Continue in Patience

Continue in Patience

The Smartest Thing I Have Ever Done...

Ok, maybe not the very smartest, but one of the BEST things I have ever done, was to teach my grandchildren my phone number. We did it in a sing-song, Jane first, at 4, then Charlie, and it's going to be Jacobs turn pretty soon. What is the result? I get the most adorable calls and messages from my darling, darling grandchildren. I call them too of course, but they can give Grammie a call any time they want to, so sometimes I will hear from one of them when they are a little sad, or when they have good news, like for example today is bunny day - they are getting new bunnies. We are so close, and it's because we share our lives pretty much every single day.

Oops, I need to go...I have to return Jacobs call this morning:)

Final guest house...erm, shed.

Who wouldn't want to live here? Manochehr came in and asked me if I wanted window boxes for flowers, and I said...ummm, will I have to keep them watered or can I pull an Aunt Becky and put fake flowers in them?

Even the landing is lovely. Manochehr is revealing his artistic side. I'm trying to think of way that I could incorporate some color without ruining it...maybe paint the door raspberry? The trim turquoise? I may have to leave it as, since it's so pretty already, but you know by the number of times that I change my blog background that I am dying to color it up.

Mark is Home

I love that Mark is home. I don't know how long it will last, but it is so fun, and a genuine blessing to have a bit of time with him again, before he's gone for good. I love to to see his happy face...he comes in the door and makes a big happy announcement of his arrival, he sings, he burps, he hogs the dryer, he makes me laugh, and I love him like all the stars in the heavens (as Jane would say). Lucky me.

I am also getting to know Mariah more and more as we have the opportunity to spend time together; I consider Mariah my friend, not just Mark's girlfriend. She is the sweetest...for example, our family has been eating brownies covered in caramel and pecans, rocky road, shortbread cookies, and coconut cookies...all this week! Yikes, I need to buy her a diet treats book:) They were all delicious, and we all feel loved!

AbeBook's Most Expensive Sales in August 2010

Interesting what bibliophiles will purchase...

AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales in August 2010

1. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - $27,500
Published in 1776 in six volumes, the first of these volumes was limited to 1,000 copies in its first printing so complete sets of first editions are very rare. The set is considered a major literary achievement as it was adopted as a model for modern historical methodologies and led Gibbon to be described as the first modern historian of Ancient Rome.

2. The Botanical Magazine (42 vols) by William Curtis - $15,592A collection of the first 42 volumes and index of this magazine launched in 1787. It went on to become the longest running botanical magazine. These first volumes contain more than 1,800 hand-colored plates.

3. Typed Signed Letter by Mohandas Gandhi - $9,500
This early Gandhi letter was written in reference to his role in the Zulu War of 1906, where Gandhi argued that the British ought to recruit Indians to assist in the war effort in order to legitimise their claims to full British citizenship. Gandhi lived in South Africa from 1893 to 1914.

4. In Praise of Folly by Erasmus - $7,608
Erasmus′ most famous essay begins as a satirical oratory and ends with a statement of his Christian ideals. This copy was published in 1522, 11 years after it was first issued by the famous printer Johannes Frobenius. Erasmus (1466-1536) was a Dutch humanist, Catholic priest and theologian.

5. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - $7,150
Another copy of Gibbon′s influential account of Ancient Rome. This set was cheaper because first volume (of the six) was a third edition rather than a complete set of firsts. This illustrates the rarity of first editions of volume one.

6. Midnight′s Children by Salman Rushdie - $3,998
A signed first edition of Rushdie′s famous novel. Published by Jonathan Cape of London in 1981, Midnight′s Children won the Booker Prize in 1981. It was voted the best of all Booker winners in 2008.

8. The Fashionable Science Of Parlour Magic by John Henry Anderson - $3,500

7. La Vénerie Française Contemporaine by Karl Reille - $3,763
Published in Paris in 1914. The first and only edition was limited to 600 copies and offers a comprehensive overview of hunting in France just prior to World War I. Baron Karl Reille (1886-1975) also illustrated this title and went on to illustrate many more books.

Described in full on the book′s title page, The Fashionable Science Of Parlour Magic Being The Newest Tricks Of Deception Developed And Illustrated With An Exposure Of The Practice Made Use Of By Professional Card Players, Blacklegs, And Gamblers. Published around 1850 by Scottish magician John Henry Anderson, who helped develop magic as a mainstream form of entertainment.

9. Facile by Man Ray - $3,300
A book featuring 12 surrealistic photographs from the American artist Man Ray, who spent most of his career in Paris; each photo is accompanied by text from French poet Paul Éluard. First edition copy published in 1935.

10. S.J. Perelman′s Original Personal Travelling Leather Briefcase and Writing Desk - $3,000
The travel desk of a man renowned for writing about travel; on one end is a large colorful travel label for the ocean liner "FRANCE" showing an ocean liner of the "Compagnie Generale TRANATLANTIQUE French Line" which has been filled out in ink in Perelman's hand. He had written his name, S.J. Perelman, the travel date of "18 MAY" and noting that he is in cabin "P-275" and that his destination is "NY". Perelman was an American humorist who wrote the screenplays for the Marx Brothers films Horse Feathers and Monkey Business and the Oscar winning Around the World in 80 Days script, he was also a contributor to the New Yorker for many years. Perelman was partially responsible for the success of Joseph Heller′s novel Catch 22, the novel was having lukewarm reviews and sales until Perelman gave considerable praise to how humorous the novel was in an interview; Perelman did not often give such praise and sales of Catch 22 skyrocketed shortly after.

Coralie Bickford-Smith

Two new volumes on the way...I am still short 3 books from the previous release...and that is because I haven't seen them around anywhere. I believe they were released in Canada; the release date for theUL is the 28th. They are The Lady in White, Shakespeares Sonnets, and The Odyssey.

The new volumes coming out, presumably in the UK , since we haven't had a full release of Volume II yet, are: Dante's Inferno and Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Wonderful additions, though I might be too scared to read Inferno. It took all my will power to read The Screwtape Letters...( which I both admired and would probably not read again simultaneously.) I don't do scary in any form.

A Crap Day

Today was crap...sometimes hard conversations are hard. That is all I have to say about that.