A Note from our President –

            Things are starting to move into high gear with the countdown to Hanukkah and Christmas underway. So, my annual gift to you is this advice: Let go of just a little this year, and take more time for you!  If only I can follow my own advice!  Join us at all or some of the wonderful activities we’ve planned—they’re guaranteed to relieve a little stress, put you in the holiday spirit and help you touch base with busy old and new friends.

Flicks & Fun—at Southdale AMC with Happy Hour at P.F. Changs

Holiday Luncheon—meet us at Poor Richard’s for this festive gathering

Coffee Break—come gather ‘round the tree at Sally’s

Books & Booze—teetotalers and non-readers are always welcome

Holiday Outing—tour the James J. Hill House with lunch afterward at Moscow on the Hill

See you there!               Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

      ACTIVITIES

FLICKS & FUN: “Green Book”Tuesday, December 4th, 1:05 PM—Southdale AMC Theater

In 1962, Jamaican-born pianist Dr. Don Shirley, who was preparing a tour of the American Deep South, hired a chauffeur (Tony) who would double as a bodyguard. The movie’s title comes from the publication “The Negro Motorist Green Book” which is used by Tony and Shirley during the eight-week tour. While Tony could dine and lodge wherever he wished, Shirley had to stay in rundown motels and was refused seating in eating establishments where he was a welcomed and highly regarded performer. Tony needed to rescue Shirley from life-threatening situations when the latter decided to go places where he could easily be killed. The pair was frequently detained by police for the flimsiest of reasons and in one case rescued by Shirley’s well-known political acquaintance. The movie got an 84 percent rating from the critics and an 85 percent rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. After the movie we will go to P.F. Chang’s for Happy Hour.

RSVP by Monday, December 3rd to LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org 

NEEDLECRAFTERS: Mondays, December 10^th& 24th, 1:30PM—Patisserie Margo

4510 Valley View Road, Edina

Do you knit, crochet, needlepoint, do bead work or any other portable craft?  Or, would you like to learn? If so, please join us on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 1:30 at Patisserie Margo, 4510 Valley View Road, Edina. Enjoy coffee, bakery treats, and great conversation.  Just show up!

WALKERS: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30AM—Southdale Center

Need motivation to get out and move before the holidays begin? Join us for an hour (3 laps) of walking inside Southdale–or as much as your schedule and legs allow. Gather at the bench outside Jimmy John’s just inside Hennepin County Service Center entrance on the East side of Southdale.  Just come!

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, December 12^3h, 10:00AM—at a member’s home

‘Tis the season! Please bring a favorite holiday pastry or snack to share.

RSVP by Sunday, December 9^thto Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

BOOKS & BOOZE: Tuesday, December 18^th,  3:30PM—Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196  (70^th at Cahill)

Winteringby Peter Geye

Winner of the MN Book Award, this highly acclaimed novelist gives us a love story that spans sixty years, generations’ worth of feuds, and secrets withheld and revealed. The two principal stories at play are bound together when the elderly, demented Harry Eide escapes his sickbed and vanishes into the northernmost wilderness surrounding Gunflint, Minnesota—instantly changing many lives forever. He’d done this before, thirty years earlier in 1963, fleeing a crumbling marriage and bringing along his eighteen-year-old son, pitching this audacious, potentially fatal scheme—winter already coming on. THIS IS LIMITED TO 20 PARTICIPANTS—WITH A WAITING LIST IN CASE OF CANCELLATIONS.

RSVP by Saturday, December 15^thto AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

HOLIDAY LUNCHEON: Thursday, December 20^th, 11:30AM—Poor Richard’s Commonhouse

8301 Normandale Blvd., Bloomington   952-835-8308   The Franklin Room

Don’t miss our annual holiday affair. You’ll choose that day from the menu below.  Cost is $16.00 per person in advance.  All beverage orders are to be paid separately that day.

MENU OPTIONS

Chop Salad

Chicken Caesar Salad

Bacon Cheeseburger

Turkey Bacon Club Sandwich

French Dip Sandwich

Reuben Sandwich

RSVP by Wednesday, December 12^thwith your check.  Contact Sally@TheWanderersMSP.orgfor mailing instructions.

HOLIDAY OUTING: Thursday, December 27^th, 10:20AM Departure—James J. Hill House 240 Summit Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102

Christmas Traditions – 11:00AM–60 min. Guided House Tour

In the 1890s, St. Paul’s Summit Avenue was a holiday destination where friends and neighbors would gather together to celebrate the Christmas season and welcome the New Year. Discover holiday celebrations of the past through the stories of those who lived and worked on Summit Avenue, including excerpts from Hill family letters and journals and rare historic photographs of the neighborhood. (We need a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 25 people for this tour.)

We’ll have lunch at 12:30PM at Moscow on the Hill,371 Selby Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102 moscowonthehill.com

Tour Cost is $10 per person – and must be paid by Wednesday, December 12^th

RSVP by Monday, December 10^thwith your check.  Contact BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.orgfor mailing and carpool instructions.

A carpool will leave S. Mpls. at 10:20AM.  Please indicate if you plan on carpooling and are willing to drive.  Or, meet us at the James J. Hill House

COMING UP

__________________________________________________________________________

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, January 21st, 7:00PM—Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz

The Last Mileby David Baldacci

Melvin Mars awaits his fate on Death Row. He was one of America’s most promising football stars until at age twenty, he was convicted of the murder of his parents, just as he was about to begin a very lucrative contract with the NFL. When Amos Decker, newly appointed special agent with the FBI, hears that Melvin was saved in the final seconds before his execution because someone confessed to the killings, he persuades his boss to allow him to carry out an investigation into the Mars murders.

BOOKS & BOOZE: Tuesday, February 26th, 3:30PM—Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196  (70th at Cahill)

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

This is about a small southern town fifty years ago, and the darkest—and most hopeful—places in the human heart.  After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm.  As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.

LAKE GENEVA TRIP: Dates and details to come in special announcement

 Wanderers Books and Booze for 2019

When:  Tuesdays   3:30 PM – 6:00 PM+            Cahill Bistro, 7078 Amundsen Ave., Edin

 February 26, 2019—Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

This is about a small southern town fifty years ago, and the darkest—and most hopeful—places in the human heart.  After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm.  As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more help than she can give.

April 30, 2019—The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church

This book spans the years from World War II through the Vietnam War to tell the story of a woman whose scientific ambition is caught up in her relationships with two very different men.  For Meridian Wallace – and many other smart, driven women of the 1940s – being ambitious meant being an outlier. Ever since she was a young girl, Meridian had been obsessed with birds, and she was determined to get her PhD, become an ornithologist, and make her mother’s sacrifices to send her to college pay off.

June 25, 2019—The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin (Historical Fiction)

When Anne Morrow, a shy college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family, she meets  Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo Atlantic flight. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever.  She becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the US. But despite this and other major achievements, she is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for happiness.

August 27, 2019—Crimes Against a Book Club by Kathy Cooperman   (Humorous Fiction)

Best friends Annie and Sarah need cash—fast. Sarah, a beautiful, successful lawyer, wants nothing more than to have a baby. But balancing IVF treatments with a grueling eighty-hour workweek is no walk in the park. Meanwhile, Annie, a Harvard-grad chemist recently transplanted to Southern California, is cutting coupons to afford her young autistic son’s expensive therapy.  Desperate, the two friends come up with a brilliant plan: they’ll combine Sarah’s looks and Annie’s brains to sell a “luxury” anti-aging face cream to the wealthy, fading beauties in Annie’s La Jolla book club. The scheme seems innocent enough, until Annie decides to add a special—and oh-so-illegal—ingredient that could bring their whole operation crashing to the ground.

October 29, 2019—Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams

Set in sunny Florida in this lush and enthralling historical novel—an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal, and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach.  Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. While an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, she meets a charismatic British army surgeon whose persistent charm opens her heart to the possibility of love. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets—secrets that will damage their eventual marriage and propel her back across the Atlantic to the sister and father she left behind.

December 17, 2019—The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

This is a warm, funny and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives. Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs joint trust fund, “The Nest,” which they are months away from finally receiving.

A Note from our President –

The colors have reached their peak and are fading fast. I hate to think that winter is right around the corner! Always sad to see fall come to an abrupt end. So, get out of the house this month for some fun with The Wanderers!

Halloween Recovery Potluck Happy Hour—share great appetizer recipes

Needlecrafters—meet to knit, crochet, or work on a craft project

Lunch Bunch—be sure to try the fantastic lemon ricotta pancakes Hell’s Kitchen

Games People Play—there’ll be fun and laughs at Elaine’s condo

Coffee Break—join us at Taste of Scandinaviain Bloomington

Night-Time Book Talk—discuss “The Woman Next Door”  

Flicks & Fun—see a movie and enjoy Happy Hour afterward

Holiday Cookie Exchange—bakers and non-bakers welcome

Live TV Studio Audience Outing—attend a Twin Cities Live show

We’ve already made fun plans for December.  See below for details and RSVP ASAP!

See you there!         Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES

HALLOWEEN RECOVERY HAPPY HOUR POTLUCK: Thursday, November 1st, 4:00-7:00PM—Friendship Village– Sunroom     

100 Highwood Drive, Bloomington

Recover from Halloween, relax with friends, and pick up some new recipes to serve during the holiday season at our Potluck Happy Hour.  Bring a favorite appetizer to share, a copy of the recipeand your choice of beverage. Really like a particular appetizer? Take a picture of the recipe or copy it to keep for your own use.

Note: No kitchen or microwave is available, so if you have a hot appetizer to share, please bring a warming tray, crockpot or the like.  Coffee, tea, water and some soft drinks will be available.

RSVP by Friday, October 26th, to KarnieM@TheWanderersMSP.org

NEEDLECRAFTERS: Mondays, November 12^th& 26th, 1:30PM—Patisserie Margo

4510 Valley View Road, Edina

Do you knit, crochet, needlepoint, do bead work or any other portable craft?  Or, would you like to learn? If so, please join us on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 1:30 at Margo’s Patisserie, 4510 Valley View Road, Edina. Enjoy coffee, bakery treats, food, and great conversation.  Just show up!

WALKERS: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30AM—Southdale Center

Need motivation to get out and move before the holidays begin? Join us for an hour (3 laps) of walking inside Southdale–or as much as your schedule and legs allow. Gather at the bench outside Jimmy John’s just inside Hennepin County Service Center entrance on the East side of Southdale.  Just come!

LUNCH BUNCH:Tuesday, November 6th, 11:15AM Departure—Hell’s Kitchen

80 S 9th St, Minneapolis, just a half block off Nicollet Mall

Hell’s Kitchen is a fiercely independent, award-winning restaurant.  Their cheeky underground lair features locally sourced and uniquely inspired American-style cooking plus a vibrant bar with local craft beers, wines and cocktails. Carpooling is suggested as there is a fee for parking.

A carpool will leave at 11:15AM from Perkins Restaurant at Hwy.100/50^th. Or meet us there at 11:45. Email Sally@TheWanderersMSP.orgif you wish to participate and are willing to drive.

RSVP by Sunday, November 4th to JudyS@TheWanderersMSP.orgor CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY:  Monday, November 12th, 7:00PM—at the home of a member

9700 Portland Ave., Bloomington

There’ll be lots of fun to be had. Please bring a game and a snack, dessert or bottle of wine to share.

RSVP by  Saturday, November 10^th to ElaineK@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:  #494 east to Portland Ave. exit.  Turn RIGHT (S) and follow to 98^thStreet. Complex is on your RIGHT at NW corner of 98^th/Portland.

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, November 14th, 10:00AM—Taste of Scandinavia 

401 W 98th Street, Oxboro Center, Bloomington 

Taste of Scandinaviais special to many as we enter the holiday season. Try something authentically Scandinavian from the menu.

RSVP by Tuesday, November 13th to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Hwy 35W South to 98th Street exit. Turn LEFT (E) to Lyndale to Oxboro Center

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:Monday, November 19th, 7:00PM—Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso

Hortensia and Marion are neighbors. One’s black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires. Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility. But, one day, an unexpected event forces them together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation, and the two discover common ground. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is it too late to expect these women to change.

Beverages at happy hour prices are available until 7:00PM.  Feel free to bring food or snacks up from the store.  Please come even if you haven’t read the book.
RSVP by Saturday, November 17th Sara5217@aol.com

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, November 20th, Afternoon Showing

A movie selection and location will be announced as we get closer to the date. Please contact Lynn Johnson with your suggestions for a movie or a happy hour location.

RSVP by Sunday, November 18th to LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

HOLIDAY COOKIE EXCHANGE:  Wednesday, November 28th, 2:00PM—at a Member’s Home

Non-bakers welcome. Enjoy a cup of hot wild rice soup and a couple cookies for a late lunch. To participate in the exchange, please bring a dozen cookies to exchange and one-half dozen to share.

RSVP by Wednesday, November 21st to MaryH@TheWanderersMSP.org so she can announce how many cookies the bakers need to bake.

LIVE TV STUDIO AUDIENCE OUTING:Friday, November 30, 1:30PM Departure—Twin Cities Live

3415 University Ave. SE, St. Paul, MN 55114

Let’s be studio audience participants with Steve and Elizabeth on their popular 90-minute show. We will learn how to have fun with family, about great local restaurants and businesses, and hear stories about real people in Minnesota!  Enjoy refreshments at the studio and be “prepped” as to how to participate.

Afterward we will go to PHO 79 for Happy Hour/Dinner.  This Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant was rated “the Best in the MSP magazine!”  We should be back to Edina by 7PM.

A carpool will leave Edina 1:30PM. Or meet us there at 1:45

LIMITED TO 12 PARTICIPANTS

RSVP by Friday, November 16th to AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org  Indicate if you plan to carpool and are willing to drive.

COMING UP

 ___________________________________________________________________________

December is a busy month.  Here’s what’s coming up with The Wanderers.  Make plans to celebrate the season with us and mark your calendar now!

HOLIDAY LUNCHEON:Tuesday, December 4^th, 11:30AM

The restaurant will be announced as we get closer to the date.

RSVP by Saturday, December 1^sttoJudyS@TheWanderersMSP.orgor CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org 

CHRISTMAS COFFEE BREAK:  Wednesday, December 12th, 10:00AM—at a Member’s Home

The tree will be decorated and the Dickens houses lit. Please bring a favorite Xmas treat to share.

RSVP by Sunday, December 9^thto Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

BOOKS & BOOZE: Tuesday, December 18^th,  3:30PM—Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196  (70^th at Cahill)

Winteringby Peter Geye

Winner of the MN Book Award, this highly acclaimed novelist gives us a love story that spans sixty years, generations’ worth of feuds, and secrets withheld and revealed. The two principal stories at play are bound together when the elderly, demented Harry Eide escapes his sickbed and vanishes into the northernmost wilderness surrounding Gunflint, Minnesota—instantly changing many lives forever. He’d done this before, thirty years earlier in 1963, fleeing a crumbling marriage and bringing along his eighteen-year-old son, pitching this audacious, potentially fatal scheme—winter already coming on.

LIMITED TO 20 PARTICIPANTS—WITH A WAITING LIST IN CASE OF CANCELLATIONS.

RSVP by Saturday, December 15^thto AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, January 21st, 7:00PM—Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz

The Last Mileby David Baldacci

Melvin Mars awaits his fate on Death Row. He was one of America’s most promising football stars until at age twenty, he was convicted of the murder of his parents, just as he was about to begin a very lucrative contract with the NFL. When Amos Decker, newly appointed special agent with the FBI, hears that Melvin was saved in the final seconds before his execution because someone confessed to the killings, he persuades his boss to allow him to carry out an investigation into the Mars murders.

A Note from our President –

Wow, what a September! We’ve been blessed with lots of summery days—but we’re holding our breath for fall to arrive. Come along with us and enjoy our Minnesota autumn, along with all the “colorful” and fun activities we have planned:

Lunch Bunch—Tuesday, October 2^nd, Emma Krumbee’s in Belle Plaine

Needleworkers—Monday, October 8^th, Needle & Skein

Coffee Break—Wednesday, October 10^th, Caribou Coffee

Fllicks & Fun—Tuesday, October 16^th, Edina Theater

Museum Tour—Monday, October 15^th, Bell Museum & Stout’s Pub & Grill

Books & Booze—Tuesday, October 23^rd, Cahill Bistro

Game Night—Monday, October 29^th, Richfield American Legion

See you there!         Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

OCTOBER ACTIVITIES

WALKERS: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30AM—Southdale Center

Need motivation to get out, move, now that it’s colder? Join us for an hour (3 laps) of walking inside Southdale—or as much as your schedule and legs allow. Gather at the bench outside Jimmy John’s.  Located just inside Hennepin County Service Center entrance on the East side of Southdale.  Just come!

LUNCH BUNCH:Tuesday, October 2^nd, 11:15AM Departure— Emma Krumbee’s

311 Enterprise Drive, Belle Plaine

Tap into your spirit of adventure and join us for a beautiful drive to Belle Plaine. Fall is a great time to visit an apple orchard.

A carpool will leave at 11:15AM from the front of Target at Eden Prairie Mall. Please indicate if you wish to carpool if you’d will be willing to drive. Or, meet us there at noon.  It’s a straight shot down 169, just under 40 miles.

RSVP by Sunday, September 30^thto JudyS@TheWanderersMPS.org

NEEDLECRAFTERS: Monday, October 8^th12:30PM–Needle and Skein

5814 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park. After we visit the yarn shop, we will have lunch at Panera in St. Louis Park. Plans are in the works for visits to:  StevenBe Yarn in Minneapolis; Black Cat Farmstead, a farm, yarn shop and gallery near Stockholm, Wisconsin; and The Picket Fence, needlepoint shop in Edina.

RSVP by Thursday October 4th to Sara5217@aol.com 

COFFEE BREAK:   Wednesday, October 10^th, 10:00AM – Caribou Coffee 

7101 France Avenue, Edina.

High quality coffee and food, delicious breakfast sandwiches and no worries about getting in the highway construction chaos!

RSVP by Tuesday, October 9^thto GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

MUSEUM TOUR: Monday, October 15^th, 11:30AM Departure—Lunch/Tour of the “new” Bell Museum

Stout’s—1611 Larpenteur Avenue, W, Falcon Heights

Museum—2088 Larpenteur Ave W, St Paul, MN 55113

The Wanders are going on a journey through space and time at the “New” Bell Museum. We’ll explore connections between nature and the universe.  On this 70-minute interpreted tour of the Bell Museum’s galleries, we’ll take a deep dive into the technology of space exploration and the diversity of life through the lens of their world-renown dioramas.   After the tour, explore other areas in the museum including the Touch and See room, temporary exhibit galleries. and the outdoor learning landscape.

Before the tour we’ll go to Stout’s Pub & Grill, 1611 Larpenteur Avenue, W, Falcon Heights – a fun, unassuming, awesome local pub with great food.  See their menu at stoutspub.com.

We’ll return to Edina about 4PM depending on traffic.

Tour Cost is $14 per person – and must be paid by Thursday, September 27^th

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, October 16^th, 1:50PM–Edina Landmark Theater/Salut Bar

50^th/France

“Colette” is scheduled to show at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16^that the Edina Landmark Theater. Meet in the lobby at 1:50 so we can walk in together.

Synopsis: Colette (Keira Knightley) marries a successful writer who pushes her to write a novel under his name. When she writes a bestseller about a witty country girl named Claudine, Colette and her husband become the talk of Paris, and she writes additional Claudine novels. Claudine’shuge success leads to a fight over creative ownership and gender roles. The film is based on a true story.  We’ll meet at Salut for Happy Hour and discussion.

RSVP by Monday, October 15^thto LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

NEEDLEWORKERS: Monday, October 22^nd, 1:30PM—Patisserie Margo

4510 Valley View Road, Edina

Do you knit, crochet, needlepoint, do bead work or another portable craft?  Or would you like to learn? If so, please join us.  We now meet on the second and fourth Monday of the month. Enjoy coffee, bakery treats, food, and great conversation. If you have questions contact Sara5217@aol.com 

BOOKS & BOOZE:  Tuesday, October 23^rd, 3:30PM—Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196  (70^th at Cahill)

Digging to Americaby Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her “outsiderness.”
Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport—the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an “arrival party,” an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined.

RSVP by Saturday, October 20^thto AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

GAME NIGHT: Monday, October 29th, 5:00-7:30PM—Take a Chance at the Legion

Richfield American Legion, 6501 Portland Ave., Richfield    612-866-3647

This place is a hoot! Meet us for an unforgettable evening of food, cheap drinks and entertainment: Happy Hour (5-6PM), Dinner and the Meat Raffle (5-7PM). free BARGO (Bingo) 5-7:30PM and Live Music 7:30PM. Show up anytime between 5-7PM to partake in any or all of the above (no membership or fees required). The meat raffle: a quintessential Minnesotan bar tradition that plays out every night of the week in one working-class neighborhood’s watering hole or another. Though its origins are unknown, its existence is as homegrown as tater tot hot dish. Once only found in rural areas, they are now happening all over the metro area, from dive bars to hipster haunts. Buy a ticket for a dollar — the proceeds go to charity — and get a chance to win a big, shrink-wrapped package of raw, pink flesh.

RSVP by Saturday, October 27^th to Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:Hwy. 62 East to Portland Ave. exit.  Turn RIGHT (S) to Legion on left. WE MEET IN THE DINING ROOM—ON THE RIGHT SIDE AS YOU ENTER.

COMING UP

NOTE THAT SOME RSVPSs ARE DUE IN OCTOBER!

(HALLOWEEN RECOVERY) POTLUCK HAPPY HOUR: Thursday, November 1^st—4:00-7:00PM—Friendship Village

Friendship Village Bloomington – Sunroom     8100 Highwood Drive, Bloomington, MN

Recover from Halloween, relax with friends, old and new, and pick up some new recipes to serve during the holiday season at our Potluck Happy Hour.  Bring a favorite appetizer to share, a copy of the recipe, and your choice of beverage. Really like a particular appetizer? Take a picture of the recipe or copy it to keep for your own use.

Notes: No kitchen or microwave is available , so if you have a hot appetizer to share, please bring either a warming tray, crockpot or the like.  Coffee, tea, water, and some soft drinks will be available.

RSVP by Friday, October 26th to Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

THEATRE OUTING:  Thursday, November 8^th, 11:30AM—Lunch & Radio Gals at Masonic Theater

11411 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington

Set in the 1920’s when radio ruled the airwaves and small stations thrived, Radio Galsis a charming musical about Hazel Hunt from Cedar Ridge, Arkansas, who broadcasts from her front parlor with her “all-girl” orchestra, “The Hazelnuts”. What comes over the local airwaves is an array of hilarious, toe-tapping songs. However, Hazel’s broadcasts are not always so local due to her habit of impinging on other frequencies, like NBC, attracting the attention of a federal radio inspector who’s intent on shutting her down. It turns out he has a fine tenor voice, plays a mean accordion and quickly becomes enchanted by the “Hazelnuts”.  From the creators of Pump Boys and Dinettes.    Price:  $45 Lunch and Show (11:30AM)    $25 Show Only  (1:00PM)

Menu:  Pork Chops & Stuffing in a Mushroom Cream Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes and Vegetable du jour

Cold Salad – Chef’s Choice

Dinner Rolls, Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Hot Tea

Dessert – Chef’s Choice (Slice of Cake, Pie or Torte)

Special dietary meals available by request (please notify us in advance)

RSVP by Thursday, October 18^th, with your check.  Contact Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org for instructions

Directions:  South on Hwy. 100 to Masonic Home Drive.  Circle past the main entrance and turn RIGHT on Masonic Home Dr. Parking and Theatre are in the rear of the main building.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:Monday, November 19, 7:00PM—Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz

France Ave. at Hazelton Road, Edina

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso

Hortensia James and Marion Agostino are neighbors. One is black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires. Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility. But, one day, an unexpected event forces them together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation and, gradually, the two discover common ground. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is it too late to expect these women to change.

Beverages at happy hour prices are available until 7:00PM.  Feel free to bring food or snacks up from the store.   Please come even if you haven’t read the book.

HOLIDAY COOKIE EXCHANGE: Wednesday, November 28^th, 2:00PM—at the home of a Member

Non-bakers welcome. Enjoy a cup of hot wild rice soup and a couple cookies for a late lunch. If you want to participate in the exchange, please bring a dozen to exchange and one-half dozen to share.

RSVP by Wednesday November 21^st to Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org so she can announce how many cookies the bakers need to bake.

BOOKS & BOOZE: December2018—Wintering by Peter Geye

Winner of the MN Book Award, this highly acclaimed novelist gives us a true epic: a love story that spans sixty years, generations’ worth of feuds, and secrets withheld and revealed. The two principal stories at play are bound together when the elderly, demented Harry Eide escapes his sickbed and vanishes into the forbidding, northernmost wilderness surrounding Gunflint, Minnesota—instantly changing the Eide family, and many other lives, forever. He’d done this before, thirty years earlier in 1963, fleeing a crumbling marriage and bringing along his eighteen-year-old son, pitching this audacious, potentially fatal scheme—winter already coming on.

A Note from our President –

Summer is flying by! It was especially short this year! That’s the beauty of Minnesota—there’s always another season to look forward to. We’re looking forward to more great seasons as The Wanderers. Come along for the fun and friendship—and great food, too!

Theatre Outing—take in lunch and Beehiveat the Old Log

Flicks & Fun—see Crazy Rich Asians and do HH at PF Chang’s

Lunch Bunch—eat healthy at The Good Earth

Coffee Break—visit Lind Hills’ Rose Street Patisserie

Night-Time Books—discuss The Good Earth on the Mezz

Games–-fun times to be had at Elaine’s

Needlecrafters—winter’s coming—time to start those cozy, warm projects at Patisserie Margo

We start our new year October 1^st.  Please consider joining us.  A Membership Form is on the “JOIN” page.

See you there!

Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES

WALKERS: Every Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30AM—Centennial Lakes 

Need motivation to get out, move, and exercise? Join us as we walk around Centennial Lakes.  Spring has sprung – so meet us at the “Big Clock” outside of the Hughes Pavilion.  Walk around the lake or as much or as little as your legs allow. Be on time–we’ll start walking promptly!  If it rains – we meet at Southdale outside the Jimmie Johns’. No need to RSVP – just come.

FLICKS & FUN:  Tuesday, September 4^th, 1:25PM—“Crazy Rich Asians”

Southdale AMC

The Strib’s Collin Covert gave this PG13 comedy 4 stars and wrote, “Here’s a love story with genuine stakes, grown-up characters and a great sense of fun. Having radically exceeded my hardhearted expectations, it should leave rom-com fans feeling as delighted as children on Christmas Day.”  It got 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

New Yorker Rachel accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Rachel learns that Nick has neglected to mention that he’s the son of one of the country’s wealthiest families and one of its most sought-after bachelors. As Nick’s girlfriend, Rachel must contend with jealous socialites and Nick’s own disapproving mother.

Meet at 1:25PM by the refreshment stand to introduce ourselves and walk into the 1:35PM movie together.  Later we’ll go to PF Chang’s for happy hour and conversation about the movie.

RSVP by Sunday, September 2^ndto LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

NEEDLECRAFTERS:  Thursdays, September 6^th& 20th, 1:30PM—Patisserie Margo

4510 Valley View Road, Edina

Whatever your knitting, crocheting or craft skill level, we’d love to have you join us!  You can even bring your mending! Come to learn or just chat over your project.  We meet every other Thursday. Enjoy coffee, food/bakery treats and great conversation.

If you have questions contact SaraK@TheWanderersMSP.org

LUNCH BUNCH: Tuesday, September 11^th, 11:45AM—The Good Earth Restaurant

The Galleria, 70^th/France Edina 

Their slogan is “If you only ate this good every day”.  We’re hoping for nice weather so we can eat outside on their deck.

RSVP by Saturday, September 8th to CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org

COFFEE BREAK:  Wednesday, September 12th, 10:00AM–-Rose Street Patisserie

2811 West 43rd Street, Minneapolis, Linden Hills

Gorgeous pastries are at the forefront here. Be prepared to be amazed by the French pastry chef.

RSVP by Tuesday, September 11th to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:Take Xerxes to 43rd. Right on 43rd.  Parking on site and on the street.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:  Monday, September 17,  7:00PM – Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz
France Ave. at Hazelton Road, Edina
The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck  Though more than seventy years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. In The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck paints an indelible portrait of China in the 1920s, when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-Lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during the last century.
Beverages at happy hour prices are available until 7:00 pm.  Feel free to bring food or snacks up from the store.  Weather permitting we’ll be out on the deck. Please come even if you haven’t read the book.

RSVP by Thursday September 13th to PattiS@TheWanderersMSP.org

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY:  Wednesday, September 19^th, 7:00PM—at the home of a member

9700 Portland Ave.,    Bloomington         

There’ll be lots of fun and laughs. Please bring a snack or beverage to share.   If you have a favorite game—please bring it.

RSVP by Monday, September 217th to ElaineK@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:  #494 east to Portland Ave. exit.  Turn RIGHT (S) and follow to 98^thStreet. Complex is on your RIGHT at NW corner of 98^th/Portland.

COMING UP 

PLEASE NOTE THAT UPCOMING ACTIVITIES HAVE SEPTEMBER RSVP DEADLINES!

 MUSEUM TOURS: Monday, October 15^th, 11;30AM Departure—Lunch/Tour of the “new” Bell Museum

Stout’s–1611 Larpenteur Avenue, W, Falcon Heights

Museum—2088 Larpenteur Ave W, St Paul, MN 55113

The Wanders are going on a journey through space and time at the “New” Bell Museum. We’ll explore connections between nature and the universe.  On this 70-minute interpreted tour of the Bell Museum’s galleries, we’ll take a deep dive into the technology of space exploration and the diversity of life through the lens of their world-renown dioramas.   After the tour, explore other areas in the museum including the Touch and See room, temporary exhibit galleries. and the outdoor learning landscape. Before the tour we’ll go to Stout’s Pub & Grill, 1611 Larpenteur Avenue, W, Falcon Heights – a fun, unassuming, awesome local pub with great food.  We’ll return to Edina about 4PM depending on traffic. Tour Cost is $14 per person – and must be paid by Thursday, September 27^th

A carpool will leave S. Mpls. at 11:30AM.  Please indicate if you plan on participating and are willing to drive.  Or, meet us at the restaurant or museum.

RSVP by September 27^thwith your check.Contact BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org for mailing address and carpool directions.

BOOKS & BOOZE:  Tuesday, October 23^rd, 3:30PM—Cahill Bistro

Digging to Americaby Anne Tyler      Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her “outsiderness.”  Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport—the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an “arrival party,” an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined.

THEATRE OUTING #2:  Thursday, November 8th, 11:30AM—Lunch & Radio Gals at Masonic Theater

11411 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington

Set in the 1920’s when radio ruled the airwaves and small stations thrived, Radio Galsis a charming musical about Hazel Hunt from Cedar Ridge, Arkansas, who broadcasts from her front parlor with her “all-girl” orchestra, “The Hazelnuts”. What comes over the local airwaves is an array of hilarious, toe-tapping songs. However, Hazel’s broadcasts are not always so local due to her habit of impinging on other frequencies, like NBC, attracting the attention of a federal radio inspector who’s intent on shutting her down. It turns out he has a fine tenor voice, plays a mean accordion and quickly becomes enchanted by the “Hazelnuts”.  From the creators of Pump Boys and Dinettes.    Price:  $45 Lunch and Show (11:30AM)    $25 Show Only  (1:00PM)

Menu:  Pork Chops & Stuffing in a Mushroom Cream Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes and Vegetable du jour

Cold Salad – Chef’s Choice

Dinner Rolls, Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Hot Tea

Dessert – Chef’s Choice (Slice of Cake, Pie or Torte)

Special dietary meals available by request (please notify us in advance)

RSVP by Thursday, October 18th with your check.  MarAF309@comcast.net for mailing address.

Directions:  South on Hwy. 100 to Masonic Home Drive.  Circle past the main entrance and turn RIGHT on Masonic Home Dr. Parking and Theatre are in the rear of the main building.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, November 19^th, 7:00PM—Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso

Hortensia and Marion are neighbors. One’s black, the other white. Both are successful women with impressive careers. Both have recently been widowed, and are living with questions, disappointments, and secrets that have brought them shame. And each has something that the woman next door deeply desires.

Sworn enemies, the two share a hedge and a deliberate hostility, which they maintain with a zeal that belies theirage. But, one day, an unexpected event forces Hortensia and Marion together. As the physical barriers between them collapse, their bickering gradually softens into conversation and, gradually, the two discover common ground. But are these sparks of connection enough to ignite a friendship, or is it too late to expect these women to change.

A note from our President…..

Summer’s going faster than ever.  Come on out and enjoy it with us before it’s all gone!   You’re always welcome to attend several activities before deciding to join (only $20/year).

Contact Sally@TheWAnderersMSP.org for more information 

Flicks & Fun—Mama Mia here we go again!

Coffee Break—downtown Hopkins is a fun destination for coffee and treats

Lunch Bunch—visit the charming Mad Hatter in Anoka

Garden Tour—chill out at Normandale College’s serene Japanese Garden

Books & Booze—discuss “Silent Sister” at Cahill Bistro

Game Night—Meat Raffle, Happy Hour, BARGO, Dinner and live music at the Legion

Restaurant Critics—get a passport to a great “Eat Street” restaurant

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR RSVPs NEED TO BE RECEIVED IN A TIMELY MANNER. BETTER TO RSVP EARLY AND CANCEL IF NECESSARY, THAN TO CALL AFTER THE RSVP DATE. 

WE HAVE LOTS OF SPECIAL OUTINGS COMING UP.  TAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THEIR RSVP DATES WHICH CAN BE OVER A MONTH IN ADVANCE OF THE EVENT.

See you there!

 ACTIVITIES

WALKERS:every Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30AM—Centennial Lakes 

Need motivation to get out, move, and exercise? Join us as we walk around Centennial Lakes.  Spring has sprung – so meet us at the “Big Clock” outside of the Hughes Pavilion.  Walk around the lake or as much or as little as your legs allow. Be on time–we’ll start walking promptly!  If it rains – we meet at Southdale outside the Hennepin Country Service Center.  No need to RSVP – just come

BE A RESTAURANT CRITIC: Wednesday, August 8^th, 3:45PM Departure––Ice House Restaurant Bar

2528 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404 

NOTE August 1st RSVP DATE!

Here’s your chance to be an Eat Streetrestaurant critic.  Eat Streetalong Nicollet Avenue is an intriguing and often affordable area to get a full taste of all the different flavors of the Twin Cities.  Pam Bratsch and Anne Shea have “scouted” all the venues and chosen several for The Wanderers Critics to review.  We’ll meet at the Icehouse for cocktails where you’ll be given a Passportto one of them. A small group will be sent to each restaurant.

Here’s the plan:

4:30PM – Meet at Icehouse for Happy Hour cocktails and restaurant assignments

5:30PM – Dinner reservations

7:30PM – 8:00PM – Meet back at 5555 Dewey Hill Party Room for desert and critic reports.

The cost of cocktails and dinner will be $20-$40 (depending on your menu selections). Additional $5 for dessert will be collected at Icehouse.

A carpool will leave Edina at 3:45 PM.  Please indicate if you are carpooling and are willing to drive. Or, meet us there at 4:30PM.

RSVP by Wednesday, August 1st AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions to carpool:Hwy. 100 to 70^thSt. exit.  Turn RIGHT (W) and follow 70^thas it turns to the West to Cahill.  Turn LEFT (S) to Dewey Hill Rd. and turn RIGHT (W). Take first LEFT (S) into Dewey Hill and follow to # 5555.  Park in Rear.  

Directions to Icehouse: #62E to #35WN to Lake Street exit.  Turn LEFT (W) to 1^stAve. and turn RIGHT (N). At 26^thSt. turn LEFT (W) to Nicollet. Parking is available only in lot adjacent to courtyard at 2528 Nicollet, the lot on North side of building, and lot located at 2644 Nicollet—or you will be towed.

COFFEE BREAK: Thursday, August 9th, 9:30AM Departure – Munkabeans

1206 Main Street, Hopkins

Munkabeans has a lot of menu options, as well as great coffees. We can sit indoors or out, depending on the weather.

A carpool will leave Edinaat 9:30AM or meet us there at 10:00AM. 

RSVP by August 7th to GailS@TheWandersMSP.org.Please indicate if you will be carpooling and are able to drive.

Directions to Munkabeans: #62 to #169N to Excelsior Blvd. exit.  Turn LEFT (W) to12^thAve.  Turn TIGHT (N) to Main Street.  Munkabeans on SW corner.  Park on the street or use the free public parking lot on 11th Street near the theater.

LUNCH BUNCH: Tuesday, August 14^th, 11:00AM Departure—The Mad Hatter Restaurant and Tea House

1632 S. Ferry Street, Anoka

We’ll be traveling to this unique and charming—otherwise know as Minnesota’s Most Curious Tea House—on the Rum River.

A carpool will leave the back parking lot of Kohl’s at Knollwood (Hwy.7/#169) Please indicate when RSVPing if you plan to participate and are willing to drive.  Or, meet us at the Hatter at 11:30AM.

RSVP by Friday, August 10^thto either JudyS@TheWanderersMSP.orgor CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org. Reservations are strongly recommended for the Mad Hatter, so we need an accurate count ASAP.

Directions:  Hwy 169 to Anoka. South Ferry St is the first right after you cross the river.

GAME NIGHT: Monday, August 20th, 5:00-7:00PM—Fun Times at the Legion Club

Richfield American Legion, 6501 Portland Ave., Richfield    612-866-3647

This place is a hoot! Meet us for an unforgettable evening of food, cheap drinks and entertainment: Happy Hour (5-6PM), Dinner and the Meat Raffle (5-7PM). free BARGO (Bingo) 5-7:30 and Live Music 7:30. Show up anytime between 5-7PM to partake in any or all of the above (no membership or fees required).

The meat raffle: a quintessential Minnesotan bar tradition that plays out every night of the week in one working-class neighborhood’s watering hole or another. Though its origins are unknown, its existence is as homegrown as tater tot hot dish. Once only found in rural areas, they are now happening all over the metro area, from dive bars to hipster haunts. Buy a ticket for a dollar — the proceeds go to charity — and get a chance to win a shrink-wrapped package of raw, pink flesh.  Bring a cooler for your winnings.  Dinner menu at: http://www.mnlegion435.org/files/Bar_01_2018_01.jpg

SVP by Saturday, August 18th to Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Hwy. 62 East to Portland Ave. exit.  Turn RIGHT (S) to Legion on left. 

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, August 21^st, 1:35PM—“Mama Mia! Here We Go Again”

Southdale AMC Theater

This romantic musical comedy is the sequel to the 2008 film “Mamma Mia” and will take you back and forth in time to show how relationships forged in the past still resonate in the present. Strib critic Colin Covert says it’s “an almost all-singing, all-dancing event that is, by any objective standard, an endearing, effervescent slice of amiable nonsense.”  Please arrive at 1:35 so we can walk into the 1:45PM showing together. Afterward, we will meet at Ruby Tuesday for Happy Hour. If the time changes. I will update you.

If it’s no longer playing, I’ll pick an alternative for us to see. As always, your suggestions for movie viewing are appreciated.

RSVP by Monday, August 20^thto LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

GARDEN TOUR:  Thursday, August 23^rd, 11:00AM—Normandale College’s Japanese Garden    9700 France Avenue S., Bloomington

he beauty and serenity of this 2-acre oasismake it ideal for contemplation and renewal of the spirit. We’ll be taking a free self-guided tour of the garden’s plants, ponds and structures. The garden is free to visit and is open year-round.  The Japanese Garden is easily accessible on the campus of Normandale Community College. After our tour we’ll have lunch at Poor Richard’s Commonhouse, 8301 Normandale Blvd,Bloomington, poorrichardscommonhouse.com 952-835-8308.

RSVP by Tuesday, August 21st to Barbara@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:  France Ave. South to 98^thSt.  Turn RIGHT (W) to Collegeview Rd.  Take 2^ndRIGHT to parking lots 3 & 4 in NW corner of the college where we will meet.

BOOKS & BOOZE:  Tuesday, August 28th, 3:30PM— Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196  (70^th at Cahill)

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlin

Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she’s in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?

RSVP by Saturday, August 25th, to AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:  Hwy. 100 to 70^th exit.  Turn RIGHT (W) and follow 70^th as it turns to the RIGHT (W) at stop light.  Continue to Amundson and turn LEFT (S).  If you get to Cahill Rd. you can still turn LEFT.  Restaurant is next to Domino’s and Asian House.   

NEEDLECRAFTERS: The group will not meet during July and August, but will resume after Labor Day.

 COMING UP

 NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:  Monday, September 17th, 7:00 PM – Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz
France Ave. at Hazelton Road, Edina
The Good Earthby Pearl S. Buck

Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck’s epic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and Oprah Book Club selection about a vanished China and one family’s shifting fortunes.  Though more than seventy years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. In The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck paints an indelible portrait of China in the 1920s, when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-Lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during the last century..

MUSEUMS TOURS: Monday, October 15th – Lunch/Guided Tour at the “new” Bell Museum

Details in September Newsletter

THEATRE OUTING:  Wednesday, September 26th, 10:45 Departure—Lunch & Beehiveat The Old Log

5185 Meadville Street, Greenwood, MN 55331

NOTE AUGUST RSVP DATE!

Beehive the 60’s Musical nostalgically recalls the days of miniskirts, transistor radios and flower power. Told from the perspective of six women who came of age in this enigmatic decade, these ladies look back on a host of issues from their first Beehive Dance to the challenges we faced as a nation – all accomplished by a vast array of the most celebrated and memorable songs of the era. Cost: $51.71 Lunch/Play (11:30AM)

$26.82 Play Only (1:30PM)         Lunch at the onsite Cast & Crew Restaurant includes your choice of:

-Braised Boneless ShortRib, potatoes, seasonal vegetable, gravy

-Seared Pork Chop, potatoes, seasonal vegetables, bacon port demi glaze

-Dill Roasted Tilapia, potatoes, seasonal vegetables, with lemon

-Angel Hair Pasta with Garden Marinara

Dessert, Coffee and tea

A carpool will leave the back parking lot of Kohl’s at Knollwood (Hwy.7/#169) at 10:45AM.  Please indicate when RSVPing if you plan to participate and are willing to drive. Or, meet us at the Old Log at 11:30AM.

RSVP by Friday, August 22nd by mail with your check and menu choice.  Contact CarlaH@TheWanderersMSP.orgfor mailing instructions.

Directions:Hwy. 7 West to Excelsior. Turn RIGHT (N) at Christmas Lake Road stoplight. Turn LEFT (W) onto Excelsior Blvd. Go 3 blocks and turn RIGHT onto Minnetonka Blvd/Old Log Way.  Turn LEFT at the street sign marked Old Log Way/Meadville Street.  You will see the entrance to theatre immediately on your right. 

BOOKS & BOOZE:  October Date TBA

Digging to America by Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler gives us a story about what it is to be an American, and about Maryam Yazdan, who after thirty-five years in this country must finally come to terms with her outsiderness.”
Two families, who would otherwise never have come together, meet by chance at the Baltimore airport—the Donaldsons, a very American couple, and the Yazdans, Maryam’s fully assimilated son and his attractive Iranian American wife. Each couple is awaiting the arrival of an adopted infant daughter from Korea. After the babies from distant Asia are delivered, Bitsy Donaldson impulsively invites the Yazdans to celebrate with an “arrival party,” an event that is repeated every year as the two families become more deeply intertwined.

THEATRE OUTING #2:  Thursday, November 8th, 11:30AM—Lunch & Radio Galsat Masonic Theater

11411 Masonic Home Drive, Bloomington

Set in the 1920’s when radio ruled the airwaves and small stations thrived, Radio Galsis a charming musical about Hazel Hunt from Cedar Ridge, Arkansas, who broadcasts from her front parlor with her “all-girl” orchestra, “The Hazelnuts”. What comes over the local airwaves is an array of hilarious, toe-tapping songs. However, Hazel’s broadcasts are not always so local due to her habit of impinging on other frequencies, like NBC, attracting the attention of a federal radio inspector who’s intent on shutting her down. It turns out he has a fine tenor voice, plays a mean accordion and quickly becomes enchanted by the “Hazelnuts”.  From the creators of Pump Boys and Dinettes.    Price:  $45 Lunch and Show (11:30AM)    $25 Show Only  (1:00PM)

Menu:  Pork Chops & Stuffing in a Mushroom Cream Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes and Vegetable du jour

Cold Salad – Chef’s Choice

Dinner Rolls, Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Hot Tea

Dessert – Chef’s Choice (Slice of Cake, Pie or Torte)

Special dietary meals available by request (please notify us in advance)

RSVP Details in September Newsletter

A note from our President…..

            AAhhh….these are some perfect summer days. Hate to think they they’ll start getting shorter this week. Come on out and take advantage of this great Minnesota (but sadly way to short) season with us.

Brunch Bunch—relax at Carol’s “Staycation” Garden Party

Flicks & Fun—catch “RBG”at the Landmark

Coffee Break—enjoy something sweet or savory at People’s Organic

Night-Time Books Talk—discuss “Pope Joan” on Byerly’s deck

Women Aging Well: come talk with the Doctor

Garden Tour—visit Caponi Art park in Eagan

Lake M’tonka Cruise—kick back on the lake

Walkers—spend your Tuesday and Thursday AMs at Centennial Lakes

See you there!               Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, July 3rd, 2:30PM—RBG

Edina’s Landmark Theater, 50th/France

This documentary explores the exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and has received strong reviews. The New York Times describes RBG as “a jaunty assemblage of interviews, public appearances and archival material, organized to illuminate its subject’s temperament and her accomplishments so far.” Please arrive at 2:30 so we can walk into the 2:40 showing together. If the movie is no longer playing, I’ll to pick an interesting alternative. As always, your suggestions for movie viewing are appreciated.

Afterward, we will go to the Edina Grill for Happy Hour.

RSVP by Monday, July 2^nd to LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

There‘s free 5-hour parking in the upper levels of the municipal parking lot behind the theater. Access from Lund’s parking lot or 51st Street.

WALKERS: every Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30AM—Centennial Lakes 

Need motivation to get out, move, and exercise? Join us as we walk around Centennial Lakes.  Spring has sprung – so meet us at the “Big Clock” outside of the Hughes Pavilion.  Walk around the lake or as much or as little as your legs allow. Be on time–we’ll start walking promptly!  If it rains we meet at Southdale–Hennepin County Service Center entrance—east side–outside Jimmie John’s. No need to RSVP – just come

BRUNCH BUNCH: Saturday, July 7^ST, 10:00AM—3^nd Annual Garden Party

At the home of a member

Think Pink! Bring something yummy to share, wear your sunscreen or a floppy hat, and be prepared to relax and enjoy onenother’s company. If it rains, we will reschedule. Adult and non-alcoholic beverages provided.

RSVP by Wednesday, July 4^th to Carol.Schaub@comcast.net. Please indicate what you plan to bring so we achieve some balance.

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, July 11^th, 10:00AM – People’s Organic

Galleria Edina

People’s Organic is consistently good for both coffee, food and ambience. We can sit indoors or out, depending on the weather.

RSVP by July 10th to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Direcions: France to 69^th Street. Turn Left (E). Park near Crate ‘n Barrel.

NEEDLECRAFTERS:

The group will not meet during July and August, but will resume after Labor Day.  Details will be announced in the September newsletter.

GAME NIGHT: Game nights will resume in September

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:  Monday, July 16th, 7:00PM – Lunds & Byerly’s Mez
France Ave. at Hazelton Road, Edina
Pope Joan, by Donna Cross

” Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama – love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets.” In this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie, Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day. For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die–Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

Beverages at happy hour prices are available until 7:00 pm.  Feel free to bring food or snacks up form the store.  Weather permitting we’ll be out on the deck. Please come even if you haven’t read the book.
RSVP by Saturday, July 15th to Sara5217@aol.com 

WOMEN AGING WELL: Wednesday, July 18^th, 6:30 PM—at the home of a member  

Our bodies “they are ‘a changing”–Right? You don’t want to miss this dynamic female internist’s explanation about what’s happening and how we can stay in the best of health.  What exactly are we supposed to eat, drink and exercise to be the very best we can?  What is Total Wellness?  Dr. Adepero Okulaja, champions WOMEN.  She inspires her patients to be/do their very best and is known for not ever giving up on what the “problem” is – she will find the answer.  Her medical practice in Edina centers on her passions: Women’s Health, Wellness, and the art of healing body, mind, and spirit. She wants “The Wanderers” to ask her questions they’ve always been afraid to ask their own doctor. Read more at her website: https://thedrshouse.com.   Refreshments served.

RSVP by Wednesday, July 11^th to AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

GARDEN TOUR: Friday, July 20^th, 10:30AM Departure —Caponi Art Park

1220 Diffley Road, Eagan (www.caponiartpark.org)

Put your Chi in harmony by exploring Caponi Art Park with us. This is an outdoor sculpture garden designed, within an oak landscape, as a single, unified work of art. The meandering trails follow the topography of the grounds like contour drawings animated by everyone who walks them. The rock walls and shaped hills are the sculpture into which conventional artworks are integrated. Afterward, We’ll have lunch at Andiamo Italian Ristorante, 1629 Lena Ct. #100, Eagan,(651-289-2000)  andiamomn.com

A carpool will leave S. Mpls. at 10:30AM or meet at the Park at 11:00.  Please indicate if you plan to car pool and are willing to drive. 

RSVP by Wednesday, July 18^th, 7th to BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions to Park: MN-62 E to MN-77 S to Diffley Rd in Eagan. Take the County Rd 30/Diffley Rd exit. At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on Diffley Rd. to 1220 Diffley Rd.   

LAKE MINNETONKA CRUISE:  Tuesday, July 24th, 4:45 PM Departure –Al & Alma’s

5201 Piper Road Mound, Minnesota 55364  952.472.3098

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT

Boarding begins at 6:15pm; boat departs promptly at 6:30pm and returns to port at 8:30pm

A carpool will leave Anne Shea’s home at 4:45 PM. Please indicate if you plan to car poo or meet us there at 6:15. 

For more info contact Anne at anneshea2@gmail.com or 952-941-6656.  

Directions to Anne’s – HWY 100 to 77th street exit. Turn RIGHT (W) and follow 77^th St.—as it becomes Edina Industrial Blvd.—to 78th St. Turn RIGHT at 78th.  Turn RIGHT at Delaney Blvd Turn RIGHT at Pondwood Drive.

Directions Al and Alma’s – please see their website https://www.al-almas.com/public 

COMING UP

BE A RESTAURANT CRITIC: Wednesday, August 8^th, 3:45PM Departure––Ice House Restaurant Bar

2528 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404 

NOTE JULY RSVP DATE!

Here’s your chance to be an Eat Street restaurant critic.  Eat Street along Nicollet Avenue is an intriguing and often affordable area to get a full taste of all the different flavors of the Twin Cities.  Pam Bratsch and Anne Shea have “scouted” all the venues and chosen several for The Wanderers Critics to review.  We’ll meet at the Icehouse for cocktails where you’ll be given a Passport to one of them. A small group will be sent to each restaurant.

Here’s the plan:

4:30PM – Meet at Icehouse for Happy Hour cocktails and restaurant assignments

5:30PM – Dinner reservations

7:30PM – 8:00PM – Meet back at 5555 Dewey Hill Party Room for desert and critic reports.

The cost of cocktails and dinner will be $20-$40 (depending on your menu selections). Additional $5 for dessert will be collected at Icehouse.

A carpool will leave Edina at 3:45 PM.  Please indicate if you are carpooling and are willing to drive. Or, meet us there at 4:30PM.

RSVP by Wednesday, July 25th to AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions to Icehouse: #62E to #35WN to Lake Street exit. Turn LEFT (W) to 1^st Ave. and turn RIGHT (N). At 26^th St. turn LEFT (W) to Nicollet. Parking is available only in lot adjacent to courtyard at 2528 Nicollet, the lot on North side of building, and lot located at 2644 Nicollet—or you will be towed.

FLICKS & FUN: By popular demand we’ll be seeing “Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again”. Watch for details in the August newsletter.

BOOKS & BOOZE: August 2018

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlin

In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she’s in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, September 17^th

The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck

Nobel Laureate Pearl S. Buck’s epic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and Oprah Book Club selection about a vanished China and one family’s shifting fortunes.
Though more than seventy years have passed since this remarkable novel won the Pulitzer Prize, it has retained its popularity and become one of the great modern classics. In The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck paints an indelible portrait of China in the 1920s, when the last emperor reigned and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-Lan is must reading for those who would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during the last century.
Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her brilliant novel–beloved by millions of readers–is a universal tale of an ordinary family caught in the tide of history.

THEATRE OUTING: Late October/November date TBA: Radio Gals

Masonic Home Theatre

Set in the 1920’s when radio ruled the airwaves and small stations thrived, Radio Gals is a charming musical about Hazel Hunt from Cedar Ridge, Arkansas, who broadcasts from her front parlor with her “all-girl” orchestra, “The Hazelnuts”, as radio WGAL. What comes over the local airwaves is an array of hilarious toe-tapping songs. However, Hazel’s broadcasts are not always so local due to her habit of impinging on other frequencies, like NBC’s, attracting the attention of a federal radio inspector who’s intent on shutting down WGAL. It turns out though, he has a fine tenor voice, plays a mean accordion and quickly becomes enchanted by the “Hazelnuts”. From the creators of Pump Boys and Dinettes.

A note from our President…..

I’m counting on a great June after this crazy spring. We have so many fun times planned all month. Don’t miss a thing!

Needlecrafters—stitch up at storm at Patisserie Margo

Flicks & Fun—catch a new movie with us

Lunch Bunch—meet at Sea Salt Eatery near M’haha Falls

Coffee Break—see you on Patrick’s patio

Garden Tour—enjoy a free day at the Arboretum

Books & Booze—discuss Burying Place

Edina Evenings—shop the Farmer’s Market, then meet for Happy Hour at Tavern 23

Walkers—begin your day at Centennial Lakes

Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES 

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, June 5^th, 2:00PM—“Book Club”

Southdale AMC Theater

We’ll see this comedy about four friends whose lives are turned upside down when their book club tackles Fifty Shades of Grey. They inspire each other to make their next chapter of their lives the best yet.  Review: “a fun, light-hearted rom-com for the elder set and a gentle reminder that life is long and love is not just for the young.” As of today, the movie starts at 2:05 p.m., but that could change. (I will let anyone who RSVPs know if the time changes.) Let’s meet five minutes earlier near the refreshment stand to introduce ourselves and walk into the movie together. After the movie we will meet at PF Changs about 4:00PM for happy hour.

RSVP by Monday. June 4^th LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, June 13^th, 10:00AM— Patrick’s Cafe Edina/Richfield

2928 West 66th Street, Richfield

Hope for good weather, so we can sit on the patio. Either way, we will enjoy a coffee break at Patrick’s, which has delicious breakfast entrees and bakery treats. Their coffees are excellent, too.

RSVP by Tuesday, June 12th to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Kitty-corner from Southdale in Southdale Square Center at Xerxes/York and 66th street.

NEEDLECRAFTERS: Thursdays, June 14^th & 28th—Patisserie Margo

4510 Valley View Road, Edina

Whatever your knitting, crocheting or craft skill level, we’d love to have you join us!  You can even bring your mending! Come to learn or just chat over your project.  We meet every other Thursday. Enjoy coffee, food/bakery treats and great conversation.

If you have questions contact Sara5217@aol.com 

GARDEN TOUR:  Monday, June 18th, 10:00AM Departure —MN Landscape Arboretum  

3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN 55318  

Named Best Botanical Garden by USA Today readers, the Arboretum offers a front-row view as Mother Nature (FINALLY!) sheds her wintery coat and unfolds a tapestry of color signaling the arrival of spring.   The Arboretum features 1,137 acres of natural areas, public gardens and 5,000 plant species/varieties with 1000’s of labels designed to inspire ideas for visitors’ own backyards.  Everyone gets in FREE every 3^rd Monday!!   Lunch at the Arboretum café to follow.

A carpool will leave south Mpls. at 10:00 AM or meet us at the Arboretum at 10:30. Please indicate if you plan to car pool and are willing to drive.  

RSVP by Saturday, June 16^th to BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions to Arboretum:  494 W to Hwy. 5 W to Arboretum.

LUNCH BUNCH: Thursday, June 21^st, 10:45 Departure—Sea Salt Eatery  

4825 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis   (612) 721-8990

Their slogan is “Serving extraordinary fresh seafood, wine and beer“.  The Eatery is located in the park at Minnehaha Falls, so those who wish to (weather permitting) can go for a walk to see the falls before or after lunch. Check out their menu at https://seasalteatery. wordpress.com/

A carpool will leave Edina at 10:45 or meet us there at 11:15. Email Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org if you wish to join the carpool.

RSVP by Monday, June 16th to either CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org or JudyS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: #62 Crosstown EAST to Hwy. 55. Turn NORTH to Minnehaha Park.  There is a paid parking lot near the restaurant.

BOOKS & BOOZE:  Tuesday, June 26th, 3:30PM— Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196  (70^th at Cahill)

Burying Place by Brian Freeman  

A stunning, clever and unputdownable thriller for fans of Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly. Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is quietly recovering from injuries sustained on his latest case when a rich doctor’s baby is kidnapped and his peace is shattered. As suspicion builds that the doctor may have staged the baby’s disappearance, the relationship between the doctor and his wife and neighbors begins to disintegrate.

RSVP by Saturday, June 23rd to AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions:  Hwy. 100 to 70^th exit.  Turn RIGHT (W) and follow 70^th as it turns to the RIGHT (W) at stop light.  Continue to Amundson and turn LEFT (S).  If you get to Cahill Rd. you can still turn LEFT.  Restaurant is next to Domino’s and Asian House.  

EDINA EVENINGS: Thursday, June 28th, 5:00PM—Farmer’s Mkt. & Tavern 23 Happy Hour

7651 France Ave., Edina  

The Centennial Lakes Farmer’s Market will resume operation on Thursday, June 14^th– September 27^th. Surprisingly few people are aware of this hidden gem—about 30 vendors of fruits & veggies, cheese, breads & pastries, pork products & grilled brats, honey, etc.—along the lakeshore. The market is open from 3-7PM. Shop before or after we meet at 5PM on Tavern 23’s (Lou Nanne’s) patio. HH prices run until 6PM—we’ll stick around until at least 7PM. We’ll be in the main DR if there’s rain. http://www.tavern23mn.com/happy-hour/

RSVP by Tuesday, June 26th to PattiK@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: The park/shopping center has upper and lower level parking. Park underneath to easily access the market. Walk along the lake to the south to reach Tavern 23’s patio. Or, if you’re skipping the market, park in Tavern 23’s lot facing France Ave.

WALKERS: every Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30AM—Centennial Lakes 

Need motivation to get out, move, and exercise? Join us as we walk around Centennial Lakes.  Summer’s here–so meet us at the “Big Clock” outside of the Hughes Pavilion.  Walk around the lake or as much or as little as your legs allow. Be on time–we’ll start walking promptly!  If it rains – we gather at the bench outside Jimmy John’s at Southdale. Located just inside Hennepin County Service Center entrance on the East side of the mall.

COMING UP 

CAROL’S 3^RD ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY: Saturday, July 7^th, 10:00AM

Think Pink! Bring something yummy to share, wear your sunscreen or a floppy hat, and be prepared to enjoy one another’s company. If it rains, we’ll reschedule.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:  Monday, July 16th, 7:00 PM – Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz
France Ave. at Hazelton Road, Edina
Pope Joan, by Donna Cross

” Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama – love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets.” In this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie, Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day. For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die–Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

BOOKS & BOOZE: August 2018

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlin  

In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager. Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she’s in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. Lisa is alive. Alive and living under a new identity. But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?

A note from our President…..

The snow is melting and we’re expecting “average temps” next week! We all just need a little heat and sun. Then everything’s going to really take off. Take off with us this month as we explore fun venues and make new friends.

Flicks & Fun—we’ll watch Finding Your Feet at the Edina Theater

Games People Play: fun and games at Elaine’s

Coffee Break—join us at Turtle Bread for goodies and gab

Night-Time Book Talk—discuss Me Before You

Guthrie Tour—get a behind-the-scenes look

Lunch Bunch—we’ll feel like we’re eating al fresco at The Hilltop

Needlecrafters—bring a project—or even your mending

Walkers—meet us at the lake every Tuesday and Thursday

Sally              Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, May 1st—1:50PM—Finding Your Feet

Edina Landmark Theater, 50th & France

Finding Your Feet is a comedy about two very different sisters who reunite in London when the younger sister, Sandra, discovers her husband of 40 years is having an affair with her best friend. Sandra’s sister drags her along to a community dance class where she starts finding her feet and romance as she meets her sister’s friends. This colorful group shows Sandra that retirement is only the beginning, and divorce might give her a whole new lease on love and life.

The movie starts at 2:00PM, but we’ll meet at 1:50PM just to the left of the theater’s refreshment stand to introduce ourselves and walk into the movie together. After the movie we will go to a nearby restaurant for happy hour and conversation about the movie.

RSVP by Sunday, April29th to LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

There‘s free 5-hour parking in the upper levels of the municipal parking lot behind the theater. Access from Lund’s parking lot or 51st Street.

NEEDLECRAFTERS: Thursdays, May 3^rd, 17^th & 31st—Patisserie Margo

4510 Valley View Road, Edina

Whatever your knitting, crocheting or craft skill level, we’d love to have you join us!  You can even bring your mending! Come to learn or just chat over your project.  We meet every other Thursday. Enjoy coffee, food/bakery treats and great conversation.

If you have questions contact Sara at Sara5217@aol.com 

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, May 9^th, 10:00AM–– Turtle Bread, Linden Hills
3421 W 44th Street, Mpls, MN 55410.  612-924-6013
May is almost here! Time to gather for coffee at the classic and inviting Turtle Bread Company.
RSVP by May 8th to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: France Avenue North to 44th. Right on 44th.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES: Friday May 11^th, 9:15 Departure—Guthrie Theater

818 South 2^nd Street, Mpls.

Explore the history and heart of the Guthrie Theater during this 45-minute backstage tour. We’ll visit Guthrie’s signature main stages, their world-class scene and costume shops and more. After the tour we can spend some time touring some of the other areas like suspended bridge and music box viewing area. The cost would be $7.00.  We’ll walk across the street for lunch at Kindee Thai, 719 S. 2^nd St. www.kindeethairestaurant.com.

A carpool will leave S. Mpls. at 9:15AM or meet us at the Guthrie at 9:45AM. Please indicate if you plan to car pool and are willing to drive.  

RSVP with your check for $7.00 by Monday, May 7^th by mail. Contact BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org for address.

Directions to Guthrie: I-35W north to exit 17C. Follow S 3rd St. and Chicago Ave to S 2nd St. Parking is available in the city-owned Riverfront Ramp across from the Guthrie. Pay by credit card at the exit, or at one of several pay stations inside the ramp.

LUNCH BUNCH: Tuesday, May 15^th, 11:30AM—The Hilltop

5101 Acadia Ave. Edina   (Hwy. 100/50^th)   (952) 925-5628

Advertised as Edina’s best comfort food-inspired restaurant.  Owned by father-son duo Ken & Brett Johnson, the Hilltop’s got a long history in the heart of Edina—one that extends past its long run as the Eden Avenue Grill and the Pantry, opened by Ken in 1978. They’ve put a modern twist on the place, but we still believe in comfort-food classics and old-fashioned hospitality.

RSVP by Sunday, May 13^th to CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Hwy. 100 North to 50^th/Vernon exit. Turn RIGHT onto Eden Ave. First RIGHT is Arcadia.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, May 21, 7:00PM—Byerly’s Mezz

Lunds and Byerly’s,  France/Hazelton Rd.
Me before You, by Jo Jo Moyes

“They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose. Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life–steady boyfriend, close family–who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe, Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after a motorcycle accident. Will has always lived a huge life–big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel–and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy–but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
Beverages at happy hour prices are available until 7:00 p.m.  Feel free to bring food or snacks up from the store.  Please come even if you haven’t read the book.
RSVP by Saturday, May 19th to Sara at Sara5217@aol.com 

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: Thursday, May 24^th, 7:00PM—at the home of a member

There’ll be lots of fun and laughs. Please bring a snack or beverage to share, along with a favorite game if you have one.

RSVP by Tuesday, May 22^nd to ElaineK@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: #494 East to Portland Ave. exit. Turn RIGHT (S) and follow to 98^th Street. Complex is on your RIGHT at NW corner of 98^th/Portland.

WALKERS: Every Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30AM—Southdale Center 

Need motivation to get out, move, and beat that cabin fever? Join us for an hour (3 laps) of walking inside Southdale–or as much as your schedule and legs allow. Gather at the bench outside Jimmy John’s. Located just inside Hennepin County Service Center entrance on the East side of the mall.

 COMING UP

BAYFIELD TRIP: Wednesday-Friday, September 19th-21st

Approx. Total per person         7 People/$461.00          10 people/  $436.00

$100.00 Deposits due May 15^th by mail. Please email Barb at BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org for details, address or questions.

BOOKS & BOOZE: June—-Date TBD

Burying Place by Brian Freeman  

A stunning, clever and unputdownable thriller for fans of Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly. Lieutenant Jonathan Stride is quietly recovering from injuries sustained on his latest case when a rich doctor’s baby is kidnapped and his peace is shattered. As suspicion builds that the doctor may have staged the baby’s disappearance, the relationship between the doctor and his wife and neighbors begins to disintegrate.

 3^RD ANNUAL GARDEN PARTY: Saturday, July 7^th, 10:00AM

At the home of a member

Think Pink! Bring something yummy to share, wear your sunscreen or a floppy hat, and be prepared to enjoy one another’s company. If it rains, we’ll reschedule.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK:  Monday, July 16th, 7:00 PM – Lunds & Byerly’s Mezz
France Ave. at Hazelton Road, Edina
Pope Joan, by Donna Cross

” Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama – love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets.” In this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie, Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day. For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die–Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

A note from our President…..

Every day is a surprise—snow, rain, snow, clouds, a peek of sun…..we’re ready for April and SPRING! Rain or shine, come join us for all the fun things we have planned this month.

Lunch Bunch—come with us to Dinkytown for lunch with a Mediterranean twist

Coffee Break—enjoy breakfast or just coffee at YUM!

Flicks & Fun—take in The Leisure Seeker and Happy Hour at Edina Grill

Afternoon on the Town—join us for a fun mid-day escape—lunch and a play

Books and Booze—discuss “The Night She Won Miss America”

Garden Tours—visit the fragrant MIA for Art in Bloom

Morning Walkers—meet us a Southdale

Needlecrafters—come learn or bring your project to Patisserie Margo

See you there!   Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES

FLICKS & FUN: Tuesday, April 3^rd, 1:45PM—The Leisure Seeker & Edina Grill Happy Hour

Edina’s Landmark Theater , 50^th & France

“This dramatic comedy is a character study featuring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland as a loving married couple facing serious health problems in old age. They escape their overprotective children by embarking on one last road trip in the old Winnebago RV they’ve named The Leisure Seeker. As the couple travels from Boston to Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West, they recapture their passion for life. The road trip provides revelations and surprises up to the very end.”

The movie starts at 1:55PM, we’ll meet at 1:45PM just to the left of the theater’s refreshment stand to introduce ourselves and walk into the movie together. Later we’ll go to the Edina Grill for happy hour and conversation.

RSVP by Monday, April 2^nd to LynnJ@TheWanderersMSP.org

There’s free 5-hour parking in the upper levels of the municipal parking ramp behind the theater. Access the ramp from Lunds’ parking lot or 51^st Street.

NEEDLECRAFTERS: Thursdays, April 5^th & 19th, 1:30PM—Pattisserie Margo

Valley View at Wooddale

Whatever your knitting or crocheting skill level, we’d love to have you join us! Come to learn or just chat over your latest craft or mending project. We meet every other Thursday. Enjoy coffee, food/bakery treats and great conversation. If you have questions contact Sara at Sara5217@aol.com 

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, April 11th, 10:00AM— YUM!

4000 Minnetonka Blvd, St Louis Park.  952-922-4000

Back by popular demand, YUM is our April coffee destination. The bakery and cafe, is serving breakfast till 11:00.

RSVP by Tuesday, April 10th to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Hwy 100 North to Mtka Blvd. Turn East in the direction of Minneapolis/ Bde Maka Ska, formerly known as Lake Calhoun. It is just a few blocks on Mtka Blvd.

LUNCH BUNCH: Tuesday, April 17th, 11:00AM Departure—Kafe 421

421 14th St. SE, Mpls.

This is a cute little restaurant in the UM’s Dinkytown which has been rated 4 1/2 * and the cost is moderate.  Parking is an issue, as there is basically on street parking only. The manager at the restaurant (we tried it out yesterday) said there is usually parking available weekdays, if we come before noon.  We strongly suggest carpooling. Menu at http://www.kafe421.com/menu/

A carpool will leave Edina at 11:00AM. Email Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org participate. Or meet us there at 11:30AM.

RSVP by Sunday, April 1th to CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org or JudyS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: 35W North to University Ave. Turn RIGHT (E) to 14th Ave SE, Restaurant is in the second block on the left.  

AFTERNOON ON THE TOWN: Wednesday, April 25^th, 11:45 Departure—Buffet Lunch and Play

Bloomington Eagle’s Club, 9152 Old Cedar Ave. Bloomington

Don’t miss this delicious lunch followed by “Drinking Habits!” —another fun Day Tripper’s Theatre comedy.        Buffet features:

Entrees: Chicken Kiev, Roast Loin of Pork, Country Sausage with Sauerkraut

Salad Bar: Sliced Beets, Salami, Cheese, Assorted peppers

Sides: Red Potatoes, Cut green beans, Green leaf salad, Rolls and butter

Dessert: Spice cake                           Refreshments: Tea and coffee

Luncheon at 12:15 PM, Play at 1:15PM       Cost: $39.75 (includes tax and tip)

Romances gone wild, mistaken identities, the threat of an international spy syndicate. If you think all nunneries are humdrum houses of worship, you’ve never encountered the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing. In this outrageous farce, two nuns have been secretly making wine to keeps the convent’s doors open. But a reporter and former lover hot on their trail go undercover as a priest and nun. Their presence spurs paranoia that spies sent from Rome will shut the convent down. Wine and secrets are spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves.

A carpool will leave the Edina Senior Center parking lot at 11:45 AM or meet us there at Noon.

RSVP by Wednesday April 21^st with your $39.75 check to Marilyn Freund at 5225 Grandview Square #309, Edina, MN 55436. Please indicate if you plan to car pool. For more info contact Marilyn at maraf309@comcast.net

Directions to Senior Center: Hwy 100 N to 50th/Vernon exit. Turn 2 immediate RIGHT turns off the exit ramp onto Eden Ave. Perkin’s will be on your left. Cross the bridge to Grandview. Turn LEFT onto Grandview. Edina Senior Center is on your right.

Directions to Theatre: Hwy 494 East to 77 South (Cedar) exit. Turn RIGHT (W) at Old Shakopee Road. Go 1 block just past the Shell gas station. Watch for the Eagle’s Club sign on your right —NW corner of Old Shakopee Rd and Old Cedar Ave.

GARDEN TOUR:  Thursday, April 26^th, 10:30AM Departure —Art In Bloom

Minneapolis Institute of Arts—240 3^rd Ave. S., Mpls.

Come join us at the MIA.  View fresh floral creations and the artworks that inspired them. Enter a world of timeless art and fresh flowers during the 34th annual Art in Bloom.  There is a public tour of the floral arrangements at 11:15  The flowers are beautiful and the fragrance is lovely. If time permits, there is also a wonderful gift shop to browse.  After the tour, we’ll do lunch at Harriet’s Inn, 4000 Lyndale Ave.S. https://www.harrietsinn.com/

A carpool will leave S. Mpls. at 10:30AM or meet us at the MIA at 11:00AM. Please indicate if you plan to car pool and are willing to drive. 

RSVP by Tuesday, April 24th to BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions to MIA:  Parking can be a challenge, so allow plenty of time. Street and ramp parking available.  Hwy. 62E to 35WN to 31^st /Lake Street exit.  Turn LEFT on 31^st and proceed to 1^st Ave.  Turn RIGHT to 24^th Street.  Turn RIGHT on 24^th to 3^rd Ave.  Turn RIGHT onto 3^rd Ave. to paid parking.

BOOKS & BOOZE: Monday, April 30th, 3:30PM— Cahill Bistro

7078 Amundson Ave, Edina, MN 55439, (952) 426-4196 (70^th at Cahill)

** NOTE NEW TIME AND LOCATION!

The Night She Won Miss America by Michael Callahan

Inspired by a true story, a young woman is swept up in the glamour and excitement of chasing the title of Miss America 1950—only to vanish the night she wins.

This very new “Cahill Bistro” is already getting rave reviews.  This smaller “hidden” gem serves fabulous hospitality along with Peruvian delights.  The space is so comfortable for “books and booze” along with scrumptious reduced price appetizers ($6-$8) and wines, homemade sangria and margarita’s at $4.  Drinks first, discuss book – then eat!  Just come–even if you have not read the book.

RSVP by Friday, April 27th, to AnneS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Hwy. 100 to 70^th exit. Turn RIGHT (W) and follow 70^th as it turns to the RIGHT (W) at light. Continue to Amundson and urn LEFT (S). If you get to Cahill Rd. you can still turn LEFT. Restaurant is next to Domino’s and Asian House.  

MORNING WALKERS: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30AM—Southdale Center

NOTE NEW MEETING SPOT

Need motivation to get out, move, and beat that cabin fever? Join us for an hour (3 laps) of walking inside Southdale–or as much as your schedule and legs allow. Gather at the bench outside Jimmy John’s. Located just inside Hennepin County Service Center entrance on the East side of Southdale.

COMING UP

 NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, May 21st, 7:00PM

Me before You, by Jo Jo Moyes

“They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose. Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life–steady boyfriend, close family–who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after a motorcycle accident. Will has always lived a huge life–big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel–and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Will is acerbic, moody, bossy–but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

BOOKS & BOOZE: June—-Date TBD

Burying Place by Brian Freeman  

A stunning, clever and unputdownable thriller for fans of Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly.
Jonathan Stride is quietly recovering from injuries sustained on his latest case when peace is shattered. A rich doctor’s baby is kidnapped. As suspicion builds that the doctor may have staged the baby’s disappearance, the relationship between the doctor, his wife and neighbors begins to disintegrate.              

A note from our President…..

It’s almost Spring! Come out and play with us…..

Coffee Break—Meet us a cozy MugShots for something warm

Night-Time Book Talk—discuss The Danish Girl

Knitting/Crocheting Group—you’re welcome whatever your level of expertise

Garden Tour—think Spring at the Galleria Flower Show

Lunch Bunch—Keep thinking spring a Bachman’s Patrick’s Bakery

Walking Clubs—meet at Southdale for an hour of exercise

            See you there!  

Sally@TheWanderersMSP.org

ACTIVITIES

KNITTING/CROCHETING GROUP: Thursdays, March 8^th & 22^nd, 1:30PM—Patisserie Margo, 4510 Valley View Road, Edina

We had a great turnout at our meeting and have decided to meet every other Thursday. Sara will email the entire group once a permanent venue has been decided. Beginners and more experienced needle-rafters welcome!

RSVP by February 6^TH to Sara5217@aol.com

COFFEE BREAK: Wednesday, March 14^th, 10:00AM – MugShots

10518 France Ave S, Bloomington, MN  952-977-9660

New in 2015, MugShots has an open, airy setting with a comfortable atmosphere. The menu includes breakfast sandwiches, bakery, and hand-crafted beverages. Cute motto “Your mug matters.”

RSVP by March 13 to GailS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: South on France, pass 102nd Street, right on Bailiff Place.

NIGHT-TIME BOOK TALK: Monday, March 19th, 7:00PM—Byerly’s Mezz

Lunds and Byerly’s, France/Hazelton Rd.

The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff
Inspired by the true story of Danish painter Einar Wegener and his California born wife, this tender portrait of a marriage asks: What do you do when someone you love wants to change? It starts with a question, a simple favor asked of a husband by his wife on an afternoon chilled by the Baltic wind while both are painting in their studio. Her portrait model has canceled; would he slip into a pair of women’s shoes and stockings for a few moments so she can finish the painting on time?  “Of course,” he answers.  “Anything at all.” With that, one of the most passionate and unusual love stories of the twentieth century begins.
Beverages at happy hour prices are available until 7:00 p.m.  Feel free to bring food or snacks up from the store.  Please come even if you haven’t read the book.
RSVP by Saturday, March 17 to Sara5217@aol.com 

LUNCH BUNCH:  Tuesday, March 20th, 11:30AM— Patrick’s Bakery at Bachman’s Garden Center

6010 Lyndale Ave. So., Minneapolis

Let’s add a little greenery to our month of March to celebrate a late St. Patrick’s Day or start thinking about your garden prep.

RSVP by Sunday, March 18th to CarmellaA@TheWanderersMSP.org or JudyS@TheWanderersMSP.org

Directions: Hwy. 62 East to Lyndale exit. LEFT (N) one block to Bachman’s on your left.

GARDEN TOUR: Tuesday, March 27^th, 10:30AM—“Spring is in the Air” Flower Show

Galleria Mall, 70^th/France Ave. Meet inside by Big Bowl (NW entrance)

Flower lovers, there’s a new bloom in store! Bachman’s and the Galleria are resurrecting Macy’s Flower Show tradition in Edina! Bachman’s, and designer, Jack Barkla, who teamed up on 50+ downtown shows are now collaborating with the Galleria to create a new two-week “floral experience”. The public areas and entrances of the Galleria will be festooned with flowers 3/25-4/8. Hyacinths, tulips and more springtime favorites, all planned to bloom early for the show will fill garden beds, hanging arrangements and raised installations throughout the main-floor level of the Galleria. We will eat lunch at Big Bowl about noon.

RSVP by Monday, March 26^th to BarbaraD@TheWanderersMSP.org

MORNING WALKING CLUB: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30AM—Southdale Center

Need motivation to get out, move, and beat that cabin fever? Join us for an hour (3 laps) of walking inside Southdale–or as much as your schedule and legs allow. Gather at the new Hennepin County Service Center located on the East side of Southdale.

AFTERNOON WALKING CLUB: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30PM—Southdale Center

We meet outside Ruby Tuesday’s on the west side of Southdale. We’ve got slow and fast walkers. We’ll pair you up with someone your speed to go as long or far as you’d like.

 COMING UP

AFTERNOON ON THE TOWN: Wednesday, April 25^th, 11:45AM—Lunch and Theatre

Bloomington Eagles Club, 9152 Old Cedar Ave. Bloomington

Daytrippers Theatre presents “Drinking Habits”, a hilarious comedy about a group of nuns who turn to boot-legging to save their convent from financial ruin. Menu and further details will be in April newsletter.  

Cost of $39.75 (including tax and tip) covers delicious buffet luncheon and the play. Your check must be received no later than Wednesday April 21st. Mail to Marilyn Freund at 5225 Grandview Square #309, Edina, MN 55436.

BOOKS & BOOZE: April Date TBA: The Night She Won Miss America by Michael Callahan

Inspired by a true story, a young woman is swept up in the glamour and excitement of chasing the title of Miss America 1950—only to vanish the night she wins.

LAKE GENEVA TRIP:  Tuesday, May 29st-Thursday, May 31st

Price per person is $499.00   Details attached. So far we have 8 people planning to go. The trip will be cancelled if we don’t have 30 to fill bus.  Please invite your friends to come along.

Email CathyO@TheWanderersMSP.org if you are a for sure, or a maybe, or with any questions.

Full payment must be received by April 20th.  Checks payable to Cathryn Opsahl, 1927 Grant Road, Arden Hills 55112