Dear Sunday Letter friends,
Nine days until Christmas. Who’s ready?
Not me.
But I’m getting there. I’ve done a little shopping. I’ve decorated my house as much as I’m going to. I’ve been listening to Christmas music and wrapping presents and watching holiday movies.
I even saw the Grinch in person!
The Grinch and Gracie Lee
Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking at Bookish in Fort Smith. Bookish is a new independent bookstore on 10th Street just off Garrison Avenue. If you live in Fort Smith and haven’t stopped by at least half a dozen times, well, I don’t know what to say. It’s adorable. It’s exactly the way I want my bookstore to look. You know, that bookstore I’ve always dreamed of owning…
I plan to devote an entire blog post to Bookish in the very near future. But for now, I’ll just say, go today. Everyone who’s anyone is supporting local, shopping local, reading local. Even the Grinch.
Who knew the Grinch had such good literary taste? And that he could read upside down?
Interesting, that one.
Tarzan of the Apes
Tuesday night at our book club holiday party rather than doing a regular book exchange, we each brought a favorite book from our early years. I took Tarzan of the Apes.
Tarzan opened my eyes to a world beyond Nancy Drew and Laura Ingalls Wilder, beyond wonderlands and secret gardens into a more exotic adventure. After my seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Ashley, introduced me to the ape man, I devoured the series. Racks filled with paperbacks hung in the back of Mrs. Ashley’s classroom, and we were encouraged to borrow borrow borrow. She didn’t have to tell me twice.
At first, Mrs. Ashley’s enthusiasm of Tarzan seemed so out of character for the proper English teacher I knew her to be, a subdued sort of natural beauty, tall and slender with cool blonde hair and thin, long fingers that tapped against the podium as she discussed the themes of The Scarlet Letter.
And then I read the first Tarzan novel and understood the magic within the pages.
Mrs. Ashley died of cancer at a young age, not many years after I graduated from high school. She had no children. But I know one child in particular that she helped instill the love of literature.
P.S. This particular Tarzan volume is part of the Barnes and Noble Collectible Edition. Such beautiful covers!
Bo Derek Hair
My daughter had a birthday on Thursday. This momentous occasion sent me searching through old photo albums for baby pictures to post on Facebook. This led me into the rabbit hole of even older photo albums of college and one certain summer when I thought it would be fun to have Bo Derek braids.
Oh my.
Beyond the hair, there’s so much to discuss about this picture.
Such as:
– Hang Ten shirt no doubt purchased at Westbrook’s in Blytheville
– Add-a-Bead necklace, probably a Christmas or birthday gift.
– Rivercrest High School pom poms. #OnceAColt
– Orange flowered wallpaper. (Staci and I wanted something more flashy. Momma chose this more subdued style.)
– I’m sitting on a waterbed. (Was originally Momma and Daddy’s bed but that proved to be a bad idea.)
– Heavy eye makeup. (The norm of the day.)
– Lips. If I had to guess, probably some flavor of Lip Smacker.
– The picture is a Polaroid. (Greatness. No more waiting a week for film to develop.)
My bad attempt at Bo Derek hair only lasted a couple of days but thank goodness Momma took a picture. I’d hate to not have evidence of this fashion / style statement.
Lizzie B’s Vintage Shoppe
I recently discovered that one of my favorite vintage shops, Lizzie B’s, is closing soon. This makes me sad! Lizzie B’s is one of my favorite places to wander around. I always find treasures there, sometimes in the form of memories I’d nearly forgotten.
Like this necklace. When I was a young girl, I had a bauble just like this one I recently saw at Lizzie B’s. I don’t remember how I came to own such a beauty, maybe a gift from Santa, but one day it vanished. And I never found it again.
Until…
What if this necklace was my original necklace?
Stranger things have happened. And, Christmas is the time when lost things are found.
Should I buy it? Yes or no?
Things Momma Says:
Me: I love your sweater!
Momma: Thanks. It’s my go-to sweater. I wear it when I’m not going anywhere.
***
See you later friends. I have several blog posts planned for the next few weeks so don’t be a stranger.
xo
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Love the Bo Derek hair! Buy the necklace! Tom read an article about a couple shopping at a thrift store in Florida and found their son’s baseball mitt that he used In little league in Ohio 40 years ago. He had signed his name on the mitt so they knew it was his. They took a picture and sent it to their son. He said “buy it”. They paid $1.49. I’m still trying to figure out how a go-to sweather doesn’t go anywhere. A picture might help. Haha
Thanks Colene. That’s a cool story about the mitt. I’m not sure you should always be able to figure out Things Momma Says 🙂
I’ve seen that meme somewhere that says, “I always thought quicksand was going to be a bigger deal when I became an adult,” or something along those lines, suggesting that we worry way too much about things that are unlikely to happen. But as a Tarzan follower growing up, I spent mental time considering all the ways I could possible get out of that situation. This brought back that memory. And I think the braids were perfect!
So we both belong to the Tarzan Fan Club. Yay.
So many interesting things to think about in this post! I too am saddened by Lizzie B’s closing. I always hate to see local shops leave. Buy the bauble!
Buy the Bauble. I understand Momma. She and I are of a similar age.
I hate when favorite stores close. I love this picture of you. My dad had several Polaroid cameras I think because he never got around to having conventional film processed. I think I still have one of them. Definitely buy the necklace!