Our 2018 Book Club Author

When Julie suggested "Being Mortal" for our book club selection, I knew immediately that it would be a good book, because I've long been familiar with Atul Gawande's writing via the New Yorker magazine.

Gawande has a website at atulgawande.com.  You might want to take a look! 

Patriots' Day is almost here!

In Massachusetts and Maine we celebrate Patriots' Day.  Lexington and Concord pull out all the stops parades and events.  In Lexington, our Girl Scouts will be participating in both parades this year.  And of course, there's the big reenactment which attracts 10s of 1000s of people!

In between, there are pancake breakfasts and a road race.  After the race, there's a concert of Patriotic and American Music!  I'll be appearing as the MC.

Patriotic and American Music

Broadway, Ragtime, Jazz, Spirituals, Marches, Sing-alongs

Monday, April 16, 2018

11:15-12:00 Noon

Hancock Church

(The stone church opposite The Battle Green seen in the photo above)

1912 Massachusetts Ave

Lexington, MA

Family-Friendly, Accessible

Suggested Donation $3/person

Proceeds to benefit
The William E. Russell School, Dorchester

(the concert was a great success in spite of epic rain!  Thanks to all who attended and participated...see you next year.)

Great Escape Book Club Selection 2018

The Great Escape book club selection for 2018 is “Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande. 

 It's about dealing with the issues that arise at the end of life - where to live, what to do and what kind of medical care to pursue.  Although that may seem a bit dour, the book's question based strategy: asking  people what they want in the long run instead of telling them what they could have in the short run - is a useful tool.  So many Great Escapers are facing, will face or have faced these questions and we hope that this book will equip us to cope with the pressures of modern life and medical care.

Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women's and a wonderful writer. Many of the examples he uses in this book are drawn from events in his (Indian) family and his wife's (Anglo) family, which illuminates some cultural contrasts between attitudes toward aging.   He also writes about people and institutions in MA who are providing innovative solutions for families.  Below are the back of book review quotes from the paperback (the book is available in both hardcover and paperback.)  Time Magazine said: "This should be mandatory reading for every American."

And the forest beckons....

Yes, we are still working on this year's plans and hoping for spring.


 Kaye "Cookie" reminded us of how lovely it was at last year's event, so I am sharing her reaction to this photo with you!

AND THE FOREST BECKONS...

I hope you had a moment this last week to reflect on our 106th anniversary on March 12th and that you have a good week.  It looks as if there will not be a northeaster on the first day of spring! Yeah!

Thanks to Michelle K for the photos!

Book Club 2017 Followup

Our Great Escape Book Club selection for last year was A Man Called Ove.  Readers enjoyed it greatly and our discussions about what constitutes a community were lively and enjoyable.  We were psyched that so many Escapers came to the discussion.

The author, Fredrick Backman, has written more books, and since I enjoyed Ove I decided to read both of them.  If you read them, know that you should tackle the Grandmother before you take on Britt Marie, since Britt Marie is a sequel to Grandmother.  I found Britt-Marie more compelling than the Grandmother, and more similar to Ove.  Let me know your feelings.  And keep your silverware drawers well organized.

I'm on vacation for the next couple of weeks, but I'll be tackling a book that we are thinking of for 2018.  We hope to post our choice soon!

February Holidays

Happy Valentine's Day, yes, but we Girl Scouts celebrate a more important holiday in February; World Thinking Day!

World Thinking Day is February 22nd because that day was the birthday of both Lord and Lady Baden-Powell.  On this day, Guides and Scouts all over the world pause to reflect on the impact that our world-wide movement has had since 1908 and will have for many more years to come.

For organizations that are part of WAGGGS (the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) this year's theme is IMPACT; Making a positive change in the world.  Click here to download the activities packet and choose your activities (many of which are great for use with any group, not just Girl Scouts!)  And, the packet is available in Spanish, French, Chinese and other world languages as well!

By the way, this is the 401st post on this blog!  If you like it, let us know in the comment section!

Runels Reading Challenge

Great Escapers know that our kitchen crew is helmed by Fluke, whose summer job is director of Camp Runels.  The Runels staff has a wonderful challenge for their campers this year. 

Campers who read 20 books that fit into a list of general categories by the end of their camp session will be awarded the "Love to Read" patch shown above.  Head over to the Runels blog for more details.

Here are some of the categories - can you think of books from your own experience that would qualify? My old favorite "Sal Fisher at Girl Scout Camp" could fit the final category, for sure!  If you have suggestions, feel free to  comment!

• A book with a color in the title.
• A book about an interesting girl/woman. 
• A book with a time of day in the title.
• A book set at sea.
• A book involving a sport.
• A book with an animal in the title.
• A book with alliteration.
• The next book in a series you started.
• A book about twins.
• A book that is a childhood classic.
• A book with an ugly cover.
• A book set in a library/bookstore.
• A book with a fruit or veggie in the title.
• A book that was a gift.
• A book that involves a mystery.
• A book about one of your heroes.
• A non-fiction book.
• A favorite of another Girl Scout you know.
• A book about summer camp!