A Love of Reading

I go up and down the thrift shop aisles, familiar covers catching my eye. I've donated so many books to this store over the years, I wouldn't be surprised to see my name inside a few of them.

My little stack in the cart grows. Out of the whole pile, only one of the the titles is new to me.

Does it feel wasteful re-buying the same titles I've read and donated before?

Not at all, because something extraordinary is happening in my house. My daughter has found her love of reading again! Despite a 24-7 bombardment of social media, and days filled with school and sports, she still makes time to read books. I know too well that it's MUCH easier to scroll on my phone these days than open a book, so I'm even more impressed by her desire to read, especially after a few years of not reading much at all. That she wants to discuss what she's read, using words like symbol, narrator, and setting is almost too much for me to handle.

Love. Love. Love.

I had barely hoped this would happen, because she never showed interest in reading those books that meant a lot to me as a little girl: The Secret Garden, Gone With the Wind, Heidi, etc.

But now we are sharing grown-up books and it's delightful.

How did this happen, when it seems as if so much of schooling actually sucks the joy of learning out of kids?

One teacher.

Her 10th grade English teacher spends the beginning of every class sharing a book with her students. Five minutes is all it takes to give a brief synopsis of the book and share what makes it interesting. Students are free to take a turn doing the same, and Margaret's must-read list has grown.

Today she sent me a link of 3 more books to look out for.

So you bet these books are going home with me today. If out of these, she just reads one or two, I'll be happy. And maybe seeing her read more will get me off of Facebook for a while so I can do the same.

All things Vintage and a Fabulous Novel Giveaway

(NOTE: Giveaway is now closed! Congrats to Rachel S. from Richmond, VA!)

I love vintage things.

My house is full of old furniture that I've given mini-makeovers, and fun vintage accessories, like my jewelry box collection. My clothes tend to be more of the used, not vintage, variety, as it's my habit to do a lot of shopping at my local thrift store.

The only truly vintage articles of clothing I have are a beaded sweater that was my grandma's in the 40's, my mother's brown suede jacket from the 70's (which at size 14 barely fits over my arms and shows how much sizes have changed over the years) and a navy silk suit from the 50's. I got that one when I was still teaching school and one of my colleagues said to me, "I know an old lady from my synagogue who just died; she was about your size. Want to take a look at her clothes?" Well, I said what any career gal in her mid twenties would say.... "Of course!"

Sadly, the suit doesn't fit me too well right now, but it hangs in my closet, a hopeful reminder of the times I rocked it, including at a mother-daughter luncheon after which Margaret left me this little goodie:

Recently I was given a copy of new novel that's coming out TODAY, and it combines my loves of READING, WOMEN'S FRIENDSHIPS, and ALL THINGS VINTAGE.

Vintage, by Susan Gloss, is a charming novel set in Madison, Wisconsin. After reading it, I've decided I need to make a road-trip to Madison if anyone wants to go with me! Seriously, by the time I was finished reading, I wanted to hang out with all of the characters and go shopping at the clothing boutique that's at the center of the novel.

I loved the writing, the story-- heck I even loved the cover! The publisher, William Morrow, has offered a free hardcover copy of this brand spanking new novel to one An Inch of Gray reader!

If you are looking for the next great read to add to your nightstand stack, just leave me a comment on this post and I'll enter you in the giveaway. It's not required, but if you want to include in your comment the best score you've ever made at a yard sale, thrift shop, vintage boutique, or antique store, that would be great. Be sure to leave me your email address if it's not clear from your profile, so I'll be able to contact you if you are the winner.

This post is part of a "Vintage" blog book tour for Listen To Your Mother: Madison local sponsor, Author Susan Gloss

With My Own Two Eyes

I had Lasik last year and it didn’t go very well. My vision is at its worst when I am trying to read anything, near or far. Since the surgery, I’ve had quite a few mix-ups while scanning the morning paper. I’ll be up in arms about what I think is an outrageous headline, then I’ll discover I’ve read one word wrong, and the article is a lot tamer than I’d anticipated. “Gays Prices Go Up Again” is really “Gas Prices Go Up Again.” “Town Council Debates Feces” is actually “Town Council Debates Fences.”

This morning I came across “Buried Foot Baffles Authorities.” Grossed out that they would have the audacity to include a photo of a severed limb, I quickly covered the accompanying picture with my hand and began to read the article. After I started reading I realized it said “Buried LOOT Baffles Authorities.” Oh well. The fact that the Laser center I used for my eyes is now shuttered with a “For Lease” sign in the window does not surprise me at all.