Do you know what month had the highest attendance?

With 16 people in attendance July was the largest gathering this year! Just thought I would share this random little bit of information. Hope the Christmas party is as good of a turn out. See you there on Friday!

Book For December

We often pick a book for December as a suggested read, but we typically don't end up discussing the book. This gives us something to read if we have the time this month and if you don't, no worries. Vara mentioned we should read World Without End at last months meeting because we previously read the book The Pillars of the Earth. World Without End, I believe is a continuation of that tale. So I have added it to the book of the month on the website. I have heard it is just as excellent as The Pillars of the Earth which is one of my favorite books we have read.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Hi Ladies,
Sorry I haven't been putting up any new posts lately. If you hadn't heard I had my wisdom teeth removed and due to some complications it put me a little more under the weather than I was expecting. So I just wanted to catch up and finally thank Susan for the fabulous pool party at her house last month. It was such a blast.
I also hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
See you all very soon at the Christmas Party next week!!!
Buzzing out,
Nora

Vote for the Best Book of the Year

Since election day is tomorrow, I wanted to remind everyone that the book club also holds our own special election each year. Each year we vote on the best book of the year as well as best meeting, and a slew of other things including any special recognition you think should be given out. As soon as November's book is complete you will have read every book up for the title of Best Book of the Year. (That is if you read every book!)

So in case you need a refresher as to what books we read this year:

January - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

February - The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel (P.S.) by David Wroblewski

March - The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey

April - Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich

May - Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

June - Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert

July - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Wicked Years) by Gregory Maguire

August - The Help by Kathryn Stockett

September - Postcards from a Dead Girl: A Novel (P.S.) by Kirk Farber

October - Waiting for Autumn by Scott Blum

November - Greek Ghosts by Helen Frame

And if you want to see the Amazon list of all of these books click here. Ballots will be sent to you by email after November's book club meeting.

Pledge Now

Waiting for Superman

I would like to bring up a cause near and dear to my heart, education. If you hadn’t heard the latest statistics, out of 30 comparable countries the United States ranks 25th in math and 21st in Science even though we rank number one in spending per student at just over $129,000. As schools continue to fail, parents sometimes feel trapped by the public school system in which they are forced to send their children to the neighborhood school unless they have the financial resources to send them to private schools. I love the fact that Colorado Springs has Open Enrolment which allows you to place your child in the school of your choice, but I know that many places around the United States do not have as many options. A documentary was recently made showcasing these issues in education called Waiting for Superman. One of the most poignant stories from of one of the film’s trailers is how the title is derived from the childhood experiences of Geoffrey Canada, the president and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone in Central Harlem NY, in a segment where he explains how when he was a little boy in Harlem he held onto the belief that any day Superman would show up to save him. As the mother of a child in a charter school, where I too waited for the results of a lottery to find out my child’s future, I can’t help but become emotional watching the preview for this movie.
I am planning on seeing it this weekend and wanted to invite anyone who was interested to go with me. Check out trailers for the movie and read more of a synopsis at http://film.waitingforsuperman.com/

Sausage and Pumpkin Lasagna

Ingredients:
2 pounds butternut squash or pumpkin, halved and seeded
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons honey
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart whole milk
10-12 leaves fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 boxes no boil, flat-edged lasagna sheets
2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.Drizzle the squash with a little EVOO and season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg. Roast cut-side down until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool until it's cool enough to handle, then scoop the flesh out of the skin and add to a food processor. Puree the squash with the stock and honey, in two batches if necessary, and reserve.Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage, crumbling it into very small bits as it cooks, about 7-8 minutes.While the sausage cooks, heat a pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then whisk in the flour, cook for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. Season with salt, pepper, a little freshly grated nutmeg and sage. Cook until thickened, about 7-8 minutes, whisking occasionally.Dot some pumpkin puree in the bottom of a casserole dish, then add a layer of pasta. Top with a third of the cooked sausage and cover lightly with pumpkin puree. Cover with another layer of pasta, a third of the béchamel sauce and 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Repeat with two more layers, ending each with béchamel sauce and using all of the remaining cheese for the top layer. Sprinkle parsley across the top, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 15 minutes more to brown the top.Serve with a spinach salad alongside.

Big Thanks To Our Host Dorothy!

Thank you Dorothy for an amazing evening. You were a fabulous hostess. Having Charlotte there to speak with us was extremely entertaining as well as insightful. I am so glad we got to meet her and speak with her. The book is amazing and such a perfect present. If you were unable to pick up all the copies you need, visit The Boulder Book Store. And don't forget to contact Charlotte to get an autographed plate to put in your additional copies. On a final note, the pumpkin lasagna was amazing. I will have to post the recipe.

Meeting On The 19th

Can you feel the weather changing?
So as fall rolls in it is time for another book club meeting. We will be meeting this month at Dorothy’s home. Please check your email for the address and all the details. We will be discussing Waiting for Autumn, but we also have a special guest speaker! Charlotte S. Waisman, Ph.D., the author of the book; Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Change America will be joining us.

She will be discussing aspects of her book and will bring copies to sign. Please try to arrive early or right on time as Charlotte will be speaking near the beginning at our meeting.
We will be gathering donations for Urban Peak this month. Please check their web site for sugested donation items on their Colorado Springs wish list. Group A is up for food and Dorothy has asked us to bring a couple of appetizers and wine as she will be providing the main dish and dessert. Please let her know in advance what you plan to bring so she can coordinate.
Can’t wait to meet Charlotte and discuss both books! See you there!

Harvest Time

So I have really wanted to go to a farm recently, especially one where I can take my daughter to pick out a pumpkin. We were able to go to Venetucci Farms last year with her school, but that isn’t an option this year. I know they have had trouble with having enough pumpkins to go around for the last few years so I was looking for somewhere else to go. Has anyone been to a farm to pick pumpkins in Colorado? I have been reading about Miller Farms Northeast of Denver and Anderson Farms just a little Northwest of Denver in Erie. Has anyone been to either of these farms?
Right now Anderson farms is doing a deal for 50% off the cost of a family of 4 to visit the farm and they have a Fall Festival which includes tractor rides and pumpkin chucking so that sounds the most promising. If anyone is interested in going with me let me know. The 50% off deal is only good for a couple more days. Go here to get the discount.

Shout out to Lisa

This past weeks book club meeting was wonderful! Thank you to Lisa for hosting us all in your beautiful home and being such a fabulous hostess! We all had a wonderful evening.

Groupons

Have you bought a groupon yet?
Check them out at http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1716973
If you are a new user you can get an addtional $5 off your first purchase by using the code grouponcitispecial
So if you use that for today's groupon you would get $20 worth of pizza at Xtream Pizza for $5.
Now thats a deal!

Job opportunities

I get random job openings and thought I would share..please feel free to forward or better invite your friends to this blog...

Thanks!

I have two positions open at Culinary School of the Rockies.
Business Manager/Registrar
Admissions Representative
Karen
Karen Barela
Chief Operating Officer
Culinary School of the Rockies
karen@culinaryschoolrockies.com
www.culinaryschoolrockies.com
303.494.7988

For Vara

For anyone who couldn’t make the services for Dan Saunders we wanted to post a picture of the wreath everyone pitched in for. I also wanted to share that Vara expressed her gratitude to all the Bees and everyone who helped her through the past week. And finally I would also like to say that through this tragic experience I too feel blessed to have the wonderful support structure of such a great group of loving women. I love you Bees!

Thank you Sue!

We had a great meeting last night with our annual Pizza on the Patio. As always the food was great and we discussed a great book. The ornaments were all so adorable and we had a pretty quick white elephant exchange even with the huge attendance. So a big thank you to Sue and Ed for the wonderful evening!

Don't forget about the camping trip!

Sign up today to reserve your spot at Pueblo Reservoir for our group camping trip on August 20th and 21st.
The cost to reserve a site for two nights online is $42.00.
Reserve your site in the Juniper Breaks campground E loop. This gives us easy access to walk down to the lake. Sites 141, 143, 145, and 147 are still available.
Reserve your site here

Have you been to Utah lately?

So I took advantage of Adria’s yearly offer to hang out in her parent’s “cabin” outside of Cedar City Utah last week. I have to say it was fabulous! We hit Bryce Canyon National Park and it was truly some of the most beautiful landscapes I have had the opportunity to enjoy. It was only a 20 to 30 minute drive from the cabin. Zion National Park is close as well but we are saving that one for next time. Check out my pictures on facebook of the cabin and Bryce Canyon. I went ahead and brought my family and we enjoyed the cabin all to ourselves it was great! So on second thought we had a horrible time and you should not even think about going, but I may be forced to go again and you should feel sorry for me. ;-)

Book Club Meeting Tonight

So tonight is the night for our annual Pizza on the Patio, hosted by Sue H. and catered by her wonderful husband Ed who makes the best pizzas. Don’t forget to bring an ornament for the ornament exchange too. We will also be collecting flannel shirts, hats, gloves and cold weather items for men to be donated. The fun starts at Sue’s house tonight at 6:30 so check your email for directions. See you there!

The Spice Shop Rocked!

I just want to take a minute and rave about how cool The Spice Shop was! They had the most incredible selection of spices. There were many more spices and blends than I could have ever imagined. They had testers of almost all the spices and I loved everything I tried. Many were just so amazing that I ended up taking more than a few home.

The owners, Dick and Mary were so wonderful to host us, and I felt like such a celebrity being in there after hours. Mary did a great job of explaining all the cinnamons and salts to us; it was educational as well as tasty!
So from all of us who were able to go I would like to send a big Thank You to Dorothy who set this all up for us!

It was a fabulous time!!!

Some of the ladies are meeting for drinks prior to our spicy night out tonight. We are meeting at Old Chicago's downtown.

Check out Groupons!

Have you heard of Groupons?
Groupons is a website at which you can purchase a coupon or gift certificate of sorts for a discounted amount, usually around 50% but only if enough people in the community purchase the Groupon.
The best part about Groupons is they have them for lots of places that are hard to find a coupon or discount for.
So far I have purchased a Groupon for $16 for $25 worth of liquor at Sovereignty Wines, $5 for $10 at Josh & John’s, $35 for an hour massage at Elements Therapeutic Massage and quite a few more.
Each day they have a new Groupon available.
Check them out at Groupons.com

Spicy Night Out

Our "Spicy Night Out" is Wednesday the 28th at 6:30pm at the Savory Spice Shop at 110 N. Tejon (between Bijou and Kiowa). They will be open after hours for our group, and any guests we want to bring. There will be lemonade and some munchies to sample, and they will be doing presentations on different herbs and spices.

Please let Dorothy know if you're coming so she can make sure there's enough samples for everyone.

Check out this video by the Gazzette of the owners of The Savory Spice Shop.

Pizza on the Patio

Next month will be our annual Pizza on the Patio party for August hosted by Sue H. If you haven’t yet had Ed’s fabulous pizzas you are in for a treat. The book will be The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Also don’t forget we do our annual Christmas in July ornament exchange at Sue's. (Yes we know we do Christmas in July in August but hey that is just one of the quirks about us.) If you haven’t participated in the exchange please note that bee ornaments are extremely popular, along with anything with sparkles, has glitter, or an alcoholic theme. What that says about us, I am not even willing to contemplate too deeply, but I am sure it’s all good.
Buzzing Out

Big Shout Out to Audrey!

Audrey hosted another fabulous party this year. The book Wicked made for an excellent discussion and all the extra touches were great including the yellow brick road, green fountain, and steaming cauldron of wine. We had a great turn out and had two new members join us. So a big thank you to Audrey for a wonderful evening!

Tonight's Meeting

Since we are meeting tonight I thought I would post some discussion questions I found on the web about Wicked to get us all thinking about the book before we get together. And if you could never figure out how to pronounce The Wicked Witch of the West's name at least read question #1.

Questions for Discussion
1. Gregory Maguire fashioned the name of Elphaba (pronounced EL-fa-ba) from the initials of the author of The Wizard of Oz, Lyman Frank Baum-L-F-B-Elphaba. Wicked derives some of its power from the popularity of its source material. Does meeting up with familiar characters and famous fictional situations require more patience and effort on the part of the reader, or less?

2. Wicked flips the Oz we knew from the classic movie on its head. To what extent does Maguire's vision of Oz contradict the Oz we're familiar with? How have Dorothy and the other characters changed or remained the same? Has Wicked changed your conception of the original? If so, how?

3. The novel opens with a scene in which the Witch overhears Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman gossiping about her. She's "possessed by demons," they say. "She was castrated at birth . . . she was an abused child . . . she's a dangerous tyrant." How does this scene set the stage for the story, and what themes does it introduce?

4. What is the significance of Elphaba's green skin? What are the rewards of being so different, and what are the drawbacks? In Oz -- and in the real world -- what are the meanings associated with the color green, and are any of them pertinent to Elphaba's character?

5. One of Wicked's key themes is the nature and roots of evil. What are the theories that Maguire sets out? Is Elphaba evil? Are her actions evil? Is there such a thing as evil, a free-floating power in the universe like time or gravity? Or is evil an attribute of the actions of human beings? (Hint: Turn to pages 231 and 370 for scenes that will draw you into the conversation.)

6. Discuss the importance of the Clock of the Time Dragon. Does the Clock simply reflect events, or does it shape them? Why is it significant that Elphaba was born inside it? That Turtle Heart was killed by it? What revelations does it offer to Elphaba and the reader when she reencounters it at the end of the book?

7. The first section of the book ends powerfully but enigmatically when the young Elphaba is discovered under the dock, cradled in the paws of a magical beast as if sitting on a throne. How do you interpret this scene, and what do you think it foretells, if anything?

8. The place of Animals in society is an important theme in Wicked. Why does Elphaba make it her mission to fight for Animal rights? How else does social class define Oz, and why?

9. [Galinda] reasoned that because she was beautiful she was significant, though what she signified, and to whom, was not clear to her yet" (page 65). Discuss the transformation of Galinda, shallow Shiz student, to Glinda the Good Witch. How does she change -- and by how much? What is her eventual "significance," both in Oz and in the story?

10. Discuss the ways in which Elphaba's determination and willfulness lend purpose and order to her life, and the cost of being such a strong character. Elphaba isn't the only strong female character in Wicked. How do Nessarose, Glinda, and Sarima deal with the issues of power and control? Where do each of them draw strength from? Is the world of Maguire's Oz more or less patriarchal than millennial America?

11. Wicked is an epic story, built along the lines of a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy, in which the seeds of Elphaba's destiny are all sown early in the novel. How much of Elphaba's career is predestined, and how much choice does she have? Do you think that she was no more than a puppet of the Wizard or Madame Morrible, as she fears?

12. Early in their unlikely friendship, Galinda catches a glimpse of Elphaba and thinks she "looked like something between an animal and an Animal, like something more than life but not quite Life" (pages 78-79). Discuss the dual, and sometimes contradictory, nature of Elphaba's character. Why does Elphaba insist that she doesn't have a soul?

13. Who or what is Yackle? Where does she appear in the story, and what role does she serve in Elphaba's life? Is she good or evil -- both or neither?

14. Was Elphaba's story essentially a tragedy or a triumph? Did she fail at every major endeavor, and thus fail at life; or because she refused to give up or change to suit the opinions of others, was her life a success? Is there a possibility that Dorothy's "baptismal splash" redeemed Elphaba on her deathbed, or was this the final indignity in a life of miserable mistakes?

The Blue Star

Did you know that The Blue Star has wine tastings?!?!
Yep every 2nd and 4th Wednesday you can enjoy exploring four new wines and four exciting tapas for only $30. The fun starts at 6:30PM. That means the next one is Wednesday the 28th.
I recently went to the Blue Star for the first time last month with a Groupon I picked up a few months back. (If you aren't familiar with Groupons leave a comment and I will do a post about them.) I had a great time at The Blue Star and had some seriously delicious food. It was more than a tad on the pricy side so food and wine for $30 sounds like a great deal, especialy since you get to try four kinds of wine. So now the only question is who wants to go!

Camping Trip

Sign up today to reserve your spot at Pueblo Reservoir for our group camping trip on August 20th and 21st.
The cost to reserve a site for two nights online is $42.00.
Reserve your site in the Juniper Breaks campground E loop. This gives us easy access to walk down to the lake. Sites 136 - 147. Unless you have a preference take the site with the smallest number available; so if we don't end up using all the sites we will still be together.
Reserve your site here

Have your kids ever asked you tough questions like, “Why can’t I have an Ipod touch like my friend does?” or “Why don’t we have a summer house like Aunt Jane?” But what if they also asked you tough questions like, “Why do we have a second house when there are so many homeless people, can we give them one?”

Find out what happened when one family was so moved by their daughter’s conviction in this particular matter that their family of four decided to sell their 6,500-square-foot home. They bought a new one less than half the size and are giving away about $850,000, more than the price difference between the homes.

Kevin Salwen wrote a book with his daughter called “The Power of Half” about the family’s experience.

Check out their story at http://www.thepowerofhalf.com/home

 

Meeting on July 20th

Our next meeting is on July 20, 2010 at 6:30 at Audrey Matheny's home.
Group B is up for food and Audrey has asked group B to bring their favorite witches brew instead of a dish this time as she will be providing the food.

Audrey has sent out an email with her address an phone number and has asked you to let her know if you will not be able to attend.

Buzzing Out

Quote of the day

“Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind”

--James Russell Lowell


Sent in by Jeanne W.

Check out our underwater bees!

Hello and Welcome!

Hi there Bee's!
So I think a blog format will better suit us than a website. Let me know what you think. Leave comments. Send me pictures to post. And we'll figure this thing out.
Buzzing out.

We have several book suggestions lately from a variety of sources. If you have an additional suggestion just leave it in the comments section below.

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and Reg Keeland
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell
City of Thieves by David Benioff
Girl With No Shadow by Joanne Harris
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Seal Woman by Solveig Eggerz
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of Mary Dodd by Jim Fergus
Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Here goes my first attempt to blog to the world about the Bee's Book Club. The best book club in the world I might add.