Private Poker Club

Hi all, Welcome to the February Paranormal Book club and our Australian Author inspired reading meet-up!! We are going to meet up at Time Out Cafe in Federation Square\. Once we have discussed our books\, we will walk down to the NGV to explore their latest exhibitions\. I'm particularly interested in the Women Photographer's exhibition\, but you may also like the Westwood \| Kawakubo Exhibition as well\, or you can just explore the main gallery which is free\. Here's a link to the [NGV](https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/), so you can see what is on and pre-book any tickets to the exhibitions. I would recommend any time after 12pm, for the exhibition bookings. The books for Sunday 8 February 2026 are: Within the Space of a Second by Elise Helliwell [Within the Space of a Second by Elise Helliwell | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231131590-within-the-space-of-a-second) A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan [A Forbidden Alchemy (The Artisan Trilogy, #1) by Stacey McEwan | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213660564-a-forbidden-alchemy) Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned by Ashley Capes [Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned (Reed Lavender #1) by Ashley Capes | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48835570-graves-robbed-heirlooms-returned) If you would like to look at all the books that we have read so far, click [here](https://1drv.ms/x/s!Am2wjNpl1c1ijCNvt-hrWM8gPaem?e=riV48x). Finally, if you can't make it, please change your RSVP to a NO. This is super important, because I will have booked a table based on our usual numbers. Happy reading until then!! 🤓

Forget awkward small talk - let’s connect over dice rolls, card decks, and a bit of friendly competition. This is a relaxed, social evening for anyone who wants to meet new friends and have a laugh. Whether you’re a seasoned strategist or someone who just wants to play something light and silly, there’ll be a mix of games for all levels. Come solo or bring a friend - either way you’ll leave with new connections (and maybe a new favourite game). Interested in where the idea for this event came from? You can read about it [here](https://open.substack.com/pub/girlswhoboss/p/from-chandeliers-to-pub-lights-and?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=4apm4h).

**This event has been rescheduled from 12:00pm to 10:00 due to possible rainy weather** Join me for a chill sketch session at Kere Kere Gardens. We’ll be meeting beside Cook’s Cottage at **10:00am** before finding a suitable place to sit on the lawn. What to bring: \- Art materials\. \- Weather appropriate gear\. \- A picnic rug/towel to sit on\. See you then :)

MUST TAP “ATTEND” (PLEASE SPECIFY NUMBER OF GUESTS) FREE ENTRY ONLY IF YOU BRING A FRIEND. Calling all introverts! Meet other introverts in Melbourne and make new friends in a safe environment with board games to help break the ice! Feel free but not obliged to socialise! ALL WELCOME! LAST ENTRY STRICTLY AT 8.30PM

Start point: WE HAVE A NEW CAFE! **Truffles Patisserie** **192/194 Carlisle St, St Kilda, 3182** It's at the corner of Carlisle and Chapel St's. End point: Who knows? Distance: Approx 4 to 6km (each way) Estimated time: 60 to 90 minutes (stopping and starting).

MUST TAP “ATTEND” (PLEASE SPECIFY NUMBER OF GUESTS) FREE ENTRY ONLY IF YOU BRING A FRIEND. Calling all introverts! Meet other introverts in Melbourne and make new friends in a safe environment with board games to help break the ice! Feel free but not obliged to socialise! ALL WELCOME! LAST ENTRY STRICTLY AT 6.30PM

MUST TAP “ATTEND” (PLEASE SPECIFY NUMBER OF GUESTS) FREE ENTRY ONLY IF YOU BRING A FRIEND. This is an extremely popular event so please RSVP EARLY to avoid disappointment as PLACES ARE LIMITED. Please arrive on time at 8pm as NO ADMISSION WILL GRANTED ONCE THE VENUE REACHES FULL CAPACITY. LAST ENTRY STRICTLY AT 8.30PM

After some great discussions using these cards, we just had to continue! "It isn't easy to get into a good conversation. Many of our best ones seem to have happened by chance. Far from it - we believe a great conversation always starts with someone asking a great question.” The School of Life cards contain questions designed to get a group of people into entertaining and meaningful conversations. This is a casual, social and fun event where we share our thoughts and experiences with a group. We can cover topics like: Personality & Emotions, Work & Money, Family & Friendship, Travel, Culture & Taste, depending on the questions that end up being asked on the day. Please arrive hungry/thirsty for us to keep up a good relationship with the venue that allows us to host our events. \*\*\* Meaningful Discussions events take place in 11 countries and this will be our 147th event in Melbourne! :) Please be try to arrive on time if you can. This event will allow a thoughtful, respectful and engaging discussion. So if you're looking for open-minded, friendly and intelligent people, you've come to the right place!

If you’d enjoy a relaxed Sunday afternoon wandering through beautiful spaces, sharing thoughtful conversation, and ending the day over a lovely dinner — you’re warmly invited to join us. This is a women-only gathering designed to make connection feel **easy, unforced, and nourishing**, with art, movement, and shared experience doing the heavy lifting. ### Meet time & place **4:00pm – Meet inside the NGV, Great Hall** Please enter the **NGV (180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne)** and walk through **Federation Court**. We’ll meet in the **Great Hall**. (This meeting spot is easy to find once inside — see map/photo in the event images.) ### Gallery wander + conversation **4:00pm – 5:00pm** We’ll spend the afternoon **wandering a limited area of the NGV together**, moving at an easy pace and allowing conversations to unfold naturally as we explore. This is a relaxed, unstructured wander — there’s no rush and no expectation to see everything. The gallery provides a beautiful backdrop for: * Gentle conversation * Reflections sparked by art and design * Easy connections without small talk pressure As with other **Good Conversations Club** events, you’re welcome to arrive exactly as you are. I’ll have **conversation prompts available** that you’re welcome to use if you’d like — or not at all. They’re simply there to support ease, connection, and meaningful conversation if you want them. ### Walk to dinner The NGV closes at **5:00pm**, so we’ll meet out front, then take a **short walk (approx. 10 minutes)** together towards Flinders Street Station. ### Dinner **5:30pm – 7:00pm** **Chocolate Buddha** (very close to Flinders Street Station) Dinner is a chance to sit, slow down, and continue conversations over (shared?) food. You’re welcome to join for the gallery wander only, or both — dinner is optional but encouraged. ### Who this event is for This is a **women-only** event for those who are: * Young at heart and open-minded * Interested in art, culture, and meaningful conversation * Comfortable in mixed-age groups * Looking for connection without pressure or performance There’s no strict age range — you’ll likely meet women across different life stages who value presence, curiosity, and good conversation. (In general, ages of people attending our events have been around 25-50 years) ### Important notes * Entry to the NGV is free * Dinner is pay-your-own * Please arrive on time so we can begin together * Comfortable shoes recommended for walking This event is about **shared experience first**, followed by **nourishing conversation** — in beautiful surroundings, with ease.

**First Gathering: Love as Transformation** Reading: **The Forty Rules of Love** by **Elif Shafak** We begin Men, Meaning, and Madness with a novel that treats love not as sentiment, but as a force that disrupts, humbles, and reshapes the self. The Forty Rules of Love explores love as discipline, surrender, and moral risk. It asks what happens when certainty breaks, when the ego is wounded, and when meaning is found not through control, but through transformation. This gathering is for men interested in serious literature and honest inquiry into how love shapes character, responsibility, and the inner life. Discussion will be guided by questions rather than summaries. The aim is depth, not debate. Come having read the book or engaged with it seriously.

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

**I’m planning future book club meetups and would love your input. Please choose your top three from the list below—your picks will help decide what we read next!** **Book Options** *The Hong Kong Widow* – Kristen Loesch *American Spy* – Lauren Wilkinson *God of the Woods* – Liz Moore *Listen for the Lie* – Amy Tintera *The Swallows* – Lisa Lutz *The Drowning Kind* – Jennifer McMahon *The Eights* – Joanna Miller *The Quiet Librarian* – Allen Eskens Thanks so much for sharing your pick! Please **reply in the comments** with your top three. I can’t wait to see which books rise to the top and to discuss them together at our next meetups.

If you are interested in selecting investment choices for your 401(k) or other workplace savings plan, minimizing your income tax liability, or identifying the most effective investments for your brokerage account, we are the group for you. We are a local chapter of Bogleheads**®**, whose investment strategy can be found here: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Bogleheads%C2%AE_investment_philosophy Or you can peruse the Boglehead forum here: https://www.bogleheads.org/index.php Rob will lead this month's meeting in my absence. Mark Vonder Haar

Welcome, readers! Our February read is **_1984 by George Orwell._** In 1984, George Orwell imagines a world where the government watches everyone, rewrites reality, and punishes even private thoughts. Winston Smith dares to question this system, believing that truth and love might still exist. His rebellion draws him into a chilling struggle against a power that knows him better than he knows himself. The novel leaves readers asking whether freedom is possible when reality itself can be controlled. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖