I can almost smell the flowers and taste the deviled eggs and ham! That's a beautiful spread, mtn, it all looks delicious! The daisies on the cake are a very nice touch :-) Did you manage to discuss the book at all, or were you too busy having fun? Thank you for posting the photos!

Thanks! A retro menu can be very satisfying, if guilt-inducing.

We did discuss the book. We take our books very seriously, and brook no bodice rippers or dilettantes. Of course, you guessed, I run it. ; )

Lovely, we saw Gatsby last night, soo good.

Looks like the makings of a great party! I saw the movie this past weekend and loved the costumes. Did people dress up for the party?

Our book club is far too democratic. No one would speak to me after it was my turn to select a book and I chose Special Topics in Calamity Physics, a train wreck of a novel, albeit very interesting if you can stand the nonstop metaphors. They did NOT like it and only two others finished it. Then someone else chose The Shack, and I could not stop myself from discussing in great detail all the points that made it quite possibly the worst book ever written. In the history of Time. Then I was coordinating a discussion with another group on A House for Mr. Biswas and let's just say there are a lot of people who think books have nothing to offer if they personally don't like or understand the characters. Omg, that was like herding cats. I am taking a hiatus from all book clubs right now, but I wish you would come down here and run ours!

Your spread looks simply scrumptious!

Yayagal,

The brunch was Friday and we saw the movie that night. Unfortunately, the movie showing we went to see was sold out, and the next show was in 3D. Ugh, i hate that sensation of stuff being thrown at you all the time. And Baz Luhrman (sp?) is over the top enough without all the over-the-top-ness of 3D. The combination gave the whole thing a Disney-esque feel to me, distracting and not appropriate to this tight little novella.

I will say that the acting was very good. And I was pleased that the movie strayed very little from the novel, most of the dialogue was absolutely verbatim. My DH had an interesting observation, which was that all the parties were identical.

All in all, very enjoyable.

Newbuyer, Yes, people did. Unlike other themes, almost everybody has something that can read "flapper". It was fun. At the movie showing we went to, a bunch of teenagers were dressed as flappers. How wholesome, unless of course they had hip flasks, too.

Thanks, Annie, it was!

KSWL,
Ahh, book clubs. I've been in this one since we moved here, and I would say it is the best I've been in yet. I have only run it a year, but I was lucky that my predecessor(s) ruled with an iron fist! The person who runs the club offers up two books each time, and everyone votes. Pseudo-democracy, like having to choose between Republicans and Democrats each time!
We also had a planning meeting where I printed out long lists of prizewinners, recommended reading lists, etc, and we circled ones we thought we'd like. When we meet, I usually have questions printed out with me, to guide the discussion. I am most pleased that people always seem to have read the book. So we have a lot of fun, but people are serious too.

We used to meet over tea and biscuits, but one meeting someone hosted with an elaborate tea and fingersandwich and scone meal. Since that we have ramped up the food part, so that my kids now ask me if it is my cooking club or my book club meeting? I have to think of a way to dial that back, since not everyone has the means or space or inclination to feed the group. We rotate meetings on a volunteer basis, and I am thinking in the future of designating some meetings as tea, and some as brunch, so that people don't have to go all out to host a meeting.

I have been part of 4 or 5 clubs over the years. One, when I was first working, was with colleagues, and we only read classics. The host was charged with leading the discussion. One time I had to lead Moby Dick and am ashamed to say I bought the Cliffs Notes. One group chose to read "The Nanny Diaries" and, for me, that ended the group. I can't stand to read krap.

My friend's husband is in a book club. They read Ulysses. Over and over again. It is all they read. For years now. LOL

I'd love to hear about other people's book clubs and tips.

My eyes went immediately to what I presume is the lemon curd cake. It looks beautiful. How did it taste? Was it difficult to assemble?

Graywings,

Thank you!

It was delish. The lemon cuts all that richness so nicely!
(oh my I think a leftover sliver is calling me now...)

Assembly was like any other cake. Level off with a bread knife, doa crumb coat, etc ... everything youd do with any other layer cake. Curd instead of frosting between layers.

(PS In the Great Gatsby, they are mini individual cakes.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon cake recipe

Wait--- you MADE the cake? I thought you ordered it from a bakery and decorated it yourself .... Semi custom, lol!

Having been rather fed up with book clubs of late, I am liking the idea of your friend's hiusband's group. A lot.

Either / or is a much better method of controlling choice. I'll bet you were a terror in the office, or boardroom, or courtroom :-)

Kudos to your DH & Happy Anniversary! The lunch looks delicious & it sounds like everyone had a wonderful time.

Thanks for posting the recipe. Your menu looks good.
Do You have a close up photo of the daisies.
Also how is the koi pond coming along?

KSWL,

I made the cake, yes. I ordered the daisies from Etsy because I am lousy at Fondant. Book clubs are tricky, indeed. Aww, thanks for the compliment.. Hmm, may be telling that I think of that as a compliment!

Thanks, Eanddhl! We did.

Lyban,
The daisies are in the link.

Koi pond update ...

I was going to post when we finished, but since you asked.

We abandoned the millstone fountain concept. The millstone that seemed the appropriate scale for a 19.5' diameter pond was 5 or 6 feet across and 9" thick. It weighed IIRC 2 or 3 tons??? Like a small car DH said.
The support system was a complex issue. It would also need to be craned into the spot. And the millstone guy wouldn't clean off some cement that was on it (told me to get muratic acid) and would not budge on his $2500 price plus delivery (really, like the buyers are lined up? He needs to learn to haggle or this will end up part of his kids estate!). The crane was another 1k. Let's not forget the support structure.

I like my follies but this was starting to look dumb. Especially since no one person was responsible for it in toto ... I was the one who need to figure out how to support it, move it, clean it, and make a fountain out of it. Lastly, the width was irregular (it ranged from 6 to 9" wide), and I was not confident if that would make the fountain look charmingly aged or just perennially cock-eyed.

So, we are going ahead with an aeration system and "waterfall" that is just for the health of the fish. It's a plain rock-walled pond right now. They were delayed in ordering equipment, and are putting the finishing touches on right now. We will probably get fish this weekend.

As for the fountain, I have decided to have a fountain, but totally separate from the pond. That makes it easier because we don't need to worry about contaminating the fish. The area, which we have always called the "courtyard", is cradled about 4/5ths by our garage, kitchen/mudroom and the LR wing.

The remaining area currently has a low stone wall and a black deer fence. The deer fence disappears in summer but looks bad to me in winter. We could just tear it down (our property extends some beyond there) and move the eye back, but OTOH this one strip is the only place that you ever see another structure from our house. It is a lovely large house, up on a hill from us. The neighbors across the street bought the house, and are tearing it down and building a barn to house their exotic car collection. We need to see how visible that is from this area, but i know it will be done beautifully, as it will match their home across the street which is spectacular.

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Here is a link that might be useful: Fondant daisies

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I don't recall how to imbed, so i have linked.

I would not use the same vessels -- i'd need to think about that. I cannot veer too Tuscan.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Btw I answered your question on that other thread. .. Yes I thought TB was closed because the last three times I've been it has been closed and phone wasn't answered. Are they still open? By appointment, or something ?

Oh sorry KSWL. I haven't been there in a while but I haven't heard they are closed? I would think that would make the NYTimes. I don't know.