Librarian: Angel

This isn't a particularly Happy Halloweeny post except for that it happened to me on Halloween and I'm trying to be better about timeliness around here and anyways, haven't you had enough Halloween yet for one year? No? Well then: a trick or treat for luck lovers.

The mailman today brought this large flat envelope to our house, with my name carefully written across the front, with a stamp from the San Francisco Public Library as the return address. I of course assumed the worst: that somehow I'd forgotten to return some wildly valuable book and they'd sent my overdue bill in this envelope, so large it required over a dollar in postage to send. Happily, this was not the case, and rather carefully wrapped up inside was the book present I received from Elana as an early birthday gift three weeks ago, still with gift tag and wrapping paper in tact.



I realized at once that I'd slipped the little Russian children's book into my library book for safekeeping the day I received it and then upon my last visit to SFPL, unknowingly returned them both to the depository. If my life were a dramatic movie, there would be a close up of me dropping it onto the conveyor belt at the entrance (San Francisco is so fancy like that) only to realize the next day that the treasure had been lost forever. Antics would ensue to get it back. In real life, I had just this week begun to wonder where exactly I'd put that little book and some lovely person at the library happened to be looking over me all along.


Since I can't thank this lovely man or lady personally, I'd like to state for the record that this person has something really good coming to them. Twenty dollars found on the sidewalk or two desserts or SOMEthing. Hear that universe? What a nice thing to do for a total stranger.

How-To-Do-It Encyclopedia

I picked this set up from an estate sale this weekend. It's only A-D of the set (which apparently includes almost 20 books) by Mechanix of how to do almost anything. The illustrations are amazing, monochromatic usually and a mixture of drawings and diagrams, with very dated photographs interspersed. This edition is from 1961.

Bloglebrity

Well I had a busy Wednesday evening! Very unlike me, to go across the bridge to San Francisco and stay there for 12 hours, but there were two things happening last night that I just couldn't possibly pass up. The first was the book signing event for my favorite blogger, Molly, who's first book just came out. The latter I've already documented over there, the film screening for the new documentary by Faythe Levine called Handmade Nation. I went to both by myself and it was nice to do two things for myself that I knew I would really enjoy. I got to savor best them that way.

Molly's book looks to be everything her blog is. Though a Bon Appetit subscriber, I'll admit I don't always flock to her column there the way I've looked to her blog. I think it might be the glossy pages and how they seem unsuited to her particularly personal way of writing. But the book and its delightfully matte contents seem already very promising. I haven't started reading it myself yet because I know I will tear up a little (heck, I did it at the reading!), and I couldn't risk it on the solitary train ride home. I plan on fitting it into today's afternoon for sure.

It was fascinating to see all the different kinds of people who read her blog together in one room. In some ways, I imagined many of them to be like me--young, writing-inclined, food obsessed--people who began reading the account of her romantic Seattle life from the chairs of an office. Now, after her picturesque wedding and love-affair with photography, I expected to see other such devout, idolizing fans as myself in line at Book Passage. But instead, it was quite the diverse and calmly admiring type of crowd. Older and younger, moms and gradmoms, and men! I was so surprised. In a nice way.

She introduced herself and the book comfortably and fluidly, without the use of notes and with even a few tears. Though blamed on the presence of family, I found this turn of events rather comforting since her writing often makes me feel unduly emotional. For some reason knowing that the person who often incites my tears is also a crier makes me feel less wimpy. Reasonable? She then read her first chapter about potato salad, and it was perfect.


She also graciously let me capture her amazing shoes which she said she'd gotten for the occasion. What perfect book shoes! If ever I am so lucky to have a book, I also pray for such wonderful heels to wear upon my feet.