Book Sale

           Another quiet week here in the Luby household. I’ve been spending my time working on commissioned porch signs.

          I finished the double-sided porch sign for my beautiful friend Joanie. You’ll remember one side has Easter on it and I showed it to you last time. This side shows the summer fun things that happen at her house. The kids jumping in the pool, barbequing, and S’mores making.

          Now I’m working on a sign for an ice cream store and after that, stained glass bunny butts.

          I like always having a project to do. 

>>>*<<<

 

          This week the Kipps and I went to a book sale at the Tunkhannock Library.

          So many books!

          Unfortunately, I seldom read physical books anymore.

          “Why’s that, Peg?” you ask.

          Well, there’s a couple of reasons.

          One, I can’t read in bed at night with a light on. It bothers Mike. For a while, before electronic readers came out, I used book lights. I bought several different kinds but never found anything I really liked.

          Two, since my e-book syncs across all my devices, I always have my book with me and it always remembers what page I’m on.

          And there’s a third reason, too. I can borrow books from the library really easy with and e-reader.

          I looked through several categories of books while the Kipps were loading up. I checked out the cookbook section. Just for kicks and grins. I don’t need nor want any more cookbooks. Any recipe you could ever want will be online, so why buy another cookbook?

          I checked out the religious book section. I found a book our pastor sometimes talks about called Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand. He was a Christian preacher who was imprisoned and tortured for fourteen years during WWII because of his faith. I didn’t get it but I did call it to Lamar’s attention and he picked it up.

          The only other section I spent any time in at all was the DVD section. There were tons of good movies, but I didn’t buy any. I have a shelf full of good DVDs already that practically never get watched. What I did buy were eight workout videos. I get bored doing the same workout all the time and when I can find them cheap, I pick them up. I actually have tons of workout videos ranging from chair and walking exercises to workouts that are way way too hard for me. Those are the ones I aspire to.

          The DVDs were two bucks each. I picked up one that had a sticker on it for six dollars. “Is it really six dollars?” I asked myself.

          “Pull the sticker off,” the little devil sitting on my shoulder whispered in my ear.

          “That would be dishonest,” the angel on the other side said.

          “Then just bury it in the stack so she doesn’t see the sticker,” that little devil said.

          “Seriously‽” My little angel was incredulous. “You’d be deceptive to save four dollars?”

          Quickly, before the devil could get another word in, I turned to the lady sitting at the checkout desk. “This one’s marked six dollars.”

          She shrugged. “I let them all go for two.”

          My angel did a fist pump, “SCORE!” and the devil disappeared.

          I’m not the only one that scored!

“Book sales are a great place to read a new author,” Miss Rosie said, “but I found so many books by authors that I already know I love that I didn’t try any new ones.”

          Between her and Lamar they had a teetering tower of thirty-two books! Twelve hardcovers and twenty paperbacks in exchange for one President Grant.

 

>>>*<<<

 

          One night, when I took the girls out for the last time before bed, Bondi and I heard Raini barking from the side yard. Bondi ran around the side of the house to see what was going on. I waited for a few minutes but neither dog came back. It was chilly and I didn’t have a coat on. I went back in the house figuring they’d be along in a few minutes.

          I got ready for bed and crawled between the sheets. The girls still weren’t in. I opened my e-reader and settled in to read. “The dogs are still outside,” I said to Mike as he lay there watching Becker. A few more minutes pass and still no dogs. Now I’m wondering what’s keeping them. And to add fuel to fire, the bears are waking up. What if one of them knocked down the fence and the girls are out? I wondered. I decided I should get up and check.

          I took a flashlight, turned on the patio light, and went out. I picked my way through the dog run, careful not to step in any presents left by the girls, and went around the corner. There they were! I was happy to see they were still inside the fence. Bondi was barking and digging the dirt away from the side of the house. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out they’ve seen a mouse.

          Raini stood back, eyes and ears alert as Bondi flung dirt back between her legs in a frantic bid to get at the mouse. When she thought she had enough room, Bondi squatted down, got her head and shoulders under the board and batten siding, twisted her head up and around and made a grab for the unlucky critter hiding there. I was wondering if the mouse was where she could get him when he dropped to the ground and I got a momentary glimpse of him before he jumped back up out of sight.

          Bondi, nose lifted to the siding, sniffed along the foot-long trench she’d dug until her keen nose found his new hiding spot. She dug out more dirt and gave it another try. I could see her little jaws snapping and suddenly, in a flash, she backed out and gave her head a mighty shake! That mouse never stood a chance!

          She put the mouse down and checked for signs of life. I didn’t see him move but Bondi picked him up and shook him again.  

          Raini was really interested in Bondi’s catch, but Bondi was defending it.

          “Leave her alone!” I told Raini and she followed me into the house, leaving Bondi in the yard with the mouse. I really thought she’d worry it a little then come inside.

          No sooner were we in the door than Raini turned around and went back out.

          I went to bed.

It wasn’t long until both girls came in. I don’t know who ate it or even if they did eat it.

          “They’ll puke it up in the bed,” Mike said.

          “Not usually,” I told him. “It’s the cats that’ll puke up the fur, but the dogs don’t usually.”

          I’m so proud of my little mouse hunters!

>>>*<<<

 

          We took a trip up to the gas well site after church today. This is what it looks like now.

          There’s not much left to talk about this week and definitely nothing as exciting as our mouse hunting expedition.

          Mike is working hard trying to repair my giant wind spinner. There’s too much play in the blades so they wobble when they spin and crash into each other with enough force that it tears them apart. After welding it twice it’s out of balance. Here Mike’s putting some counterweights on. 

>>>*<<<

           We’ve had some nice warm days, 50s and even the 60s. Combine that with rain and we’ve got stuff popping out all over the place! Here’s some brand spankin’ new leaves.

 

>>>*<<<

           Let’s end this time with a sunrise picture from my kitchen patio.

          Done!