The Neat Little Bookshop

2012-02-10T05:51:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Barrett Browning ~ In A Letter to Her Sisters after privately marrying Robert Browning.

"Dearest Henrietta and Arabel, ~ how I suffered that day ~ that miserable Saturday. . when I had to act a part to you ~ how I suffered!
Papa thinks that I have sold my soul ~ for genius. . . mere genius." [ Mr. Barrett never forgave or reconciled with his daughter]
". . .[Robert] sate by me for hours, pouring out floods of tenderness and goodness, and promising to win back for me, with God's help, the affection of such of you as were angry. And he loves me more and more. 'I kissed your feet, my Ba, before I married you ~ but now I would kiss the ground under your feet, I love you with a so much greater love.' And this is true, I see and feel. I feel to have the power of making him happy. . I feel to have it in my hands. It is strange that anyone so brilliant should love me, ~ but true and strange it is."

~ E.B.B. English Poet (1806 - 1861)The WORLD'S GREAT LETTERS, Edited by M. L. Schuster, 1940.
Image: Wikipedia

2012-02-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday, June 23 ~ Day of A Thousand Canoes

2nd Annual Event on the Grand River, Haldimand.
Launching in Caledonia, paddling to Cayuga.
for more information visit http://www.1000canoes.com/

Photo: Village of York ~ L. B. Walker

2012-02-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

Day of A Thousand Canoes Coming Sat., June 23 ~

Day of 1000 Canoes ~ Watch for updates. http://www.1000canoes.com/

Photos: Cayuga-on-the-Grand, L. B. Walker

2012-02-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

Robert Browning wrote about love and relationships.
Today we glance at the selected works of R.B. ("Stay a while; read a book!")

"...To-morrow we meet the same then, dearest?
May I take your hand in mine?
Mere friends are we, well, friends the merest
Keep much that I resign:

For each glance of the eye so bright and black,
Though I keep with heart's endeavor, ~
Your voice, when you wish the snowdrops back,
Though it stay in my soul forever! ~

Yet I will but say what mere friends say,
Or only a thought stronger;
I will hold your hand but as long as all may,
Or so very little longer!"

~ from The Lost Mistress.

2012-02-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

"Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and the best, stand naturally and rightfully on the shelves of every cottage. They have no cause of their own to plead, but while they enlighten and sustain the reader his common sense will not refuse them. Their authors are a natural and irresistible aristocracy in every society, and, more than kings or emperors, exert an influence on mankind."
~ Henry D. Thoreau, Walden, Life in The Woods. American author, poet and philosopher (1817 - 1862)

2012-02-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from reading a book? The book exists for us perchance which will explain our miracles and reveal new ones. The at present unutterable things we may find somewhere uttered. These same questions that disturb and puzzle and confound us have in their turn occurred to all the wise men; not one has been omitted; and each has answered them, according to his ability, by his words and his life. Moreover, with wisdom we shall learn liberality."

~ Henry D. Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Walden, Life In The Woods, Ticknor & Fields,1854.

"It is not all books that are as dull as their readers. There are probably words addressed to our condition exactly, which, if we could really hear and understand, would be more salutary than the morning or the spring to our lives, and possibly put a new aspect on the face of things for us." ~ H. D. T.
Photo: Rock Glen Falls, Ausable Gorge, Ontario, L. B. Walker

2012-02-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

When Catcher in the Rye was chosen as the main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1951, the president of the club expressed anxiety over the book's somewhat ambiguous title. He asked the author, J. D. Salinger if he would consider a title change, Salinger simply replied, "Holden Caulfield wouldn't like that."
A first edition, signed, of Catcher in the Rye now sells in the vicinity of fifty-five thousand dollars.
~ The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes, Editor, Clifton Fadiman, 1985.

2012-02-03T05:34:00.000-08:00

Thought For Today ~

Thomas Edison, famous for inventing the electric light bulb, was asked to sign a guest book that had the usual columns for name and address, as well as one for "Interested In." In this last column Edison entered the word: " Everything."

THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, 1985, edited by Clifton Fadiman

2012-02-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

Join us today at 1:30 p.m. for a warm-up for Valentine's Day. Karen Richardson, Curator of Haldimand County Museum, will be at The Neat Little Bookshop. Round Table discussion on romance! Do you have any old love letters, tokens of love or maybe a love story?

~ Postcard collection courtesy of John Walker

2012-02-01T03:57:00.000-08:00

Familiar with Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways?"
Following, is an excerpt from an early letter ~ Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett.

"I LOVE your verses with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett, and this is no off-hand complimentary letter that I shall write, ~ whatever else, no prompt matter-of-course recognition of your genius, and there a graceful and natural end of the thing.
Since the day last week when I first read your poems, I quite laugh to remember how I have been turning and turning again in my mind what I should be able to tell you of their effect upon me...
"...this great living poetry of yours, not a flower of which but took root and grew ~ Oh, how different that is from lying to be dried and pressed flat, and prized highly, and put in a book with a proper account at top and bottom, and shut up and put away."

~ THE WORLD'S GREAT LETTERS, Edited by M. L. Schuster, Simon & Schuster Inc., 1940.

2012-01-31T06:31:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 2, 1:30 p.m. Karen Richardson, Curator of the Haldimand County Museum, will be our guest at the Round Table.
Thursday afternoons ~ 1st & 3rd ~ are informal readings/discussions on topics that always entertain and hopefully inform. Being February, we think that romance is a welcome subject. Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet and writer, apparently found the winter months long. While on a lecture tour in the United States, he wrote to his wife on March 16, 1950,

"My love, Oh, cat. . .Have you forgotten me? I am the man you used to say you loved. I used to sleep in your arms ~ do you remember? But you never write. You are perhaps mindless of me. I am not of you. I love you. There isn't a moment of any hideous day when I do not say to myself, 'It will be alright. I shall go home. Caitlin loves me. I love Caitlin.'
But perhaps you have forgotten. If you have forgotten, or lost your affection for me, please, my Cat, let me know. I love you."

Please join us. Coffee pot's Always On. . . Thursday, February 2, 1:30 p.m.*From The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time, Edited by David H. Lowenherz, Crown Publishers, New York, 2002
Postcard collection courtesy of John Walker

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Difference Between Literature and Journalism ~

"Literature is the art of writing something that will be read twice; journalism what will be grasped at once."

~ Cyril Connolly, Enemies of Promise, English critic and writer (1903 - 1974)

Source: The Writer and the Reader, Neil Ewart, 1984, Blandford Press.

Local Author ~ Brad Smith

2012-01-29T05:39:00.000-08:00

Sent to check out a budding story about a discovery of lost civil war memorabilia, journalist Amy Morris resents that this assignment is more about her boss' collecting hobby than advancing her career ~

"Dock Bass." "Sounds like a hillbilly action figure," she said unhappily. "How exactly am I supposed to handle this? I don't ever recall Dan Rather showing up at the space center with a pocketful of cash, trying to buy a used shuttle. There are credibility concerns here, Sam."
"Just get close to the situation. Find out what this guy's story is. If it looks as if he'll sell, I'll have somebody there in a heartbeat. I know people in the area. You can keep your distance, do a fascinating little historical piece for the six o'clock and hit the road. But don't think you're going to be the only dog in the hunt. This thing is already attracting a lot of attention, on the Lincoln pictures alone. Throw in the Edison controversy and it'll be Katie-bar-the-door."
"Oh Yeah, it's very exciting," she said and she turned away. "It's the one I've been waiting for, Sam."
~ Busted Flush, Brad Smith, Picador, Pan Books Limited, 2005

Brad Smith will be in The Neat Little Bookshop on Saturday, February 18 at 1:30 p.m. His latest book: Red Means Run released this month by Simon & Schuster.

Famous Love Letters ~

2012-01-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

"There is only one situation I can think of in which men and women make an effort to read better than they usually do. [It is] when they are in love and reading a love letter."

~ Mortimer Adler (1902 - 2001) American author, philosopher
Famous Love Letters, Messages of Intimacy and Passion
Edited by Ronald Tamplin, Reader's Digest Assoc., Inc., 1995.
"I love you no longer; on the contrary, I detest you. You are a wretch, truly perverse, truly stupid, a real Cinderella. You never write to me at all, you do not love your husband; you know the pleasure that your letters give him yet you cannot even manage to write him half a dozen lines, dashed off in a moment!"

~ Letter Napoleon to Josephine, Spring 1707.

The couple remained married until 1809 when Napoleon had the marriage annulled. (On her death, Napoleon picked violets from Josephine's grave and wore them in a locket around his neck until his death seven years later.)
Napoleon (1769 - 1821), Josephine (1763 - 1814)
~Famous Love Letters, Ronald Tamplin, 1995.
Postcard Collection courtesy of John Walker

2012-01-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Karen Richardson, Curator of the Haldimand County Museum, will be at The Neat Little Bookshop

Thursday, February 2 at 1:30 p.m.

Topic: Romance. Everyone welcome ~ round table discussion. Coffee pot's always on ~ (Do you have a vintage love letter that you would like to share?)

". . . a woman who loves a man would sleep on a board." ~ English novelist, D. H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930)

2012-01-27T04:49:00.000-08:00

D. H. Lawrence has been described as "not only one of the great lyric geniuses of modern literature" but an "expert on lusts, hatreds, emotions that none before dared pursue."

In a letter to his friend, John Murry, Lawrence advises, "...give her a man to be satisfied with ~ and satisfaction is never accomplished even physically unless the man is strongly and surely himself, and doesn't depend on anything but his own being to make a woman love him. You've tried to satisfy Katherine with what you could earn for her, give her: and she will only be satisfied with what you are."
"...you fool, you squander yourself, not for her, but to provide her with petty luxuries she doesn't really want. You insult her. A woman unsatisfied must have luxuries. But a woman who loves a man would sleep on a board."

~ The WORLD'S GREAT LETTERS, Simon & Schuster, 1940 Edited by M. L. Schuster.

2012-01-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

Visit With The Author ~ Brad Smith

Author of Big Man Coming Down the Road, One-Eyed Jacks*, Busted Flush, All Hat, Rises a Moral Man and now his sixth book, Red Means Run.

Local author, Brad Smith, will be at The Neat Little Bookshop on Saturday, February 18 at 1:30 p.m. signing books.

"For such a furiously funny writer, Smith has great reserves of tenderness."
~ New York Times Book Review

"His characters are drawn with precision and sympathy, and seem as real as any in contemporary fiction."
~ Toronto Star

*One-Eyed Jacks was shortlisted for the Dashiell Hammett and Arthur Ellis Awards. Brad grew up in Canfield, Ontario. He lives in the Dunnville area.

http://www.bradsmithbooks.com/ Photo: Smith signing books at Flyers Cafe in Dunnville ~ L. B. Walker

2012-01-26T03:44:00.000-08:00

Greeting Cards Lovingly Handmade by Angie ~

Imagine hours of sitting quietly with scissors, paper and glue. Angie Van Groningen's greeting cards are unquestionably a labour of love. Sparkles and tiny gems artistically placed amid layers of finely crafted images ~ this is the stuff that brings a smile. We have received cards meticulously sewn with golden thread. Whatever the occasion ~ new-baby congrats, anniversary, birthday and get-well wishes ~ Angie has thought of it!

Angie and her husband live in Holland most of the year. Whenever they visit Canada, which is several times a year ~ Angie comes by the bookshop with surprises of tea and a basket of her latest handmade cards. Thank you, Angie, for spreading beautiful thoughts and warm hugs.

2012-01-25T04:13:00.000-08:00

"WHATEVER mitigates the woes or increases the happiness of others, this is my criterion of goodness; and whatever injures society at large, or any individual in it, this is my measure in iniquity."

~ Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 - July 21,1796)

2012-01-25T03:39:00.000-08:00

Many of you may have warmed someone's heart with greeting cards from The Neat Little Bookshop. Do you know the story behind them ? That coming up tomorrow ~

"May your day be filled with fun and laughter." Some of Angie's beautiful greeting cards are blank, some deliver warm sentiments ~ ALL are "Lovingly Hand Made by Angie."

2012-01-24T03:32:00.000-08:00

Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22 and Portrait of An Artist as An Old Man, explained why he kept writing,

"I have nothing else to do. The phone isn't ringing much anymore with calls I don't want to receive. There are no more faxes coming in with requests for interviews I don't want to give, no invitations from people I don't want to see for parties I don't want to go to. Damn it, I miss those interruptions!. . . Writing is about the only way I can define myself."

~ Joseph Heller (1923 - 1999) American satirical novelist.
Heller introduced a new phrase into the English language with "Catch-22." Simon & Schuster, 1961.

Source: Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft,Lawrence Grobel, Da Capo Press, 2001.

2012-01-23T04:56:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to give your friends a hug. . .

Smile For Today ~

2012-01-23T03:01:00.000-08:00

Thought for Today:

"Have you ever rightly considered what the mere ability to read means? That it is the key which admits us to the whole world of thought and fancy and imagination? to the company of saint and sage, of the wisest and the wittiest at their wisest and wittiest moment? That it enables us to see with the keenest eyes, hear with the finest ears, and listen to the sweetest voices of all time?"

~ James Russell Lowell, American poet and critic (1819 - 1891) Democracy and Other Addresses, 'Books and Libraries'
The Writer and The Reader, Blandford Press, 1884

2012-01-21T23:19:00.001-08:00

Afternoon with an Author ~ It was a predictable sharing of stories with friends catching-up on the latest news. Brad has a following of fans eager to grab his new book, Red Means Run, released this month. Simon & Schuster.

l-r : Jim White, Nicole LeVatte, Pam Thomas and local author, Brad Smith.
Dragonfly Books & Gifts, Caledonia, hosted a book signing.
Visit Brad's website http://www.bradsmithbooks.com/
Photo: L. B. Walker

2012-01-21T03:55:00.000-08:00

Smile for Today:

An old literary and military tale has it that Edgar Allan Poe was expelled from West Point in 1831 for "gross neglect of duty" because he appeared naked at a public parade. Parade dress instructions called for "white belts and gloves, under arms." Poe took this literally and appeared with rifle over his bare shoulder, wearing belt and gloves ~ and nothing else.

As a reader pointed out, we missed recognizing Poe's birthday on January 19. We offer the above anecdote in his honour.

Source: THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, General Editor, Clifton Fadiman, 1985.

2012-01-20T05:10:00.000-08:00

Untitled ~ Emily Dickinson

Unto my books so good to turn
Far ends of tired days;
It half endears the abstinence,
And pain is missed in praise.

As flavors cheer retarded guests
With banquetings to be,
So spices stimulate the time
Till my small library.

It may be wilderness without,
Far feet of failing men,
But holiday excludes the night,
And it is bells within.

I thank these kinsmen of the shelf;
Their countenances bland
Enamour in prospective,
And satisfy, obtained.

~ Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson, Chatham River Press, 1983.
Edited by M. L. Todd & T.W. Higginson

2012-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Our thanks to Neil Paul and John Passfield for today's fascinating presentation ~ the first of a series ~ on Dutch artist Rembrandt.

Neil agrees with the modern opinion that our decorative plate, "The Man In The Golden Helmet" may not be a Rembrandt; however, we have a second plate; the image on our second plate appeared to us to be a merry tavern scene of some sort. Neil's reference book clearly shows a BED in the background of the painting, depicting Rembrandt and his first wife, Saskia. We have a Rembrandt after all!

A special thank you to Grand Treats & Treasures for refreshments for today's event. Drop into the Cayuga Street business. Pick up some hot English Wassail Cider Mix. Tell Colliene that we sent you.

2012-01-19T06:17:00.000-08:00

Reminder: Today Fascinating Personalities 1:00 p.m. ~ John Passfield and Neil Paul. Readings and revisiting Dutch Artist Rembrandt.

Round table discussion. Everyone welcome. (Thank you Wikipedia ~ Images of Rembrandt)

2012-01-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

Smith's Best Book ? Witty, humourous and constructed to hold the reader's attention, Red Means Run is Brad Smith's new novel. Picked up by Scribner, a division of Simon & Shuster, this may be Brad's best book yet.
Visit www.bradsmithbooks.com for a run-down on local author, Brad Smith. He is the author of All Hat, Big Man Coming Down the Road, Busted Flush, One-Eyed Jacks and Rises a Moral Man. A video of the author takes us on a tour of his old stomping grounds, including the Cayuga Courthouse and jail.

Brad will be signing Red Means Run this Saturday at Dragonfly Books and Gifts in Caledonia, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Photo: Book-signing at Flyers Cafe in Dunnville, Ontario ~ LWalker.

2012-01-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

Smile for Today ~

It may not be known how Rembrandt managed in the 1600s to produce natural flesh tints in his many nude paintings. However, two centuries later, Renoir replied when asked, "I just keep painting till I feel like pinching. Then I know it's right."

Source: THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, Clifton Fadman, 1985.

2012-01-17T04:44:00.000-08:00

Man In The Golden Helmet ~ not a Rembrandt?

Thursday, January 19, 1:00 p.m. at The Neat Little Bookshop

Please join us for Fascinating Personalities

Retired teachers John Passfield and Neil Paul will be discussing the Dutch artist and some of his paintings.

(We are learning that The Man With The Golden Helmet may not be a Rembrandt after all.)

2012-01-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

LADY ICICLE

Following from poetess Pauline Johnson's work Flint and Feather, 1912 Hodder and Stoughton Limited.

Little Lady Icicle is laughing in the north-land,

And quaffing in the north-land her wines that overflow;

All the lakes and rivers crusting

That her finger-tips are dusting,

Where Little Lady Icicle is laughing in the snow.

Photos: Grand River, Cayuga, Ontario. January 16.

2012-01-14T11:51:00.001-08:00

Congratulations Brad !

2012-01-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Meet BRAD SMITH ~

Local author, Brad Smith, may have had more than one pen on hand today at Flyers Bakery and Cafe in Dunnville, Ontario. One fan was overheard to comment, "Some of us went to school with Brad." Eager fans lined up at 1:00 p.m. today to get his latest book, RED MEANS RUN. It is the first novel in a new series.
Kathy Lint congratulates Brad Smith on his new book.

Brad Smith and Lorraine Kelly, Mgr., Special Sales, Simon & Schuster Canada, meet readers at Flyers Bakery and Cafe.

We will get Brad to visit The Neat Little Bookshop in the near future. Meanwhile, if you missed him today, you can catch him next Saturday in Caledonia at The Dragonfly Books And Gifts, Argyle St. (Zehr's Plaza) http://www.simonandschuster.ca/

www.bradsmithbooks.com

2012-01-14T04:47:00.000-08:00

Imagine a Time ~

"Imagine a time when common courtesy was a standard for all, when a genuine moral authority reigned supreme and when relations between the sexes were marked by mutual respect and honor. These were the hallmarks of the Victorian era."
So begins, The Benevolence of Manners, Recapturing the Lost Art of Gracious Victorian Living. Author: Linda S. Lichter.

"Fun in our gluttonous age is merchandise-dependent, but the roots of this syndrome predated our addiction to the tube. The authors of Middletown* noted that by the 1920s, the rich range of shared home entertainments had severely declined. Dancing to recorded music that divided the generations, as opposed to music you made and all enjoyed, became the major domestic amusement ~ when families weren't going their separate ways. And increasingly, they were.

"Living meant living it up, which demanded cash and a car. As one person interviewed by the Lynds observed, 'It almost seems as though family members simply couldn't wait to get out of the house and away from one another.'
"We have been deserting the hearth ever since."
~ L. Lichter, The Benevolance of Manners, ReganBooks /HarperCollins Publishers 1998.
* Studies by American sogiologists, Robt. and Helen Lynd, published in 1929

2012-01-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

Smile for Today ~
Our own William Thomas, Canadian author, humourist, columnist, recently toured England. His columns are published in almost fifty newspapers, The Sachem being one.
In the January 12 Sachem issue you will find, "Lots of love for man's best friend. . ."
"Still missing my Jake, in England I petted border collies in pubs, ate next to terriers in restaurants and talked to a lurcher sitting next to me on buses. . .and naturally, introduced by their dogs, I met a lot of fine and friendly people."
"I think dogs should be allowed everywhere including malls and retail stores. (But not pet stores. That's just asking for trouble.") ~ William Thomas

Guinness, retired service dog, waits patiently in the car while her owner shops.

"In England, every time you turn around there's a dog smiling at you with an owner singing his praises...In Canada it seems every time you turn around there's 'No Pets Allowed' signs staring at you." ~ Canadian Humourist, William Thomas

The Neat Little Bookshop is a pet-friendly retail outlet. We even feature a Dog Gallery.
William Thomas' books are available at The Neat Little Bookshop ~ including The Dog Rules ~ Damn Near Everything. http://www.williamthomas.ca/

2012-01-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

Smile for Today ~

"If sex is such a natural phenomenon, how come there are so many books on how to?"

~ Bette Midler, American vocalist, actress.

"When I burnt my bra it took the fire department four days to put out the blaze."

~ Dolly Parton, American vocalist, actress.

"It's a delightful thing to think of perfection; but it's vastly more amusing to talk of errors and absurdities."

~ Fanny Burney (Madame d'Arblay),1752 - 1840, British novelist.

"I doesn't matter what you do in the bedroom as long as you don't do it in the street and frighten the horses."

~Mrs. Patrick Campbell (1865 - 1940) British stage actress.

Source: WICKED WOMEN'S WIT AND HUMOUR Edited by Fidelis Morgan, Virago Press 1995.

Graphics: Fanny Burney, Wikipedia

The Dylan Thomas Centre - DylanThomas.com

2012-01-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Dylan Thomas Centre - DylanThomas.com

2012-01-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

2012-01-11T03:29:00.000-08:00

Ray Bradbury On Writing ~

"You put all the information in there and let it percolate. Creativity in every field is almost identical. All great ideas, and much of the scientific ideas, come from percolation. Make sure you feed yourself all kinds of stuff from various fields, outrageous fields, every day."

~ Ray Bradbury ( 1920 - ) American author, science fiction, fantasy.
Source: Endangered Species, Lawrence Grobel, Da Capo Press, 2001

Eighteen Days of Steady Craftsmanship

2012-01-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Careful Craftsmanship ~ Royce Emery meticulously creates with attention to authenticity and perfection. His fine work is in demand at shows ~ especially when he is engaged in producing yet another beautiful piece. We hope to soon coax Royce into sharing his hobby with us in the bookshop.

2012-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

A Special Thank you to the ladies of the Canfield Women's Institute for inviting us into their homes.
The WI was originally formed to revitalize rural communities and encourage women to participate in issues important to family and home.
Thank you to these industrious ladies for all that you do.

Today I spent a special afternoon in the country with
ladies of the Canfield Women's Institute and their guests from Sim's Locks. The roll call was "Your favourite author or book," which led perfectly into my presentation on The Neat Little Bookshop and the revitalization of downtown Cayuga. Thank you ladies!
Photos are not of Canfield; they are scenes of Mount Olivet, Haldimand County. Rural Canfield will be our next photo assignment!

2012-01-08T04:02:00.001-08:00

"I WENT TO THE WOODS BECAUSE I WISHED TO LIVE DELIBERATEDLY, TO FRONT ONLY THE ESSENTIAL FACTS OF LIFE.

AND SEE IF I COULD NOT LEARN WHAT IT HAD TO TEACH AND NOT, WHEN I CAME TO DIE, DISCOVER THAT I HAD NOT LIVED."

~ Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Walden: Life in the Woods.

"Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again."
~ H. D. Thoreau, a Chinese inscription, cited in Walden: Life in the Woods.

Photo: Mount Olivet, Haldimand County, LWalker

2012-01-08T03:30:00.000-08:00

"I do the very best I know how ~ the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

~ Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) American President

"These are the gifts I ask
Of Thee, Spirit serene:
Strength for the daily task,
Courage to face the road,
Good cheer to help me bear the traveler's load,
And, for the hours of rest that come between,
An inward joy of all things heard and seen."

~ Henry Van Dyke (1852 - 1933) American author

Source: MOMENTS BRIGHT AND SHINING, C.R. Gibson Company,

2012-01-07T04:30:00.000-08:00

Thought for Today:

"The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity."

~ George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950) English playwright

"So long as we love, we serve; so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend."

~ Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894) Scottish novelist, poet.

Source: Moments Bright And Shining, The C.R.Gibson Company MCMLXXIX

2012-01-06T03:49:00.000-08:00

One of our own has personal ties to a victim of a violent crime. It is unimaginable to most of us how unsettling life must become to family and friends. Our sincerest condolences go out to these folks.
This experience has made us aware of a volume of poetry on the subject of death. Friend and author, Laurie Miller said this, "Thinking about death, I keep coming back to Dylan Thomas, who wrote so many wonderful things about it. 'Though lovers be lost love shall not;/ And death shall have no dominion.' Maybe it doesn't get much better than that."

We print a portion of the mariner's poem, Death Shall Have No Dominion.
"And death shall have no dominion
Dead men naked they shall be one
With the man in the wind and the west moon;
When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone.
They shall have stars at elbow and foot;
Though they go mad they shall be sane,
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion."
http://www.dylanthomas.com/
~ Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953) Welsh poet and writer
Photo: Wikipedia. Dylan Thomas' writing shed.

2012-01-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

"She cocks her head to one side, fixes one with her luminous almond eyes, furrows her brow into puzzlement and seems to say, 'I would understand you thoroughly if you could speak more clearly. And incidentally, have you got a biscuit on you?' "
~ Alec Guinness (1914 - 2000) British actor, Shakespearean roles.

The Quotable Dog Lover, Edited by Patricia Sherwood, Sterling Publishing, 2004.

2012-01-05T04:16:00.000-08:00

Zeus visits the Bookstore
"Think I'll just kick-back here. . .Interesting gibberish."

2012-01-03T02:57:00.000-08:00

Tranquillity ~ calmness, serenity

"Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity."
~ Wm. Wordsworth (1770 - 1850) English poet.

"Sorrow is tranquillity remembered in emotion."
~ Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967) American critic, humorist.

"There ought to be moments of tranquillity in great works, as in life after the experience of passions, but not moments of disgust."
~ Voltaire (1694 - 1778) French writer, philosopher.

Source: Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Oxford University Press, 2001.

2012-01-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

On Writing ~

Hemmingway won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954. Five years earlier it had been awarded to another American novelist, William Faulkner. The two writers did not have a very high opinion of each other. Faulkner said of Hemingway that he had no courage, that "he had never been known to use a word that might send the reader to the dictionary. When Hemmingway heard this, he said, "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don't know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use."

~THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, Clifton Fadman General Editor, 1985.

2012-01-01T06:38:00.000-08:00

Living Consciously In The Moment ~
"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink, I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains. I would drink deeper; fish in the sky, whose bottom is pebbly with stars."
~ Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) American author, poet, philosopher. Best known for his book Walden, Life in the Woods, a reflection on simple living ~ close to nature.

"...our lives unfold only in moments. If we are not fully present for many of those moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and the depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation."
~ Jon Kabat~Zinn, (b. 1944.) Ph. D Molecular Biology. American Author, Wherever You Go There You Are, Hyperion, 1994.
Photo: Normandale, Norfolk County, Ontario. LWalker

To You And Yours ~ Happy New Year

2011-12-31T15:48:00.000-08:00

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
and surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
CHORUS:
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS:
We twa hae paidl d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae
roar'd sin auld lang syne.
CHORUS:
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

~ Robert Burns, Scottish Poet (January 25, 1759 - July 21, 1796)

2011-12-31T04:46:00.000-08:00

"Don't just do something, sit there!" "Don't just do something, sit there!"
"Mindfulness can also help us to appreciate feelings such as joy, peacefulness, and happiness which often go by fleetingly and unacknowledged. It is liberating... can free us from the ruts we often fall into."

Wishing you time to reflect, time to share ~ wishing you health and happiness in the new year.

"We tend to be particularly unaware that we are thinking virtually all the time. The incessant stream of thoughts flowing through our minds leaves us very little respite for inner quiet."

Mindfulness, living consciously, being aware not of the past or of the future~ solely of the moment, is empowering...because "paying attention in this way opens channels to deep reservoirs of creativity, intelligence, imagination, clarity, determination, choice, and wisdom within us."

~Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are, Hyperion, 1994. Also author of Full Catastrophe Living And Coming To Our Senses.

Photographs: Canadian author, Stephen Leacock's home on Lake Couchiching.

Year In Review

2011-12-31T02:49:00.000-08:00

Year of The Arenas ~ In 2011 New State-of-the-Art Facilities
On Saturday, September 17, the new Cayuga Memorial Arena opened. Neighbouring Dunnville celebrated a grand opening on September 5.
Many people came together including an organization, "Cayuga Think Rink," formed in early 2007 to bring this community dream to fruition ~ raising over a million dollars. Over four years in the making.

Year In Review

2011-12-30T02:34:00.000-08:00

Comfortable In Our New Location ~ "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."
~ Swami Satchitananda

Thank you to Peter and Betty Lou Baird for believing in The Neat Little Bookshop. They second-guessed plans to sell 29 Talbot Rd. and allowed us to lease. With help from our friends, we opened in our new location on Wednesday, September 7, in time for the first week of school and Story Hour.

John and Kim Jeffrey, interested in downtown Cayuga businesses and heritage buildings, purchased 29 Talbot Rd. The Neat Little Bookshop proudly survives. John and Kim opened Grindstone Creek Gallery on King Street in June. http://www.grindstonecreekgallery.com/

Year In Review

2011-12-30T02:01:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, July 20
The Neat Little Bookshop was forced to leave 11 Cayuga Street by order of the Fire Marshal's office. Broken leaking pipes, mould and garbage prevailed.

Combustibles removed. Smoke alarms to code and building permits required. Five upstairs tennants and three businesses shut out until orders met. Today 11 Cayuga Street has been cleaned up and renovated. It is the new home of a diabetic clinic.

Year In Review

2011-12-29T07:13:00.000-08:00

Day of 1000 Canoes ~ took place on the Grand River on Saturday, June 25 (June 26th is National Canoe Day). This first-time event was an overwhelming success involving many volunteers and the co-operation of Haldimand County and the O.P.P. Co-founders, Blaine Nicholls and Shane Carmichael had a vision, "The idea of 1000 Canoes is Community ~ getting together, bringing other communities into ours and enjoying one of our greatest local resources ~ the Grand River!"

Next year's Day of 1000 Canoes is scheduled for Saturday, June 23, 2012.

http://www.1000canoes.com/ Photographs from Day of 1000 Canoes Facebook.

Year In Review

2011-12-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.chiefswood.com/

Historic Chiefswood, home of the poet Pauline Johnson, was extensively damaged by water ~ along with priceless artifacts. Sometime on Sunday, February 5 according to the TEKAWENNAKE newspaper, water pipes burst as a result of freezing temperatures. "It's the worst nightmare that could possibly happen," said curator Paula Whitlow, "short of the building being burned to the ground."
"Water was running down the stairs from the second floor like a cascade and the sound of water under pressure was loud and coming from the closet under the stairwell on the main level and pouring out from under the door, covering the main level floors with 2 to 3 inches of water." Difficulty in finding the main shut-off valve by Six Nations Public Works employees resulted in the flow of water for more than six hours from the time the bursts were first discovered.

Previous appeals to Band Council when the furnace no longer worked, went unheeded. Band councillors and Elected Chief Bill Montour were once again contacted for help after the disaster.

Source: TEKAWENNAKE Canada's Oldest Leading Native Weekly - since 1963. Wednesday, December 28, 2011 Issue. Photo: Lorna Walker

2011-12-28T04:57:00.000-08:00

Note: The Neat Little BOOKSHOP is Closed for holidays. Returning Wednesday, January 4.
In a letter* to her friend, Al Purdy, Margaret Laurence wrote:

"I don't think you should worry unduly (maybe you aren't ~ hope not) re: the poems ... which you aren't crazy about. There are some good poems in the collection, and others which don't have as much reach as you would like them to have. So what?

"It seems to me we ought not to worry that all our work is not of the same (high) standard. . . for God's sake, whose is? Not even Shakespeare's."

Referring to her own work, Laurence writes, "...there are some okay things in them, but they're not true enough, not penetrating enough, or at least they don't speak as much of my own truth as I have sometimes been able to speak in novels. But I think this is a fact of life, and damn well better than not writing at all if it makes you miserable at that particular time not to be writing. The Nigerian book was a life saver for me ~ saved me from despair and booze, probably. So it's got a few decent parts, and that's all, but that's okay, I think. This doesn't mean a drop in standards ~ it only means that you don't operate at the same pitch or tempo or whatever it is, all the time."
~ MARGARET LAURENCE (1926 - Jan. 5, 1987) Margaret Laurence - Al Purdy: A Friendship in Letters, McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1993.
* September, 1969

2011-12-27T04:04:00.001-08:00

2011-12-27T03:27:00.000-08:00

What does a book-lady get for Christmas? You probably guessed part of it . . . a new book and ~ a clock disguised as a book!

After all there is nothing like a good book ~

2011-12-25T02:14:00.000-08:00

A Peaceful Christmas to You ~

2011-12-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

Wishing Everyone a safe and Happy Holiday ~
time for reflection, for sharing, and for love.
Post Card from December, 1909 ~ A Bright and Merry Christmas.

2011-12-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

The true story of Alfred Kienitz ~ his escape from Germany ~ risking his life to assist family, friends and even strangers to escape the clutches of Communism.
Written by his daughter, Doris Kienitz, East Germany and the Escape, Kitchen Table Memoirs.

A Memoir Available at The Neat Little Bookshop in both soft cover and hard. Please call or email to reserve your copy. 905-577-5635, lbwalker@shaw.ca

~ FriesenPress, First Edition, November, 2011

2011-12-24T02:03:00.000-08:00

Postcards from 1900 - 1910

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Proving that children really did have a l-o-n-g walk to school back then!

2011-12-23T01:29:00.000-08:00

"Owning a first-edition book is like having a baby and not being able to cuddle it," says George Murray of J. N. Barfield* Books in New York City.

"A scratch, a rip, or smudge diminishes a first edition's value as an investment." For those who wish to own fine books and read them, too, leather-bound volumes offer handsome rewards. Barfield's collection dates from about 1870 to 1929, when bookbinding went the way of the stock market, never to rebound. The shop welcomes and educates browsers.
~ BOUND TO BE ENJOYED, Country Living Magazine, Dec. 1991.

*J. N. Bartfield Rare and Fine Books, New York

2011-12-22T02:06:00.001-08:00

Early Postcards although sent with warm sentiments were poorly crafted with no embellishments. Later as the quality of paper and printing methods improved, cards became decorative works of art.

Postcards from the Past

2011-12-21T04:10:00.000-08:00

"The Cayuga Bridge Company was incorporated in 1836 and the bridge was completed soon afterward. A bridge was also built at Seneca. The Cayuga company was a joint stock operation, financed by shareholders, who profited from the tolls which were collected. The government set limits on the tolls: total annual amount collected could not be more than 20 per cent of the total cost of the bridge."
In 2011, as the plans for a new bridge to replace the old in Cayuga are revised and revealed, we read with interest the chapter on the history of roads and bridges in Haldimand County.
Available at The Neat Little Bookshop The Early Years by Cheryl MacDonald, author and historian. $20.

2011-12-20T10:37:00.001-08:00

Here Comes Santa Claus ~ excerpts from CHRISTMAS IN ONTARIO*
In Ontario, the tradition of visiting Santa at a store goes back to the late 1800's. In some cases, he was an invisible presence ~ one Toronto bookstore billed itself as Santa's depository for gifts. But stores that featured a real live Santa had a definite edge, especially if his arrival was marked by a special event.
The most special event of all was Eaton's annual Santa Claus parade, which started in 1905. Prior to that time, Santa was enthroned in the Toronto department store's Toyland.

"This compilation brings to life the very best holiday stories from across Ontario." ~ Cheryl MacDonald

Cheryl has been writing about Canadian history for nearly thirty years. A long-time resident of Nanticoke, she is a full-time writer and historian.

*Available in The Neat Little Bookshop $9.95

2011-12-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

"A composer friend, visiting Heine, found the poet at his desk gloomily surveying a blank page. Asked what the trouble was, Heine replied, "Well, I just met X in the street, I stopped for a moment to exchange ideas, and now I feel like a complete idiot."

~ Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856), After 1831 he lived in Paris, where he was involved in radical political journalism, wrote essays on French and German culture, and composed satirical verse.
THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, Clifton Fadiman, 1985

2011-12-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

"Frosty the Snow Man is a fairy tale, they say; He was made of snow, but the children know how he came to life one day. There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found,

For when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around. Oh, Frosty the Snow Man was alive as he could be, ~And the children say he could laugh and play just the same as you and me. Thump-et-y thump thump, thump-et-y thump thump, Look at Frosty go. . .

Words and Music by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins

2011-12-17T05:34:00.000-08:00

The Old-Fashioned Christmas Tree ~

"Everyone enjoys the tree enthusiastically. It seems as if we are all in never-never land. We are children again, or at least completely comfortable with our childlikeness I realize that this is exactly what many trees might have looked like a century or more ago ~ not just hung with the old ornaments, but imbued with a spirit of a far different time...

"Gifts are exchanged and admired. Tasha reads "The Night Before Christmas" to us from one of her own versions. It is tremendously comforting to sit around Tasha's tree and have her read this Christmas classic to us, as she did years ago to her children, as her father did even more years ago to her. The past and present seem to merge, as they often do at Corgi Cottage. All the Christmases past become a seamless part of this Christmas."

~ Tasha Tudor, American illustrator and author (1918 - 2008) Forever Christmas, 2000

2011-12-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

"The Moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave a luster of midday to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer..."

"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On. Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!"

~ A Visit From St. Nicholas, Clement Clark Moore, 1823

Photo: The Niagara Escarpment, West Hamilton. Taken last winter when we had snow ~ Lorna

2011-12-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

With a hearty "Ho, ho, ho!" Santa calls out each name then off to the North Pole again. "A book for Susie, a comic for Sam." Santa smiles. "Bundles of fun.""In a land way up north ~ at the tip of the North Pole ~ there's a magical place where winter stays the whole year long. Elves upon elves zigzag their skis through the snow on their way to a very special house ~ the Toy Shop of Mr. and Mrs. S. Claus." "How was your trip, Santa? Merry Christmas!" Couldn't do it without Elf Mike!

~ Santa's Toy Shop, Walt Disney Classic Edition, 2000

2011-12-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

THE AVRO ARROW
A PICTURE HISTORY ~ "When the magnificent new Avro Arrow fighter jet thundered into the sky over Malton, Ontario on a cold March morning in 1958, Canada became a world leader in the aviation industry. Less than a year later, the Arrow project was dead. What happened?
The story of the Avro Arrow has been told, retold, and analyzed so often it is fading into myth. This book brings the Arrow, and the people who made it, back to life through over 100 historical images cataloguing every step of the Arrow's development ~ and its shocking demise."
~ Local author, Lawrence Miller, James Lorimer & Company Ltd., 2011.

NEW ~ Autographed copies available at The Neat Little Bookshop $9.95 (Limited quantity)

J. D. Salinger (January 1919 ~ January 2010)

2011-12-12T04:38:00.000-08:00

Holden Caulfield Watching Phoebe on the carousel ~ "I was so damn happy all of a sudden . I don't know why.It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going round and round, in her blue coat and all.God, I wish you could have been there." (Paperback edition courtesy of Lawrence Miller.) J. D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye, has become an icon for teenage rebellion and adolescent confusion. The theme of the importance of family throughout the book perhaps contributes to the book's lasting attraction. Above hard cover: First published in Britain 1951 by Hamish Hamilton Ltd. 2nd impression 1955.

2011-12-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

Reading of A Christmas Carol
at Cottonwood Mansion left most of us inquiring, "What is Smoking Bishop??" (Read by Rt. Rev. D. Ralph Bishop Spence ~ the casting by Catherine Stidsen.)
The drink is hot, spiced wine similar to wassail ~ something like a hot sangria, scented with oranges and infused with port.

Thank you Bishop Spence, Anglican Bishop of Niagara, retired, for your enlivened rendition of The Christmas Carol script. With thanks to Catherine Stidsen for photo.

At the very end of the beloved Charles Dickens holiday classic A Christmas Carol, a reformed Ebenezer Scrooge and his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit share an oddly named libation:

"A Merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I'll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a bowl of Smoking Bishop, Bob!" Source: CBC

Photo: Deanna and Jill Serving Guests

2011-12-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

"Shortly after its publication 150 years ago, The Night Before Christmas spawned dozens of copiously illustrated hand- and paper-bound versions of its charming tale. And Santa lovers collected as many versions as possible. And the Jolly Old Elf, initially depicted by Thomas Nast, soon took on a more expansive life, which was merrily featured in companion volumes. Santa, in other words, was no longer fettered to his December 24th ride through the sky, but was illustrated at work with his elves, relaxing by the fire with Mrs. Claus, and even taking vacations in the South."
~ Country Living COUNTRY CHRISTMAS, Hearst Books, 1990. (Note: that would make it over 170 years ago.)
Santa artist: Florence Sarah Winship ~ only a few surviving pages of The Night Before Christmas. Circa: 40's (?)

2011-12-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

Though miles separate us . . . (1928 Post Cards) Post Cards From The Past

2011-12-08T05:32:00.001-08:00

John Passfield, retired drama teacher ~ He may have taught more than drama but certainly seems to have been his most famous role since retirement ~ as well as writing books! John is reading Christmas stories today at The Neat Little Bookshop. You don't want to miss it! 1:00 p.m. Cookies, tea & coffee. Free admission. Please join us.Photo: John Passfield Reading Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol at Cottonwood Mansion

2011-12-07T04:30:00.000-08:00

Join us on Thursday, December 8 at 1:00 p.m. in The Neat Little Bookshop ~

Author, John Passfield will be reading ballads, stories, poems, songs and hymns lyrics new and old.Photo credit: Thank you to Catherine Stidsen. l-r John Passfield, Neil Paul. b. Lorna Walker. St. Nicolas Day at Cottonwood Mansion. http://www.cottonwoodmansion.ca/

2011-12-06T12:09:00.001-08:00

Charles Dickens The Christmas Carol ~ Marley's Ghost meets the Second of Three Spirits on the Stairway at Cottonwood Mansion

In the kitchen, Deanna Schaus & Jill Walters

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day at Cottonwood Mansion ~

l- r, John Passfield, Catherine Stidsen, Neil Paul, Cheryl MacDonald and Bishop Spence after reading Dicken's The Christmas Carol

2011-12-06T04:54:00.000-08:00

For many of us, the Christmas tree becomes the center of our December activities. Tasha Tutor, American author and illustrator describes her childhood tree.
"When I was about seven, that was the first Christmas tree that I really remember. It seemed to go up and up and up, straight to heaven! Of course, I was quite small at the time, but it seemed immense, tremendously tall, like a skyscraper."
Crowning the top of Tutor's tree for decades was a large, black velvet raven that she made by hand in homage to the legend that the raven was the herald of Christ's birth. According to the story, a raven was flying over Bethlehem when he encountered a sky filled with angels. He was given the honor of announcing the birth of Christ to all the other birds.

~ Forever Christmas, by Harry Davis. Little, Brown and Company, 2000. Illustrated by Tasha Tutor (1915 - 2008)

Photo: The music room at Cottonwood Mansion. Decorations by Deanna Schaus.

2011-12-05T18:33:00.001-08:00

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree ~
Vintage Post Card from The Old-Fashioned Congratulations Postcard Book by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Oh Christmas Tree

. . . still to be decorated.

2011-12-05T03:48:00.000-08:00

Inscribed and scribbled
Book inscriptions are a funny thing. They can increase the value of a first edition. They can render a book worthless for retail. I recently removed a book from the bookshop shelf ~ it remains in a drawer until I decide what to do with it. "To Lorna who comes from my neck of the woods. . ." is hidden on the second page. Don't remember the signing. Have not read.

Reminds me of a story about George Bernard Shaw. Shaw came across a copy of one of his works in a secondhand bookshop. Discovering his own handwriting on the flyleaf, "To _ _ _ with esteem, George Bernard Shaw," he bought the book and returned it to his friend, adding the inscription: "With renewed esteem, George Bernard Shaw."

I have decided to read the book in the drawer. I am sure that it is a good book. I recall paying the list price for it. Perhaps hoping for "renewed esteem."
More and more, I am beginning to believe that the use of a lead pencil is preferable to INK. Lead appears to be as permanent as ink or can easily be erased if the inscription no longer applies ~ leaving the book more attractive and relevant to a new owner. We have seen inscriptions that deface a book but perhaps more bewildering are the discarded books bearing personal, intimate declarations of "forever" inscriptions.

2011-12-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS ~ In the Spirit?
Readings with local author, John Passfield ~ poems, stories, ballads, hymn and song lyrics old and new, humorous and serious.

Please join us at The Neat Little Bookshop

Thursday, December 8 1:00 p.m.

(Always lively, always casual. Coffee and Tea. No Admission.)

Note: John Passfield is the author of several books including: Jumbo, Inside the Wright Brothers, Out of the Park and Water Lane.

~Graphics A Reproduction of an Antique Christmas Classic circa 1870. A PaperStar Book, 1997 by The Putnam & Gosset Group.

2011-12-04T06:34:00.000-08:00

Carol Shields, Pulitzer Prize winning author, shared her memories of her mother's Christmas correspondence.
"My mother's Christmas cards made me see her differently. Her life was wider, more vivid, more thrilling than it appeared. Furthermore ~ and this seemed close to impossible to believe ~ she had had a real life before she met my father, before her children were born. Before me. ..
"The most eagerly awaited card, really a mimeographed letter, came from a man called Alvah Swain. My mother had met Alvah Swain ~ a journalist, a politician, a friend of Will Rogers ~ on a train trip she took when she was 20, and it flattered her to think that such an important person remembered the brief connection and honoured it each Christmas season with a detailed account of his busy year. She opened his letters breathlessly and read them aloud to the family, always, of course, setting Mr. Swain into historical context."

Source: "It's in the Cards," Carol Shields (1935 - 2003), Canadian Living, December 1998

2011-12-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Santa Came to Town ~

Santa Came to Town ~

In Wonder, Ian Eagerly Watches the Parade

2011-12-03T05:10:00.001-08:00

Carol Shields, American born Canadian author shared her thoughts on Christmas cards in the Canadian Living magazine, December, 1998. "My mother's Christmas cards made me see her differently. Her life was wider, more vivid, more thrilling than it appeared. My Mother saved them all, even those sent from our insurance company and from the gas and light utility.
"A few weeks before Christmas, my mother took from the highest shelf in her cupboard a large silver-plated tray. She always shook her head when she looked at this tray, the way it had blackened since the previous Christmas. Then quickly, she busied herself with a tin of silver polish and a linen cloth, taking a concentrated, anticipatory pleasure in the task. When restored to its traditional lustre, this tray was centred on our walnut coffee table, ready to receive the annual onslaught of Christmas cards.
"These came slowly at first, then soon became a toppling pile....
"This was her tradition, the silver tray centred on the coffee table, where anyone might sit comfortably on the sofa and take pleasure going through the separate greetings...I never doubted that she took pride in her act of elegance and originality.
"I, too arrange my cards every year on a silver tray on the coffee table. I can't imagine doing anything else."
~ Carol Shields (1935 - 2003) U.S. Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, Governor General's Award in Canada.

Tomorrow: Mother's Correspondence

2011-12-02T04:03:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas ~ the custom of sending Christmas cards

I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book;
And every year when Christmas comes, I go and take a look;
And that is when I realize that these names are a part
Not of the book they're written in, but of my very heart.

For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting they've become the rhythm in each rhyme.
And while it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim,
I really feel that I'm composed of each remembered name.

And while you may not be aware of any "special link,"
Just meeting you has changed my life a lot more than you think.
For once I've met somebody, the years cannot erase
The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.

So never think my Christmas cards are just a mere routine
Of names upon a Christmas list, forgotten in between;
For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you,
It's because you're on the list of folk whom I'm indebted to.

For I am but the total of the many folk I've met,
And you happen to be one of those I prefer not to forget.
And whether I have known you for many years or few,
In some way you have had a part in shaping things I do.
And every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew,
The best gift life can offer, is meeting folks like you!
~ Helen Steiner Rice

Note: We are indebted to our friends, Pat & Jim Northcott of Woodstock, Ontario, for sending this verse to us. Thank you to Sharon Jackson ~ after our appeal ~ for identifying the author as Helen Steiner Rice (1900 -1981) American writer, best known for her inspirational poetry. Thank you to Shirley & Gary O'Donnell and family for the above Christmas card.

2011-12-01T05:21:00.000-08:00

Amy Lowell (1874 - 1925), US poet and critic. Best known for her biography of Keats and her leadership of the Imagist movement in poetry.

At the time of the declaration of war in 1914 Miss Lowell was in London. Late for an appointment, hindered by the crowds in the street, indignant at the police for not helping her, as she returned to her hotel she burst out, "Don't they know I'm Amy Lowell? And it was this month that my book of poems was coming out here! What attention will it get with this going on? What has happened to England? Why doesn't she simply stop the war?"

And writers today think they have problems launching a book!!!
~ THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF Anecdotes, Clifton Fadiman, 1985

More on poet Amy Lowell:

When Amy Lowell's ancient car broke down, the garage mechanic refused to repair it until she identified herself and could guarantee payment of the bill. Miss Lowell informed the man that she was the sister of the president of Harvard and suggested that he call her brother. The mechanic duly telephoned Harvard.

Abbott Lawrence Lowell asked, "What's she doing now?"
"Sitting on a wall smoking a big cigar."
"That's my sister, all right."

~Graphics: Wikipedia

2011-11-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

In Little Women*, Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy decide to give up their cream and muffins on Christmas morning in order to surprise the needy widow with a gift.
* Louisa May Alcott, American novelist (1832 - 1888)

"Resolve this holiday you'll try to perform some small act of saintliness. It could be as simple as a check to your favourite charity , or donating a few hours to read to the children at the library. But it could also be something that doesn't require someone else's official organization. . . dropping off a fresh batch of holiday cookies at the police station or firehouse. When doing your biannual closet-edit, bring the fashion rejects to the Salvation Army."
~ Swell Holiday, Cynthia Rowley & Ilene Rosenzweig, Atria Books.

"The best portions of a good man's life,
his little, nameless, unremembered acts,
of kindness and love."
~ William Wordsworth, English poet (1770 - 1850)

2011-11-29T06:02:00.000-08:00

A Simple Homemade Gift ~
A tiny, delightful voice this morning reminded me of Christmas' past, "I'm going to make you something for Christmas, Grandma."
Early Christmas celebrations comprised a single, simple homemade gift for each member of the family, a special meal and traditionally some songs around the piano. It was a time when folks luxuriated in each others company around a natural tree decked in modest ornaments. As we prosper, the customs of Christmas consists more and more of many sophisticated events. The perfect gifts, extravagant decorations, expensive evenings with more people than we can possibly enjoy.

The excitement in a little girl's voice awakened something in my memory today. Perhaps we need to re-evaluate the traditional Christmas that we cherish.

2011-11-28T04:47:00.000-08:00

"Books are the plane, and the train, and the road."

"...Perhaps it is true that at base we readers are dissatisfied people, yearning to be elsewhere, to live vicariously through words in a way we cannot live directly through life. Perhaps we are the world's great nomads, if only in our minds. I travel today in the way I once dreamed of traveling as a child. And the irony is that I don't care for it very much. I am the sort of person who prefers to stay at home, surrounded by family, friends, familiarity,books. This is what I like about traveling: the time on airplanes spent reading, solitary, happy. It turns out that when my younger self thought of taking wing, she wanted only to let her spirit soar. Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home."

Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life, p. 165 A Passion for Books

2011-11-27T04:45:00.000-08:00

Waiting for Christmas. Get a good book for Christmas.
"The gift that keeps on giving." When all the gifts are opened, the family meal is over and the house is quiet,

"There is nothing like curling up with a book!" Gizmo, the bookshop dog.

2011-11-26T04:30:00.001-08:00

A PASSION for BOOKS

"Without books, God is silent, justice dormant, natural science at a stand, philosophy lame, letters dumb, and all things involved in darkness."

~ Thomas V. Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician (1616 - 1680)

Three Rivers Press, 1999

2011-11-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

A Fountain, A Bottle, A Donkey's Ears, and Some Books ~ by Robert Frost

Excerpts:
"We trod uncomfortably on crunching glass
Through a house stripped of everything
Except, it seemed, the poetess's poems.
Books, I should say! ~ if books are what is needed.
A whole edition in a packing case
That, overflowing like a horn of plenty,
Or like the poetess's heart of love,
Had spilled them near the window, toward the light,
where driven rain had wet and swollen them.
Enough to stock a village library ~

"... Books were not thrown irreverently about.
They simply lay where someone now and then,
Having tried one, had dropped it at his feet
And left it lying where it fell rejected.
Here were all those the poetess's life
Had been too short to sell or give away."

~ The Poetry of Robert Frost, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1969
Edited by Edward Connery Lathem

Neil Paul has hooked us on Frost. Thank you for coming by Neil. One of our favourites above but don't stop with the excerpts, you must read the entire poem.
Please Note: We like to think that our little blog is like a visit to the bookshop. Stay a while, pick up a book, engage in conversation with another reader or a local author. Take a walk around the village.

2011-11-24T02:46:00.000-08:00

Robert Frost was awarded several Pulitzer Prizes for literature during his lifetime. Please join us at 1:00 p.m. today at The Neat Little Bookshop when local author and poet, Neil Paul, will be reading Robert Frost's poetry.
Neil Paul and Mrs. Huitema with a Copy of Neil's Book of Poetry

2011-11-23T04:14:00.001-08:00

Country Call ~