Elephant Vase

Flowers from Sweet Violets

 I really like a flower vase that is made of ceramic rather than glass, but they can be a bit difficult to find.  Something about viewing the knobby stems through murky water somehow seems to detract from the flower arrangement above.
Of course, flowers should be given constant fresh water so that it doesn't go murky!  Somehow, though, it reminds me of swimming through reeds.
There's my odd thought I'll put out there for today!

Last night's Fun Book Club sadly had greatly reduced numbers: we were only four.
It was lovely to see the ladies though.  H is just back from walking a marathon in Florida, C is busy as usual, working hard and looking after her aging mother, while T is recovering nicely from hip surgery all while keeping her business going.

The others were very much missed.  I do think though, if there's going to be a book club with low numbers it will be in January.  Some members are travelling (to warmer places, lucky ducks) and it's also a time of year when illness can rear its ugly head a bit more frequently.

My snacks were not amazing: I bought a small brie for those ladies who eat dairy, and I set out some nuts, chocolates and some coconut crisp cookies that I purchased.

We all had a glass of wine, which was lovely.  Accompanying that was a discussion that women often seem to have: is it acceptable/healthy to have a glass of wine every day?  The consensus seemed to be yes, as long as it's one glass, but we all know it can be a slippery slope.

We also discussed earthquakes, and disaster preparedness.  This was in part due to H mentioning the very frightening false alarm that occurred in Hawaii last weekend (you can read some personal accounts in the form of letters to the editor here).  I then recommended a really excellent podcast I've been listening to: Faultines on cbc radio.  If you've ever wondered about the likelihood of an earthquake on Canada's west coast, and how one should prepare oneself for it, this is the podcast for you.  I've learned so much listening to it.
I think I'll finish listening to it today as I do some cooking.

I hope you have a happy and healthy Wednesday, disaster-free.
xoxDani