeling and came together to help give him a purpose again.

Our next meeting will be at Debbie D's up-river in Entiat.  It looks like it will be Wednesday, April 5th.  We are keeping to our regular schedule of our meetings being on the first Wednesday of the month, which we had altered this winter due to weather conditions.  Looking forward to seeing you then!

Ordinary Grace

Our February gathering was foiled by the weather - snow and ice prevailed.  Missing seeing everyone and sharing friendship and discussion.  This month we had to make due with email contacts and comments.

Our book was a coming of age story which centered on a thirteen year son of a Methodist minister whose family lived in Minnesota.  The usually joyful summer turns grim when death visits in it's many forms: accident, natural, suicide, murder.  The characters were well developed and believable with their human imperfections, leaving us to wonder how we would describe our own families.  We watched them cope with death and their grief in many ways - withdrawal, denial, understanding, concern - as they learned about truth and the enduring grace of God.  Being set in the early 1960's, some of us could easily identify with the era of the story.  Though the story was a bit dark, the author showed a great gift with words and a positive spirit emerged through the tragedies.  We had many favorite quotes which were noted in our emails, so I will close with only one:
     "The dead are never far from us.  They're in our hearts and on our minds and in the end all that separates us from them is a single breath, on final puff of air."

Our March meeting will be held at Nika's home.  Looks like it will be on Wednesday, March 8th.  Looking forward to seeing everyone then!

A Rosie Day

Thank you Chris Mallon for the wonderful Saturday brunch!  As always, delicious and fun.  We were all very glad that we were making our way to your home during winter daylight hours.  We missed some of our members who were not about to attend due to various health issues and also winter travels.

"The Rosie Project" was another of our debut novels, written by Graeme Simsion.  It was a humorous and enjoyable read which "tackled Asperger's from the viewpoint of a geneticist whose highly scheduled life collides with many social situations" (thank you Judy!).  "Asperger's syndrome is associated with organization, focus, innovative thinking and rational detachment" which many view as faults, but Don, the main character, viewed as attributes.  The author is a bit over the top with repeated illustrations of life from the Asperger person's viewpoint, but this really pointed out how one might think and live if they have Asperger's.  This also made for many hilarious situations which Don found himself in throughout the book.  Along with the fun frolic, philosophical ideas were also presented and examine; Don wonders "Why do we focus on certain things at the expense of others?  We risk our lives to save a person from drowning, yet not make a donation that could save dozens of children from starvation...We are genetically programmed to react to stimuli in our immediate vicinity.  Responding to complex issues that we cannon perceive directly requires the application of reasoning, which is less powerful than instinct".  It was easy to empathize with Don, and at times through the book I wondered if we all have a bit of Asperger's.

January Meeting

Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 7th at 11am for our meeting at Chris Mallon's home.  Chris will provide a brunch casserole with coffee, tea and hot chocolate.  If you wish to bring something, Chris suggests an orange juice or other juice.  We will be discussing "The Rosie Project" which is Nika's selection.  Carpooling with 4WD is recommended.  See you then.  Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Barbara hosted our December meeting, which was held at Claudia's home.  Again, a delicious meal featuring meatloaf and scalloped potatoes (which really pleased Ron!).  Always a pleasure to gather, share and discuss, this time by the much-appreciated fire!

Our book, "When Breath Becomes Air", was written by Paul Kalanithi, a man well-studied in both literature and medicine.  His life was tragically cut short, but he contributed to every moment of it to his fullest.  The author examined the meaning of his existence , answering his own questions of "What makes human life meaningful, even in the face of death and decay."  The epilogue, written by his wife after his death, stated "...he did more than just describe the terrain.  He traversed it bravely."  "Literature not only illuminated another's experience, it proved...the richest material for moral reflection."  This particular piece of literature provided materials for individual philosophical reflection of our own lives.

We all contributed children's books for holiday gifting.  Thank you, Nika, for arranging the wrapping and distribution of these books within our community.  Several of us also participated in our secret Santa gift exchange, which is always fun!

"You could not help but feel your specklike existence against the immensity of the mountain, the earth, the talus, reaffirming your presence amid the grandeur."

"There is a moment, a cusp, when the sum of gathered experience is worn down by the details of living.  We are never so wise as when we live in this moment."

"Human knowledge is never contained in one person.  It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete."

My Friend Flicka

We gathered at Sandy's lovely home to share another delicious meal and great discussion.  Sandy, it was so nice to enjoy your festive Halloween decorations, which included many of your own counted cross-stitched pieces.  It is always a pleasure to be able to relax and spend time with friends.  Thank you, Sandy, for hosting our gathering.

Our book was a classic coming-of-age story about an American West ranch family.  The main character was a young boy - a dreamer who was finding it difficult to please his demanding father.  His mother helps him find his abilities by encouraging her husband to give the boy the horse of his choice during one summer break from school.  The summer becomes a long, hard lesson about life and gaining ones' own self confidence.  The boy is not the only one with lessons to learn; his father, who is actually a lot like his youngest son, has lessons to learn that summer also.

It was revealing to realize that this was written in the 1940s and that the economics of ranching haven't changed much over the years, save the introduction of modern farm equipment.  The author had moments of waxing poetic surrounded by repetition as she set the scene.  She beautifully describes Wyoming:
   "The East is cozy.  There is never the distance, the far, empty distances - the wide loneliness.  You    can smell the emptiness - almost a desert.  A sweet, fresh, singing wildness - you can breathe it in.  And it lifts you."
We did feel that the first two thirds of the book were somewhat boring and repetitious, but agreed that the end was compelling and made it all worth the read.

We set the date of our December gathering.  It will be Wednesday, December 7th at 5:30 pm.  Although Barbara will be our host, the meeting will be held at Claudia's home.  This will be our meeting to collect children's books to donate to local children of need.  We will wrap our selections that evening.  We will also have a "secret Santa" book exchange.  If you care to join in, please bring a book/gift which is already wrapped.  We will draw numbers and each select a surprise gift!

Next Meeting Wed.,November 2

Thanks Sandy for offering to be next to host, Wed. Nov. 2...discussing My Friend Flicka.