All The Comforts Of Home

I thought I'd experienced everything when it comes to bookstores.  I've been to everything from used bookstores http://www.biblio.com/ to bigger stores such as Books-a-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/ .  So it came as a surprise, to find all the comforts of home, in a large chain book store, like Barnes and Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ , especially, when larger chain stores, no matter which ones, can be very impersonal.

My daughter and I had not had much time, that first visit to Barnes and Noble, and I thought, I'll just go in for a quick look, and then I'll be on my way.  But that was not the way it worked out.  From the minute I walked in first set of double doors, I experienced a hush...a silence, in a tiny entryway, where I was able to peruse some books on sale, before I even got to the main part of the store. It's very quiet here, and I heard neither the noises from the outside, nor the noises from the inside of the bookstore.

And when I go through the next set of double doors, I heard a sort of whoosh, and then the smell of coffee drifts to my nose, a most delightful caffeine high.  First, to the left, of the entrance, is a very cozy lounging area.  Here customers, are sitting chatting quietly, at some tables, with a few typing away on laptops as they sip coffee.  And past this, is a little cafe area.  Here again, one can sip coffee and enjoy one of the many desserts in glass enclosed display cases, to tempt someone like me, long before I take the first bite.

Even though the lure was almost more than I could take, my daughter and I start off towards the back of the store.  In the very back is a section dedicated only to kids.  The display of books was incredible. Too many to see, for a rushed visit.

So it was very hard to know where to go next.  There was a teen section just outside the kids section.  Several shelves of fiction.  And to the right of that there was a eight to ten feet, at least, long section of magazines, of every kind.  There were so many things to look at, I actually just sort of ignored- some things- as it was just so hard to know where to go next.

I had to go, time had run out, and I regretted not being able to stay longer, but I had to stop, for a second, at their cafe.  I had the biggest piece of cheesecake, I'd ever seen.  My daughter had a piece of chocolate cake.  We pulled out our books, bought in haste, but that I knew we'd enjoy.  My daughter started reading from Tumtum & Nutmeg and I started reading, Known To Evil.  It was wonderful, the short time we had.  I've no doubt I'll be back again, soon.  Only the distance, will make these visits far apart.

One Mans Junk.......

Sometimes, even the birds wouldn't be tweeting when I'd push open the door and face another "barely light", Saturday morning.  It'd be hot, with the promise of hotter, and yet mom would smile liked the grandest adventure awaited me.  In my child's mind-at that time-, it didn't, in mom's mind it did.  A folded up newspaper,- gripped tightly in her hand- would show the yard sale section, highlighted and  hastily circled-many times-, giving directions to yard sales http://www.theonlineyardsale.com/  near and far.

I did not have the craving, for these "yard sales" yet and I did not understand the need to rush from place to place.  The need to make it to the next place before someone got the "good stuff".  Of course, mom would come back -many times- with only books, little nick knacks, and such- but I, did not see it's value.  I did not understand the expression, "One man's junk, is another man's treasure."

Of course, as things turned out, since my long ago youth, I'm sentimental about all things book like, tiny nick knacks,and well okay, just plain "cute stuff".  I realize now I did learn something valuable form mom -on those  hectic yard sale trips-long ago.  I learned that treasure, cheap, expensive, small, big, cute or not is what's seen in each person's eyes.  That makes it treasure.  That makes it a keepsake.  If it makes my heart-as did mom's- pitter patter, then it was and is a treasure worth keeping.

It's been years, since I've gone to yard sales, and mornings aren't spent listening to the early morning tweeter of birds, but fixing my husband's lunch and writing, emailing- at the computer.  But somethings happened recently, I was not aware of.  My mom's love of yard sales, skipped me, and hopped into the imagination of my daughter.  My daughter, now sees a fascination in yard sales and has asked if we can go.

A happiness-oddly, maybe- fills me at the thought of doing this.  Again, as when I was little, the paper will be whipped out.  Hastily circled addresses will be read.  Big yard sales, family yard sales, church yard sales, rich section, must go to yard sales, they're all there for the taking.  The hunt, the search for-"must have items"- is upon me. A tradition, long forgotten, is about to start again.  I look forward to it.  Maybe not the being up before the birds get to tweeting, but the hunt for treasure.  http://www.yardsalequeen.com/