Where I Spent My Weekend

Friday night was homecoming night at the high school (our team won - kind of a prerequisite with homecoming games, isn't it?) and on Saturday we went to the North State Swim Meet at Delta State University. More on that another time, as I came home with some Fighting Okra decals to throw in with the occasional gifties that I plan to come up with for the Chunkster Challenge and possibly for No Reason Whatsoever!!

But, you don't care about all that, right? You want to hear about books. Piles of books, books flowing like the mighty Mississippi River while a bookstore cat watches you from a table loaded with colorfully covered stories and people shuffle around quietly, paging through - what else? - books!!! Well, I'm willing to oblige. Check out the photo, above, of the interior of Square Books in Oxford. Just a small corner, but could it be much cooler?

Wait! We're not there, yet. After the swim meet, we drove to Batesville, MS, which has little to recommend it other than an outlet mall that's losing its discount bookstore. Sigh. So sad. We were too tired to do anything but eat, play on the internet (hubby), watch cartoons (the kid) and read (me). But on Sunday we headed to Oxford to visit with the eldest kiddo. While there, we ate at the Bottletree Bakery, walked around the town square and visited Square Books. Yes! Finally, the crowd breathes a sigh of relief. She's made it to the bookstore!!

We milled around because it's a place worth milling around in, ya know. They have books! They have mugs with quotes! They sell coffee! There are photos of authors all over the place! It smells like paper, old wood and coffee. Ambience galore, people.

We had walked past Off-Square books after the bakery but it was not yet open. Of course, as soon as we were done savoring the atmosphere in Square Books (and, yes, the pocketbook took a small hit), off we went to Off-Square Books, the remaindered- and used-book twin of Square Books. The best part about a visit to Off-Square Books (besides the obvious) is a chat with the store cat. This time, I found out her name and snapped a few photos of her. So, here we have . . . tada! . . . Mamasita getting a nice little neck rub from my eldest. She is a sweet, friendly kitty with a tag that says "Return to Off-Square Books" on the front. I've never seen her stray beyond the occasional outside table, but I have a feeling that she's well known, even should her tag be eaten by a monster, and would be quickly returned. Many people stopped to chat with Mamasita.

Since I am a Bookfool and so are my children, we did leave with (ahem) a small pile. The eldest pointed out a book and forced me to read the cover flap on pain of being trapped in the store with a cute cat. How cruel. So, I read it and, duh, bought it for him. Call me Wimp. And, the other child shoved a couple of things in my hands. I do believe he knows how to operate the Book-Purchasing Mama Machine well.

So, that's where I spent my weekend. I think I need to visit my eldest more often. If you went somewhere better, please feel free to loudly one-up me. I'm all glowy from my bookstore experiences, but someday I've got to come down off this Book High.

Bookfool, back home and barefoot