October Book Club 2015

A beautiful full moon night at Arnora's to discuss The Boy Who Drew Monsters. The book was well liked and we stayed late in the evening. The book rated 3.38.

Here is the plot summary from Goodreads, "From the New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Child comes an hypnotic literary horror novel about a young boy trapped inside his own world. whose drawings blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Ever since ten-year old Jack Peter Keenan nearly drowned in the ocean three years earlier, he has been deathly afraid to venture outside. Refusing to leave his home in a small coastal town in Maine, Jack Peter spends his time drawing monsters. When those drawings take on a life of their own, no one is safe from the terror they inspire. His mother, Holly, begins to hear strange sounds in the night coming from the ocean and she seeks answers from the local Catholic priest and his Japanese housekeeper who fill her head with stories of shipwrecks and ghosts. His father, Tim, wanders the beach, frantically searching for a strange apparition running wild in the dunes. And the boy's only friend, Nick, becomes helplessly entangled in the eerie power of the drawings. While those around Jack Peter are haunted by what they think they see, only he knows the truth behind the frightful occurrences as the outside world encroaches upon them all. In the tradition of The Turn of the Screw, Keith Donohue's, The Boy Who Drew Monsters, is a mesmerizing tale of psychological terror and imagination run wild. A perfectly creepy read for a dark night.

On October 3, we met at Laura's house for our Elephant Fund Raiser Wrap Party. We had 7 artists who donated 14 paintings and we raised $2,450 on our Facebook Art Auction page for the Endangered Ark Foundation.  Kristin Parra, grandaughter of the founder of the Ark, joined us and invited us as her guests to the Carson and Barnes circus the next day. Diana, Carla A, Terry, Lis, Laura, Arnora and family and I were able to attend. It was a small but very entertaining circus AND, we got to ride the elephants at intermission.  As you know, this whole thing started when I had the dream of riding the circus elephant. And so, my dream has come full circle and we were introduce to an amazing story, amazing elephants and helped them improve their watering system at the Ark.

September 2015 Book Club

Well, of all the things that I could have predicted for my future, Lou selling the her B & B and the new owners hiring me to manager it was not one of them. But, that is what happened and I came on board in July. So, in keeping with tradition, I hosted the book club at the Holmberg House. It was a gorgeous night and after dinner we held our discussion on the front porch. We were thankful that Lou was in town to join us but, sad that Terry, Barb, Darby and Carla G  could not join us. Our love and prayers are with Carla as she takes care of her mom at this difficult time.

This months menu was inspired by the fact that New Mexico Hatch green chili's are in season. I picked up some and Carla A roasted them. I found a simple Green Chili & Chicken casserole that turned out pretty good and Carla A made rice and beans. Denise brought a beautifully layered fruit salad, Janie brought a cornbread salad and Liz brought a Kale salad. Diana brought guacamole, Lou brought a delicious gluten free Mexican wedding cake, Arnora brought the chocolate and Pam provided the Sangria.  We had 100% happy plates at the end of the meal.

Our third book in our "series" of animal themed stories was H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald. This was not a novel but a memoir of a woman's journey through her grief at her fathers sudden passing. She is a professor and a falconer and chooses to train a Goshawk as a way to manage her grief. She parallels her personal story with that of T. H. White. He was also a professor, author and sometimes falconer. She is fascinated with his story, as well as the stories of other similarly like minds through history. Some of the group did not care much for the technical and historical details she provided. It made the story difficult to connect to emotionally. I read T. H. White's novel, The Once and Future King, in high school and it was one of my favorite books and I have very fond memories of my English teacher reading the book aloud to us everyday. However, his personal story is a lot more difficult to take and his treatment of hawks did not sit well with some. However, she is a beautiful writer and many of her descriptions were quite poetic. She takes us on the journey of grief through the shock, as her dad's passing was unexpected and sudden, to denial, anger, sadness and acceptance. At first, she isolates herself with the bird as her excuse. She is depressed and works at becoming invisible, not only to the hawk, but to the community around her. She isn't paying her bills, her job is in transition, she must move house. She is resentful of the demands made of her. But, as she works with the hawk she has many self-revelations and eventually she seeks the help of a doctor and resumes her life in the community. The story is layered and subtle and she talks about man and nature and our ill effects on it.

 

Denise's daughter is a falconer and she loaned Denise several of her bird "hoods" to show us. Denise found parts of the story difficult to take because some of the descriptions and the necessary obsessions of training a hawk were too familiar.

 

The book was generally well received and rated a 3.64. We all agreed that we had learned a lot from our reading of man and animal.  Since next month will be Halloween, we've decided on a scary story by Keith Donahue, The Boy Who Drew Monsters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AUGUST 2015 Book Club

So many changes going on with our book club members! As I mentioned in July, Lou and Gene have sold their B & B and bought a motor home. Currently, they are making the Florida, Colorado, Wyoming circuit. Once again based in Blanchard, she still plans to attend when she is in town. I have taken up residence at the Holmberg House. Denise is downsizing and has bought a smaller place on a lake nearby. This book club marks our last one at her lovely home with the pool. A few of the girls brought their suits and dipped their toes in the water of "bon voyage!" We're very happy for them.  Barb is planning her wedding for October, the second book club member to marry this year. Darby and Nate were married on the beach in the Bahamas at New Year's. Pam and Dave have welcomed back Nate, Na Sim and baby Sophie from Dubai. We're all very excited to see the new baby!

Denise decided on a Mexican themed dinner; taco soup and fiesta zucchini salad, chips, salsa & salsa verde (Janie) and Barb brought homemade ice cream sandwiches. We missed Lou, Janie, Laura and Terry.

Our book was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.  A.J. is a widowed book store owner living alone and drowning his grief when he discovers an abandoned baby in the book store.  He decides to keep the baby and a cast of quirky town characters and one idealistic book seller help him raise her.  Each chapter opens with a book and notes from A.J. to his daughter, Maya, about why he thinks she will enjoy it, or why she must read it. The book was just what I need after an exhausting July and on the heels of a move. It kept me turning the pages, I enjoyed the characters and it was just the right size, more of a novella. I wouldn't have been able to finish a heavy handed novel this month. The book rated a 4.2. 

September's book club will be hosted by Sherrie and Carla A at the Holmberg House and our book is H is for Hawk.... I just realized the alliteration!

JULY 2015 Book Club

This July marked my last 12 day work-shop that takes me between OKC and Dallas and keeps me from attending book club. As of August 10, I am living and working at The Holmberg House as its new manager. As you all know, after 4 years of running the B & B, Lou and Gene sold it. The new owners, Tom and Liz, have other businesses and don't want to run it day-to-day. Lou put us in touch and now I'm working from home. If you had told me at any point in my life that I would be cooking and serving breakfast everyday - and enjoying it - I would have told you that you were certifiably insane. But, I guess people change and the right circumstance came along. 

As I was not at book club, Arnora volunteered to coordinate notes from those who were there, but apparently, people were busy. So, this month will be short. I will update the blog if anyone wants to comment on the food or other aspects.

In June, we were enthralled with The Elephant Whisperer and we decided to keep the animal theme going.  Arnora recommended the novel Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult about a man so fascinated with wolves that he lives with them for a time which disrupts the family. They are brought back together by an accident involving the father and daughter.  Arnora really liked the book and Carla A liked it ok. Others found the subject matter compelling, but were less enthusiastic about the story telling. Diana thought it was interesting that it was Luke's actions that initially divided the family and his accident that brought them back together. The family's internal struggles escalate and not until all the hidden truths are revealed is there a reconciliation. Luke was a Lone Wolf with both his human and wolf families.

In on-line reviews it was noted that some of Jodi Picoult's information about the wolves was inaccurate. I'm paraphrasing now from Amazon, "The book dealt with the issues of life support, organ donation and end of life decisions. The book lacks emotional nuance and the deeper discussion of the end of life issues are often eclipsed by teenage melodrama and the heavy-handed working of the lone wolf archetype."

The book rated a 2.75.

August book club will be at Denise's home and our book is The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

Enlightened by Elephants

Sometimes the soul just hijacks you and takes you on an unexpected journey toward an enlightenment you didn't know you were seeking. And, then the adventure turns out to be in your own backyard. Such was our journey to the Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo, Oklahoma.

Inspired by dreams and a book, we found ourselves on a weekend adventure to an elephant sanctuary that few knew about. Hugo is the last stop on the Indian Nations Turnpike at the Texas border and home to a variety of circuses that have wintered here since 1937.

Our morning caravan started out with a Starbucks (thanks, Carla G), big puffy clouds, and a light rain. We took the scenic route through towns like Mill Creek and Wapanucka arriving in Hugo in time for lunch at Angie's Circus City Diner. We had fantastic fried green tomatoes, catfish, onion rings, burgers, pie and two very funny waitresses. A girl named Levi and one named Sha'Mika. Levi was having a tough day so Sha'Mika helped out and had us rolling on the floor with how she came to have her name.


Turns out her mother thought she was going to be black and created the name for her but when she was born white, she couldn't think of another name. Sha'Mika had been deeply ashamed of her history telling her mother, "You are NOT my momma!" But seems to own it now.  Levi recovered from her trauma and both girls took good care of us.

Just around the corner from the diner is the elephant sanctuary.  Our guide, Arlinda, met us with a hug and commended Diana for her perseverance in setting up the tour. Here we were able to get up close and personal with the elephants. We spent about an hour riding around the sanctuary hearing stories about them and being educated on their lives and care. The people who run the Ark are really in love with the elephants. Living on a sanctuary in Hugo, Oklahoma is not as dramatic as living on a wildlife reserve in Zululand, Africa but we got a taste for what it's like to live with these great animals.

After the tour, we followed Arlinda to the Mount Olivet Cemetary to see Show Men's Rest. There is an area reserved for the part-time circus residents and the founders of the Ark are buried here as well as the famous young bull rider, Lane Frost. Then, we were back on the road for our evening accommodations in Kingston. Laura couldn't find anything closer to Hugo because of the rains and high waters. But, the house she did find was stellar. It easily accommodated all 11 of us. It had a couple of beautiful patios, fire pit and giant man-cave with pool and foosball. We stayed up til 2 dancing, singing and playing games. After a leisurely brunch the next morning we headed back to Norman,

We were so inspired by the elephants we've decided to host a fundraiser to help them raise money for a better watering system for the elephants. There will be more information about that soon.

The weekend was immensely satisfying. I told Arlinda that she had truly made a "dream" come true for me. We bonded with the elephants, the staff, and with each other. I have a feeling we'll be going back soon - and hopefully with a nice little check to help them out!

June Book Club 2015

BREAKING BOOK CLUB NEWS … … …

In a shocking development, June 5, Laura Madden does not bring a dish to book club! However, we forgive her. She’s had a lot going on the last month. And, we’ve agreed not everyone needs to bring something every time. So, this month, she gets a pass! On that note, our deepest sympathies go out to Laura & Terry on the sudden loss of their brother.  There are no words that lessen the loss, but we all continue to send our love and prayers.

In other news … Lou announced that she and Gene have sold the Holmberg House B & B. They felt the time was right to downsize and spend more time with their family who do not live in Oklahoma. They plan to be in Norman for a few months before they become full-time vagabonds!

Missing … from our meeting were Lou, Darby, Janie, Terry, and Denise. Be on the lookout! And, report their whereabouts!

And Now, Here’s something you’ll really like! Barb was our host for June and she made a savory African chicken dish served with rice to complement our book on African elephants.  Carla Anderson brought roasted Brussel Sprouts, Pam brought a salad, Carla Gibbs brought a garden/fruit salad and wine, Arnora brought a beautiful pot of Petunia’s and some fresh cherries and Diana brought dessert; a banana/mango/Nutella crepe. Barb also provided Vodka Pear Martini’s.

Our June Book: The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony.  My Disclaimer: In May, I had a dream about an elephant and two days later I heard about the book “The Elephant Whisperer.” I was intrigued and put it on my Kindle. However, I had not intended to put it forward as a recommendation as it wasn’t a novel. But, during the course of conversation everyone seemed interested and now, here we are. To my utmost delight, everyone loved the book! And now we are slated to visit the Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo Oklahoma this weekend.  

Book Review:  Lawrence Anthony and his wife, Francoise, own Thula Thula, a wildlife game reserve in Zululand, South Africa. The story begins the day that Lawrence receives a call from a woman looking to place a herd of elephants. They have been elsewhere in Africa. They’ve been mistreated and were considered a “rogue” herd. If someone else didn’t take them, the herd was going to be put down. Lawrence agreed even though he had never worked with elephants before and the natives of Zululand had not seen elephants in their homeland for over 100 years. The story was captivating from start to finish. It is not a novel but reads like one. It is an emotional and mystical story that reads at times like action/adventure, mystery, and romance. Lawrence is a definitely a man’s man; strong and seemingly indestructible. He is also a master communicator and not just with animals. But his most endearing quality is his heart and his unwavering love for the people, animals and environment that surrounds him. He has shown us a world that few get to experience and opened our hearts as well.

Unfortunately, it was with great sadness that we learned upon searching out more information about Lawrence and the elephants that he had passed away suddenly in 2012. The elephants that he had taken in marched for 12 hours across the reserve on the day he died and stood in mourning for two days. And on the anniversary of his death, they do the same each year. Francoise continues to run the reserve and the resort and perhaps there is a visit in our future. The book rated a 4.6. Lis liked it but didn’t think it was as well-written as she would have liked. The book has inspired us to journey on June 13-14 to the Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo, Oklahoma. Much to our surprise, EAF is the home to 25 Asian elephants. Hugo is also home to several circuses that winter there and we plan to visit the Circus Cemetery.   

NEXT BOOKs – Lone Wolf by Jody Picoult at Diana’s and H is for Hawk in August at Denise’s.

May Book Club 2015

It is Book Club Ladies – Keep Your Shirts on!

Yes, ladies, literally keep your shirts on! We’re not that kind of book club! Though, we tried to be. It’s always so fun to walk into Arnora’s house for book club and be reminded of our 10th-anniversary professional photo! Arnora always proudly displays our “unofficial, not approved by Darby” photo over the mantel.  It brings a smile to my face every time! Y’all know what I’m talkin’ about!

Arnora outdid herself with the “fish dish” as our main course. We had some homemade salsas compliments of Jim and Janie, a fruit salad, bourbon sweet potatoes from Lis, a 3-fruit cobbler from Carla G, Diana brought a quinoa shrimp salad and I volunteered to bring the flowers in lieu of Arnora this time.  Our evening inspired this little “ditty”. Don’t judge me too harshly!

Gathered together we were

Outside as the glorious breeze

Rustled the ruffled Iris petals

Under the full moon, beguiled

As we pondered The Stolen Child

The layers of Changeling and human metals

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue was indeed a layered story. The story is so layered, in fact, that we were still unraveling as it neared 11:00 pm. Because there was much detail and so many comparisons, this month I’ve quoted a paragraph from The Guardian Review that sums it up.  The story is told in nicely dovetailed alternate chapters. The Stolen Child counter poses a confessional by “Aniday” with one by his replacement in the world of humans – a changeling. Aniday, a textbook case of Stockholm syndrome, eventually comes to consider his protracted sylvan sojourn “the best years of my life”, while “Henry Day” grows up a supremely accomplished pianist and marries a woman who adores him, yet each feels trapped, helpless in his false identity. Each lives numbly, passively, mesmerized by loss, tenaciously mired in a gloom: no happiness can be admitted until it’s over, available to be mourned.

Laura's favorite quote from the book was "the room smelled of remembered bread."

The book has rated from 4 – 4.9 so far. Our next read will be “Elephant Whisperer” recommended by me.  I had not intended to put it forward as it is not a novel but an autobiographical tale of a herd of elephants on a game reserve in Africa. However, we seemed to have veered off on an animal theme. “Lone Wolf” and “H is for Hawk” are both future recommendations.