Thursday, January 24, 2008

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


The rap at the door was firm and demanding, breaking our lunchtime reverie. Nellie arose from her pillow and cautiously checked the back door. I knew it was the front door. I knew it was the mailman. He handed me a stack of four packages – books I ordered through Amazon last week. Happy day!

[Photo -- Idaho farm girl (?), 1956]
Here are the book titles:
Little House in the Ozarks, a compilation of articles written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We discussed this book a couple of weeks ago. It has been revised and reprinted with a new publisher, but since I could buy this edition (1991) for little more than shipping & handling, I did so.

The other three books are by MaryJane Butters:
-- MaryJane’s Farmgirl Journal: a lined notebook with MaryJane’s farmgirl wisdom interspersed. On the back it says, “Are you a terribly tenacious, hardworking, can-do, will-do, stick-to-it kind of gal? [Not sure I really qualify.] If so, you’re a farmgirl at heart. Sprinkled with seeds of wisdom by MaryJane Butters – America’s organic lifestyle maven – this lined journal offers fresh inspiration for enjoying life’s simple pleasures, celebrating a job well-done, and reconnecting with others.”

-- MaryJane’s Ideabook-Cookbook-Lifebook (for the farmgirl in all of us), a thick book with lots of pictures, recipes, and instructions for vintage arts. It’s farm nostalgia (1930 to 1960).

-- MaryJane’s Stitching Room. This book was published last year and caught my eye as I was setting up Kathy’s Vintage Sewing Room. It announces 47 projects, including embroidery, crochet, tatting, and stitchery. MaryJane is especially into aprons, tea towels, potholders, doilies – the home decorative touches of a bygone era.

These books are new friends for my library – reference books, sources of inspiration. Where do you look for inspiration? What gives you a lift when you’re down or spurs you to action when you need “to get on with it?”

2 comments:

Hallie said...

What a good day! Packages are fun. I like packages, but I did not enjoy carrying my new vacuum 2 blocks to my car yesterday.

What picks me up when I'm down? Umm...I like to watch movies over and over again. So, I put in one of my movies and wallow for awhile. Then when I'm done wallowing at the movie, maybe I'll take a hot bath and wallow there for awhile. Usually, I'm just hungry so after all that wallowing, I eat some food and find myself very happy. Those who know me well will often say, "Are you hungry?" To which I snippily reply, "Are you suggesting that I'm CRANKY!??? Grr!"

Kathy said...

Maybe when you're down, you should start with food instead of ending there. At least those who know you well recognize that the source of your crankiness is probably hunger.