It all began 7 years ago ...

FROM LEFT: Janet Kyle, Megan Stough, Jane Korte, Cara O’Neill, Molly Datson, Brie Hobbs, Sandy Wainscott, Cheryl LoFiego, Kristin Kincade, Toni Kincade and Brittany LoFiego.

Cara O’Neill

It all began 7 years ago on a cold April night in Sylvania with new acquaintances and wine. It was early evening and since having my son 2 months earlier I realized that the life I was used to BC (before child) was going to be different. As the two of us sat to get to know each other we realized we had much in common and thus became fast friends. The conversation steered toward reading and our shared love for books. I confessed my fears that now book reading would be a lost commodity. The thought saddened me. I hated to lose what had been one of my favorite past times since I first became hooked on the Goosebumps books of my early childhood! It was then an idea popped in my head. What if Kristin (whom I was becoming fonder by the minute) and I started a book club! This way I would have a night out each month and would also be able to squeeze in some much need adult conversation! Kristin loved the idea. We are both very close with our mothers and decided they would be the first two people that we asked! We also decided that the first rule of book club was that you weren’t required to read the books, although we both knew we would (mostly)!

The group of ladies has changed somewhat over the years. Sometimes we meet on Monday’s, sometimes it Tuesday. The women in our group are aged 20-60. 90% of us are Sylvania residents (Our two newest recruits are not). We meet monthly usually at someone’s home, however we have been known to frequent restaurant patios in the summer. A typical meeting consists of food, drinks and conversation about the month’s book. We often find ourselves talking about the book for thirty minutes and off topic for the other hour and half.

Last year at Christmas we were all feeling the love and joy of the holiday season realizing how blessed we were as a group. We then decided we wanted to do something to give back to our community. Lots of people think globally but we knew that there was need in our own city. As we sat down to pen up where each meeting would be for the next year we also decided that at each meeting we would donate a different item to Sylvania Area Family Services. The first few months we donated food items. In the spring we donated a spring cleaning item. One month it was person hygiene items and this month with school right around the corner we decided to donate a school related item. I am so proud to be a part of such a special group of ladies. I hope our group lasts another 7 years and are able to continue giving back the community we love!