grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

the smallest decision

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Last week I joined a blogging group that provides a weekly writing prompt. This week’s prompt is Decision…


It took me all week to decide what decision to write about…

Yes, there are those huge life-altering decisions such as saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to will you marry me? Or the decision to change jobs or buy a home. The decision whether or not to have children.


But sometimes the smallest decisions have the most profound results.

Like the decision to attend a creative writing retreat in Piggott, Arkansas—knowing no one, yet connecting with two ladies who have become friends and writing mentors. 
Pat, Dorothy, Me
Spending an hour wandering through an antique store, looking at Fiestaware and vintage earrings and hand embroidered linens, I barely noticed an old Nancy Drew book. The blue tweed cover had a stain much like candle wax on the front which added to the character. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall. 


I shouldn’t buy any more old books. But it needed me. And I needed it.
This $5 purchase of an old Nancy Drew book led me to its original owner, May ‘Babe’ Brightwell who lives in Maryland. This spur-of-the-moment purchase opened a different door leading to a path with new folks. A family with new stories. (For the original blog story, click HERE.)
Sometimes the smallest decisions…

On That Night

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Before reading, click here for the first part of the story—> You Send Me
my real life Nancy Drew mystery!
Last summer when I happened upon Long Ago Antiques in Fayetteville, I purchased an old, musty book—On That Night by Elizabeth Yates. I was drawn to it by the well-loved cover and Christmas subject matter. Setting the book aside, I decided to save it for Christmas reading. 
My next trip into the same antique store, I bought the Nancy Drew book that led me to my prior blog post, You Send Me. Based on notations inside The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, it was owned in 1959 by May “Babe” Brightwell when she was a teenager living in Maryland. I wondered what became of her, and decided I would try to contact her after the holidays.

I placed the book on my bookcase. It stared at me each time I walked through my bedroom. Yes.I.Was.Putting.It.Off. But, what if I couldn’t locate her? What if there wasn’t more to this story? 

Sometimes the idea of something is better than reality…

Friday night I received two emails from Brightwell family members who discovered my blog post completely by accident. May Brightwell is alive and well, still living in Maryland. She was thrilled to read my blog and see the pictures of her handwriting.

I was as thrilled as she. 

Would she like her book back? 
Yes, she would LOVE her book back! 

Additional emails revealed Ms. Brightwell has always had a love for books and reading and for Nancy Drew in particular. She has no recollection of how she parted ways with this book, nor any idea how it came to be located in Arkansas. (part 3 of the story?)
For a few months, I was merely a caretaker of The Ghost of Blackwell Hall. I considered writing my name and address inside the book underneath hers before returning it, but this didn’t seem appropriate.

my real life Nancy Drew mystery

On Saturday, my neighborhood post office was crammed, packed with harried people mailing last minute Christmas cards and gifts. The parking lot was filled to capacity. Mailing this book was my priority for the day, more important than holiday baking or present wrapping. And, I was surprised to learn she would receive her book on Christmas Eve. Perfect!

Last night I began reading On That Night, my other antique store treasure. I studied the inside flap, then flipped the book over to see the back cover which revealed the following…

“Among the many legends that have to do with Christmas Eve, there is one that says on that night, lost things are found again.”

On That Night

Indeed!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

You Send Me

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Nancy Drew Books - My real life Nancy Drew adventure…
Yesterday my husband and I stopped in my favorite antique store near Fayetteville, Long Ago Antiques. From the street, the shop appeared small, but like the wardrobe entrance to Narnia, each room led into another magical space filled with treasures. Lost in another world for over an hour, we almost made it out without spending anything more than time, until I spied three old Nancy Drew books. I cannot pass up a Nancy Drew book…

Blue tweed covers. $5 each. One was even copyrighted 1930!  A real find…
Vintage Nancy Drew - my real life adventure!
And written inside The Ghost of Blackwood Hall…
Nancy Drew books
This book belongs to: May Gertrude Brightwell, Box L84, Clinton, Maryland…
On the back page, May had written a song list—like a modern day iTunes playlist…Songs including Great Balls of Fire, You Send Me, At the Hop. Hit songs from 1957.
Nancy Drew books
For a collector, these handwritten notations lessen the value.

I think the notations add value.

This book sent me into my own mystery – the mystery of May Gertrude Brightwell. According to the 1940 Maryland Census Record, she was born in 1939, had one brother, two step-brothers and a step-sister. She lived with her parents and grandmother. Based on the year of her favorite hit songs, she was around 18 at the time she owned the book. 
According to Google, she still lives in Maryland and is now 73 years old. I wonder how her book came to be in Fayetteville, Arkansas?

Did she love to read?

Did she love Nancy Drew as much as I?

Of course, the real Nancy Drew would drive up to Maryland in her blue convertible and interview Ms. Brightwell, or at the very least call her.

I think I’ll just leave it to my imagination.

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Of course there turned out
to be more to the story… 
Click HERE to read on!





You Send Me, Sam Cooke


Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!