Book Club Discussion

Today, I had the honor of meeting with a Book Club in DeWitt to discuss my book,  In Its Time.   It was a very delightful experience. I think there were eight book club members present, about half of whom had at one time been my former parishioners.  They all really loved the book!

After that experience, I know much more about how to give a "book talk" to a small group.  Since this was my first small group experience, I really appreciated the fact that they got to ask questions of me,  the author.  And I also got to ask questions of them, the readers.

They wanted to know about my writing process, as well as about my publishing process.  Those are both topics about which I now know quite a bit!

I learned from that group in particular what a unique and special experience it was for the readers, since the main character in the book, Del Williams, lived in DeWitt.   One reader told me that there is a small house with a long driveway, back in the trees, exactly like the one I described in the book, not very far from the location I named. [The one I described was 100% imaginary.]  Of course, these readers would also have familiarity with other sites mentioned, from Everson Museum, to Green Lakes State Park, to other locations and events characteristic of Syracuse and central New York.

Several club members were especially impressed with the accuracy of the historical details provided in the background information about the characters.  Come to think about it, I did do quite a bit of research and weaving of the details to bring this story to life.

We discussed the questions I had provided at the end of the book, primarily because I had seen numerous other books with that kind of guide at the end.  I could not, at the time of writing, have remotely imagined actually sitting with a group of people who have actually read the book, and discussing those questions.

It was really a thrilling experience.

I cannot wait until tomorrow, when I expect another major life experience to unfold!

Changing Campus

I do not have too many opportunities to return to the Cornell campus any more. I worked there in the late 1970's and 1980's.  Currently, we attend an evening event in December, but it is dark then and the campus is not really visible in all its glory.

Recently, we attended an Alumni Breakfast and I got to see many of the changes that have occurred to the buildings and grounds, as well as some familiar faces.

I've always been amazed by the changing nature of that campus.  In the 35+ years since I first arrived there,  it has been a place of constant renovations, newly emerging buildings, leveling here, building there.  In fact, my 'retirement' from the university coincided with the demolishing of the buildings in which I had worked.  I could no longer return to the beloved and familiar Roberts Hall,  because it would no longer be there!  A new one emerged, but that one is a stranger to me.

I have seen universities where all the buildings look alike, built at the same time.  Not so at Cornell.  In fact, I think it can best be described as an architectural smorgasbord, in a good way.  The new buildings all shaped themselves around and fit into the shape of the hill or the field, or the curve, always mindful of the environment.   All are complementary--the old and the new;  black and white;  brick and stone;  ivy covered; or sleek and glass.

 Maybe a garden is a better analogy for describing the infinite variety of the campus constructions and dwellings.   They are like trees and flowers and shrubs of various colors and shapes.  They are sometimes uprooted and pruned;  new plantings emerge;  old ones are ripped up.  The beauty remains.

I did take some "garden pictures" while I was there.  I remember when it was always filled with tulips.  Of course,  we are past tulip season, so other flowers are now in bloom,  as are other programs, departments, majors, students, faculty.

The changing campus is a metaphor for the vitality of the university itself.

Sunday Afternoons

There are four separate family groups, plus Gerry and me, to try to get together all at once for a "family celebration".   Though most of us live in the area,  it is still not easy to assemble the various parts.

V&M live on Long Island ,  so we do try to have some gatherings when they are here.  Today, we were celebrating Zanni's 18th birthday and high school graduation.

The Long Island family unit has a 5 hour trip back home on Sunday night, so that eliminates Sunday evenings.     One family member/unit works on Saturdays until 7:00 p.m.  That eliminates Saturdays, leaving only Sunday afternoons for family events.

I believe there were thirteen of us there today.  We tried to have a picnic outside, though it was very hot and sunny.  Meat was cooked on the grill and everyone brought something to share.  It was a feast.
We have a new patio umbrella, but it does not produce enough shade to cover all the people sitting on the patio.

Inside we had cake and ice cream, and Zanni opened her presents.


She genuinely seemed thrilled to receive the photo album I had put together for her.  In the middle picture, everyone is trying to get into the act.  Included were pictures from her birth, through much of her childhood, including some of all her relatives----one of four generations of us women  (when my mother was once visiting).   Pictures of all her aunts and cousins.   Pictures of family dinners and of different places she has lived, and we have lived.     For Christmas, I gave personal albums to all four daughters.   She seemed to be waiting to get her own!

There's nothing I like better than Sunday afternoon family times.  I only wish they happened more often.

Literary Club

I belong to a Ladies Literary Club.  Whenever I mention that to someone, they inevitably say,  "Oh, what book are you reading?"   And then I have to explain to them exactly how the literary club actually operates.

We don't read and discuss books at all.  Rather, we research a particular subject which is related to an overall theme, and write and present a ten page research paper.   I might possibly enjoy the club if it was about discussing a book we have read,  but I enjoy it so much more because it involves writing a paper!

Today we enjoyed our end of year celebration at the Benn Conger Inn.  I was last there in 2010, the location of one of my daughters' weddings.  The ceremony was outside, and I officiated.  The reception was inside.  It was a most lovely day.

Our Ladies Lit "President's Day" party was also delightful.  It is the occasion of the 'changing of the guard' from the outgoing officers to the in-coming ones.   We also received our program booklets for the upcoming season, beginning in September, listing the names and titles of all the papers to be delivered for the 2013-2014 year.  I've already started working on my paper and am very excited about it.

Today's program consisted of of a slide show taking us on a journey through some waterways around the St. Lawrence River and the lock system, and various lakes in Canada.  Our overall theme for this past program year was  O Canada.  The variety of papers was most impressive---from provinces, to art, to authors, to musicians, to UNESCO sites to Canadian and United States military alliances and beyond.

This club is well over one hundred years old, and originally provided a forum for well educated women to continually learn and share.

Back then, though educated, most women did not have employment opportunities.  Now the club is made up primarily of women who have had careers, and now in retirement, continue to learn and grow.

 And I really love that!