Bethlehem, Breakfast and Book Club

Last weekend was a busy weekend (although... when is any weekend NOT busy in December?) with a visit to an amazing re-enactment of the town of Bethlehem on Friday night, Breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning (Thanks, Melissa!), our annual FCC ornament exchange later that afternoon, and our December book club that night. A packed day... to say the least!

Soldiers Guarding the Entrance to Bethlehem

Breakfast with Santa, Mrs. Claus and Rudolph

Our Amazing Group of FCC Women

June Book Club

FCC Book Club. Another night of great laughter, good wine and wonderful friends.. with three (daringly courageous) newbies that joined us. The book was funny and wickedly poignant.

This Past Weekend

What a weekend! It started off with an incredible retreat for our local FCC bookclub. Twelve of us got together at a Bed and Breakfast in Saint Augustine for a fun escape. We were welcomed with a delicious wine reception by innkeeper Linda and then headed out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant. Though we were unsuccessful in finding a local karaoke spot, some of us ended up at a one of my old college stomping grounds from college, listening to a live band playing a pretty decent rendition of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. (Of course, I DID feel like the Moma of the group when one of the gals with me asked who Pink Floyd was.) [Groan.]
A sweet friend of mine from church watched Isabel overnight. When I picked her up, she was splashing away in the pool...loving every minute of it. So glad I signed her up for swim lessons next month. We ended up back in Saint Augustine on Sunday for Mother's Day visiting dear friends.

A wonderful weekend indeed.

April Book Club

Vini, Vendi, Urini
(We came, we conquered, we peed our pants...from laughing!)



I was lucky enough to host this month's book club. As always, a fun night filled with intelligent conversation that descends into copious amount of laughter, preceeded by copious amounts of wine. (Anyone else seeing a connection there?)
It was such beautiful weather, I decided to have us start out the evening in the back yard at the pergola and then move in later on for the book discussion. As dusk approached, I asked if folks wanted to move in or stay where they were. Everyone wanted to stay put. The breeze was just glorious. I brought out candles and we laughed until very late. The running joke of the evening had to do with seating. I was expecting about 10 gals. Fifteen showed up. When we ended up spending the evening outside, we brought out my dining room chairs. Those, in addition to the other chairs and swing outside provided a seat for everyone... but one. I sat on the edge of the deck until my bottom was numb, at which point I brought out one of Isabel's little white chairs... as in... toddler-sized. As soon as the first person left to go to the bathroom, I jumped up and took their chair. This "Musical Chairs" ensued for the rest of the night, leaving many a gal making serious decisions about whether to remain in her current spot (and face a U.T.I.) or go for relief and be stuck with the WHITE chair. That chair never saw so much action in its two years at my house.

Book 'Em Part 2

I have always loved books. My earliest memories included visits to the library. The first book I can remember reading at the library was Blueberries for Sal by Robert McClosky. Reading enabled me to travel in my imagination long before I was able to do so in reality. During the long wait for Isabel, I started to collect some of my favorite childhood books including including Make Way for Ducklings (also by McCloskey) and Harry the Dirty Dog stories.

I discovered Andre Dahan at a book sale and just love his books. The pictures are beautiful and the story lines simple but sweet. My favorite is Dear Little Fish. By the Christmas after my dossier was sent to Beijing, her little library was already growing with great books including a wonderful present from my mom, A Family of Poems by Caroline Kennedy. Being from Massachusetts, how could we NOT have that one! : )
Through the years, my favorite gifts (both to give and receive) have always been books. Two exceptional ones that Isabel got as presents especially moved me... and still do. They are I Love You as Much by Laura Krauss Melmed (Thanks, Jackie!) and The Lamb-a-roo by Diana Kimpton (Thanks, Kate!) Get ready to bawl... especially with the second one, if you are adopting transracially.

Isabel's love of books is a joy to me. Even before she could speak very clearly, she was "reading". Here she is before she turned two. A year and a half later and there is a remarkable change. This is her this morning. I crack up at the way she holds the book like a teacher reading to her class.

I hope her love for reading continues to grow and that, in 20 years or so, she might be in a book club of her own. : )

Here are some pictures from this past year. My two favorites are the ones where she fell asleep reading. How many times I have done the same thing!

Book 'Em, Dan-oh

The highlight of my month... getting together with great women, good wine and lots of laughter. Oh yeah... and disussions on books. (Don't want to forget THAT!) We have been meeting for over two years now and read a wide variety of books with the general themes of adoption, China and culture.