Seems some very wintry weather is headed straight for us here on the NE coast, so I spent the day making the usual preparations: a visit to the market, a visit to our local package store, making sure the laundry was caught up & that there were plenty of candles & lamp oil in the kerosene lanterns just in case we lose power, reminding my DH to check the fuel in the snow blower, planning what to cook tonight that I can turn into a great soup for tomorrow, wood for the fireplace, and lest we forget the chocolate, I even remembered that:
Moser Roth Dark European Chocolate
One each of "Chili" (oh yum!) & "Orange & Almond". I'm no chocolate expert, I'm quite happy with a good old Hershey Bar and a glass of ice cold milk, but when I want something a bit more sophisticated (but that doesn't break the bank) this does the trick.
I also managed to squeeze in a little "Treasure Hunting" and found these lovely additions for my library:
Clockwise from top left:
1.) How to Finish Old American Houses by Henry L. Williams and Ottalie K. Williams
2.) A Life of Privilege, Mostly by Gardner Botsford
3.) Out of This World ~ Across the Himalayas to Forbidden Tibet by Lowell Thomas
4.) The Best of Kipling by Rudyard Kipling
EXHIBIT #1: Having gone to Old Sturbridge Village for my annual class field trip every year of elementary school, I suppose it was inevitable that I would grow up to love old colonial style decor. While my classmates groaned & complained the moment our teacher announced (with false excitement) that "This year we are going to . . . Old Sturbridge Village!!", secretly, I was elated that we would be making the trip back in time . . . If you've never been, and ever find yourself in that neck of the woods, make it a point to include this tour in your itinerary. It's an all day affair, but well worth it. Sturbridge is also home of the infamous Publick House and an abundance of antique stores & shoppes. If you time it right, you can spend some time browsing the Vintage Fashion & Textile Show and spend a day treasure hunting at The Brimfield Flea Market. Needless to say, EXHIBIT #1 was calling my name from it's shelf, and will be a perfect accompaniment beside the fire with a glass of port over the next few days.
(Photo courtesy of Vintage Fashions & Textile Show Site)
EXHIBIT #2: I have to admit it was the cover of this book that caught my eye (yes, I have been known to pick a book for it's cover and nothing else . . . please, don't judge me). The title, too, brought a little smile to my face. It told me this author had a sense of humor, and did not take his "privileged life" all that serious . . . perfect! I'm probably the only person who didn't know that Gardner Botsford was the editor of The New Yorker for 40 years. Don't judge me for that, either. I enjoy the New Yorker, usually for about 10 minutes a week when I'm in the check out line somewhere or at the library waiting for my daughter to decide which Judy Moody book to check out this time. I suppose if I lived closer to the city, it would be profitable to know about all those great plays and the goings~on about town, but it usually just leaves me sighing and reminds me that we have an 8:00 pm cut off for take-out delivery around here ~~ a far cry from life in the big city. With that said, I am looking forward to reading this memoir . . . and if I never get to it, at least I know who Gardner Botsford is now if I ever end up on Jeopardy. (Is that show still on, by the way?)
(Photo courtesy of The New Yorker)
EXHIBIT #3: Out of This World was in my basket even before I met a pair of "older" gentlemen who were taking advantage of Senior Citizen Tuesday and were hunting for books as well. I smiled at one of them and he smiled back ( a rare occurrence in New England, if you live here you know how friendly everyone is) and he asked me what I had found. A delightful conversation ensued, and he told me all about the author, Lowell Thomas. Again, it was the cover & title of this book that appealed to me, although I had no idea who the author was. But now I do, thanks to my SC fellow treasure hunter pal. I hope to run into him again, he had a great smile (and nice shoes, come to think of it)
(Photo courtesy of Photographers Gallery)
EXHIBIT #4: Saving the best for last: The Best of Kipling. My step~father used to read Kipling to us after dinner, we'd sit around the table and he would pick an excerpt from one of his works and read to us. My sisters would slowly disappear from the dining room, but I always stayed, hanging onto every word. He has a beautiful collection of books in his library, and we have always enjoyed finding books for each other over the years. But, since he has all of Kipling's works, this one will stay here.
(Photo courtesy of Emsworth )
I am pleased to declare I am blizzard~ready & armed . . . let the snowflakes begin!
(In the meantime, my parents are just arriving at this fabulous spot . . . talk about perfect timing!)
