Books

72°f/22°C, again. Humid, light overcast. North of us had heavy storms yesterday, but nothing here, sadly.

When you think you're going to stay home and recover from a few days of hard work, then someone advertises a Hoosier-style cabinet for $40, what do you do? You get in the van and drive to Zanesville, Ohio. That was yesterday. Today? Getting that rest, I promise! 

I finished my book, Circle of Grace, by Penelope J. Stokes, when we got home last night, and today I've started When We Believed in Mermaids, another by Barbara O'Neal. 

Last week I read The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman, an eerie tale, as most of hers are, about three sisters who invent an imaginary land and their own language as well. Reality in the form of an abuser and a tragic attempt to save a horse push the oldest and leader of the sisters deeper into her imaginary world, which becomes a dark and painful place, and creates divisions between the girls. Their single mother tries and often fails to control her daughters as the girls go through their teen years. Drugs, promiscuity and self-hurt dominate the older sister's life as her two siblings each try to cope in their own way, watching helplessly as the oldest spirals deeper and deeper into chaos. I like Alice Hoffman's books usually, so I plowed on with this one even though the story was for the most part not a happy one. There were enough flashes of light and hope to keep me going. In the end, I was glad I had stuck with it. It is not a story I will soon forget. 

Circle of Grace also explored relationships between women who met as college roommates and tried to continue their bond with a journal that passed from one to another. The four friends go separate ways and record their lives in the journal, but each keeps the truth of their lives out of the journal, and instead give a rose-colorded and often fictional accounting. When Grace discovers she has terminal cancer, she invites the group for a weekend at a luxury spa, where she plans to tell the sad truth of her life, and ask forgiveness for her lies. But each of the three others also has secrets, and each comes to the retreat intending to come clean. This was a good read, often touching, often reverberating with the truths of the lives of so many women. 

I have noticed that I seldom read any book by a man. Why is that? It's not a conscious choice, but I guess I find the female perspective more relatable. I think the last book I read that was written by a make author was A Gentleman in Moscow, which i enjoyed very much. Maybe I should try to find others by me that I would enjoy. 

Meanwhile, I am enjoying When We Believed in Mermaids so far--another tale of sisters' relationships with an intriguing plot: the unexpected sighting on TV news of the sister who was supposed to be dead. 

I think I will spend most of today just reading. Sounds like a fine idea!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Work Day: Booths

72°f/22°C, breezy and light overcast.  Need rain.

Heavy work the last 2 days! On Thursday, we drove to the Parkersburg area to pick up a couple pieces of furniture, and met some really nice people. At the first place, the lady said, "So you live in Ripley?"

"Well, not exactly," I said. "Between Ripley and Spencer." 

"My daughter is married to a man whose parents live out that way, on Joe's Run.  Do you know where that is?" 

"That's our road! Well, the one we take to get to our road."

"Their names are Randy and Carla. Do you know them?" 

"They're practically our next-door neighbors!" I said. (They are about a mile from us, but that's next-door up here.)

Small world. But I always say West Virginia is just one small town. Talk to anyone long enough, you will know someone in common.

When we got home we had to unload that evening, because Friday was booth day. We skipped it last week, so we had plenty to do. Friday morning we loaded the white cupboard and 4 totes. At Farmhouse we took out the possum belly cabinet and put in the white cupboard. Loaded the possum belly and took it to Ravenswood since a green cabinet we had there had sold. A solid 5 hours of work, no lunch break, and we were done. And done in! But all looks good now.

I didn't take photos at Ravenswood,  but here's some from Ripley. 

I tried to echo the scene in the framed print, and got a little bit like it.

Crystal is selling again, if I keep prices low, and put lights around it. Not a fast mover, but some sells each month.

Linens also sell, but I need to tidy up this display. 

Not attractive!

Dollies sell too, but again, I keep the price low. Most are below $5.

No plans for today, except do some wateringvand put in a few plants.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Spice of Life

56°f/13.3°C, clear. Warmed up to 86°, hot! At least the humidity is relatively low.

Looking back through photos, I realized there were some I meant to post but never got around to, so I will so it now. Pure randomness here!

Well, this is actually from today. I picked a bouquet while I was watering some new plants. This is, from bottom center, coreopsis, then the red is spigelia, then feverfew,  an allium seedhead barely visible, a sweet little rose, and below the rose a Shasta daisy.

Also today: farmers are hard at work getting hay up while the weather is good. This is near our home.

In the garden recently. That's Brazilian verbena and feverfew, and I believe a Great Fritillary butterfly. 

In my shopping cart at Walmart yesterday: 4 miniature rose bushes.  They ard only $4.97 right now! I have several already, one about 10 years old and blooms like crazy. I had gone in for my eye exam, and had to wait for Larry to come pick me up, so flower shopping it was! The exam was good by the way, no glaucoma or macular degeneration,  and only a tiny beginning of cataracts. I need better glasses than just readers though, so I am trying to get used to that idea. Haven't ordered them yet.

On our road, the tree trimmers have been hard at work clearing electric line right-of-ways. We had to wait a bit on this truck, but we weren't in a hurry. And we arranged to have them empty their chipper truck here, so we will have free mulch in a few years, after it rots down.

Did I already post this? This guy kept coming back, apparently attracted to the yellow design on my glass.

We stopped at a Chinese buffet on the way home from the VA on Monday. It has been years since we went to one, before the pandemic as far as I can recall. I was craving General Tso's chicken, which i have been told isn't actually Chinese. But it was so good! I hope this fortune proves to be true. 

At Taylor Books Saturday night, I was struck by this gorgeous pottery, made by a West Virginia potter whose name I forgot to get.

This glass is also made in WV, in Huntington. It was very like stained glass to me. Beautiful. And expensive.

Taylor Books also sells Folkmanis puppets.  This brought back memories of my many puppets, all gone to the local library now. I had many of the ones in this photo.

And they sell bouquets of fresh flowers! 

At the table across from us, a couple bought 3 desserts! They all looked delicious. 

I bought this blue bowl at the antique mall in Marietta. Still haven't identified maker and pattern, but I am sure it's Early American Pattern Glass.  

This was a Goodwill find a few weeks ago. She is so lovely. Not bronze, but "polystone", daggone it. 

Found at the GW on the same day, for $8.99!

My gardening shoes, absolutely worn out. I bought a new pair in the same style, but I hate to give these up! The soles are thin as paper though.

One night last month up on our ridge.

The local jewelers truck. 

Someone made this steel goat and mounted it on a steep rock cliff along US 19 in Nicholas County, WV, in honor of the Powell Mountain Goat. For 18 years, the goat roamed the cliffs along the highway and was never caught. We saw her (it was a she) several times ourselves. Her legend lives on!

Old barn in Pocahontas County. The 45° angle cut of the siding is pretty cool.

Last, just an old door in Marlinton, WV.

And there we have it---variety, the spice of life!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.