Annual Joplin Meet Up

Yes, it is that time of the year again! Time for the annual after-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas Joplin meet up! We will be meeting for the first time in December as Thanksgiving is so late this year. The meet up will be held at the Changing Hands Book Shoppe (http://chbs.tgaming.org/) in Joplin, Tuesday, December 3.

I will definitely be there. TLo had better be there - or I will have a hotel room all to myself and who knows what might happen. Anyone else joining in the fun?

Wish I could join you but I'll be at a conference in DC for work :( Maybe 2014 will be the year I FINALLY make it!

Stasia, I wouldn't miss it for anything. I'm looking forward to seeing you and Terri again!

Have fun!

#2: Ah, Katie. I was hoping this would be the year. I am holding you to 2014!

#3: Great, Donna! I am looking forward to seeing you again too!

#4: Thanks, Jim!

I'll be there! It will be so great to see everyone again!! :-)

Glad you will be joining in the fun again, Nancy!

Have fun and take pictures.

Pictures?! Ack!

I'm in, and bringing two guests - Mama, again, and one of my sisters, both big-time readers. I've not yet converted LaVonne to LT. When we get packed into the Red Onion with no escape - proselytize away!

Cindy, it will be wonderful to see you and Janice again. We'll do our best to convert LaVonne. I know you've been busy with weddings, etc. it will be good to get caught up with your busy life.

Oh, wonderful! I am so glad you are going to make it again, Cindy! We will do our best to convert LaVonne.

Joplin? Didn't I just see you, Stasia? You're going to get tired of me.

YES I WILL BE THERE!

Yes, you just saw me and no, you can never get enough of me either :)

Quick question for anyone who might know: How much are the tolls on I-44 running through Oklahoma? Catey and I are going to travel a different way than we have in year's past, and I would appreciate knowing how much the tolls are ahead of time. Thanks!

I'm coming.

How I wish I could be there! Next year...next year!

#16: Good to hear, Sandy!

#17: I hope so, lovey!

Stasia, when we went to Texas (and back), it seems that we paid a total of about 5 or 6 dollars all total each way. If that helps....

Thanks, Terri. I tried using the turnpike system website, but you actually have to know the names of each section of the tollway - all I know is I44!

Catey and I will be leaving Sherman at 0500 Monday morning to head to Joplin! I am more than ready for this trip! I hope to see you guys soon.

Catey and I have arrived and are safely ensconced in our hotel room awaiting Terri's arrival :)

And the fun has begun! Nancy and I will see you ladies (and Mike) tomorrow when the doors of Changing Hands open! Can't wait!

I will have to post the list of acquisitions tomorrow once I am home, but I got some good stuff!

I'll post the pictures I took. Sorry about the poor quality. Terri is the only one who had a "real" camera. She will probably wait until she gets home to post them. Terri, Stasia, and Catey are still celebrating Joplin!


Mike (mldavis), Cindy (countrylife), Cindy's mother Janice, Donna (Donna828), Nancy (Nancy618), Terri (tloeffler), Stasia (alcottacre), Stasia's daughter Catey.


Book Haul!

This is the fourth year we have met at The Changing Hands Bookstore in Joplin and had lunch at The Red Onion. I think we have a permanent table reserved for the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving!


Nancy and Cindy check out the menu. Yummy food! It's impossible to make a mistake.


Catey and Terri.

Some Mother/Daughter pictures


Cindy and Janice.


Stasia and Catey. Can you tell that Stasia and the camera are not friends?

Yes, I will have to wait till I get home to post my pictures. Every year I tell myself, "Terri, next year, bring the thing that hooks the camera to the computer" and every year I forget. Sigh.

But I will post my Book Haul:

Swan for the Money--Donna Andrews
Over Here: The First World War and American Society--David Kennedy
Murder and Mayhem in Missouri--Larry Wood
Kate Chopin: A Life of the Author of The Awakening--Emily Toth
In the Days of McKinley--Margaret Leech
Echoes of Eagles--Charles Woolley
The Great Book of Combat Aircraft--Paolo Matricardi (for my grandson)

A much smaller haul than usual, but a second-hand bookstore always depends on what someone else has discarded!

But I'm still sad that the History of Weaponry set that's been there for 3 years was gone this year when David is old enough for me to buy it for him.....

Books acquired in Joplin:

Eleni by Nicholas Gage - I was thrilled to find this book because it has been in the BlackHole for years now!

The Great Mortality by John Kelly

The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston

Phantom and The Snowman both by Jo Nesbo

+ 8 books for Catey + 3 books for a fellow 75er

All in all, a good haul!

It looks and sounds like another successful meet-up. I'm sorry I missed it.

I'm sorry you missed it too, Sandy. I missed seeing you and Brenda there. We'll have to work harder to get to the Book Fair in 2014.

Yes, we missed you, Sandy. I hope you will be there next year!

I will "third" the missing you, Sandy. I don't blame you for not attempting that long drive by yourself in the fog. Sometimes we just have to be practical. I'm pretty sure fog won't be a problem in early June when the Johnson County Library has their Summer Book Sale in Overland Park. Hope to see you and Brenda there!

Uhhh, Terri... your pictures? Nancy said that hers weren't any better than mine. It was pretty dark in our nook in the restaurant to be using a cell phone camera. We're counting on your "real" camera and hoping that your group picture turned out better. Catey is hiding behind Stasia in my picture! Must run in the family. ;-)

And I missed putting my books here. I listed them on my thread and forgot that I need to post them here as well:
In The Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson
The Birth House - Ami McKay
The Virgin Cure - Ami McKay
Waterland - Graham Swift
Back Story - Robert B. Parker
Painted Ladies - Robert B. Parker

I will be interested in seeing what you think of In the Garden of Beasts, Donna. I did not think it Larson's best.

Thanks for sharing these pictures -- I love seeing these meet-ups. I'm hopeful one will happen here in Toronto someday (though maybe I should just put my foot down and organize it myself!).

Great book hauls by everyone too!!!

Great photos and book hauls!

Okay, okay. I FINALLY downloaded my pictures. Let's see if I can get them on here properly....


"The Whole Gang"


Terri and Nancy


Catey and Stasia


"The Haul"


Donna, Stasia, Catey


Cindy, Janice, Mike.

Thanks, Terri! And Happy New Year!! :-)

Great photos of beautiful LTers :) Thanks for posting... I love meet up pics :)

Terri, those pictures were worth waiting for. Some very nice pics of Stasia. Good for you!

I think that by now Stasia has learned that she can run but she cannot hide from me. Either she poses, or I sneak in a nefarious pose that will embarrass her!

Thanks for these lovely photos which made me smile and sad that I couldn't make it yet another yet...

Next year NO surgeries...I'll be there...