Books to the Ceiling

When I worked in an office, I had a hard time transitioning from the weekend to the work week. Mondays were not my favorite. I particularly dreaded starting the week with early morning meetings. No amount of coffee could make that more enjoyable.

This fall, as my family’s schedule fell into place, Monday became the only day of the week I didn’t have other obligations. So, it became my field trip day by default and with reservations.

Turns out, it was a brilliant decision made by chance. Starting the week with learning and inspiration feeds my soul and provides the fuel for the rest of the week.

Last Monday, the forecast was pretty gloomy. It didn’t seem like a good garden day, and I was kind of bummed. But I was joined for the day by my sometimes field trip buddy, Aunt M, and together we could have fun in a parking lot.

We decided to just get in the car and start driving. We headed west, avoiding the highways to travel winding roads through historic small towns. Eventually, we landed in Frederick and navigated to an antique mall I read about. Aunt M and I both enjoy wandering through antiques. She likes the furniture, kitchenwares and art. I like the old tools and nostalgia. We both like the jewelry.

This particular mall was even more of a maze than others we visited. In the very last section, I struck Amy gold. Multiple stalls stacked with books from floor to ceiling. They were loosely organized by topic and it was hard to know where to start. I spent several minutes lost among the cookbooks (I’ve been looking for “The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook” for years). I had several books stacked in my arms, but then I turned the corner and the angels started singing. Garden books. Also from ceiling to floor.

I exchanged some of the books already in my arms for those above. I was so excited. I’d added the Penelope Hobhouse “History of Gardening” to my wishlist the night before. This one looks brand new and was a third of the price of the one I saw online. I can't wait to dive in.

Good books. Good prices. What’s not to love?

Aunt M said nothing as long as I never move again.