Book club 1, book club 2

I love my book clubs! I am lucky enough to be in TWO book clubs. My kids call them the Fun Book Club and the Serious Book Club. That does mostly describe the books we read, but I have fun with each group of ladies. And no, no men allowed.

And you know what? It's not just about the books. Yes, we read books and we discuss them. That is important. It is great to have some incentive to stretch your mind, to try something you might not read on your own, and to know that you will have someone to talk with about what you just read, what you liked, what you hated, what you learned, how it made you feel. Again, that is important.

But the book is just where it STARTS. After that, we really start to talk. As we are discussing the book, we talk about what's going on in our lives. When we read Tom Sawyer and A Little Princess we got to talk about our childhood and about raising children. When we read The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, even though I *hated* the book, we had a great discussion about marriage, communication, and intimacy. And with both To Kill a Mockingbird and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, we've talked about racism and how society has changed. When we're done with the book, we get to catch up with what's going on in our friends' lives, what they are struggling with and what successes they've had lately. We got to rejoice with Trish and Deanne about gorgeous new babies, admire Jodi's new house, and say goodbye to Jamee as she moved across the ocean. (I'm still mad about that, BTW!)

Book club is almost my entire social life. I haven't made it to church much lately, due to my own health problems and my kids'. I had to quit my job. I don't see my family as much as I'd like. So book club is where I get my social butterfly fed. Sometimes I haven't liked the book, or haven't finished it, but again, it's not just about the book. It's about feeding the soul.

Jaw Tips

Things you can't do with a sore jaw:

1 - Chew gum. (Don't like gum anyway)

2 - Smile. Or frown. Or cry. Pretty much any facial expression at all is painful.

3 - Play the tuba. Too much pursed lips and blowing and stuff.

4 - Eat. Well, no raw carrots, no broccoli, raw or cooked, no beef jerky, no big giant juicy Carl's Jr. 6 Dollar Burgers. Just for instance.

5 - Sleep. At least, not well. Pain makes you restless.

What you can do:

1 - Have a drink. And maybe pudding, ice cream, soup, oatmeal, mashed potatoes - anything you don't chew.

2 - Get grumpy. Again, pain does that.

3 - Feel very sorry for yourself. It doesn't change anything, but it's hard to avoid.

(BTW, I can't play the tuba even when my jaw is fine. Just in case you were wondering.)

Grandma and Grandpa

I just felt like posting a picture of my grandparents. Not sure whose house this is, doesn't look like our kitchen chairs, but it must be at Christmas time. Grandpa is wearing his favorite coveralls and I think Grandma has her hairnet in. I was just telling Sarah tonight about Thanksgiving at Grandma's house, with a turkey and a ham every year, lots of gravy, home canned beans, dressing, and at least 5 kinds of pie. Plus iced tea. Can't have a big meal without iced tea. It's been a very long time since they passed away, but I still wish that my kids could have known them. The girls met both grandparents when they were babies, but Will never got the chance. Miss you all!

Yummy Cupcakes

Those of you who know me, know I'm all about the treats. My friend Trista opened a new cupcake store and we had to check it out. I have to admit that cupcakes are not my favorite baked good - that would have to be brownies. But I still wanted to check it out, and I thought I would tell you all about it.

First, her store is in Orem near the University Mall. We took the family when it opened and everyone got to pick out a treat. I went for the Raspberry Chocolate, Ellen got the Strawberry Lemonade, Randy got Key Lime, and Sarah and Will got the Strawberry Chocolate. Thumbs up all around. Since then, we've tried a few others. My clear favorite is the Key Lime or the Lemon, but he kids love the Red Velvet and the Strawberry Lemonade. Her prices are very reasonable, and if you buy 6, you get a discount. What's not to love? Here's a link to her flavor list: http://www.cupcakechicutah.com/flavor%20page.html. Also, if you're a fan on Facebook, you can get coupons. They do special cupcakes for BYU game days and sometimes have free mini cupcakes. I'm looking forward to the pumpkin ones later this fall.