Smile for Today:

"It was regretted that the advertised event (free-fall parachuting) could not take place due to problems with the aircraft. But the most spectacular event of the day was the collapse of the beer tent." (Daily Bugle)

~ Ben Wicks, More Losers, McClelland and Stewart, 1982

Conversation Face-to-Face

Conversation Face-to-Face.

Photo by:


VAVOOM PHOTOGRAPHY ~ Lisa Pielechaty

Search VAVOOM PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook.

The End of Conversation?

The virtual world ~ T.V., radio, Internet, i-pods, cell phones, Black Berries ~ has to a great extent replaced one-on-one, face-to-face conversation. The New York Times ran an article announcing that soon one can have a virtual girlfriend on one's cell phone ~ that is, "a computer-generated woman who can converse on thirty-five thousand topics."*

We frequent the pubs, churches, cafes, bookshops ~ the community centers for the most part with the expectation that we will get into an interesting conversation with someone but how many places are conducive to good conversation? Loud music, crowds, multiple big screens ~ all compete for our attention.

A Neat Little Bookshop customer, while looking for books on humor, revealed that he is in Toastmasters International. One of the requirements of members in their quest for good communication is a series of speeches on humor.

We believe the real world is still out there. One just has to take the time to find it!

*Stephen Miller, Conversation, A History of a Declining Art, Yale University Press, 2006.
http://www.toastmasters.org/

Good Conversation

There is a host of world-wide literary clubs, Conversation Cafes, Socrates Cafes, university and college libraries ~ and then there is The Neat Little Bookshop. In a used-book shop, there is a limitless array of topics that inspire spontaneous conversations.

Christopher Phillips, founder of the Scorates Cafes (it is worth a Google), hopes that if people participate in his cafes, they "will become more sociable."

In his book, Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy (2001), he states,"I had become increasingly disturbed by what I perceived as an extreme and pervasive self-absorption and intolerance among people..."

According to Phillips, the main goal of good conversation is to "inspire each person to inquire further to cultivate and discover his/her unique point of view, nothing more and certainly nothing less." Never should conversation become a "vehicle for advice-giving or for winning friends and influencing people. There is never any need to try to force any sort of agreement."

In a bookshop, we regard a coffee pot, a few stools and a table as essentials to good conversation!

Photo by Lisa Pielechaty. Search VAVOOM PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook.

http://philosopher.org/

"Peace is liberty in tranquillity."

~ Cicero, Roman philosopher, statesman, 106 BC - 43 BC.

Photo: Lorna. For larger image, click on photo.

Poetry

Neil Paul has actively continued writing and publishing after retiring from his teaching position at Cayuga Secondary School.

We are pleased to host an afternoon with Neil on
Thursday, August 12, 1:30 p.m. at The Neat Little Bookshop, when he will entertain us with readings from some of his recent work and, with a little encouragement, perhaps he will recite some of his favourite poetry from earlier writings.

Watch for details ~ more to follow! Our Fascinating Personalities Series. Everyone welcome.

Good Conversation

Among the pleasures of a used-book shop are the interesting and engaging conversations that take place in it.

The Roman philosopher, Cicero, may have understood what constitutes good conversation. He said, "Conversations are for the most part about domestic business or public affairs or else the study and teaching of the arts."*
He goes on to say that "Even if the discussion begins to drift to other matters, make an effort to call it back to the subject; but we should do so according to the company: for we do not at all times enjoy the same subjects in the same way."

We like to think that a used-book shop promotes conversation. A bookshop ~ where the coffee pot is always on ~ where friends and family meet ~ is as a place where a limitless range of subjects trigger conversation.
Tomorrow: More on Conversation.

*Stephen Miller, Conversation ~ A History of a Declining Art, Yale University Press, 2006.

REIKI by shiko: Because the horse died

REIKI by shiko: Because the horse died

Our friend and follower, Shiko, relates her view of our universe through photographs and poetry.
Although languages may differ, pictures are universal.
Shiko e-mails us from Toyko, Japan. Thank you for your volunteer movement, beautiful friend.

Photos: Our Friend Shiko

"Not a day goes by that I don't take a walk on the beach.

The beach is truly home, its broad expanse of sand as welcoming as a mother's open arms. What's more, this landscape, which extends as far as the eye can see, always reminds me of possibility. It is here that I can listen to my inner voice, shed inhibitions, move to the rhythm of the waves, and ask the universe unanswerable questions."

Joan Anderson A Walk on The Beach, Broadway Books, 2004.

Thought for Today:

"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing."

~ Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976) English crime writer

The Blacksmith Shop

Have you seen the blacksmith shop? Thank you Jim Gibson, owner of Towpath-on-the-Grand Antiques, for bringing it back to its earlier grandeur and beyond!

The blacksmith shop is on the corner of Talbot Road (Hwy #3) and Ottawa St. ~ just around the corner from the bookshop. We can't wait until it is open to the public.

Photos: by Lorna

Thank You Faye

Loyal friends Faye and Gizmo kept the store open yesterday.

Neat Little Bookshop customers know Faye and Gizmo well. Where would we be without them! Thank you, Faye.

We lost someone dear today ~ someone who was our "Rock" ~ Uncle Earl. Our father's brother was 87 years old. He never married; He lived next door, on the farm adjacent to ours, with our grandparents.

Our Uncle has been a constant in our lives, working with us, playing with us and lavishing upon us the attention that he would have on his own children, had he had them.

He encouraged us, praised us and continually reminded us of our heritage with stories, photographs and family heirlooms ~ always expressing his gratitude for the small things that we did for him.

The homestead is still there. We still go home where he always welcomed us.

Thank you Uncle Earl, we will miss you.

Photo: Uncle Earl in the bookshop. For larger image, click on photo.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can."
~
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) American philosopher, essayist and poet.

Photo: Lorna. For larger image, click on photo.

Speaking of mind and body, the dogs and cats of Louisiana are in the news today. Up for adoption are the many surrendered pets that out-of-work folks cannot afford to keep.

Caroline Knapp describes in her book, PACK of TWO The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs, the extraordinary value of the family pet.

"My human relationships are unpredictable, sometimes volatile, always subject to complication and flux. But my dog stays the same, her reactions to me constant. In a sea of changeable emotions and circumstances, she is a small anchor, a steady presence who bears witness to the most private details, the monumental shifts and incremental changes, who remains right there.
"Dogs represent the one relationship in life where consistency is never questioned, never doubted, never compromised by the vicissitudes of human moods and circumstances and priorities. And so we get to experience something else that's rare in human affairs: trust.
"This is the only nonpolitical relationship I have ever had..."

~

It is extremely unfortunate that at a time when people most need their pets, they are losing them.

Photo: by Lorna, "Sharon & Mr. Bean." For larger image, click on photo.

Mind and Body

Personal trainer Janice Jacobs will be at The Neat Little Bookshop on Thursday, July 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Janice will answer questions on fitness, with an introductory level of exercises and therapy. (May we say beginners, "easy" but effective exercises?!) Janice's classes held at the T.C. Gym in Cayuga are work-at-your-own pace with the ultimate goal of a healthy lifestyle.

Graphics: Acclaim Images.com Rosie Piter

Your Smile for Today:

"Minds are like parachutes ~ dangerous if not kept open."

~ Robert Darrah

hot lemon & honey, Warwick Publishing, 2000, Catherine DeVrye

Vikings Walt, Derek, Scott, James and Glendon (Absent in Photo: Jeff)

Click on photo to view larger image.

Congratulations James Walker & 2010 Vikings Team

Scott, Krista, James & Glendon (Photo courtesy of James Walker. To view larger image, click on photo.)

The photos of this year's Cardboard Boat Race, Parkhill, Ontario, are starting to come in! This one courtesy of James Walker.

Video available on UTube: 2010 Parkhill Free-For-All Cardboard Boat.

Lower photo: James, Scott, Jeff, Glendon, Walt & Derek.

(The Viking Boat is in an undisclosed location for later participation in a parade.)

Fightin' Fit or Sit 'n Fit!

Trainer, Janice Jacobs at The Neat Little Bookshop ~

Thursday, July 22 ~ 1:30 p.m. (Note date change: July 22.)
No Admission ~ Hey! Come!

Fascinating Personalities Series
Graphics: Rosie Piter

Cardboard Boat Races Photo courtesy Regan Pfaff, Team 2009. Vikings: Scott, James, Derek & Walt.

(Click on photo for larger image.)

Tomorrow: Update on 2010 race.

Strathroy Cardboard Boat Race ~ July 10

Yes, we will be attending the cardboard boat race tomorrow in Parkhill, Ontario.

Vikings l-r: Walt, James, Scott, Derek; Regan, Michaye, Stacey.

Photos courtesy 2009 Aquaholics II team. To view larger image click on photo.

Imagination

"We are all of us imaginative in some form or other, for images are the brood of desire."

~ George Eliot (1819 - 1880), pen name for Mary Anne Evans, English novelist, one of the leading writers of the Victorian era.

Mill on The Floss, Silas Marner.

Photo: Artwork on a fruit farm in Nolfolk, Ontario. (Click on photo for larger image.)

Any Pleasure So Lasting

Reading

"No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting."

~ Lady M.W. Montague (1689 - 1762) English aristocrat and writer.

Solar Energy ~ Caledonia Mill

The Caledonia Mill continues to amaze! As environmentally conscious citizens, the guardians of the old mill have installed solar panels.

Attracting hundreds of visitors at Christmas with their light display, the mill folks are forging ahead with twenty-first century technology. Congratulations.

Managed by a non-profit organization established to preserve the mill and promote the arts, the Caledonia Mill sits stoically on the bank of the Grand River, southwest of the Hwy. #6 bridge.

Originally known as the Balmoral Mill this flour mill opened in 1857. The name was changed to the Grand River Mill in 1873, then to the Caledonia Milling Company in 1892.*

Also, see blog posts Dec. 20/09 and Jan. 9/10 for Christmas lights. For larger images, please click on photos.

*Ontario's Historic Mills, The Boston Mills Press, 2007. George Fischer and Mark Harris.

"All Over the Place"

A telephone-book sales-rep recently offered to list The Neat Little Bookshop in their publication. (They had already designed an appropriate profile for promotion on their website.) The rep hesitantly suggested that contrary to our blog which was I quote, "all over the place," their profile would focus only on the bookshop. We could submit monthly updates. We are pleased that someone noticed that we are all over the place.

One of the great pleasures of being in the book business is that there is not a subject that doesn't fall under BOOKS!

Visit The Neat Little Bookshop and be carried away "all over the place."

Neighbouring Norfolk

Tomatoes

Cherries

Ginseng Tobacco

Ginseng is replacing tobacco in our neighbouring Norfolk. A striking difference between Norfolk and Haldimand is attributable, I suppose, to the difference in soil. Haldimand clay does not grow exotic crops. Noticable in the beautiful agricultural acreage of Norfolk, in addition to ginseng, is the vast variety of successful fruit and vegetable crops. There remains the decades-successful tobacco ~ apparently on the come-back! ~ and now the alternatives. Field after field of the most prosperous, colourful July crops one can imagine.

(For larger image, click on photo ~ Lorna)

Your Smile for Today:

"If you are going to throw a club, it is important to throw it ahead of you, down the fairway, so you don't waste energy going back to pick it up."

~ Tommy Bolt, American Professional Golfer (1916 - 2008)
A Round of Golf Jokes, Exley

Haldimand & Area Woodlot Owners Association

"In school they told a story about Johnny Appleseed walking across America planting apple trees." Well, he was doing more..."planting oaks, elm and maples, every kind of tree, aspens, deotars and chestnuts. Instead of making just fruit for the stomach, I am making oxygen for the lungs."

Ray Bradbury's Benjamin Driscoll in The Martian Chronicles, Doubleday, 1950

Habitat Haldimand Inc. and Haldimand & Area Woodlot Owners Association are located next door to The Neat Little Bookshop. This spring our family planted fifty native trees on location of our farm and cottage on Lake Erie. Inquire about Haldimand's reforestation projects for next year. (SOLD OUT FOR 2010.)

http://www.hawoa.com/ also visit, http://www.habitathaldimand.ca/ ~ organizations partnering with the Haldimand Stewardship Council. http://www.ontariostewardship.org/

Modern Postal Service

Renovations are almost complete on the Cayuga Post Office. One now enters a neat, spotless dry-walled room. There is a splashy new door separating the business of mail from the public. (Presumably staff can tell if anyone is waiting in the outer room.)

The staff is the same ~ friendly, small-town, ready-to-assist. However, modern planning challenges the cordial, interactive atmosphere! Somehow, it feels like we have lost something.

Just a Passing Thought ~

How odd that modernization chisels away at the the human factor. Why is it that little by little, we seem to be losing the personal, friendly touch in so many ways? The interaction of individuals? In the past, the public could catch a glimpse of mail being sorted, staff shuffling bins full of letters and friendly carriers picking up their deliveries. A quick smile and a wave. Someone would stop and assist the visitor.

Renovations are almost complete on the current Cayuga Post Office. One now enters a neat, spotless dry-walled room. There is a splashy new door that separates the business of mail from the public. Presumably staff can tell if anyone is waiting in the outer room.

Photograph: The old 19th Century Post Office across the street from today's modern Post Office. Courtesy of Vavoom Photography.

A Couple Kids And a Storyhour

It takes only a couple kids to provide the sound effects for Walter the Farting Dog Trouble at the Yard Sale *

*Wm. Katzwinkle & Glenn Murray, Dutton Children's Books

Photo: Story Teller, Amy Grasley; Thank you, Eric and Christopher.

School is Out ~ Watch for Our Kids! Have a Safe and Happy Summer.

Happy Canada Day

July 1, 2010

~ Neat Little Bookshop

Closed for the Holiday

(Photo: Lighthouse Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada.)

~ Happy Birthday Canada