Food, friends and belly laughter

We had a great time--and a big turnout--at Jade's house to discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God. But first, we enjoyed our semi-annual potluck dinner:

Cream puffs

Caramel bars

Oatmeal cookies

Chips and salsa

Bean salad

Fritos salad

Rhubarb crisp

Spinach salad

Broccoli salad (an Interrupters staple)

Potato salad

Rice and orange chicken

Shrimp

Vegetable tray

Did I forget anything?

Yummy, yummy food.

We can always rely on a lot of laughter, but Ambi's return to the group took things to a "whole 'nother" level - pugnacious ? (blush).

Thanks, Jade, for leading a very interesting discussion. I think we all enjoy reading books that offer us a glimpse into a different culture, time period, and life experience.

 We talked about too many things to recap here, but we had quite a discussion on race and the meanings of skin color. We talked about the language, the imagery, the characters. As usual, we didn't agree on everything, which makes things more interesting. For instance, Queene didn't think Janie evolved as a character.

I learn so much every month--about the book, the author, and about the strong, talented, smart and funny women I've come to love. This month we met Hermana's daughter and learned the remarkable story about her adoption.

I want to thank everyone for singing happy birthday to me, especially Ambi, whose lovely rendition left me almost in tears.