I lied! It's below 90! Wahooooooo!As long as they're not Katrina-strength and they don't hit you directly, hurricanes can be kind of nice. I'd forgotten about that. We are feeling the far, far outer bands of Hurricane Dolly (see a terrific satellite loop of Dolly, here) and when I walked out to the mailbox it felt cold!!! Okay, yeah, it's still 86 degrees, but after the last few weeks . . . and with a breeze . . . well, it's just very wahooey.
So . . . I can wahoo, again! Wahoo! for cooler weather!!! And, squeeeee!!!!! The breeze won't last long, but we'll take anything.
It's been a long, long time (weeks -- horrors!) since I've taken any new photographs. But, I haven't forgotten that I promised to show you the history books I snatched off my mother's shelves. Well, most of them. The wooden antelopes (I found them, Debi!!!) belonged to my father. And, the quilt has a typewritten tag that says it was given to my grandmother in the 1930s by Great Aunt Something-or-other. I confess; I forgot to look. It's pretty though, isn't it?
Titles, top to bottom :Upstairs at the White House - J. B. West
Journey into Christmas - Bess Streeter Aldrich
Nebraska Moments - Donald R. Hickey
Nebraska Folklore - Louise Pound
The Pioneers - various authors (publ. by Reader's Digest)
175 Battles - Shaw & Vestal
The Old West: The Pioneers (don't see an author -- a Time-Life book)
At War in Korea - George Forty
Historical Atlas of Oklahoma - Morris & McReynolds
The Colosseum & The Tower of London - both appear to be Newsweek releases
Wahoo for inherited books!! I had to save them from my (possibly insane) sister, you know. She wanted to "get rid of" all the books. But, not the toaster.
I did get a replacement for my favorite lens, the one that broke, several weeks ago, and when it arrived I took one photograph to make sure it worked. This is the photo, a bit of detail from the mirror in our front entryway:
Silly photo, but isn't that a wahooey design?Last wahoo before I have to get off the fat fanny . . . and it's a good one . . .
I've been thinking about doing a "What are they up to, now?" post about some favorite authors I've talked with or interviewed in the past. With that idea in mind, I emailed Colleen Gleason, Simon Van Booy and Patricia (Pat) Wood. All three responded, so yesterday was spent batting emails back and forth with three authors that I truly adore. Wahoo for a day of chatting with super cool authors! Look for a post about what they're up to, within a day or two.
Wait!!! Latest wahooey book arrivals (or, Why the Postman and UPS Guy Know My House Well):
The Words of War - Donagh Bracken
Matrimony - Joshua Henkin
Walking Through Walls: A Memoir - Philip Smith
Wahoo wishes to all!
A much more cheerful Bookfool, thank goodness
Cool.
ReplyDeleteGlad you heard back from the authors. Some of my favorites have just disappeared.
You sister and the toaster still cracks me up.
Barbara,
ReplyDeleteIt was fun!
I guess not having to worry about future installments is one great thing about reading a hodge-podge, right? Having said that, I remember the let-down when Dick Francis said he was never going to write another book.
There's got to be a joke in there, somewhere -- sister, nuts, cracked. LOL
What a great wahoo! And I hope the cool lasts!!
ReplyDeleteThe books are unbelievable and I love the antelope carvings. They're amazing. And that quilt is certainly a treasure! I'm glad you got the books! Your sister can have the toaster!
cjh
CJ,
ReplyDeleteThanks! We're back in the doldrums, already. All well, it was a nice couple of hours. :)
Aren't the carvings beautiful? My dad used to have a really nice collection but Mom took them off the shelf when he died. I'm guessing they were hard to look at. I found those two in the garage, of all places!!! I'm thrilled to have found any at all.
The toaster is hers. We bought eldest a toaster, while he was home for the 4th of July. You're right; the books were more important.
That should be "Ah, well." Oopsy.
ReplyDeleteI love the photos, especially the "silly" one. Very cool!
ReplyDeleteThats so cool that the authors all got back to you, I think it's a wonderful idea!
I nominated you for an award on my blog.
Oh my, just look at them! They're beautiful...I'm so glad you were able to find at least a couple of them! As soon as I saw your photo (before I'd even read your post), I got one of those "happy-right-down-to-my-heart" kind of smiles on my face because I knew you'd found them!
ReplyDelete"I had to save them from my (possibly insane) sister, you know. She wanted to "get rid of" all the books. But, not the toaster."...I think you should change the "possibly" to "probably"!
Teddi Rose,
ReplyDeleteThanks! You must like the mirror, then, yes? I think I got it from Novica; it's been a while.
Isn't that cool? Authors tend to be really nice people. I think they kind of shatter that old myth of the hermit who writes because s/he can't socialize, these days.
Oh, cool, thanks! I'll come over in a little bit!
Debi,
That's exactly how I felt when I found those two -- happy right down to my heart. They were so important to me. I'm assuming those carvings were just too special for my mother to bear to leave on the shelf because I remember when I went home for a visit and they were gone. His whole collection was spread out in the same place for years. Strange that I've only found a couple and they were in the garage, though. It's like she wanted to bury the memories along with the carvings.
Well, I think it's a definite -- sister is just nuts -- but I'm being nice. LOL
I can see why she took them down too but I'm glad you found the antelope(s).
ReplyDeleteNo probably or possibly about it. Toaster over books? Crazy.
So wahooey that you heard back from all three! That'll be a great follow up.
Hopefully the weather and your mood are both good. :)
Yeah you were great for a legitimate few hours of procrastination lol!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat am I up to???
Answering Bookfoolery's emails...lol
Carrie,
ReplyDeleteYeah, and I've done a little of the same. There are a few of my mother's possessions that I just want out of my sight. I'm guessing they were just too special.
Ugly old toaster over books -- even crazier than if, say, it was a nice toaster.
Yes, now if I can just focus long enough to write. The shifts in air pressure that Dolly brought are giving me migraine fits. The weather sucks; my mood is awful. It's pretty bad when you're more sluggish than the cat!!!
Pat,
Hahaha! It's what I do best -- inspiring procrastination (and joining in, myself).
I'm sure you're back to writing up a storm. Right? :)
BTW, thank you for the comment you made at Teddy Rose's blog. You and Teddy made my day!
Wahoo for you! Boo for me. :( Sometimes we'll get some of the rain and cooler weather from the storms (even up here in Dallas), but didn't get nothin'!! Still over 90. My husband's hometown (Harlingen/South Padre) got whacked by Dolly, though!
ReplyDeleteI'll celebrate cool weather any day with you! My sister-in-law says when it's hot that I get chafed and irritable, and she is NOT wrong!
ReplyDeleteTrish,
ReplyDeleteLOL Disappointing, eh? We didn't get any rain -- just a breeze. Our breath of fresh air lasted such a short time (about two hours) that I almost feel like it would have been better if it had bypassed us completely. But, I'm trying really hard to just meditate on how nice that wind was, while it lasted. It's nasty, today.
I'm familiar with Padre, as it used to be the "in" place to spend Spring Break, when I was in HS and I went there as a side jaunt on a school trip. Two of the kids were stung by jellyfish. I stayed on the beach. :)
Bellezza,
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's me. I've never liked heat. Every summer I wonder the same thing, "How on earth did I end up in the Deep South?"
I'm glad you're enjoying some cooler weather. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it lasts through the weekend.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is a pretty quilt. I like the wooden antelopes, too. Perfect for the stack of old books. Have you read anything by Aldrich? I loved A Lantern in Her Hand and have always thought I should read Journey Into Christmas every year when I see it on the Christmas display in the bookstores here. Maybe this will be the year!
I can't wait to read your post about the super cool authors! What a great idea.
Have a lovely weekend. I plan to bike, kayak, fish, entertain and possibly go for a motorcycle ride. I LOVE summer!
Les,
ReplyDeleteWe had about 2 hours of cooler weather. It was nice while it lasted. :)
Nope, I haven't read anything by Aldrich, yet, but you told me she's one of your favorites. That's a very old copy of Journey Into Christmas, so I'll have to treat it with care when I read it. I think this year should be the year you read it, definitely. Maybe we can both read it and chat about it, later on.
I'll try to get that post done, today! Yesterday, I had a migraine and was basically useless. I'd try to type and go totally blank -- even responding to comments was an effort.
You can have summer. :)
I'm game! Maybe we should try to read it in mid-November and chat about it in early December. No pressure for either of us, though, if we get swamped with the holiday junk.
ReplyDeleteI do love summer, but I'd be perfectly happy if I could have spring & fall weather year-round. Guess I should move back to San Diego for that!
Sounds great, Les! I usually start reading Christmas books in late November. There's no such thing as "holiday junk" for us, but you never know what I'll have on the stacks, so I like the "no pressure" comment. :)
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like summer in a slightly cooler, drier climate -- I had fun even in 100+ temps in OK because it was dry, but even as a kid I dreamed of moving to the mountains. Personally, I thought summer in Michigan was pretty ideal. Do you skip winter in San Diego?
Wahoo! I just passed a couple of awards on to you!
ReplyDeleteHey Suey,
ReplyDeleteThanks!! How sweet! I'll try to pass those on asap!
Glad you got a bit of a respite. I love the iceberg pics you've posted recently. :)
ReplyDeleteMy Niece is in Haiti and I was relieved to hear that the hurricane didn't have much of an impact there. Eighty-six is perfect weather, I think! I am an 80's girl in more ways than one. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love your idea for "What are they up to, now?" I can't wait!
Thanks, Nat! Makes you want to head for Alaska, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteWendy,
ReplyDeleteHaiti gets some scary storms. I think your niece lucked out, this time. As to weather . . . 80's is okay in a dry climate or with a breeze. We usually are neither dry or breezy, so my favorite temps are the 60s and 70s -- low enough that the humidity doesn't make you too hot or too cold.
My "What are they up to, now" post about Pat Wood is up. Please let me know what you think!
San Diego's winters are pretty mild. It doesn't get much cooler than 55 or so. Inland, it might get colder (with some snow in the mountains), but along the coast, it's pretty nice.
ReplyDelete