Hope you all are getting ready for the July meeting. We will be discussing: Bookends by Liz Curtis Higgs. Ladies who have read the book before, such as a few years ago: I encourage you to try to re-read. I forgot how wonderfully Liz Curtis Higgs wrote this story. The setting, characters, plot, Jonas :). Makes me smile all over again. Worth reading the second time through. The new choice for July, The Centurion's Wife by T. Davis Bunn and Janette Oake, will be available for purchase at the July 6 meeting. Our own Cathy Holmes read this and highly recommended it.
Until we meet have wonderful 4th of July.
Lit n Latte Book Club
Barnes and Noble Bookstore - Arrowhead
Monday, July 6th 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Golden In The Morning
June 10th marked the 13th anniversary of my brother John's passing. He loved playing his guitar, listening to fine music such as: The Beatles, The BeeGees, Simon and Garfunkel, karate, coaching his daughter's softball team, and growing up in Arizona. I also found out late in his life that he loved writing poetry. He describe it more as a calling he could not ignore. Words coming to him in the middle of the night. I love this poem he wrote about growing up in our neighborhood in north Phoenix and just growing up. He left behind a wife, two young children, and a multitude of family and friends who felt it was too soon to say goodbye. This year I'm remembering him for the things he loved.
GOLDEN IN THE MORNING
I remember waking to
The sounds of doves and mocking birds.
The smell of fruit trees in the summertime.
As sunlight sifted in the window I felt the words
Golden in the Morning.
I was up in the morning and running
The smell of grass and trees and all of us would play
With childhood friends I knew would never leave.
I played all day into the night and never lost my way
Still feeling Golden in the Morning.
My childhood friends have never crossed my way
As new feelings and adventures replaced child's play
Showing the world had changed as time passed.
I won't lament the changes in life, yet one I may,
The loss of being Golden in the Morning.
My life has swirled and whirled from here to there
With eddies too happy and painful to reveal
With anyone remote and distant to my thoughts.
Yet I find myself at times longing to recall and steal
The memory of being Golden in the Morning.
By John Archibald
July 25, 1952 - June 10, 1996
GOLDEN IN THE MORNING
I remember waking to
The sounds of doves and mocking birds.
The smell of fruit trees in the summertime.
As sunlight sifted in the window I felt the words
Golden in the Morning.
I was up in the morning and running
The smell of grass and trees and all of us would play
With childhood friends I knew would never leave.
I played all day into the night and never lost my way
Still feeling Golden in the Morning.
My childhood friends have never crossed my way
As new feelings and adventures replaced child's play
Showing the world had changed as time passed.
I won't lament the changes in life, yet one I may,
The loss of being Golden in the Morning.
My life has swirled and whirled from here to there
With eddies too happy and painful to reveal
With anyone remote and distant to my thoughts.
Yet I find myself at times longing to recall and steal
The memory of being Golden in the Morning.
By John Archibald
July 25, 1952 - June 10, 1996
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Montana Rose Chapter Seven
Chapter 7 – Respectfully submitted by Noelene Richards
Luke 15:32 “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was lost and is found.”
Bridget fidgeted with the heritage linen tablecloth covering the antique table that she and her mom were sharing a pot of tea over while they waited to meet with Audrey to go over more wedding details.
“I wish I could fully grasp Matthew’s reasons for insisting that we get married out here. He’s been so sketchy with the details and his half answers are driving me to distraction,” Bridget harrumphed moodily.
Maggie laid her hand over her daughter’s in an attempt to calm her. “Isn’t it enough that it seems to be deeply important to him, regardless of his motivation?” Maggie queried. “I’m sure that once he’s gotten the answers he’s looking for, it will come together and make some sense. What has he shared so far?”
“Not much. All I know is that it has something to do with his mother’s side of the family and her connections to this particular ranch. Apparently somewhere in his lineage, this ranch played a part in his growing up. It influenced his family’s decision to settle out here before he was born. I guess all those years living in California had grown tiresome and a move to the fresh clean air of Montana was a step toward getting back to their roots.”
Bridget played with the spoon in her near empty teacup and gazed out the café window. “It’s not that I mind having the wedding here,” she admitted. “I think it’s absolutely beautiful here and I love what Cousin Audrey and Jamie have done to restore that big old house. I just wish I knew why it was so important to my groom-to-be that the ceremony takes place here, of all places. I didn’t even know he knew it existed, and honestly, when he came home with that newspaper clipping his old college roommate had given him, I was shocked to discover it was the same one that Cousin Audrey and Jamie had restored.” Bridget looked up at her mom and sheepishly said, “I think he was just as shocked to find out that my family had ties to it, too.”
Audrey was rushing around trying to find the pink organza fabric samples Bridget’s bridesmaid’s dresses were going to be made of. She was meeting with Bridget and Aunt Maggie in less than fifteen minutes to take a final look at the floral arrangements Jill had recommended. Bridget had originally said she wanted all pink roses for their bouquets, but Jill had found some arrangement photos that incorporated white calla lilies with soft pink roses that were just stunning. The flowers were meant to complement the pink frocks, Jill had pointed out, not compete with them. She was worried that the all-pink bouquets would just blend in with the dresses. Leave it to Jill to catch those little details.
Samples and floral arrangement catalogs in hand, Audrey reached for her car keys and fled her office in such a rush for her meeting at the café that she knocked Abigail’s diary off her desk and on to her chair. In her distracted state of mind, she never noticed the slip of paper escape from between its yellowed pages and flutter to rest under her desk.
When Audrey breezed into the café with her arms full and her face flushed, she caught the look that passed between Bridget and Maggie.
“What?” she asked as she unloaded all her wares. “I’m not late am I?” she asked a little out of breath. “I had to drop some mail at the post office on my way in to town, but I’m sure I gave myself plenty of time.”
Aunt Maggie stood and gave her a hug, “No, dear, you aren’t late. We were just sharing a pot of tea and talking about her husband-to-be’s reasons for getting married at your beautiful ranch.”
Audrey looked back at her aunt, thoroughly perplexed. “What do you mean? This was Matthew’s idea? I thought this was your idea, Bridget,” she said as she eyed her cousin and sat down heavily in the only open seat at their table.
Bridget rushed in with a hurried explanation before the look of hurt could fully over take Audrey’s handsomely aging face. “No…it was…I mean it wasn’t at first, but then Matthew brought home this article about how the place had been an icon of prosperity back in the late 1890’s but that over the years it had fallen in disarray from lack of care or interest. That was of course, until you and Jamie bought it and gave it a good old fashioned overhaul.”
“I’m still lost,” Audrey said, with just a hint of pain in her voice. She thought the plans to get married at her ranch were her cousin’s attempt at providing a plausible reason to get the families she and Jamie had both left behind to finally come together and see what they had built after all these years.
“Well, I had originally thought we’d get married someplace exotic, like the Bahamas or Hawaii. The brochure racks at our travel agency are full of advertising collateral displaying idyllic settings for weddings. But, Matthew had other plans. He brought home that article and then when he found out that the couple who were featured as the “dream rescuers” of the land were my cousins, his heart was set. This was where he wanted to share his wedding vows,” Bridget said brushing a curl behind her ear. “He was actually quite stubborn about it and to be truthful, I don’t know all the reasons behind his desire to be married here. He’s been antsy to get out here and meet you and Jamie, but he had to tie up loose ends at the school before he could come out and join me. He’s due to arrive here tomorrow afternoon.”
Audrey was still confused, but now curiosity was bubbling up and taking over her thoughts. “He didn’t say why he was so taken with our place? Is it the intrinsic historical value that intrigues him or does he have some other connection to it?” Audrey wondered allowed.
Bridget shifted in her chair. “I really don’t know how to answer that. He hasn’t given me a full explanation. I just know that he was really excited at the prospect of learning more about this homestead. He’s been doing some research on his family tree and somehow this place plays a part in it. However, since he’s a history teacher by trade, I’m sure the pure historical value of the ranch holds its own fascination for him.”
A thought dawned across Audrey’s face like the morning sun over her beloved Montana mountains. “You know, I hadn’t given it much thought before now, but I just bet Matthew would love to sit and chat with our resident historian, Alicia Conrad. Our little ranch is part of her family tree, too. I’ll set up a meeting for them once he gets here and is settled in.”
“That’s a great idea! I’m sure he’d appreciate an introduction and opportunity to sit down with someone who might be able to shed some light on his own research,” Aunt Maggie piped in.
“Do you think Ms. Conrad would be willing?” Bridget asked warily.
“You bet she would!” Audrey answered enthusiastically. “I just met with her earlier this week and as it turns out, this old ranch of mine is a favorite topic of hers. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to share her knowledge of the place with him.”
That settled, the ladies redirected their attention to the task at hand and eagerly sifted through the floral catalogs, comparing photos to fabric swatches. Audrey’s heart was in it, but her mind had already wandered toward setting up the meeting between Alicia Conrad and Matthew.
Late the following afternoon, Matthew called her at her office. “Hi, Audrey, it’s Matthew. Maggie and Bridget said you wanted to talk to me about meeting the local historian. I’d be deeply indebted to you for an introduction. I’ve waited a long time to set foot on this property and now that I’m here, I’m dying to know as much as I can about it. How soon can you set up the meeting with Ms. Conrad?” Matthew’s excitement was nearly palpable over the phone line.
Audrey laughed, saying, “Hold on cowboy! She’s invited us over for dessert tonight at 8 pm. Is that soon enough for you?”
Matthew let out a whoop and Audrey could just imagine him slapping his knee when he did it. “That would be prefect! Thanks so much, Audrey. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Glad I could be of assistance. You know it’s my goal to make this the best wedding ever and if this helps, well then, I’m happy to oblige. I’ll see you all here about 7:45 tonight and we’ll ride over to Alicia’s house together.”
At exactly 7:40 pm, Audrey and Jamie had just finished the dinner dishes when their doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Jamie offered. “I’ll buy you a few minutes so you can freshen up before we all head over to Alicia’s house.”
Audrey took her drying towel, looped it around the back of her husband’s tanned neck and pulled him close for a quick kiss. “You are a doll,” she murmured against his lips.
“Yeah, I know,” he said as he playfully swatted her fanny with his dishcloth as she headed for their bedroom. “Make it quick…I’m not very good at small talk, especially with people I’m related to, but hardly know,” Jamie said over his shoulder.
Jamie trotted to the front door and opened it to three very excited people. Bridget and Maggie stood on either side of a tall, handsome young man. Bridget was the first to speak, “Hi, Jamie. I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée, Matthew Bradley McAllister.”
Luke 15:32 “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was lost and is found.”
Bridget fidgeted with the heritage linen tablecloth covering the antique table that she and her mom were sharing a pot of tea over while they waited to meet with Audrey to go over more wedding details.
“I wish I could fully grasp Matthew’s reasons for insisting that we get married out here. He’s been so sketchy with the details and his half answers are driving me to distraction,” Bridget harrumphed moodily.
Maggie laid her hand over her daughter’s in an attempt to calm her. “Isn’t it enough that it seems to be deeply important to him, regardless of his motivation?” Maggie queried. “I’m sure that once he’s gotten the answers he’s looking for, it will come together and make some sense. What has he shared so far?”
“Not much. All I know is that it has something to do with his mother’s side of the family and her connections to this particular ranch. Apparently somewhere in his lineage, this ranch played a part in his growing up. It influenced his family’s decision to settle out here before he was born. I guess all those years living in California had grown tiresome and a move to the fresh clean air of Montana was a step toward getting back to their roots.”
Bridget played with the spoon in her near empty teacup and gazed out the café window. “It’s not that I mind having the wedding here,” she admitted. “I think it’s absolutely beautiful here and I love what Cousin Audrey and Jamie have done to restore that big old house. I just wish I knew why it was so important to my groom-to-be that the ceremony takes place here, of all places. I didn’t even know he knew it existed, and honestly, when he came home with that newspaper clipping his old college roommate had given him, I was shocked to discover it was the same one that Cousin Audrey and Jamie had restored.” Bridget looked up at her mom and sheepishly said, “I think he was just as shocked to find out that my family had ties to it, too.”
Audrey was rushing around trying to find the pink organza fabric samples Bridget’s bridesmaid’s dresses were going to be made of. She was meeting with Bridget and Aunt Maggie in less than fifteen minutes to take a final look at the floral arrangements Jill had recommended. Bridget had originally said she wanted all pink roses for their bouquets, but Jill had found some arrangement photos that incorporated white calla lilies with soft pink roses that were just stunning. The flowers were meant to complement the pink frocks, Jill had pointed out, not compete with them. She was worried that the all-pink bouquets would just blend in with the dresses. Leave it to Jill to catch those little details.
Samples and floral arrangement catalogs in hand, Audrey reached for her car keys and fled her office in such a rush for her meeting at the café that she knocked Abigail’s diary off her desk and on to her chair. In her distracted state of mind, she never noticed the slip of paper escape from between its yellowed pages and flutter to rest under her desk.
When Audrey breezed into the café with her arms full and her face flushed, she caught the look that passed between Bridget and Maggie.
“What?” she asked as she unloaded all her wares. “I’m not late am I?” she asked a little out of breath. “I had to drop some mail at the post office on my way in to town, but I’m sure I gave myself plenty of time.”
Aunt Maggie stood and gave her a hug, “No, dear, you aren’t late. We were just sharing a pot of tea and talking about her husband-to-be’s reasons for getting married at your beautiful ranch.”
Audrey looked back at her aunt, thoroughly perplexed. “What do you mean? This was Matthew’s idea? I thought this was your idea, Bridget,” she said as she eyed her cousin and sat down heavily in the only open seat at their table.
Bridget rushed in with a hurried explanation before the look of hurt could fully over take Audrey’s handsomely aging face. “No…it was…I mean it wasn’t at first, but then Matthew brought home this article about how the place had been an icon of prosperity back in the late 1890’s but that over the years it had fallen in disarray from lack of care or interest. That was of course, until you and Jamie bought it and gave it a good old fashioned overhaul.”
“I’m still lost,” Audrey said, with just a hint of pain in her voice. She thought the plans to get married at her ranch were her cousin’s attempt at providing a plausible reason to get the families she and Jamie had both left behind to finally come together and see what they had built after all these years.
“Well, I had originally thought we’d get married someplace exotic, like the Bahamas or Hawaii. The brochure racks at our travel agency are full of advertising collateral displaying idyllic settings for weddings. But, Matthew had other plans. He brought home that article and then when he found out that the couple who were featured as the “dream rescuers” of the land were my cousins, his heart was set. This was where he wanted to share his wedding vows,” Bridget said brushing a curl behind her ear. “He was actually quite stubborn about it and to be truthful, I don’t know all the reasons behind his desire to be married here. He’s been antsy to get out here and meet you and Jamie, but he had to tie up loose ends at the school before he could come out and join me. He’s due to arrive here tomorrow afternoon.”
Audrey was still confused, but now curiosity was bubbling up and taking over her thoughts. “He didn’t say why he was so taken with our place? Is it the intrinsic historical value that intrigues him or does he have some other connection to it?” Audrey wondered allowed.
Bridget shifted in her chair. “I really don’t know how to answer that. He hasn’t given me a full explanation. I just know that he was really excited at the prospect of learning more about this homestead. He’s been doing some research on his family tree and somehow this place plays a part in it. However, since he’s a history teacher by trade, I’m sure the pure historical value of the ranch holds its own fascination for him.”
A thought dawned across Audrey’s face like the morning sun over her beloved Montana mountains. “You know, I hadn’t given it much thought before now, but I just bet Matthew would love to sit and chat with our resident historian, Alicia Conrad. Our little ranch is part of her family tree, too. I’ll set up a meeting for them once he gets here and is settled in.”
“That’s a great idea! I’m sure he’d appreciate an introduction and opportunity to sit down with someone who might be able to shed some light on his own research,” Aunt Maggie piped in.
“Do you think Ms. Conrad would be willing?” Bridget asked warily.
“You bet she would!” Audrey answered enthusiastically. “I just met with her earlier this week and as it turns out, this old ranch of mine is a favorite topic of hers. I’m sure she’d be thrilled to share her knowledge of the place with him.”
That settled, the ladies redirected their attention to the task at hand and eagerly sifted through the floral catalogs, comparing photos to fabric swatches. Audrey’s heart was in it, but her mind had already wandered toward setting up the meeting between Alicia Conrad and Matthew.
Late the following afternoon, Matthew called her at her office. “Hi, Audrey, it’s Matthew. Maggie and Bridget said you wanted to talk to me about meeting the local historian. I’d be deeply indebted to you for an introduction. I’ve waited a long time to set foot on this property and now that I’m here, I’m dying to know as much as I can about it. How soon can you set up the meeting with Ms. Conrad?” Matthew’s excitement was nearly palpable over the phone line.
Audrey laughed, saying, “Hold on cowboy! She’s invited us over for dessert tonight at 8 pm. Is that soon enough for you?”
Matthew let out a whoop and Audrey could just imagine him slapping his knee when he did it. “That would be prefect! Thanks so much, Audrey. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Glad I could be of assistance. You know it’s my goal to make this the best wedding ever and if this helps, well then, I’m happy to oblige. I’ll see you all here about 7:45 tonight and we’ll ride over to Alicia’s house together.”
At exactly 7:40 pm, Audrey and Jamie had just finished the dinner dishes when their doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Jamie offered. “I’ll buy you a few minutes so you can freshen up before we all head over to Alicia’s house.”
Audrey took her drying towel, looped it around the back of her husband’s tanned neck and pulled him close for a quick kiss. “You are a doll,” she murmured against his lips.
“Yeah, I know,” he said as he playfully swatted her fanny with his dishcloth as she headed for their bedroom. “Make it quick…I’m not very good at small talk, especially with people I’m related to, but hardly know,” Jamie said over his shoulder.
Jamie trotted to the front door and opened it to three very excited people. Bridget and Maggie stood on either side of a tall, handsome young man. Bridget was the first to speak, “Hi, Jamie. I’d like to introduce you to my fiancée, Matthew Bradley McAllister.”
Monday, June 8, 2009
Book Club Tonight!
It's time for our rescheduled meeting and we will be discussing: “Until We Reach Home” by Lynne Austin.
The new choice for June, “Bookends” by Liz Curtis Higgs, will be available for purchase. I'm expecting a visitor from Berean Bookstore to be attending. They are interested in starting a book club and would like to see how we do it. The word is out about our club. You ladies are an excellent example of what works in this type of group. See you tonight.
The new choice for June, “Bookends” by Liz Curtis Higgs, will be available for purchase. I'm expecting a visitor from Berean Bookstore to be attending. They are interested in starting a book club and would like to see how we do it. The word is out about our club. You ladies are an excellent example of what works in this type of group. See you tonight.
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