Bookless Book Club - no stress girlfriend groups!

Thursday night was our monthly neighborhood women's book club. We don't believe in adding stress to any one's life, so reading the book is always optional. Hanging out with your neighborhood female friends is all that is required. In fact, in the summer we take a month off from books and just exchange magazines. It is a no-stress way to recycle and read new publications. And always a fun night!

As we sat in Judy's beautiful backyard garden, we caught up on life. Anne's new bra - partly to blame for that salsa drip on her shirt! Retired and with a social calendar to make us all dizzy, we heard about Peggy's target shooting at a police training camp. Four fatal shots in a row, we wondered how she got out of there without being recruited. Another Ann was taking a break from her infant to have some quality time with the neighborhood girlfriends. With a little nervousness, we heard about the snake in Judy's backyard the day before - right where we were sitting! Stories and updates kept us laughing all the way back down the street to our homes. It was a perfect night and a great neighborhood tradition.

Do you have a book club or neighborhood group? Do you meet up with other Moms or girlfriends on a regular basis? Please share your ideas and stories in this blog's comments.

And, if you don't have a group of women to get together with on a frequent basis, why don't you start one? It isn't hard and, like our 'bookless' book club, doesn't need to cost anything or add any stress. You don't even have to read a book. It could be a monthly gathering to discuss a new topic or a girls group dinner to try a new restaurant. I even heard about a group of women who get together to have dinner together and donate the money they would have spent going to a restaurant to a good cause - like Katrina homes or South African women. Go ahead. See what you can start!