Happy Halloween Cayuga Street

Happy Halloween Everyone

Just another day at the bookshop. Maybe a few extra characters on Cayuga Street.

"I think I'll just hang-out here in the toys."

Solitude

Your Smile for today ~

"The advantage of living on a farm is that cows and chickens don't come in and urge you to play bridge when you'd rather read."
~ Evan Esar, b. 1899. American humorist.

"Most of us who go to the country from a city background have some nostalgia for the old ways, even if it only manifests itself in a wagon wheel hung over the gate and an expensive field-stone fireplace and a deluxe edition of Walden on the coffee table."
~ John Graves, b. 1920. American writer.

Having spent our entire childhood on a farm in Southern Ontario, we frequently escape to the countryside for solitude. In fact, we still go home.

Sounds of a Stream

Original Sounds of a stream ~ before the days of streaming.

Forks of the Credit River

Along the Bruce Trail, Caledon Hills, Ontario http://brucetrail.org/

The Bruce Trail Conservancy spent $1.7 million on land acqusitions during 2008, preserving over 800 additional acres of the Niagara Escarpment.

Photo: View from the escarpment across the Credit River, Caledon Hills.

http://brucetrail.org/

Along the Bruce Trail in Caledon Hills

One of the few remaining Canadian railways with replacement ties and fresh gravel.

http://brucetrail.org/ The Canadian autumn may be the most picturesque season for hiking on the Bruce Trail. Our day trip was almost too late this year; many of the leaves have fallen.

Photos: by Lorna

Beowulf

Mike Walton of Cayuga has written what could arguably be the best translation of the early Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf.

Many of us have seen the modern movie version of the Old English poem ~ the first major poem in a European vernacular language.

Beowulf, a hero in Scandinavian folklore, defeats the monster Grendel and fights to his death with a dragon. A beautifully bound hardcover, Beowulf Anglo-Saxon epic in modern English is the perfect gift for the legend reader on your Christmas list.

First editions available at The Neat Little Bookshop.

We will have more information on this extraordinary book.

Dorothy's Collectibles

Have you ever shopped in a great place and found yourself returning time and again just for the experience?

Dorothy's Collectibles is that kind of place!

It is hard to get Dorothy to talk about herself ~ much less have her picture taken ~ she came to Canada as a war bride from Britain. She has family and one gets the impression that she open-heartily takes in new members. She'll ask you how you are, and really mean it.

We go to Dorothy's for books but she also has the prettiest china and treasures: straw totes, an English bellow, beautiful pictures and lamps ~ just about anything to make a house a home!

We have kept this secret to ourselves 'til now but you can find Dorothy 9:00 to 5:00, every Sunday at Mizener's Antiques, 367 Hwy. 5 West, Waterdown, Ontario.

Photo: by Lorna. Click on photo to view more closely a few of Dorothy's treasures.

Our National Flag

The symbol on our national flag ~ the maple leaf.

Photo: Canada's beautiful fall colours. In our backyard.

Thinking Like a Mountain

Robert Bateman, Canadian naturalist and artist, suggests that the single most important thing that young people can do is to ask their parents to vote for "a politician with some backbone -- a politician who will not cave in to the special interests" and work toward a better environment.

In his book, Thinking Like a Mountain, Bateman outlines the ways in which we can pass on to succeeding generations the treasures that we value today.
"We all stand at the top of a mountain that offers us spectacular views in all directions. We have more knowledge of nature than any other civilization in history. We can look beyond the sky and beneath the sea. We can see both the forest and the trees: We can count the rate of its destruction and tote up the cost of saving it.
...All we need to do is pay attention and pay the price. I'd say the cost is more than worth it.
...Nature is resilient, but we are beginning to reach the limits of its endurance."*

His book, Safari, is dedicated to "...Young people everywhere: may you love nature ~ and protect it."
*Thinking Like a Mountain, 2000, Viking/Penguin books Ltd.;

Safari, 1998, Madison Press

Photo: Lake Erie by Lorna

As Lovely As A Tree

The Lovely Red Oak

"I think that I will never see ~ A poem as lovely as a tree."
~ Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886 - 1918)
Photo: by Lorna

49th Unit ~ Photos by Allison Ryder Windsor

The 49th unit re-enactment and Flat Ben. From Adventures of Flat Ben by Allison Windsor. Where is Ben? Can you find Ben?

Photo: Click to view larger image.

114th Brock's Rangers ~ CEF

"Researcher seeking information, photos, letters, journals, militaria relating to the 114th Brock's Rangers and the men of Haldimand County and Six Nations who served in WWI. Also seeking information relating to the local Women's Patriotic Leagues and Sock League from WWI.

Canadian Expeditionary Force."

For further information contact The Neat Little Bookshop or Ben 519-409-0302, brocksranger@rogers.com
Photo: by Allison Windsor from Adventures of Flat Ben. Facebook.

Ben Missing from 1812

MISSING: Ben from War of 1812. Bookshop Discussion.
Photo of Ben w/Flat Ben by Allison Windsor

The Pagemaster Meets Story-Hour Kids

Adventure, Fantasy and Horror come alive at The Neat Little Bookshop after school on Wednesdays.
Photo: Gizmo ( Pekingese Person ), Jessica, Coco ( Brown and White Rabbit), Maddie and Lilli meet Adventure, Fantasy and Horror. ( Click to view larger image. )

Robert Bateman Signing Books

Robert Bateman signs a book at The Robert Bateman Art Show, London, Ontario, Canada.

Upcoming Shows: Tuesday, October 27, Downtown Toronto and Saturday, October 31, Stouffville.

For more information visit http://www.goldeneagleart.ca/

Photo: by Lorna

Artist and Naturalist Robert Bateman

Renowned artist and naturalist, Robert Bateman, describes how he painted the polar bear. The Robert Bateman Art Show* was held today in the Carousel Room, Western Fairgrounds, London, Ontario.
* Hosted by Golden Eagle Art Galleries. http://www.goldeneagleart.ca/
Photo: by Lorna

Wit and Wisdom

Journalists, aficionatos of the written word -- anyone dabbling in writing -- is generally a hoarder of quotations. It is an interesting phenomonon. Easily understood. Much of the world's wisdom is encapsuled in quotations if one thinks about it.
Newspapers use quotations to fill an awkward space. Scholars use quotations to express a thought more eloquently stated than perhaps they could themselves. Writers enhance their papers by referencing the wit and wisdom of others.
We often talk about the literary value of books. As descerning readers, is it fair to suggest that if there is nothing worth quoting between the covers of a book, the value of the book is in question?

Bookshop Butterscotch Crunchy Cookies

You continue to ask for our Butterscotch Crunchy Cookies recipe. We got this recipe from the Dunnville Heritage Society; however, we think that the bookshop has made the cookie famous!
Here it is:
2 c. flour*, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 2 c. Rice Krispies, 2 c. Corn Flakes (well-crushed), 1 c. flaked coconut, 1 - 300 gm. pkg. butterscotch Chipits (or much less), 1 egg (beaten), 1 c. butter (melted), 1/2 c. brown sugar (or less), 1/3 c. liquid honey.
Combine dry ingredients. Cream egg, butter, sugar and honey. Add to dry ingredients. Bake at 36o F. for 8 min. or less. Don't over bake!
* We have seen healthier versions of this recipe using whole-wheat flour; however, folks seem to prefer the white flour!

Source of Comfort

What motivates the avid reader to sit alone with a book? Of course, there is the academic aspect to it; however, ultimately, I believe that reading is a source of comfort. An insatiable appetite for ideas. An intriguing insight into other people's lives. The thrill of adventure. An escape from the everyday pressures.
Avid readers carry a book under their arm wherever they go. They can be found in restaurants, on subways, in parks, at ballgames, in auction halls. Author, Upton Sinclair, confessed that he "would be missing at a party and be discovered behind the sofa with a book."

Journalist, author, Eric Burns, believes that the serious reader

"expands his circle of acquaintances, but is not unhappy with his friends... expands his knowledge of place, but is not dissatisfied with home. ... expands his awareness of self, but is not confused about his identity, his responsibilities, or his beliefs."
Eric Burns, The Joy of Books, Prometheus Books, 1995

Photo: by Lorna

119 Year Old ~ Lye Opus 107 Pipe Organ

The last Lye organ was built in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. In addition to the 119 year old working Lye organ in Smithville, Ontario, there are sixty scattered among churches in Toronto and others remain in B.C., Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and the Yukon. The Royal Canadian College of Organists has designated the Smithville organ as "one of the only working pump organs of that era."
Born in Crewkeme, Somerset, England, Edward Lye, a cabinet maker, arrived in Canada in 1857. He began his organ building business in 1864 at 18 and 20 St. Alban's Street, Toronto.
Photo: by Lorna

Smithville Presbyterian Church ~ Doors Open

Presbyterians in Smithville, Ontario, proudly opened their doors this weekend. Church organist and archivist, Marlene Penman, was on hand to welcome visitors.

Sunday services are accompanied on an authentic 119 year old Lye Pipe Organ which has been restored and faithfully maintained by three generations of the Denton family.

The horse-drawn carriage was generously provided by Keith Melick of Canborough, Ontario.

Photos: by Lorna

Cayuga-On-The-Grand

Shane Carmichael stands in front of the main office of Canadaville, Louisiana, U.S.A. Shane divides his time between his native Canada and a community housing project developed to give New Orleans evacuees an opportunity to get back on their feet.

The Neat Little Bookshop has been fortunate to have the patronage of many individuals including our friend, Shane Carmichael. The astonishingly simple phrase "Cayuga-On-The-Grand" is one example of Shane's influence. His marketing skills, his gentle nudging ~ and readiness to assist ~ has greatly contributed to our "Quiet Corner where the coffee pot is always on." Thank you, Shane.

Photo: Orleans Star.

Pay-as-You-Go Typewriter

The fashion in which books are written fascinate equally as the book itself. For example, Ray Bradbury pounded out Fahrenheit 451 on a pay-as-you-go typewriter. It was the early fifties before computers.

When he could not write undisturbed in a house with children, he went to the typing room at the UCLA campus. There, on typewriters that we can only imagine, he dropped change into a slot machine and typed madly for nine days. At ten cents a half hour it cost him nine dollars and eighty cents to write his best-seller.

Location. Location. Location.

The Back 40 is two doors away from the Neat Little Bookshop.

For probably different reasons than the marketers have in mind, we chose to locate next door to the best neighbours a bookstore can have.

Bob and Sharon (and Becky in the photo) have contributed greatly to the recent growth and vibrancy of Cayuga Street. Converting a "bar" to a family restaurant has taken the commitment of special individuals.

There are many who would say that Bob's Back 40 is the heartbeat of Cayuga Street. Thanks,Bob.

Photo: by Lorna (Not certain why the Back 40 photo is topsy-turvy.)

A Quiet Corner ~ Cayuga-On-The-Grand

Have you ever thought about the fact that books are sold in shops devoted almost entirely to one commodity ~ books? There are bed and bath shops, bake shops, electronic shops, shoe shops...and on and on. The difference is that all of these items are also easily picked up in department stores. Other than the odd cardboard bin of clearance books, department stores generally don't feature a bookshop.

The customer looking for a book to read, is already thinking of leisure time. The purchasing process has to be pleasurable. In the warmth and comfort of the bookshop atmosphere, the world is left behind. Thoughts are gentler and the pace is slower.

~ Giving Thanks

With our Canadian Thanksgiving behind us and the U.S. coming up, it seems appropriate to honor family-time.

Many questions about the future of reading have been raised with the arrival of computers.

To imagine a world without books is to deny that people are attached to the old familiar form that generations have read to their children. Imagine passing down a copy of Nancy Drew that belonged to you, to your daughter ~ on a Kindle! Imagine the loss of a story before bedtime. Could anyone look back on their childhood and fondly recall gathering around a computer?

In a used bookshop, it remains dear to our hearts that customers constantly ask for nostalgic volumes that have little value other than that it is a book their Mother used to read to them.

Back to Business...

The Cayuga & District Chamber of Commerce is holding their 4th Annual Trade Show on Saturday, November 7th., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cayuga Kinsmen Hall.
http://www.cayugachamber.ca/ The easiest way to access the Kin Hall is Regional Road 17 (the road leading to Dunnville winding along the Grand River).
This event will feature booths of the various area businesses. Activities include food samplings and new-product demonstrations ~ and books! Meet friends and neighbours and discover surprising services available locally. Free admission. Door prizes and silent auction.

Ride a Cock-horse to Banbury Cross

To all of our friends, Happy Thanksgiving Holidays.

(Don't forget Story Hour on Wednesday after school 'til 5:00. Under three, must be accompanied by an adult.)

Fall Hours

The Village Green, Cayuga Street, Cayuga-On-The-Grand.
Bookshop Hours: Continue to Open each day, Wed. to Sat. at 11:00 a.m.
Closing Wed. at 5:00; Thurs. & Fri. at 8:00;
Sat. at 3:00.
Photo: by Lorna

~ Best Wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving ~

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy Thanksgiving from beautiful Cayuga-On-The-Grand.

Photo: Ouse Street behind the bookshop

by Lorna (Click on photo for larger image.)

Bibliomaniacs

The word, "Biblio-maniac" came up during a conversation with an avid scrabble buff. A bibliomaniac is defined in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary as a person having "an extreme enthusiasm for collecting and possessing books."
I have read about eccentrics having to move out of their houses because there was no room left after collecting thousands of books. Frequently, we are assured by customers that they have more books than a bookstore. Often we are cautioned that floors have collapsed under the weight of books. At auction sales, book nuts tell us how many thousands of books they own -- as they bid on more. (Bibliomaniacs are generally not satisfied with one copy of a book.)
A customer who is not a bibliomaniac, expressed to us her puzzlement over a note attached to a trunkful of books found in her father's house, "Do not discard. Valuable."
We could try to explain this lack of self-control when it comes to collecting books, but that would take several books.

Book Lovers

Gizmo, where did you leave your book? (This is Gizmo, of whom we often speak.)

Anyone visiting The Neat Little Bookshop, will eventually meet this wee girl.

Today we pass on a poem by Ralph W. Bergengren; Jane, Joseph and John, Their Book of Verses, 1921*

My Pop is always buying books

So that Mom says his study looks

Just like an old bookstore. The bookshelves are so full and tall,

They hide the paper on the wall,

And there are books just everywhere,

On table, window-seat, and chair,

And books right on the floor.

And every little while he buys

More books, and brings them home and tries

To find a place where they will fit,

And has an awful time of it.

Once, when I asked him why he got So many books, he said, "Why not?"

I've puzzled over that a lot.

In a used bookshop we often hear this sentiment!

*Ralph Wilhelm Bergengren, author of The Comforts of Home.

Summer Days

Our loyal friend and volunteer, Faye Farrance, with her little Pekingese, Gizmo, sent us this window shot. It is worth posting again (it appeared in an earlier blog). The geraniums, the reflection of the balloons and the simplicity of the display reminds us of lazy summer days.

Thank you, Faye.

Photo: by Carol O'Handley of Kingston

Display: by Vavoom Photography