The Signature of All Things

I thought it a cool concept - the title of the book comes from the 16th-century German mystic and theologian, Jacob Boehme, who believed in the signature of all things, “namely, that God had hidden clues for humanity’s betterment inside the design of every flower, leaf, fruit and tree on earth. All the natural world was a divine code. … This is why so many medicinal plants resembled the diseases they were meant to cure, or the organs they were able to treat.”

Fascinating! Now to think why the book was named for that concept????? Was Alma, in all her suffering, meant to better the world? Perhaps. Though her family was well off, emotional validation was lacking in the Whittaker home. So here you have a girl who has access to everything, including her own pony to traverse the many fields her father owns, yet her mother smacked her down verbally for the smallest emotional infraction. And her father only validated the fact that she was far from beautiful, far from "wanted". 

Given almost every single human interaction designed to provide companionship and comfort, Alma messed them up completely. Her mother, her father, her adopted sister, her new found friend, and her potential love interest. Later, even her husband! Oh Alma!

But - Alma does live a long, long, long life. She gets validation eventually- and even takes the reigns of her own life. We have to cheer her in the end.

Too bad that Louise couldn't get the book from the library! I hoped that this book would be widely available given its popularity.

Next time, we shall try and choose something that Louise should easily be able to apprehend! 

 

Well, to console her - we ordered Louise a giant Bloody Mary - just as pictured - with tons of nibbles on a stick. And along with that, she was able to pick from a bevy of delectable brunch items.

 

We all shoveled up heaping helpings of the Egg Skillet with Roasted Potatoes, the Smoked Bacon, the hash browns with scallions, waffles with syrup and strawberries & cream, even things like turkey and gravy, sweet and sour chicken, grilled atlantic salmon and chicken wild rice soup!

I think we were beyond satisfied after numerous re-filled coffee cups and nudgings to return to the buffet dessert bar where what waited was a delicious apple crisp with fresh cream. Yes, the belt needed to be loosened!

We did miss some of our members, but we had a lively discussion and welcomed Jessica Hogan from Chicago, who indulged along with us.

Next time, we will meet around the first week of December. Jarby agreed to research some titles for us that might include something holiday-themed - something light and humorous? We'll see what she comes up with!

Thank you all for joining us for brunch - it was great to see everyone and be pampered and taken care of by our nice waitress at Maynard's! 

See you all next time.

Let us know what you all are reading now - what are you enjoying? 

Happy Reading,

Katie

Pairings

Marie's choice of venue was aptly made for our evening gathering. The theme of pairings came up often!

First of all, it was buy one, get one free pizza night. Music to the ears (and gurgling tummy!) So, we paired up and ordered our favorites from the great choices:

Margherita Pizza (Roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil)
Italian Pizza (Spicy sausage, pepperoni, red onion, cracked green olives, mozzarella, rustic tomato sauce)
South Seas Pizza (Shrimp, pit ham, pineapple, fresh basil)
Greek Pizza (House-made Gyro meat, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese)

(Sorry, is that making you hungry again?)

Marie kept us supplied (paired) with plenty of wine to go with our meal. She also provided appetizers including bruschetta paired with 3 different toppings along with a large platter of garlic shrimp skewers. Thank you so much, Marie, for being such a great hostess!

Speaking of pairings, we ended up with 2 different books this time around! Same title, different authors!

So, unfortunately, that little snafu made it tough to talk about the book. The book that was intended was by Morag Joss, a Scottish author now living in London. This book was about 3 lives that intersect after a horrible bridge collapse in the Scottish highlands. It was mysterious, a little creepy, a bit dark and morbid, as well, with a bit of a bright ending for 1 of our main characters. I enjoyed the book, although it was strange that the author changed from 3rd person to 1st person at times, which made it a little difficult to follow at times, and know who was being written about during certain passages.

The other book by Dan Chaon was a book of short stories that sounds a bit dark as well - loneliness, disintegration of family, loss of growth, finding strength to continue. I took the book out of Sandy's hands and will let her know what I think! I enjoy short stories, so will give this one a shot.

We all enjoyed great conversation as the crowd ramped up for dinner. We knew we were in it for the long haul, so really dug in to the appetizers and wine while the long lines dissipated.

We closed down Pairings, taking it right down to their closing time, I think someone slammed and locked the door on our asses as we headed out. (Just kidding, they were very gracious!)

Loved having Jeannie with us from England, and just about everyone showed up.

Next time, we will read Elizabeth Gilbert's  (author of Eat, Pray, Love) The Signature of All Things.

Briefly, it's about (from Amazon):

"... an enthralling story of love, adventure and discovery. Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry’s brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father’s money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma’s research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction—into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist—but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.

Exquisitely researched and told at a galloping pace, The Signature of All Things soars across the globe—from London to Peru to Philadelphia to Tahiti to Amsterdam, and beyond. Along the way, the story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad."


I hope everyone enjoys the book!

I will host the next gathering either mid-September or early October as I will be out of town the end of September.

See you then! And happy reading.

Katie

WWTD (What Would Teddy Do?)

As I walked up the inviting sidewalk peppered with beautiful and colorful flowers, I could smell the aromas wafting out the screen door. What a lovely greeting! Jarby's house is always so warm and inviting.

Marie was the first to arrive, and was already chatting with Jarby and enjoying some treats - tortilla chips with guacamole, and other munchies. A large pitcher of Sangria awaited!

As everyone arrived, we talked about how the weather was iffy - would the rain and clouds hold off until after our gathering? Did we dare take it outside? Well, we did What Teddy Would Do! We rambled on out to the patio and enjoyed the great outdoors!

I was stunned by Jarby's garden - what a magnificent back yard! Jeannie pointed out Sweet William, raspberry bushes, blueberry bushes, gorgeous irises! And dotted throughout were little statues and interesting things for the eye to find. The lawn had just been mowed, so unfortunately, our shoes dragged half the lawn into the house with us, poor Jarby! But what fun to wander around in that lovely place.

We all fit around the table on Jarby's deck and we did What Teddy and His Family Did - talked about what's happening in real life and about the book we read. This time we dug into Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Literature seemed to be important to everyone in the book at the turn of the century. It was interesting reading about all the different experiences of schooling and university. And how it was different for women back then! But just about everyone in the book was well read!

I put on my to-read list one of the books that was mentioned as a real "modern" story that shook people up - "A Modern Instance" by William Dean Howells. Can't wait to see what the rage was all about in 1882! One of the first novels about men, women and relationships apparently.

Jarby remarked about how it was hard to tell what year was being discussed - was it 1901 or 2014? So many of the same worries, concerns and disasters. Political corruption was rife and Teddy was the man to sweep in and clean up! Even Minneapolis was talked about in the book as a center of widespread corruption.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the book - a departure from our normal reading fare. Ms. Goodwin is an incredibly detailed researcher and she seemed to leave absolutely nothing out! Sandy recommended a book that goes into detail about Teddy Roosevelt's trip down the Amazon, The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. She said it's a great and interesting read.

So, if you really enjoyed this book, check this one out, too!

We all wanted to research the publication, McClure's, and see if any old issues might exist - maybe online? It would be interesting to read some of the articles that were talked about in the book.

Many colorful characters were talked about in the book, including the wives of these important presidents, and all the journalists involved with McClure's and the other big newspapers of the times. Ida was surely an interesting character - a lone woman among many men.

So many improvements and innovations can be traced back to this time period. Even the White House got improvements - renovations and a more home-y atmosphere. Cherry blossoms!

Soon, the aromas wafting out of the kitchen were just too much to bear - and thank goodness because Lee and Jarby announced the food was ready to consume! Flavorful Cuban pulled pork on slider buns, mango salsa, mixed fruit (boy those strawberries were good!), black beans and rice, and salad with vinaigrette dressing. Rachel mixed up the British liqueur Pimm's to have with dinner, which everyone raved about - "smooth", "dangerous" - being some of the adjectives used to describe it.

Now, we shall switch to "What Would William Howard Taft Do"? as we talk about dessert! And, of course, the answer is: EAT!

Magically appearing before us was a dessert plate filled with a large slice of chocolate cake accompanied by a homemade Mojito sorbet that rocked the place. Made with mint from Jarby's own herb garden. Fabulous! Lee brought in some delicious coffee to help smooth the way for that luscious dessert.

Thank you, Jarby and Lee for all the hard work that went into the successful night!

Marie will host the next gathering either in mid-July or early August.

She found a great English-born Scottish writer called Morag Joss who writes crime mysteries. We will choose one of her titles for the next time. FYI  Her book, Half Broken Things won the Crime Writers Association Silver Dagger Award. Marie will let us know the title chosen. They all look good, so whatever is chosen I'm sure will satisfy. 

Seems a great time for a good mystery and a pretty quick read as we'll see each other again soon.

Happy Reading!

Stumbling Home

We were so spoiled by Sandy's cooking, none of us wanted to leave!

It was wonderful to see Sandy in her element - her newly remodeled kitchen. A beautiful, long center island commands attention. A lovely tiled floor and fabulous granite counter tops and gorgeous cabinets all shine - apparently all done by our hostess!

She led us to her lovely "trophy room" which features items collected from all her world travels, and we had a great discussion about current happenings for all of us.

Marie shared some great stories from her trip to Costa Rica with son, Matthew. What a wonderful adventure and a great way to bond and make memories. And a great assurance that even through trials and tribulations, a mother shall not kill and eat her child!

Missing were Rachel, Janet and Amy. Some day soon we will all meet together at once, even if we have to plan a "traveling book club"!

We discussed our latest book, The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews. Everyone seemed to find it pretty delightful, if not laugh out loud comical. It seemed fitting, too, that the main character was renovating her kitchen!

We were all charmed by Sandy's cooking and her wonderful sense of humor, as evidenced by her choice of napkin: ('Food has replaced sex in my life. Now I can't even get into my own pants.')

Here is her amazing brunch menu, which completely made us feel spoiled and taken care of:


Appetizer: Egg Salad on Crackers (recipe from the book)

Chicken Custard Bake with Gravy

Brussels Sprouts "Cole Slaw"
Pickled Cucumbers
Cranberries
Beets
Apple Relish
Fresh Fruit - Strawberries, Pineapples, Cantaloupe
Croissants

Lemon Sponge Cake with Strawberries and Limoncello

Lemon Water
Bloody Mary
Mimosas

Sorry if I missed something, the spread of food was so generous!

Line of the day, "Louise, I got a shot glass for you. Normally I just do this (shaking hand as if pouring liquor) but I didn't want you stumbling home!"  


Next up: We'll read the book, Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Some words about the book: One of the Best Books of the Year as chosen by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, Time, USA TODAY, Christian Science Monitor, and more. “A tale so gripping that one questions the need for fiction when real life is so plump with drama and intrigue” (Associated Press).

The gap between rich and poor has never been wider…legislative stalemate paralyzes the country…corporations resist federal regulations…spectacular mergers produce giant companies…the influence of money in politics deepens…bombs explode in crowded streets…small wars proliferate far from our shores…a dizzying array of inventions speeds the pace of daily life.

These unnervingly familiar headlines serve as the backdrop for Doris Kearns Goodwin’s highly anticipated The Bully Pulpit—a dynamic history of the first decade of the Progressive era, that tumultuous time when the nation was coming unseamed and reform was in the air.

The story is told through the intense friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft—a close relationship that strengthens both men before it ruptures in 1912, when they engage in a brutal fight for the presidential nomination that divides their wives, their children, and their closest friends, while crippling the progressive wing of the Republican Party, causing Democrat Woodrow Wilson to be elected, and changing the country’s history.


This choice is a little ironic, considering how a portion of our discussion revolved around history and the blandness of it as it was taught to us in high school. Marie shared a story about her former marine teacher who actually made history interesting - let's hope that the reviews are accurate and this book makes history fascinating for us all! I just checked and the amazon reports that this book has 929 pages! We shall all walk around this summer with much bigger, smarter heads.

See you all early this summer - we decided that a mid-week evening would work best as summer weekends are so precious.  Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 18 at Jarby's.

Thank you so much, Sandy, for your wonderful cooking and making us feel so welcome in your home! I think we all could have stayed for an afternoon nap .... instead we all stumbled on home, stuffed, satisfied and appreciative!

Happy reading!
Katie

One Hot Date!

A great night to talk about a hot book! It was about minus 5 degrees out on this Minnesota wintry evening. But, thoughts of our book, Inferno by Dan Brown, kept us warm.

As we were handed a generous glass of Apothic red wine, we noticed the gigantic screen above Marie's fireplace was playing Liszt's Dante Symphony for our pleasure. As the music ebbed and flowed, we were treated to scenes of purgatory and hell!

We were able to overcome the intense atmosphere and talk about things other than Dante, as well. It was nice catching up with everyone. As Mike was still on a tough work schedule, he was not able to join us. But we each had a drink for you. You were quite tipsy, Mike! :)

We enjoyed some finger food including shrimp, heart of palm and macadamia nuts as dinner cooked, and the wonderful smells wafted out to us. Soon, we were dishing up a delectable meal. Marie made a delicious Beef Roulade, along with Spinach Pasta and a perfectly seasoned Roasted Broccoli dish.

Inferno was an enjoyable book, well researched, with tons of opportunities to use Google to follow up and learn about places and things described in the book. It was fun to look up Hagia Sophia and see the amazing pictures of the place in the book. And, by the way, learn how to pronounce it, too (ah-hee-ah so-fee-ah) and that it resides in Constantinople and on and on.

This experience plants the idea in the mind that a trip to Florence, Italy or Rome or Turkey would be a fun (and educational!) experience. Bucket list, people!

Jarby produced a mask from Italy that, amazingly, when turned to the back had a code written on it, just like the one in the book! (PPPPPPP) I said wow was that really there? Jarby winked and said, "Yes."

Louise was a sport and allowed photos taken of her with the mask on. Perfect design and coloring for our gathering, along with Louise's choice of dress - her flaming jacket was perfect!

Speaking of flames, little did we know that we would experience it first hand!

We should have got a clue when Marie was testing out her automatic flame lighter during dinner! HMMMM... what was she planning?

After dinner was cleared, Marie began making space on the table and saying "Hey, you might want to move back and make room....!"

What in the world?

Well, it turns out it was a flaming dessert.  Marie brought out the Cherries Jubilee with a flourish and a pretty nice flame!

Well, the best thing about it was that it tasted amazing! I think Marie thought of everything, we felt very pampered with our french vanilla ice cream, coffee, more wine, and then chocolate and taffy treats.

It was interesting to talk about the books we want to read coming up. We tend to go toward the darker, mysterious, heavier kinds of novels and we all kinda snapped out of it at the same time and said "Hey! We should read some lighter fare!"

And, alas, we could not think of ONE title to recommend in that genre.

So, research will abound and we will come up with some titles to choose from for our next gathering.

Sandy offered to host the next gathering if timing works out and we look forward to that sometime around the end of March.

A night to remember!