Saturday, March 9, 2019

SOL 9/31: Book Club Retreat


Our book club's been together for twenty-one years and for most of those years we've planned a yearly getaway to laugh, eat, shop, chat, choose our books for the upcoming year,  and revel in the joy of spending a whole day together. 

This year was unique because everyone who was attending left town by 9:30 am (frequently we've had an evening group that arrives after work). That meant that our day's activities included everyone.
 The drive up!
The view from our room

Lunch was in Leavenworth followed by strolling the streets for a bit of shopping (which of course included time in a local bookstore).
The entire group
A group selfie -
compliments of our
youngest member

A few of our group took a short hike before dinner, someone started an appetizer tray, some tried out the hot tub and some of us settled in to enjoy the cozy fire. Yours truly grabbed her computer to comment on a few slices before dinner.
The hikers
  
Appetizers before dinner
                                            View at sunset
                       
We enjoyed dinner at an earlier hour than in the past, and we actually had time to pitch our three books and select the books for the upcoming year before 10 pm. Most of us were in bed by midnight! What a surprise! (Could that be because several of our younger members were unable to attend this year?)

The early risers were up by six this morning, several more by seven, and by eight the counter was filled with breakfast pastries, yogurt, granola, fruit, and hot chocolate. Our leisurely breakfast was followed by leisurely conversation before we jumped up to clean and prepare for our return journey.
 Sunrise view

By ten am everyone was on the road home. We reveled in the delightful memory of a day (and a bit!) spent in a gorgeous mountain setting with good friends in the company of good books and good food.  And we're already looking forward to next year's retreat. But before then, we have twelve evening gatherings and twelve books to read and discuss. I'll share the list in an upcoming post.

The drive home - 
another delightful retreat 
in the memory books!

9 comments:

  1. I want to be in your book club! Ha. How amazing and wonderful. This makes my heart happy! I love that your book club is made up of women of various ages. ;-) I want to know what your choices were!!

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  2. I love to read about your book club. The views this time are especially fantastic.

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  3. What a wonderful adventure! How fortunate to have a large, passionate book club.

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  4. OH how lovely! I would love to know what you are reading this year. You have a large group. So glad they could all make it.

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  5. Now that is SOME book club both in terms of its longevity and your commitment to each other. I am in awe and wish I was close and could join!

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  6. This sounds so fun! A group gathered for a love of books- what could be better! I loved the descriptions of all the variety the day held.

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  7. I want to be in your book club! Is that Colorado or Washington? I love that blue, blue sky!

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  8. My book club has been together for 20 something years, but we have never had an outing to choose books! We might need to try that!

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