Back when our Book Club once went snowshoeing…
Last night I hosted Book Club at our house.
(One only need do this once a year. Our little club meets every other month and there are about ten women, max, so one need only clean dust bunnies every year, unless someone else comes to visit in-between. Remember when Ms. Heather and Mr. Tony came to visit last month? Dust bunnies were cleaned then. However, as a book club member pointed out: it gets dark here in the Northwoods early. No one can see dust bunnies anyway! A quick dust, vacuum, la de da, and pour the wine for the gals! No one looks around twice with appraising eyebrows.)
I served (ha ha, the poor things didn’t know) Detox food! They ate curried sweet potato soup and broccoli-garbanzo salad except I didn’t have broccoli and substituted Napa cabbage instead.
Unfortunately, the first book club member who tasted the soup yelped. I kid not. She gasped, “What is in this?” “Curry,” I replied patiently. “I can’t eat anything this hot!” she panted. I dutifully gave her water. The other eight members of book club seemed to like it. Darn, why can’t we ever have a consensus about anything?
Back when our Book Club met at Sue’s house one Halloween…
Guess who came to our Book Club? Yes, you’ve guessed, you astute readers. Barry came. I invited him to sit in a chair and he joined us women for the entire 3 1/2 hours. He’s still grieving his best buddy at work who died unexpectedly in her office chair on Thursday. He really didn’t seem to want to be alone. I found him a beer and he seemed to temporarily forget his sorrows as we ate taco chips and dip, a delightful snap pea salad created by Ruth, and pistachio cool whip dessert.
I invited Ruth for the first time. Ruth sometimes stops by this blog, so I cherish her mightily. She also had two knee replacements at the same time as Barry, so we’ve all bonded. She arrived with a pile of books including “Tear Soup” which helps folks when they’re grieving.
We laugh a lot during book club. We all treat each other tenderly, even though some members call other members (*sniff!*) weird. We argue cheerfully over book tastes. We share about our trials & tribulations in the real world. We’re an eclectic (I purposely did not type “weird”) crew of individuals who have joined together every-other-month for the past five or ten years.
Many have left our fold. Several have joined. The majority of members drink–are you ready for this?–sweet Blackberry Merlot. I decline, being a dry Chardonnay purist. However, they’ve left me half a bottle. If it keeps snowing I may just have to plug my nose and drink…
Back when our Book Club met in Nancy’s gardens…
OK, dear readers, GUESS what else has happened via a Book Club member? One of our group has emailed me (bless her beautiful heart!) photos of wild animals captured on a wildlife camera. She’s a wildlife biologist and I begged, pleaded and convinced her to share her booty with Lake Superior Spirit. She agreed!
I am going to share these never-before-seen photos of bear, eagles, coyotes and other wild animals with you very very soon!
In the meantime, my beloved husband has gone ice fishing on the Keweenaw Bay and I am still washing dishes after Book Club. If we had more than ten members, it would be impossible to feed everyone without paper plates.
If you like hot curry sweet potato soup, stop by for supper. OK, only two of you can stop by for supper. I’ll feed the rest of you sweet Blackberry Merlot…
Lake Superior Spirit 
If I pass by, Kathy, no need to clean the dust bunnies. Norm caught a bass a couple of days ago – want me to bring that? ❤
Yes, please. I will eat bass. I will not eat lake trout, as Barry so eagerly shared with all the community in this week’s paper… When will you arrive?
As soon as I can – which will not be soon enough. I’ll just surprise you one day. ❤
It is nice though to have a reason to go after those dust bunnies once and awhile. Not exactly detox but reduce the merlot add berries (any kind) and honey and use as a syrup over french toast. yum. (or throw it into your flour-less chocolate cake substitute for the water.) Looking forward to the wildlife photos
Isn’t it nice to have an excuse, Lisa? Wow, your syrup sounds wonderful! Really good… I think you will like the photos my friend sent. Hope so!
Hot hot food, a fire pit? I don’t know…I’m guessing at midnight the truth comes out and one sacrificial book is burned, even if it’s an old paperback by Harold Robbins! 🙂
(and with that consensus is achieved…amen!)
Excellent guess, Lawrence! You never know! As for consensus ever being achieved…will have to see it to believe it. Hasn’t happened yet in ten years except maybe with the “Kite Runner”.
Kathy – You’re lucky to have dust bunnies. At our house we have dust buffalo! And with 16 guests for a sit-down dinner at Christmas, we had to kill the entire herd. I’m pleased to announce, however, that with time, the entire herd — and then some — are back 🙂
Laurie…pssst! Hey, Laurie! The buffalo are here, as well. How could they not with our wood stove which spews forth the bunnies at never-before-seen amazing rates? It’s truly why I don’t entertain. However, I will make an exception in your case, as you’re familiar with the buffalo. 🙂
Ohh Kathy…let the dust bunnies be free 🙂 Maybe they wanted to be a part of your book club…(can you picture a bunch of little dust bunnies underneath the furniture, sipping on wine and giggling about their books while watching all of you guys…hehehe) Your soup sounds delicious..I’ve had a traditional Thai sweet potato curry soup from a neighbor at my sister’s and oh boy it was so good! The merlot sounds a bit sweet for me…but the syrup that Lisa suggested sounds tasty 🙂 It was so good that Barry joined your group last night. Please tell him that my prayers are with him too. And I would LOVE to come visit you and enjoy some fresh lake trout caught by Barry! (I know you would prefer a different kind so maybe a different meal would be better) I just remember how delicious lake trout tastes! Does Barry ever smoke the fish? That is great along with a nice cold beer 🙂 I’m looking forward to the wildlife pictures from your friend!
Brenda, your creative comment about dust bunnies sipping wine is hysterical! So funny. Barry would truly love to share his lake trout with you. Yesterday, when he was coming off the ice he met a guy from Minnesota who was at Michigan Tech for his daughter’s cross-country ski match the next day. He hadn’t caught any fish and Barry gave him his three lake trout so he could grill them for dinner. (He had a grill in his pickup truck.) That made Barry’s day!
I’m glad you got a laugh from my comment! And what a lovely “pay it forward” gesture Barry made to that Minnesota guy! I’m quite sure it made that man’s day as well as Barry’s 🙂 I remember a long time ago when I was first married and we spent our honeymoon up on Madeline Island…we came home with a cooler full of frozen lake trout (freshly caught but frozen for transport) and we really enjoyed grilling that trout. Yumm
I’m heading up to my Aunt’s today to meet her new grandbabies…both boys ♥ I’m so excited to hold and smooch those little guys ♥ And to catch up with their Moms (my cousins) and the rest of my family too ♥ I hope you and Barry enjoy a nice day together ♥
The soup sounds great. I cleaned dust bunnies in honor of my daughter’s birthday, it may be the last cleaning until the snow is gone. Enjoyed the book club story. Of course, I always enjoy your stories.
Lucinda, it may be my last cleaning until the snow is gone, too. Shhhh, don’t tell my mom. she may be reading… lol!
Knock, knock.
KNOCK , KNOCK.
KNOCK !!!!
I’m on the porch, spoon in hand, ready for some of your delish hot soup.
Sybil, I’ve been shouting COME IN! since yesterday afternoon. Either come in and dish up some soup or QUIT KNOCKING! lol…tee hee…
That soup sounds delicious, sweet blackberry merlot, not so much. Glad you had fun with the book club and glad that Barry was able to join you. My dust bunnies were cleaned last weekend when I hosted a 50th birthday party for my husband. I didn’t have soup left but I did find a number of 6 packs of beer in various places around the house. My husband was apparently greeting our guests and just setting things down wherever!
Ann, I so agree with you about the blackberry merlot AND the soup. We have similar tastes. Congrats to your husband on his 50th birthday. (And congrats to you for bravely hosting a party and finding all those beers!) Thanks for visiting.
Her soup was great!! Loved it!
Ruth, and that’s why I invited you to Book Club. You say the most wonderful things… Glad you could come!
Your book club sounds like fun – maybe more fun than mine. We meet once a month at the library and never have food. So there’s no wash up and no pre-cleanup and we meet for precisely one hour unless there is a guest speaker. We actually have our own website too –
http://blueridgereaders.yippeeo.biz where you can see what we are reading. 🙂
I am so impressed that you have a web page! And you sound so professional…and have guest speakers. We would do well to imitate you (a tiny bit.) The only thing about our Book Club is that we ought to talk about books more and not get off on tangents. Alas, I add to the tangents so a pot should not call the kettle black. *grin*
Mmm, I’ve been craving curries of all sorts lately. Just made a tasty coconut curry sauce tonight to drizzle over red quinoa and steamed veggies. Can’t get enough of it!
Please pass that coconut curry sauce. I’ll make some regular quinoa, though, because, for some reason, can’t get into red quinoa. Wonder why? And broccoli. Doesn’t that sound goo? Yum. Curries are the best!
Can you put my soup in the post please?
I’m wondering whether they will ship soup via US mail? I am suspecting not, sadly enough. But I would love to send you a bowl!
Oh well never mind 😀
I think a good IPA would go well with that hot curry sweet potato soup. Happy to bring a few bottles!
Erin, did I tell you that’s what Barry was drinking? I found him a good IPA down in the basement–his last one–and he truly enjoyed it. He had to go off ice fishing with a Busch Lite or something despicable (He had a few in the downstairs frig for a friend who sometimes stops by). So you are an IPA fan. I like having sips but couldn’t drink a full beer. Our son and his wife (out there in San Diego) are big IPA fans.
Your book club went snow-shoeing?!?!
Goodness… you UPers are an adventurous lot!
Oh – I think I remember that odd character on the porch – have you posted a pic of him before?
We did, Curvy Reggie. (tee hee) We went snowshoeing exactly ONCE. We also went birding once, but I couldn’t find that photo. We haven’t done anything more adventuresome than eat and drink wine in a while though. (And you are very astute. That odd character on the porch–who could be a friend of Flat Kathy–is named Pedro. Sue puts him out every Halloween. He’s a swell fella.)
Perhaps you will one day be able to introduce Flat Kathy to him! I think they would both love to sit on the porch together, sharing a bottle of vino and some little nibblies.
Sweet blackberry merlot sounds like something I would like! I am a late-comer to the wine-drinking world and have yet to develop a taste for the dry stuff. Your book club sounds like fun. Looking forward to the wild life photos!
Ah ha, Karma, you’re one of THOSE! (The ones who adore sweet blackberry merlot.) It’s weird how we develop tastes for things like wine. I used to drink this sweet stuff when I was far too young. (Can not tell stories without incriminating self and others. Besides, Mom and Dad might be reading.) It is a fun book club. We do laugh a lot. I hope you enjoy the wild life photos. Can’t wait to show & tell.
Sounds a lot like the book club I used to go to .. a wine/food/friend get-together where the topic of the book came up for at least a small part of the evening.
What book did you read? 😉
Hello, bearyweather! Nice to see my bear friend again. 🙂 We were reading several different books. Every year at Christmas we all play a wild & crazy dice game in which we choose different wrapped presents (which are books.) During our February meeting we share the books which we won at Christmas time.
I’ll take the soup if there’s any left! Otherwise I’ll drink anything but gin. That book club sounds like fun. I sure hope to be in one when I move – I know they have them up north, just not in summer when everyone is outside playing. The eau de corrugated is starting up here as the packing begins. Oh YAY, spring really IS coming!
Hugs
SuZen
SuZen, there is one small bowl of soup left. It will be gone by tomorrow, so unless you get here fast… I hope you find a book club just like ours. I’m sure you will! (And I am really excited about Spring’s imminent arrival. You can smell it in the air.)
I’m become quite good friends with the dust bunnies that live in my house. As for your book club dinner, once again I’ll tip my hat at your healthy choices, but I would have probably served chocolate eclairs and creme brulee, with little bowls of M&Ms scattered throughout the room for everyone’s munching enjoyment. As you may know, champagne goes well with all of these taste treats!
I enjoyed this post and am relieved to know you aren’t a hermit up there in the scary UP. Please send my condolences to your husband on the loss of his friend.
Oh, Sara, quite a few of our book club members would agree with your food choices 100%! One of them loves to make cream puffs and they are darn good. As for being a hermit, not a chance. Although part of me always wants to be. Sending along your good thoughts to Barry. Thank you.
I rounded up my dust bunnies last week, Kathy, when my son and his girlfriend visited us for a long weekend. Enjoying the fruits of my labor this weekend too! I am fascinated by some of the live cams that show you wildlife. One of my favs is Brown Bear and Salomn at Brooks Falls, AK via explore.org. Of course now the bears are hibernating so there’s not much happening until spring.
Patty, I still haven’t got around to showing those wildlife photos, have I? Would rather tell a good dental story, lol. Those live cams can be so cool. It does bring us closer to the wildlife which surrounds us, but we rarely see. Hey, I have a friend who lives near Sedona and she sees javalines (wild pigs?) running near her house. She sent me a pic. I was so impressed! Have you seen them down your way?
I’ve never seen a javelina
And hope to never see one.
But if there is a javelina
I’d rather see than be one!
That is supposed to say “salmon.”
Gotcha. 🙂
Those darn dust bunnies need vanquishing on occasion or they’ll launch a revolution and take over the entire house! lol
Sounds like you all have a blast at Book Club meetings, kind of like when my writers group meets. Good food, good friends and lots of laughs. 🙂
As with the Oscars, book preferences are very subjective. I’m sure those who are called ‘weird’ are labelled with affection. I doubt the term isn’t meant as harsh criticism but more of an endearment. 🙂
Withershins, I am shaking at the thought of the dust bunnies taking over the entire house…but no…wait a second…they have ALREADY taken over the entire house! Yep, sounds like your writer’s group and my book club have the same fun. (And, yes, you are write–I mean, right–about the word “weird” being used with endearment. It is.)
What fun would consensus be? Book discussion would be so boring if someone said “I think *this* about the book” and everyone just agreed.
We had Indian food tonight in Ann Arbor, so your curry sounds right up my alley. Without the cabbage. Try as I might, I just don’t love it. Except in a few specific dishes. I guess I’m just *weird* 😉
I’m very much looking forward to the wildlife photos!
And – you don’t eat lake trout?!?
I like your attitude, Ms. Heather! Why in the world do we look for consensus? OK, let me correct that sentence. Why do I look for consensus? You really are one of my gurus, you know. I learn from you daily. Remembering so fondly eating Indian food in Ann Arbor. So fun. Wildlife photos are still coming. Promise. Soon. Promise. Have actually ceased eating lake trout after 15 years of eating it & not liking it. Am making a Stand! (Of course Barry has to write about it in the paper this week…)
Kathy, the soup sounds so good. I love those flavor combinations but will politely decline the Blackberry Merlot. Although, to be fair, I don’t think I’ve ever actually tasted it. And maybe it’s really quite delightful.
You know, time to admit something, Colleen. There was a wee bit of the blackberry merlot left in one bottle and I decided to sip it. Why throw it out, you know? And made Barry take a sip. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Barry said it would taste good for breakfast. Kind of like grape juice, you know.
I’m to full to comment after all that food (none of which I recognized as food)…and I hate to tell you’ll but somehow you sent all your dust bunnies on a trip to AL….they knocked down my door, tripping and falling because you’ll feed them that blackberry merlot.
Cheers!
Hello, Linda! Seriously, haven’t you heard of pistachio cool whip dessert? I mean it’s FAMOUS around here. Do tell me you’ve eaten it before. Do. Laughing that you THINK those dust bunnies were MINE! Ha! I have proof that they’re all still here. I should go see if the leftover blackberry merlot still is…
Is that the green stuff I wonder about when I see it out on the dessert table?
I have some red wine turning to vinegar if your merlot is gone.
Mmmm blackberry merlot. I’ll take some. I miss being a book club member.
OK, Lunar, have a seat. I’ll pour you a glass. It’s only 1:37 in the afternoon though. Is that a little early for a drink? Some folks say it must be noon. Others insist that 5 o’clock is the magic hour. Book Club doesn’t meet until 6:30 so there’s no problem.
Hi Kathy! I am VERY slowly catching up on my blog reading. Things have become just a little bit crazy busy in my life….. but I am looking forward to catching up with you! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and reading, Holly. I know what you mean about when life gets a bit crazy. Then it’s hard to stay caught up with blogs. My life is about to become that way for a while…