Books, Books, Books

We did some more exploring in Chatham the other day and discovered a used bookstore called Book Brothers. We didn't think to ask the guys if their name was Book. (I do have inlaws whose name is Book, and one of them is actually a retired librarian.) Anyway, what a find. Rooms full of books, well organized, and very nice ambiance. Mart & I both found books that we'd been looking for. I recently read a biography on P.G. (Pelham Grenville, nick-named Plum) Wodehouse that I picked up at the Chatham Library booksale. We've been fans of his since watching the old Jeeves & Wooster series a few years ago. We still pop off with some of the phrases we picked up while watching Bertie Wooster's misadventures. I'd never read any of the Wodehouse's books though. We found a couple old paperbacks at Book Brothers, and learned there are collectors in the area that usually snap up anything that comes in. It made my finds seem that much more special!

Apples, Apples, Apples

Well, here we are, enjoying the fruit of our labour. Fresh apples to munch on, apples to bake in pies, apple bread, and (not shown) apple sauce. We invited Peetra over for apple pie and cheddar cheese and tea. She brought along some apple cake she'd made. So it was an apple party. I can feel Fall in the air.

The Bonnet

Here she is, Miss Claire in her prairie bonnet from Nanna. (See "History Lesson" for more background.)

Claire likes to pretend she is Laura Ingles from Little House on the Prairie. Claire's little sister Emily has a bonnet from Nanna too, but she was not available for comment. Claire likes to pretend that Emily is Laura's younger sister Carrie. I'm not sure what Emily thinks about this (again, she was not available for comment). Poppa and Nanna think just about everything Claire and Emily do is charming!

Urban Hiking

Expanding our horizons in the neighborhood, we decided to walk to the Chatham-Kent Library, on the corner of Queen & Cross (I love all the English names!). We figured it to be about a mile each way, and we were pretty close because it only took 20 minutes to get there. We base our distances on the walks we used to take in the Eldon Lyon Park in Bethany, Oklahoma. We walked the posted 1.5 mile trail weekly for the 3 years we lived there. As you can tell, we are pretty low key about our fitness routine; our philosophy is that any movement is better than no movement. One must cross the Thames River on the way to the library, a murky river just as it's namesake in England. On the way home we discovered a small park behind the bridge. Across the river, behind Martin, is Tecumseh Park and the Chatham Armoury, as well as a play area for children. Claire & Emily would like that.

Apple Picking with Peetra

Peetra, one of Martin's five fabulous sisters, had a great idea on Sunday afternoon. "Let's go apple picking." She didn't have to twist our arms. We all gathered our tote bags and headed over to St. Clair Road and the Chatham Orchards. Only 40 cents a pound, MacIntosh, Elstar (from Holland) and Jonagold. So good, sweet, and juicy! It's one thing to give thanks at the dinner table, but when you get to see how our food grows, in nature, it seems miraculous.

At Home

I thought some of our friends and family might like to see us at home. We are not always off gallivanting, after all. Not a few of our outings have been searches for appliances or furnishings for our little cottage, so I'll tell you about a few things. The lovely velvet wing back that Martin is enjoying we spotted at the local Goodwill! A deal at $49. Our lovely linen slip-cover sofa is IKEA, purchased in Toronto and assembled at home by Martin. We are big IKEA fans, and have purchased other items that I'll share another time. The coffee table, vintage 1940? was a $5.00 yard sale find and is in mint condition--even the embossed leather top. The smiling lady in the other photo is taking her husbands favorite dessert out of the oven, rice pudding. He was smiling too. I've always liked white cupboards and especially little glass doors. The perfect place for my teapots. That's another reason to smile. I like the little shelf too, and the wallpaper. The former owner, Mrs. Kelley, aged 93, kept this little kitchen spic & span. Another reason to smile. And she lined all the shelves with paper lace. What a gal!