Snippets From a Rainy Day

by Katy on April 5, 2011 · 17 comments

Sometimes I come across interesting snippets in my day that don’t quite warrant their own column, but are still interesting in their own right. For example:

I passed by a neighbor while walking through the rain to the grocery store this afternoon. He was coming out of the wrong house, which I joked about. I saw this same neighbor later in the evening while picking the kids up from martial arts. He told me about how he and another family have a weekly meal exchange, and that he’d been dropping off dinner. Each family makes a double meal once a week, and in return receives a weekly meal. I think this is fan-freaking-tastic! Building community and getting somebody’s else’s cooking on a weekly basis? I have got to get in on the action.

I stopped into the main Goodwill today, although I found nothing to buy. I did manage to sneak into the book section, where I pulled out two different celebrity autobiographies and looked at the pictures. (Russell Brand and Greg Louganis.) I don’t know what it is, but I just love looking at famous people’s personal pictures and reading the captions. I love this activity so much that I was somewhat surprised when I looked up, as I had forgotten where I was. I shook the cobwebs off and drove myself over to the library, where my book induced trance was a little more appropriate.

I’ve really been enjoying widening my social circle lately, and as a result my latté budget is shooting through the roof. (Okay, it went from $0 per week to maybe $6 per week.) Today I took out the first host mom of the Japanese exchange teacher that we hosted from October to January. He had not been a good fit with our family, and I had her take him back. I’ve felt very bad about this, but after today’s get together I am no longer carrying the guilt. I feel better. Definitely worth the budget-blasting latté!

Another reason to include the library in my day was that I had some rather wonderful books to pick up:

  • Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Traditions, by Amanda Blake Soule.
  • WordPress for Dummies, by Lisa Sabin-Wilson.
  • Enough Already: Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You, by Peter Walsh.
  • Love the One You’re With, by Emily Giffin.
  • Plenty: Good, Uncomplicated Food for the Sustainable Kitchen, by Diana Henry.

A rainy day, not a particularly accomplished day, but still, a good day.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

 

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Lucy April 5, 2011 at 7:09 am

I’m glad you had a good day! I love the Amanda Blake Soule book !!! My library also has it.
Hey-you’ve inspired me to go to the library at my lunch hour. So thanks for making my day better too!

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Katy April 5, 2011 at 7:19 am

Have fun! Libraries are on of the only places where you don’t have to hold back. Love them!

Laty

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Hannelene April 5, 2011 at 7:38 am

I have paid so many late fees on Handmade Home that I should have bought the book to begin with, and then I found it at a Borders which is going out of business at 60% off yesterday (woop!) – I love that book.

Inspired by the book (and you Goodwill finds), I have made a list of thrift shops other than Goodwill in my area, and have had much better luck lately – thanks for the inspiration a few weeks ago!

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Katy April 5, 2011 at 7:41 am

Yay!

Katy

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Jen April 5, 2011 at 8:32 am

Ha! I was just perusing our library’s web site last night, making a list of books I’d like to pick up. I go in phases with the library … I won’t visit for months, and then I’m there every week for a while. It doesn’t get much better than FREE books!

And what an AWESOME idea re: the dinner exchange!

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Jessica April 5, 2011 at 8:43 am

Hey Katy – I saw your tweet about FDA regulations for containers, and my bet is that it isn’t true and they say it because they aren’t sure of regulations to avoid any missteps. (People like to spout “rules” all the time that aren’t actually true.) So maybe a little google time and a quick call to the store can fix this for in the future?

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Megan April 5, 2011 at 9:53 am

You’ll have to revies that Peter Walsh one for us. 🙂

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Megan April 5, 2011 at 9:53 am

review, that is. 🙂

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Barb @ 1 Sentence Diary April 5, 2011 at 11:05 am

It was a rainy day here, too. Pouring, in fact. But not too cold, so I’m not complaining. 🙂
We are library addicts around here. Couldn’t live without it!

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NMPatricia April 5, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Neither of the Handmade Home nor Plenty are in our library 🙁 My experience with the libraries up on Oregon was much better than my local library. Sigh.

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Elizabeth B April 6, 2011 at 12:10 am

Does your library offer interlibrary loan? They may be willing to get a book for you from a library somewhere else. It’s worth asking at least.

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brenda April 5, 2011 at 3:30 pm

Katy-
Our family did dinner exchange with another family for three years – during school year only. We started when the kids were in high school,I was returning to school to complete my BSN and all four of the kids were swimmers (read HUNGRY)I’ll share what we learned. We had kids the same age,same number of people in the family, had similar approaches to what ‘dinner’ included and tried very hard to keep it open-no hard feelings when the kids didn’t like my mac and cheese. The mom’s were very motivated to make it work and developed some ground rules -we made a list of stuff that was off limits (“no poached fish”) and decided if 3/4 of the family liked the dish we won and could repeat it. We did the exchange twice each during the week -and it really was fantastic. My family learned to eat some foods they hadn’t seen at dinner before and some became special favorites. Our families grew closer and now that the kids are at college- the adults get together for dinner at least once a week. I’d recommend this to anyone-you gain a wonderful friendship.

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Fun Mama - Deanna April 5, 2011 at 4:45 pm

I love Handmade Home too. I bought it when it came out. Her books The Creative Family is good too.

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Tracy Balazy April 5, 2011 at 5:28 pm

Oooh, another Peter Walsh book! I didn’t know about this one. I was INSPIRED by “It’s All Too Much!” to clear a LOT of stuff out of my house!

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Shannon April 6, 2011 at 4:00 am

Sounds like a splendid day. I love Peter Walsh! Sometimes I watch his show with my kids and I can tell they really get it.

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Carla April 6, 2011 at 6:04 am

Nice book choices – can’t wait to read Amanda Soule’s book! I always look forward to your “recommendations” 🙂
Have a great week!

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Katy April 6, 2011 at 6:10 am

Thanks!

Katy

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