We call ourselves The Bluestocking Babes.  We are a librarian, a couple of full-time homeschooling SAHM’s, an insurance agent & a math teacher.  At least that’s what we do during the day.  That’s what we might put on an application in the blank for OCCUPATION.  In reality, we are all multi-faceted women who each walk in a variety of roles, who gather on a regular basis around books.  {And good conversation & because it’s a wonderful match to all of the above, good food.}

Together, we have walked around abandoned state mental hospitals, sat for hours at the corner table, tried new foods {we did not love Rose Petal Icecream as romantic as it sounds…} and wrestled with life in the pages of excellent {and sometimes awful} books.

Our latest read was, “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle”.  All, but one of us were gathered for an amazing make-your-own-healthy-salad extravaganza at Pam’s house.  {Debbie we missed you…}  We had a great discussion.  There are books that are good reads, and there are books that are good discussion books.  With its beautiful language and complex relationships, this book was both.

We each enjoyed the book for different reasons and at different paces.   Some of us consumed the story all in one sitting, while others ate in tiny nibbles trying to decide if they liked it or not.  As the book is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Nelda brought a cast list and throughout the discussion we made determinations and commentary concerning which Sawtelle character was which Hamlet character.  Sometimes we do that:  stick to a study guide, answer prepared questions and have a straight-up literary discussion.  But as is often the case when a group of women gather, we also took a few “rabbit trails” in the conversation.

One of the sidebars had us discussing how deeply we consider the opinions of others.  It led to my favorite quote from the evening.  This one came, not from the book, but from Nelda when she said:

“I hit a point in my life when I couldn’t be concerned with what others thought.  {of me}  “I Yam what I Yam”.  I call it my Popeye Philosophy.”

Here are the pages:

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