Book Club Pick for June

 Linda had some family obligations come up this month so we have rearranged a few things. The changes are listed on the side bar.

Our book this month is "One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus.
The following was taken from reviews on amazon.com: This novel is about an 1875 treaty between Ulysses S. Grant and Little Wolf, chief of the Cheyenne nation. Little Wolf comes to Washington and suggests to President Grant that peace between the Whites and Cheyenne could be established if the Cheyenne were given white women as wives, and that the tribe would agree to raise the children from such unions. The thought of miscegenation naturally enough astounds Grant, but he sees a certain wisdom in trading 1,000 white women for 1,000 horses, and he secretly approves the Brides For Indians treaty. He recruits women from jails, penitentiaries, debtors' prisons, and mental institutions offering full pardons or unconditional release. May Dodd, born to wealth in Chicago in 1850, had left home in her teens and become the mistress of her father's grain-elevator foreman. Her outraged father had her kidnapped, imprisoning her in a monstrous lunatic asylum. When Grant's offer arrives, she leaps at it and soon finds herself traveling west with hundreds of white and black would-be brides. All are indentured to the Cheyenne for two years, must produce children, and then will have the option of leaving. May, who keeps the journal we read, marries Little Wolf and lives in a crowded tipi with his two other wives, their children, and an old crone who enforces the rules. Reading about life among the Cheyenne is spellbinding, especially when the women show up the braves at arm-wrestling, foot-racing, bow-shooting, and gambling.  May's personal journals, loaded with humor and intelligent reflection, describe the adventures of some very colorful white brides (including one black one), their marriages to Cheyenne warriors, and the natural abundance of life on the prairie before the final press of the white man's civilization.

We will meet on Thursday, June 23 at 7:00, at Angies house. I am excited to see you all there!

Retreat Tonight

Alright ladies, just wanted to give you all a head's up on how rides are developing for this afternoon:
There will be two (probably) vehicles leaving my house at 3:15. If you want to go early with us please be on time. I am not sure who all is going when and if you are not on time it is likely you will get left, and I don't want to do that! We will leave promptly at 3:15. Johanna we will pick you up on our way through town. We will stop at Smith's. Missy, if you are meeting us early we will be there about 3:30.
Angie is going over at 4:30. I know there are some people riding with her already. If you need a ride for the later time, give her a call.
There is at least one car coming back on Friday night. Becca I think that is you. The rest of us will plan to be back in Cache Valley by noon.
Also for food: I am just getting pizza and breakfast this time. Bring your own drink for dinner. I will provide paper products for dinner and some juice and milk with breakfast. I am trying to keep the cost as low as possible- we will see how we do with $5 this time around. Also please bring a paper product (tp or paper towels) to donate to the cabin.
That is what I know. Let me know if things are different than I stated or if you have questions. I am SO EXCITED to hang out with all of you. Yay for book club!!!!

Lip Balm UPDATE

Hey, ladies. Here is a picture of what the lip balm looks like, size etc. It looks SUPER pink in the pot but is really light on. We can make it lighter for sure (or a different hue if you have different lip stick you wanna try), and you'll probably want to if you're doing it for your little girls. We can play with it.

Also, I worked it out and think that it will cost $1 a pot. That's including everything: wax, oils, flavor, color, shimmer, the little container, etc.

The recipe and ingredients/materials I will bring will be for peppermint, pink shimmer lip balm (seen above... the OPI nail polish is just for size comparison). If you want any other variation (flavor, color, or container), please feel free to bring whatever else.

I'm excited to make these! I really like these and think you'll enjoy them. (Hope so.)

NOTE: Unless I hear otherwise, I will plan to bring enough materials to make about 3 pots a person. It's totally fine with me if you want less, but if you want more (especially if you want lots more), I need to know. I figure this is our first time doing it, so you'll probably just want a couple as souvenirs. (wink)

Thanks for being patient with me while I try to figure this all out. Love you girls! I'm excited to play with you in TWO DAYS!!

Chao.

RETREAT CRAFT?? Homemade Lip Gloss/Balm!!

Hey, girls! So this weekend is our book club retreat (see the post below for specs), and I just came across a SWEET tutorial that I absolutely want to try! Homemade lip gloss (or balm... there are two different but very closely related tutorials; we could try both)!! Does that make anyone else giddy? It does me! I want to try it regardless of whether we do it at retreat or not, so I went out this afternoon and bought the stuff.

I want to know if you're interested in doing this.

I think it will cost up to $5 per person and should get you at least a couple of little pots of gloss/balm. Keep in mind, I've never tried this. I probably will before Friday, but I can't guarantee that. So it may be a gamble.

Does anyone else want to gamble with me?? :)

I won't be offended if it sounds lame to you. Or if you just don't feel like potentially wasting your time/money. But I think it will turn out great, and I think it will be FUN!

I will buy everything and figure out more definite costs if you'll let me know (soon, preferably). So- what say you? Lip gloss/balm craft at bookclub retreat???

Check yes or no.

*Note: Image from here. Tutorials (if you're curious, or if it'll help you decide) here and here. And Mindy (or others), Castor oil can substitute almond oil if nut allergies necessitate this.

For May: Book Reviews and RETREAT

May is RETREAT TIME! This event always makes me so excited! I can't wait to hang out with all of you. Retreat will be held on Friday, May 20th and Saturday, May 21st. We will again be going to Johanna's cabin. We will also be doing book reviews for this month. Come prepared to share a book of your choice with all of us. This might be a good time to hear about some of those books we have exchanged at retreat in the past. I will not be doing a craft this time, but if anyone else wants to spearhead that, let me know and you can take it on. So here is a list of the specs:

• Date: May 20-21

• Time: Leave Mindy's house at 3:15, we will meet Logan people at Smith's at 3:30- if this time is a problem please leave a comment. We will accommodate whatever time works best for the majority.

• Bring: Your personal and sleeping items, $5 for food, a treat to share, and your book to review.

Please let me know ASAP if you have any questions or concerns or if you are willing to drive. As always, retreat is one of the highlights of my year! Hooray for all of you!