Blessings

In September we met at Julie’s home to discuss her book Blessing, by Anna Quindlen.

A teenage couple drop off an unwanted baby at the garage door of a an estate called Blessings which is owned by Lydia Blessing.

The caretaker and gardener, Skip Cuddy decides to keep the baby secretly. The owner of Blessings discover the baby and joins with Skip in raising the child which changes both their lives.

The secrets of the past and how they affect the decisions of the present is one theme. It’s about family and the community and about redemption and change. As Julie stated, it was a sweet book which speaks to people of our age and urges us to action in living a life worthwhile.

Julie made a wonderful pasta salad inspired by the New York Times and we had a lovely picnic on her deck.

Marsha chose the book called Never by Ken Follett for 

our October meeting.

 

The Man In The Dog Park

 In July we met at Carol’s house to discuss her book, 

The Man In the Dog Park by Cathy A. Small, an Anthropologist.

This is a book about homelessness which the author was

Inspired to co author with a homeless man she encountered 

In a dog park. The book takes us into the lives of homeless people

who  have slipped between the cracks into poverty and  exposes the

difficulty they face in trying to get back on track. We are taken into

the tented makeshift camps and the shelters. We experience a day labor agency, a panhandling corner, a pawn shop, HUD. offices and learn how what it’s like

to be homeless in America

So it calls us to become conscious of the problem and think about how we can help.

Melody Ingle was a guest speaker and she shared her experience of taking care of a local homeless man named James whom she has befriended.

Carol made a lovely meal and a very yummy creamy dessert.

Julie sent in her book choice called Blessings by Anna Quindlen.