RAPS GROUP REPORTS The RAPS BOOK GROUP will meet at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, December 17, hosted by Felicia Wirtz at 16344 NW Avamere Ct., #8 in Portland. Contact her at feliciawirtz@gmail.com or 503-645-0947 to RSVP and for directions. We will discuss The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It is described by the publisher as follows: The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, aster for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes that she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market inspires her to question what’s been missing in her life. And when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness. Looking ahead, we will be discussing Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter in January, 2014. --Mary Brannan The RAPS BRIDGE GROUP will meet at 1:00 pm on Tuesday December 10 at Friendly House. As usual, if you would like to play, let Steve Brennan know before noon on Friday, December 6. Friendly House is located at 1727 NW 26th in Portland. Steve’s contact information is: Home phone: 503-646-6297 E-mail: the.steve.brennan@gmail.com --Steve Brennan The RAPS HIKING GROUP is not hiking in December. Instead members will meet at the home of Larry and Diane Sawyer for a potluck and to plan the hikes for the next eleven months. Contact Larry Sawyer by e-mail at larry_sawyer@comcast.net (there’s an underscore between “larry” and “sawyer” in that address) or by phone at 503-7711616 for the time and date of the potluck. The November hike was cool, but we didn’t get wet. We started at the Holocaust Memorial and then picked up Laura Foster’s Hill Hike #4 at stop #2 in Arlington Heights. We took the optional loop, but ended up cutting the hike shorter at the end due to time. Six of us had lunch at an Italian restaurant in the shopping center at Burnside and 24th Place. Mary Brannan and Jack Cooper at Holocaust Memorial “Items Left Behind” Holocaust Memorial --Larry Sawyer 4
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz