Leadership and Purpose

Leadership and Purpose

Will my brushes with greatness never cease? First, my friend Dana is a judge on The Food Network’s Recipe to Riches, then Super Jess included me in her Doughnut Bonanza, and today my husband launches his very own book — Leadership and Purpose: A History of Wilfrid Laurier University. By Andrew M. Thomson.

Yes, world, nine years ago I married a professor and today I’m sleeping with a published author.

Not a cookbook author, mind you. But I did manage to convince him to include one recipe. And I’ve made it to celebrate the day.

The recipe for Seminary Cake was sold as a fund raiser for the Women’s Auxiliary. They charged 10 cents for the recipe card which included a list of ingredients and the following instructions:

Bake in moderate oven, in tube pan.

As many of you know, my husband  is an historian. He specializes in Canadian History in general and Canadian Business History when he’s particularly geeky. You want him on your team for Trivial Pursuit, but he’s useless when clearing out the basement. “Hey! That’s not a piece of broken junk. That’s a collectible!”

Wilfrid Laurier University turns 100 this year in all its purple and gold splendour. They commissioned Andrew to write the book commemorating their century of growth. Andrew did this on a tight deadline and in the throws of his torn quad tendon. I could barely get dinner on the table during this time, yet Andrew diligently wrote 179 pages and sourced a library’s worth of historical photographs.

I think he deserves a medal for this work. Instead, he’s getting a cake. And my undying admiration. If he’s lucky, he’ll also get a t-shirt that reads, “I wrote an book and all I got was a lousy blog post.”

In my defense, I did create the Facebook game “Book or Wife?” in his honour.

Care to celebrate with us? We’ll be at the Waterloo Campus book launch:

The launch of Leadership and Purpose: A History of Wilfrid Laurier University by Andrew Thomson will take place on Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 at the Senate and Board Chambers on the Waterloo Campus while simultaneously the new visual identity for Wilfrid Laurier University will be unveiled at the RCW Room 203 on the Brantford Campus. Both events occur at 3 pm.

If we’re really lucky, there will be cake.

 

 

 

No Comments
  • Monica Bhide
    Posted at 11:08h, 21 October

    I wish I could be there. My best wishes are with you and Andrew. Congratulations on your book and I wish you great success. You are both such warm, amazing and wonderful people. We feel honored and lucky to call you our friends. Oh, and can I have some of that cake?

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 11:27h, 21 October

    Thanks so much, friend. I’d serve you a huge slice if you were here. Heck, I’d give you two for the effort of visiting.

    It’s actually a very simple vanilla cake with a hint of lemon. Nothing special except it has a link to the school and his book.

    And I had to pull out my disintegrating copy of Five Roses Flour Cookbook to see what a “moderate” oven meant 🙂

  • Robin Smart
    Posted at 17:50h, 21 October

    Way to go Andrew!! Congratulations to you both for living through the experience, now go bask in the glory of your work. Enjoy your cake, and eat it too. I know she will make you another soon.
    Love.
    Robin

  • Lisa MacColl
    Posted at 20:43h, 21 October

    I’ll drop 10 cents to you the next time I’m at the Button Factory…I want the recipe, or should I just google?

    Congratulations Andrew!

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 20:34h, 23 October

    The cake was okay, but I have much better recipes. Personally, the Butter Rum Cake is calling to me, however, when offered the cake of his choice, Andrew wanted Seminary Cake because of the book.

    His book launch. His call. When my turn comes, I’m going for CHOCOLATE.

  • Charmian Christie
    Posted at 20:36h, 23 October

    I’ll pass your congratulations onto Andrew. To be honest, it’s just an okay cake. You’re a baker. I know you’ll have a more spectacular recipe in your repertoire.

    The Seminary Cake is vanilla with 1 tsp of lemon rind. Meh…

  • Susan Hoffman
    Posted at 08:54h, 24 October

    So glad to hear the book project came together, and included a recipe. Enjoyed the article and picture in The Record. I can send you an original copy if you’re keeping a scrapbook of Andrew’s fame! Now I need to see a copy of the book…

  • Gretta
    Posted at 16:30h, 15 November

    I just stumbled onto your page but how fortuitous! That cake looks delicious but it’s also sort of appropriate for my circumstances. My boyfriend is a seminary student and at the end of every term I bake him a seminary goodie!
    This cake will go on top of the recipe pile for the end of the semester! Congratulations on the book, that’s so fantastic!