Taking cues from SAMCRO

Tuesday night's book club was a success! The general consensus was that 'The Birth House' was an interesting read. Some didn't love the way it was written, or how quickly the author glossed over historical events mentioned in the book (such as the Halifax explosion), but everyone agreed it was a good story and we all enjoyed the topic. As predicted, this lead us to share personal experiences, as well as some interesting facts about childbirth. 

The stories shared ranged from tales of full meltdowns in the delivery room (including laughing gas for both mother and father-to-be); to ones beginning with a stroll to the hospital, and ending with four hours of labour. I found out you can hire a midwife to help you along your pregnancy, that she will work alongside your doctor, and even accompany you to the hospital. Midwives happen to be very high in demand. If you are even thinking about getting pregnant, you should hire one immediately. I also found out you can hire a 'doula' if you waited too long to hire your midwife. For those of you who don't know, a 'doula' is a woman who offers emotional support before, during and after childbirth.

Another portion of our meeting was spent discussing the declining rate of books read by our members. Since most of us now use e-readers, it is very easy to track exactly how much of an effort was made to complete the book chosen for the month. A few of the ladies did not finish 'The Birth House' (or even get past the first 17%), which has been a common trend of late. We all admire SAMCRO, from the popular TV show 'Sons of Anarchy', and their loyalty to their 'MC' (motorcycle club). As a result, a decision was made to help us show our commitment to our 'BC'. If you don't read at least 65% of the book, you bring the rest of the club gifts. It will be interesting to see who comes bearing gifts on December 5th at our next gathering...

Finally, I am hosting our next meeting and my book choice is 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern. In the past, I have tried to incorporate a theme from the book with the food I serve. Last year when we read 'The Paris Wife' by Paula McLain I served ham and cheese croissant sandwiches, a green salad, asparagus on toast bites and French wine. This year I am thinking of making some 'circus' themed food. Popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels, peanuts, pizza... Here are pictures of some of the delicious food I ate during a trip to Atlanta last May which will help inspire my menu...

Happy reading!

Domi