Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Book Club

I've always enjoyed reading, but even more so now that I belong to a book club because it has exposed me to several new authors I might not have read.

This month's selection was recommended by one of our members. I was hesitant to start "Firefly Lane" because it's almost 500 pages long. But I decided to begin it on a flight back to Denver. Big mistake!

It's such a fabulous book that I literally couldn't put it down after the flight......so I kept reading til almost 3 am! It's the story of 2 girls, Kate & Tully, who become friends at 14. The book follows their life-long friendship and the trials of maintaining their closeness even after each had taken an extremely different path in life.

While some readers may find the plot line predictable and sappy, I loved it because I feel the connection with a life-long friend is such a valuable gift, something not to be taken for granted.

I've known my best friend, Linda, for almost 40 years now and at times it was difficult to maintain the relationship - like when I moved to Germany for 11 years. But, true friends will always find a way to keep connected.

For more reviews: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1472878.Firefly_Lane

Make A Wish

Retired --- looking for something rewarding to do with your spare time?

Then, how about becoming a WISH GRANTOR for the Make a Wish Foundation? It's a wonderful way to volunteer your time because you don't have to commit to one day a week. They offer free training and pair you with an experienced WISH GRANTOR for your first few visits.

I completed the training a few months ago and went out on my first "WISH" last weekend. It was fun to meet the young man, talk to him about his interests and what would be his fantasy "WISH". He wanted everything from meeting President Obama to playing basketball with Kobe Bryant.

He finally settled on going to the SUPERBOWL......so now it's up to the WISH granting team to pull some strings and make it happen!!

To find a local chapter, go to: http://www.wish.org/