the free book box

The free book library in Mayfield, MI had some excellent 80s pet guide books

 

trench puff

Salvation Army fashions: unworn 70's puffer trench coat, big snap pockets, a little ill-fitting, but who cares, No brand or tag, the only label says 'Made in Korea'. Lining is blue, sleeves are kinda short.

the Book Nook

The Book Nook in Cadillac, Michigan has been around since 1981, and is a cavernous, overstuffed used book store.  Somehow, I had never visited it before.  I am ever hunting for old fashioned children's books from the 70s and before, with animal-people hybrid themes, rabbits, mice, and a certain type of vintage illustration.  Here is what I found today, and I only made it through two aisles in the kids section of the store - there is SO much more to discover! Everything in there is prices between $0.25 and $3.00, so you can go nuts - like I did!

Trio of pop-up Beatrix Potter books - I can never have too many

I keep vintage mouse theme children's books out in Boss Mouse.  

Today I found:

• The Mouse Rap
• Mousie Takes A Bite
• Mouse Can't Sleep
• Mouse and Tim from 1978
• The Mouse from 1977

Below are the covers of all the books I found today, and a sample of the illustrations within

First Book of Trees from 1951

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The Sheep of the Lal Bagh from 1967

Nobody's Birthday from 1961 - the cover is embossed and the party favors are velvety

This one takes place in Britain with party crackers and plum pudding

A House is a House For Me from 1978 - this is a book from Dolly Parton's 'Imagination Library' initiative, a monthly book subscription service offered to preschool kids until the age of 5.  There's a photo of her on the inside cover - another reason to love her 

Look Who's Here from 1964

The Adventures of Mole & Troll from 1972

Bunnies and their Hobbies from 1984

Warton's Christmas Eve Adventure from 1977

Gorky Rises from 1980

It's about a young frog who flies around looking at the world from above

Little Grey Rabbit's Birthday first published in 1944

Little Fur Family from 1946

The Last Two Elves in Denmark from 1968

The Land of the Lost from 1945

Head to Toe from 1973

This one is about animals and how they have the same body parts as we do - this appeals to my animal advocacy heart

Strange little book with no writing on the cover 

Drummer Hoff from 1967

This one has excellent 60s Sgt. Peppers style illustrations

The Animals Who Changed Their Colors from 1979

the bag

When you donate stuff to Goodwill, you aren't suppose to take other things people have left at the drop-off.  But I couldn't help it.  There it was, a big clear plastic bag full of wigs.

It contained 11 wigs plus a styrofoam head.  They are clean and smell fine - some have some foundation make-up on the edges

Did I overdo my lip filler?

walking

I don't have a smart watch, but have been taking a 4 mile walk every day with the dogs, which is around 10K steps. I walk some dirt roads all the way down to the county line where Wexford and Grand Traverse counties meet.  It is therapeudic and beautiful and I hope everyone is making some time to go outside during these quarantine weeks.  This is Dell Road, a long North-South road that takes me past a field of cows and an area where someone has been doing some logging - it smells great on that part.

hello Coco

A neighbor of my parents has a friend who went into hospice and needed to re-home her cat.  With shelters closed and nobody willing to take her in, I said yes, but it's been quite a week so far. I have named her Coco - she arrived with no collar, no food, no information.  She is sweet and tame, but was understandably freaked out when she got here.  I put her in my basement where the litter box is, and the dogs have no access to.  That was last Wednesday...the day she disappeared.  My basement is a cavernous place, with many places to hide, including access to the crawl space underneath the house.  I put food and water down there and tried to call to her several times a day, to no avail.  As the days passed, I was getting worried.  Mabel, my cat from several years ago, lived in my basement for TWO YEARS, (see link) and while she was safe and warm, I don't want that situation again.

So last night I borrowed my neighbors live trap, and I caught her.  I have moved her to an upstairs bedroom, which has sunlight and quiet.  I hope she can integrate into the family and with the other pets.  Before I let her out, I am going to get a collar with a bell, so at least I know where she is as she gets more run of the house and farm.

Cute bonus: she has 6 toes on three of her paws!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyl_cat