Saturday, March 13, 2010

Saturday morning at the library sale

There is not much that would get me out of a warm bed on a cold, rainy morning.  A library sale is one of those events.  One of the libraries in a nearby community was having a special sale of old books (all 50 cents each) and I was hoping to find Goudge and Stevenson.

While standing in line, I texted Stephanie at the conference.  I was standing in a cold rain and she texted back that she was listening to a talk by Tracey Klicka.  Now, besides hearing Sally and Sarah, that is a lady I'd love to hear.  Her husband is a hero in my book.  :)

Anyhoo, while not finding any books I was actually looking for, I did find some goodies including Kristin Labransdatter, Hillyer's A Child's Geography of the World, The Oxford History of the American People, a vintage Anne of Green Gables, At The Foot of the Rainbow by Gene Stratton-Porter, a few Churchill books, and a Helen MacInnes mystery (another writer I've just begun to look for at library sales).  How lovely to find good books for less than a fast food meal.

I will take pictures of the vintage linens as soon as Christopher brings the camera back home.  Since they were only $1.99 each, it was worth buying all three tablecloths.  Even my slim budget could handle those prices.  I love vintage linens and have been fortunate enough to purchase them at amazingly low prices at garage sales through the years.  I always offer Stephanie any she would like (her tastes going towards red and lighter greens where I love red and yellow).

She framed a lovely embroidered linen and hung it over their piano... it was from a stack of vintage linens I purchased at a Detroit garage sale for 25 cents to $1.00 each (mostly a quarter, though).  When you think of all the work that went into that piece...  When we lived in the Detroit area, Christopher and I would walk to garage sales on Friday mornings and then have lunch "out", a tradition that still brings fond memories.  Since my husband was almost always traveling for his job, we had to walk but felt quite secure in daylight (stayed home after dark!!!).

Speaking of traveling... which I don't do... I am, however, a master packer.  With a husband who traveled a great deal over the years for his job, I learned to pack long ago.  Since Christopher still had mid-terms as late as yesterday and a wedding rehearsal last night (not his, hehehe)... I did most of his packing.  I left a note of travel reminders on his Mac (a place I knew he'd find it) before heading out to the library sale.  Only two cell phone calls were required from him before he left.  I call that successful packing.  He was gone before I arrived home and he and his friend will be leaving for Florida immediately after their friend's wedding.  (The second wedding from their homeschool crowd!)

Sigh... it is such a "raw" day outside with more rain and chilly temperatures.  Soon I will brew some hot tea... mine in the small teapot with its' sweater-like tea cozy keeping it warm... hubby's in a boring mug (but that's what he prefers).  Tea and books and a few pieces of chocolate and a cat stretched out by my feet... Heaven on Earth.

All prayers for my traveling children are appreciated.  Okay, so they are all grown up but you know how it is.  :)

Picture: A Good Book; allposters.com

4 comments:

Mama Squirrel said...

Wow, sounds like you got some great finds!

julie king said...

i love to go to library sales! i miss my hometown library so much since i moved away. big sigh!!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

We are rainy here too...love a chance to buy books cheap!

Vee said...

Sorry that you didn't find exactly what you were looking for, but those that you did find sound very good. Looking forward to the vintage linens. I'm quite jealous of your 1.99 treasures. The best price I've seen hereabouts is 15 to 20 dollars each.

Happy trails to both of your traveling children and peace of mind to their happy-to-be-home mom. And, yes, I do know how it is.