After the bill was paid, Tommy looked at me and said, "Let's have some fun". Sounded good to me, my mood was far from fun at that moment. I couldn't imagine what we were going to do in Fulton, for fun, at 9a.m. Turns out we have driven past a quaint nondescript shop weekly, for the past two years, thinking it was abandoned. Today a red car was parked out front. We made a quick left turn into their parking lot. Except for the car, it still looked abandoned. Once we were at the door, I peeped through the glass to see if anyone was inside. About that time Tommy shoved me through the now open door. He laughed and said, "I told you the store was open!!" The words "fun my ass!!!" ran through my mind as I tripped over a basket of flowers.
Shops like these remind me of Stephen King's book, "Needful Things". I like to take my time as I ramble through other people's 'stuff'. I touch all the antiques. The things people wanted once and now have no desire to keep. A treadle sewing machine conjures up memories of Mamamae's Singer treadle sewing machine that my cousin Darla and I learned to sew on. It stayed in Mamamae's bedroom for years. I won a 4-H ribbon for an apron I made on that old sewing machine, years ago when I was eight or nine.
I checked out the jewelry wondering about the people who once owned these trinkets and thought they were pretty...styles change over the years. There were several white plastic daisy flower pins beginning to turn yellow and several tarnished cross necklaces with an occasional center stone missing. I spotted a few pieces of jewelry in good shape, knowing they will never go out of style. I held them, then slowly I placed them back in their box. "I do not need any more jewelry", I told myself as I turned and walked away. Two isles over I could see the book section. I knew then I would not walk out of that shop empty handed. I can never ever have too many books...said the woman who months earlier donated close to fifty books to the Clothes Cupboard because and I quote, " I have way to many books! I need to downsize!!!" I am sure I have replaced those fifty books and it hasn't even been a year yet.
As I made my way to the bookshelves, I scanned the entire section to see what condition the books were in. They appeared to be in good shape. The first book I latched onto was Anderson Cooper's "Dispatches from the Edge". It is a memoir of "war, disasters, and survival." I buy every memoir book that crosses my path. I devour them like I would a huge slice of carrot cake. It is hard to know a person's real story unless they tell it themselves...and then, in some cases, it is still debatable.
Next I found a book entitled, "Married for Life", by Bill Morelan. It consists of stories about couples who have been married for 50 years or more. I enjoy listening to and reading other people's love stories. Each story is as different as the two people who struggled and lived each line. The old lovers kept alive the underdog called 'love' in each marriage. For most people the world sets out to kill that love, wreck the family and destroy the 'underdog' in their story. However, somehow...someway these couples survived all the attacks.
Judging by the inscription on the inside of the book, it was a Christmas present from 2011 to a newly married couple. It was addressed to "David and Susan...may you have many years of happiness together. With love Bruce and Kay." I have a feeling David and Susan are not together anymore. The book looked unread. It was already in a thrift store.
The third book I purchased for a mere two dollars was entitled, "The Stars That Shine" By Julie Clay and illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Delightful is the word for this picture story book. Twelve country music stars told a story about an event in their childhood. Ms. Clay wrote the story. Mr. Andreasen illustrated the story and at the end of article was a recent photo of the musical star and a short biography. A percentage of the sales went to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. It was printed in the year 2000. As far as I was concerned...this book was my Valentine's Day gift.
The more I look at this book, the more I want the memories I am writing in my blog to resemble, "The Stars That Shine". I think I have finally found the platform for my stories. And that my friends is a good feeling. It will be different...whimsical, funny, poignant with photos and drawings to illustrate the words left unsaid. It will also be a challenge...2015 is starting to fall into place...finally.
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