Sign of spring -- library book sale

I use two different libraries, different purposes, different collections. One is a hugely ambitious and wonderful library where my art has flourished and I've had the chance to take a big hand on what goes on in the art world of the town, yay, including helping shepherd a dedicated art galley, not a shared room, not a hallway, into the new library building which we hope will be finished at some time. Tapestry will hang there as soon as it can be accommodated! and many terrific programs happen there, from astronomy to art to robotics to math challenges to Anything That Floats, you name it.

They have booksales all the time, see what I mean about ambitious, and now and then I donate to them, and they fund Sunday opening hours if I remember correctly, with the proceeds, a huge accomplishment in view of the libes that just can't run to Sunday hours any more.

Then there's the other one, where I borrow books and DVDs and music from and hang out, and they, much less ambitious, but nonetheless nice, have an annual booksale, right now, in March, which I treasure.

Mainly I don't buy printed books, got enough of them for current purposes, but I do find lovely blank books, the kind that people got for Christmas, made one entry in then decided it wasn't for them, and send them to the sale.




I usually find some great ones for garden journals and other kinds of uses, often beautiful handmade ones. Some I use as visitor books for art exhibits. This year no handmade, but several spiral bound nice quality, one with perfectly blank unlined and beautiful pages, perfect for ink drawing, AND a book of postcards of Amish quilts, great stuff, which will definitely get into the mail from Boud to lucky recipients.

So I took a pic of my latest haul for your viewing pleasure, and note that the reason for the blotchy effect is that the sun came out and you got shadows of houseplants on them.

And then there's the latest knitting on the needles, using harvested yarn, lovely dark green wool with flecks of blue and other colors, very warm. The sleeves of this sweater became legwarmers for HP.




This is the first of three watchcaps which I plan to give to a local family as a little thank you for services rendered. This is the man's cap, then I'll make the woman's cap in the pale green cashmere you've seen, and their little boy will probably get some bright color yet to be chosen from my stash. Same design, see the unity, but different colors and yarns to suit the recipient. Great fun. I think they'll like them. And there's still enough winter to go to get some use out of them right away. We do specialize in the April freeze and snowstorm around here before winter finally surrenders.

HP has a wonderful new physio, sent by his home visiting doctor, who diagnosed the endless trouble, despite all my care, of the pressure ulcers on his lower back, on his mattress -- nearly a year old, not enough support, letting too much weight rest in one area, despite the alternating pressure mattress cover and the tilting and wedging I do endlessly. He examined the bed, the chair, everything, did some upper body work with HP and left him with exercises to do on his own, since I do the leg ones for him each morning. Excellent session, I'd say.

So HP's doctor has written the Rx for a special air chamber mattress, same principle as the alternating airflow thing we have, also powered by a pump, and since she has Rxed it, Medicare will spring for it, saving us several thousand dollars of out of pocket costs.

Every time something like this happens, I bless LBJ who forced the Medicare system into existence, basically. It has a lot of faults, mainly that you have to be in trouble before it will kick in, so that prevention is not funded at all, a shortsighted thing in my rarely humble opinion, but gosh when you get it, it's wonderful. So much of what a chronic situation needs, supplies, etc., are not covered by any insurance at all, so when a big item is covered, it's great stuff.

No pix of the mattress! hasn't arrived yet. Coming today. But it won't be a scintillating sight, just take my word that we're quite excited about it!