Announcing the 2025 Winter Potluck and Blind Book Exchange!

 

Image: A white tile background with assorted illustrations around the edge. Starting in the upper left corner: A brown gift tag with a white snowflake on it; A green curly-cue; A light beige card with a tree on it that looks like it's taped in the upper right corner; The left half of a scribble star; 3/4 of a mug of cocoa with marshmallows on top; a smaller scribbled star; The PCSockmonkey Writers logo with Polly Esther and Pierson; A larger scribbled star; Words in green "Sat Dec 6th 1 - 3 PM"; A smaller scribbled star; A present wrapped in green starry paper with a white ribbon and a brown gift tag; A smaller scribbled star. Brown capital letters in the center, from top to bottom, read: "Winter Potluck & Blind Book Exchange"

Hello Sockmonkeys!

We've reached the end of November already, so, whether you've been working on a November Novel or any other writing or editing projects (or even if you haven't), I hope you'll join us for our Winter Potluck and Blind Book Exchange.

What: Winter Potluck and Blind Book Exchange

When: Saturday, December 6th, 1 - 3 p.m.

Where: Parkland/Spanaway Pierce County Library

You are welcome to attend even if you're not able to bring food to share, so please join us. If you plan to attend, please RSVP using this Google form. If you plan to bring something to share (even if you're not sure exactly what), please sign up on this Google form - it just lists general categories of food.

Not sure what a Blind Book Exchange is? You may have seen them in libraries or bookstores as "Blind Date with a Book": The book is wrapped and there is a note or tag on the outside with a sentence or less as a hint to what the book is about. This post from just prior to our event last year has links to some of our other social media posts if you're still not sure how this works and would like some ideas. In our case it can be a new or gently used book, and you're not checking it out or buying it, but you do get to keep it when the event is over.

Also, if you have it and would like to, please wear your funny or festive holiday attire!

Masks are welcome, but not required. For the health of all, please do not attend if you or anyone in your immediate household is ill or has been recently exposed to a cold or other contagious illness.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out using the contact form on the blog or via email to the PCSockmonkeywriters (at) gmail.com email.

I hope to see you then!

2025 Midway Pie Day and Mug Exchange Recap

Image: A photo of 2 pies, 2 bottles of soda and other assorted snacks on a table next to the wall with some bags on the floor beneath it.

Hello Sockmonkeys!

I have a few different things to post about, but I thought I'd get this one up first so it doesn't get buried.

Image: One Sockmonkey writer at a table with her laptop, a cupboard in the background in front of the windows with Polly Esther, Pierson and other Sockmonkeys on top of it.

Many thanks to xwordslingerx for getting to the library before I did. And thank you to the librarians at the University Place library for unlocking the door to the room for her so she could set up while I was still on the freeway.

Image: Two tables with one Sockmonkey writer a piece at them. The table on the left has an open laptop facing the camera and the table in the distance holds the wrapped mugs for the Mug Exchange.

We had a small but fun group at this Midway event - and far more food than we could eat (as evidenced by the photo of the table at the top of this post). It was great to see them again, to catch up, and to hear a bit about each other's current projects. 

Image: A wooden cupboard in front of some windows. On top of the cupboard sit the mugs from the Mug Exchange, our mascots Polly Esther and Pierson, and the Sockmonkey bucket of Sockmonkeys.

There wasn't any need for the usual tickets to decide whose turn it was to pick a mug, but that was okay. It was still fun watching the mugs be opened, looked at and talked about. And, as is tradition, they were posed with our mascots for their posting online. In the photo above, from left-to-right are: a curvy red and white striped mug; Polly Esther; a black mug that reads "You Octopi my Heart"; Pierson the Sock dog; A green Christmas Tree shaped mug; and the Sockmonkey bucket of Sockmonkeys. I hope the others enjoy using their mugs - I know I'll enjoy using mine!

I know there were various writing and library events going on elsewhere, which is why a few Sockmonkeys (and maybe more...) who usually attend weren't able to make it. Here's hoping that's not the case for our Winter Potluck and Blind Book Exchange. As stated at the end of the last post, it will be given its own post, but, in order for people to have time to mark it on their calendar, just remember that it is scheduled on Saturday, December 6th from 1 - 3 p.m. 

Hope to see some of you then!