Book: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
Winner of the 2022 BookTube Silver Medal in Fiction * Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

"A wise novel of love and grief, roots and branches, displacement and home, faith and belief. Balm for our bruised times." -David Mitchell, author of Utopia Avenue

A rich, magical new novel on belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal, from the Booker-shortlisted author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.

Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. In the taverna, hidden beneath garlands of garlic, chili peppers and creeping honeysuckle, Kostas and Defne grow in their forbidden love for each other. A fig tree stretches through a cavity in the roof, and this tree bears witness to their hushed, happy meetings and eventually, to their silent, surreptitious departures. The tree is there when war breaks out, when the capital is reduced to ashes and rubble, and when the teenagers vanish. Decades later, Kostas returns. He is a botanist looking for native species, but really, he's searching for lost love.

Years later a Ficus carica grows in the back garden of a house in London where Ada Kazantzakis lives. This tree is her only connection to an island she has never visited--- her only connection to her family's troubled history and her complex identity as she seeks to untangle years of secrets to find her place in the world.

A moving, beautifully written, and delicately constructed story of love, division, transcendence, history, and eco-consciousness, The Island of Missing Trees is Elif Shafak's best work yet.

Books are selected by the members of the Women’s Book Club

Reoccurring monthly on the First Monday, starting at 1:00 PM; we meet in members’ homes.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

September 7, 11 am   "Little Altars Everywhere: Modern UU Transcendentalism?"

If we can be fully open to our senses- all six (?) of them-  we may be inspired by our encounters with everyday objects, beings, and places to find greater meaning for our lives. Thoreau and Emerson wrote extensively on their "direct experience of the Divine in Nature." Using this auction-item topic as a point of convergence, our Emeritus Minister, Rev. Dan King, returns to share reflections on how we can promote an awareness of an essence greater than ourselves.

Join us in-person for our weekly gathering.

During in-person worship service, Religious Education is offered for children 5 and over, and a nursery is available. You are invited to join us for hospitality after the service.

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

September 7, 9:45 am   “AI – The Mother of Invention?”

Amanda Ayles will explore AI, where its going and what we can do with it.

Adult Discussion Group will be meeting in person @ 9:45 AM in Thoreau’s Clark Cabin except on the third Sunday of each month when we will meet in the Sanctuary @ 11 AM.

The AC and HEPA filter will be running to keep Clark Cabin & the Sanctuary as safe as possible.

For those that prefer: We will provide ZOOM via the OWL system when we meet in the cabin & our Moderator Tamara will recognize your hand up and add you to the queue.

Thoreauvians and friends will be notified each week (tuucannounce@groups.io) of our ADG topic, time and zoom login.
Please keep an eye out for our notices.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

August 31 - “Silence is Complicity”

Ron Masters’ grandmother’s grandfather, David Mahon, argued for diversity, equity, and inclusion—across national borders—as Universalist religious principles in a 1860 speech to his Unitarian congregation in County Antrim, Ireland. He vigorously opposed oppression of ordinary people for the enrichment of the political and religious establishment. By 1880, he migrated with his wife and children to a farm in Iowa. Mahon’s message resonates with our situation today. Ron will read from his great-great-grandfather’s sermon. Ron says: “I found the original manuscript and a transcription among my father’s effects after dad died in 2011, having not been aware of Mahon previously. Thoroughly modern Mahon would fit right in at Thoreau today.”

Join us in-person for our weekly gathering.

During in-person worship service, Religious Education is offered for children 5 and over, and a nursery is available.

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

August 31  “US Newspapers”

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, newspapers in the United States have played an important role historically. Garna Christian will lead this look at American print journalism.

Adult Discussion Group will be meeting in person @ 9:45 AM in Thoreau’s Clark Cabin except on the third Sunday of each month when we will meet in the Sanctuary @ 11 AM.

The AC and HEPA filter will be running to keep Clark Cabin & the Sanctuary as safe as possible.

For those that prefer: We will provide ZOOM via the OWL system when we meet in the cabin & our Moderator Tamara will recognize your hand up and add you to the queue.

Thoreauvians and friends will be notified each week (tuucannounce@groups.io) of our ADG topic, time and zoom login.
Please keep an eye out for our notices.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

August 24 - “Including Others as a Habit of Mind”

You already know how to be more inclusive.  You know how it can transform you.  But you've fallen out of the habit.  David Throop of Bay Area UU will be in the pulpit to tell us how to find our way back.

Join us in-person for our weekly gathering.

During in-person worship service, Religious Education is offered for children 5 and over, and a nursery is available. You are invited to join us for hospitality after the service.

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

August 24  “Self-Reliance”

Noel Zinn will lead this discussion on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay, “Self-Reliance”.

Adult Discussion Group will be meeting in person @ 9:45 AM in Thoreau’s Clark Cabin except on the third Sunday of each month when we will meet in the Sanctuary @ 11 AM.

The AC and HEPA filter will be running to keep Clark Cabin & the Sanctuary as safe as possible.

For those that prefer: We will provide ZOOM via the OWL system when we meet in the cabin & our Moderator Tamara will recognize your hand up and add you to the queue.

Thoreauvians and friends will be notified each week (tuucannounce@groups.io) of our ADG topic, time and zoom login.
Please keep an eye out for our notices.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

Please join us for the Men's monthly dinner group.

Location: Beck’s Prime 1822 Hwy 6 Sugar Land, TX 77478

Let us know to look out for you! Get in Touch.

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

August 10: Water Ceremony and Ingathering

Join us this Sunday as we gather together to begin a new chapter in community, reflection, and renewal.

Each year at Thoreau UU, we celebrate the start of our new church year and coming back together as a community with our Annual Water ceremony and In-Gathering. Everyone is invited to bring water with them to church and to share insights garnered over the summer as they gathered their water, or to reflect on the everyday holiness of their water offering. So bring some water on Sunday and think about a few short sentences you can say about why water is meaningful to you.

Join us in-person for our weekly gathering.

This is an intergenerational service, so there will be no RE class for the children. You are invited to join us for hospitality after the service.

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

2nd Friday Discussion Group will meet on Aug 8th at Becks Prime:
1822 SH-6 S, Sugar Land, TX  77478.  
Near the Sugar Land Whole Foods.  
Here’s the menu: https://www.becksprime.com/menu/menu.pdf  

TOPIC: TBD

ALL are welcome!

Reoccurring monthly on the Second Friday.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

Book: "The Book of Lost Friends" by Lisa Wingate.

 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives.

“An absorbing historical . . . enthralling.”—Library Journal

Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away.

Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three youngwomenset off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt—until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three youngwomen, a long-ago journey, and a hiddenbookthat could change everything.

Books are selected by the members of the Women’s Book Club

Reoccurring monthly on the First Monday, starting at 1:00 PM; we meet in members’ homes.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

August 3: Summer Interest Groups

ADG Presents:

Trump’s Jeffrey Epstein Problem with Ed

We'll explore Donald Trump's shifting stance on Jeffrey Epstein—once promising transparency, now denying key details. Has he become part of the very "swamp" he vowed to drain? We’ll begin with two short videos: a brief Epstein biography and an MSNBC commentary, followed by open discussion. All are welcome.

Tangent Thoughts with Deirdre

A welcoming space for UU adults navigating life with ADHD. We gather to share experiences, exchange resources, and offer each other understanding and a lot of humor on this journey. We delve into topics relevant to our lives, from executive function to building meaningful relationships, all within the context of our UU values. Expect open hearts, open minds, and definitely a few tangents!

Atlantis and Lost Civilizations with James

Long dismissed as myth, the story of Atlantis may hold deeper significance when viewed through the lens of archaeology and cross-cultural study. This talk explores striking parallels in ancient architecture, symbolism, and societal myths across the globe—raising questions about shared memory, lost knowledge, and the resilience of oral tradition. Without resorting to speculation, we’ll consider how converging evidence from geology, anthropology, and ancient texts invites a more nuanced look at humanity’s forgotten past.

The Federalist Papers with Amanda

What holds a democracy together—and what threatens to pull it apart? This discussion aims to explore The Federalist Papers (written in 1787–88 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay) through a Unitarian Universalist lens. Together, we’ll reflect on the tensions and paradoxes at the heart of America’s founding documents, and how they resonate with our UU principles today. No prior reading is required—just bring your curiosity and civic spirit.

Kids & Youth

The kids of Thoreau will be preparing songs for the Water Ceremony.

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

July 27: Summer Interest Groups

Practical Mindfulness with Manuel

Join us for session two of Practical Mindfulness as we focus on meditation as a tool of mindfulness.

ADG Presents: STOP THE PRESSES! with Garna

STOP THE PRESSES! What do you consider the most important news story of the past week? Any topic: political, financial, cultural, personal, Garfield, etc.

Fiction Book Club with Ashley

This summer book club will focus on fiction books to include genres such as paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi. This Sunday, we will be discussing The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. This book can be found at your local library, purchased online, or through apps such as Libby by linking your library book.

Services for Seniors with Ron H. and Special Guest

Senior citizens often require a variety of services to support their health, independence, and quality of life. This is a discussion of some essential types of services needed and available for seniors. What services and how can Thoreau assist our seniors?

• Health care services

• Personal care services

• Nutritional services

• Transportation 

• Social & Recreational Services 

• Housing & Living Arrangements 

• Independent Communities

• Financial & Legal Services 

• Mental Health Services

• Advocacy Services 

• Technical Assistance 

• Care Giver Breaks

An Overview of AI Tools with Amanda

Copilot, Claude, and Grok -- oh my! The world of AI tools is vast, and in this information & discovery session we'll be diving deeper into the sub-list of "AI assistants" that have been designed to 'help' us get through the barrage of data coming at us every day. This session aims to answer the following questions:

• Who owns the tool?

• How much does it cost?

• What was its intended use?

• Why would I use one over the other?

“Let’s Make a Zine” Kids and Youth

Join the fun as we turn the conference room into a publishing house! This summer the kids will be making their very own Zines! We will explore what it is to be UU through print media and personal expression!

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

July 20: Summer Interest Groups

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡” 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚

Explore your religious/philosophical past, how you got to UU and any trauma or epiphanies along the way. We will be talking, journaling and doing a time-line while keeping confidentiality within the group. Our goal is to explore the positives and negatives on our personal journeys. We will celebrate the good that we have brought along with us to the present and let go of the negative.

𝐀𝐃𝐆 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: "𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬" 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐧 𝐌.

What do you want from the news? Where do you go to get it? How long do you spend digesting it? Are you happy with the content and approach of your sources? What would you like more of, or less? Hoping for positive stories about what’s working for you.

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐠

Come prepared to share about who most influenced your music listening and/or playing — parents, siblings, friends, teachers, etc.?

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐨𝐧 𝐇.

Where do we go for information? This will be a sharing of progressive media shows, podcasts, newsletters, talk shows, and networks from politics to social justice.

“𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐙𝐢𝐧𝐞” 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡

Join the fun as we turn the conference room into a publishing house! This summer the kids will be making their very own Zines! We will explore what it is to be UU through print media and personal expression!

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

Please join us for the Men's monthly dinner group.

Location: Beck’s Prime 1822 Hwy 6 Sugar Land, TX 77478

Let us know to look out for you! Get in Touch.

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

July 13: Summer Interest Groups

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡” 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚

Explore your religious/philosophical past, how you got to UU and any trauma or epiphanies along the way. We will be talking, journaling and doing a time-line while keeping confidentiality within the group. Our goal is to explore the positives and negatives on our personal journeys. We will celebrate the good that we have brought along with us to the present and let go of the negative.

“𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤” 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐞𝐥

Ever been “in the zone”?

That deep focus where time disappears and everything just flows? Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called it Flow—a state of total presence and effortless action.

Neuroscience shows that during flow, a brain network called the Default Mode Network (DMN)—linked to ego, mind chatter, and overthinking—goes quiet.

Join us July 13 to explore how this connects to creativity, mental health, and awakening.

“𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬” 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐲

Come ready to share your favorite recipes, local restaurant recommendations, and specialty grocery spots as we engage in a free-wheeling discussion of all things food.

“𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫” 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

Come and walk the mowed paths all around the beautiful Thoreau grounds and find out about its plants and animals. We may see interesting insects, especially butterflies, dragonflies, and bees! Be prepared for heat and chiggers. Cover up!

“𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐙𝐢𝐧𝐞” 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡

Join the fun as we turn the conference room into a publishing house! This summer the kids will be making their very own Zines! We will explore what it is to be UU through print media and personal expression!

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

2nd Friday Discussion Group will meet on July 11 at Becks Prime:
1822 SH-6 S, Sugar Land, TX  77478.  
Near the Sugar Land Whole Foods.  
Here’s the menu: https://www.becksprime.com/menu/menu.pdf  

TOPIC: TBD

ALL are welcome!

Reoccurring monthly on the Second Friday.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

July 6: Summer Interest Groups

“The Haunting Church” led by Cassey Crouch in the upstairs classroom

Explore your religious/philosophical past, how you got to UU and any trauma or epiphanies along the way. We will be talking, journaling and doing a time-line while keeping confidentiality within the group. In order to work, we need a minimum of 5 participants. Our goal is to explore the positives and negatives on our personal journeys. We will celebrate the good that we have brought along with us to the present and let go of the negative. Please check your schedules and if you are interested, get in touch with Cassey Crouch so the necessary materials can be available.

Fiction Book Club with Ash Nguyn in the Fellowship Area

This summer book club will focus on fiction books to include genres such as paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi. The first book will be The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. This book can be found at your local library, purchased online, or through apps such as Libby by linking your library book.

Weekly Discussion sponsored by the Adult Discussion Group in the Cabin

OBBBA: Trump’s New Budget Bill with Ed Hrkel

How bad is it? What can be done?

Poetry Workshop with Michael Crouch in the Sanctuary

We will address several (but not necessarily all of) the goals below.  If interest and participation are strong, and/or we don't get to some of the goals, we might consider arranging another session later in July, if that would be feasible within the overall summer activity schedule.

Goals: 

1.    To share one or more of your favorite poets/poems (number to depend on number of participants and length of your chosen poems).

2.    To share one or more poems that you have written in the past, or that you wrote specifically for this workshop (optional).

3.    To discuss the interpretation of poems.

4.    To discuss the poem writing process, including varying individual approaches.

“Let’s Make a Zine” Kids and Youth: Summer Art Series in the Conference Room

Join the fun as we turn the conference room into a publishing house! This summer the kids will be making their very own Zines! We will explore what it is to be UU through print media and personal expression!

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!

AE Lunchitarians

This is a recurring virtual meeting every Wednesday from noon - 1:30 PM.

Thoreau Lunchitarians discuss books, or other matters arising

Check your email for topic details and the Zoom link!

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!

June 29: Summer Interest Groups

“The Haunting Church” led by Cassey Crouch in the upstairs classroom

Explore your religious/philosophical past, how you got to UU and any trauma or epiphanies along the way. We will be talking, journaling and doing a time-line while keeping confidentiality within the group. In order to work, we need a minimum of 5 participants. Our goal is to explore the positives and negatives on our personal journeys. We will celebrate the good that we have brought along with us to the present and let go of the negative. Please check your schedules and if you are interested, get in touch with Cassey Crouch so the necessary materials can be available.

“Tangent Thoughts” with Deirdre Hammons in the Fellowship Hall

A welcoming space for UU adults navigating life with ADHD. We gather to share experiences, exchange resources, and offer each other understanding and a lot of humor on this journey. We delve into topics relevant to our lives, from executive function to building meaningful relationships, all within the context of our UU values. Expect open hearts, open minds, and definitely a few tangents!

Weekly Discussion sponsored by the Adult Discussion Group

“Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The Over-Soul”, with Noel Zinn. 

“For the Love of Music” with Doug Kohn in the Sanctuary

At our first session on June 29, we will discuss your favorite artist or band and why you like them . At the second session on July 20 we will talk about who most influenced your music listening and/or playing — parents, siblings, friends, teachers, etc.?

“Let’s Make a Zine” Kids and Youth: Summer Art Series in the Conference Room

Join the fun as we turn the conference room into a publishing house! This summer the kids will be making their very own Zines! We will explore what it is to be UU through print media and personal expression!

Interested in joining this service in person? Get in Touch!