Bookman and I have taken today and Tuesday off from work. Tomorrow (26th) is our wedding anniversary so we thought we’d do some celebrating, nothing fancy. After 19 years you realize you don’t need to do anything fancy. Just spending a couple days together doing the things we like to do is enough.
This morning was my coronation. The temporary crown was popped off and the permanent crown after much adjusting was fitted on and cemented down. The dentist didn’t even have to numb me up. This is not to say that the process didn’t hurt, only that the hurt was bearable and fairly short lived. Now I am officially a queen.
I had been hoping we could do some end-of-season gardening but the weather is windy and rainy and tomorrow even windier and rainier. Only appropriate really since on our wedding day it poured rain from the reception onward. We decided, therefore, that this afternoon warranted a trip to Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books. Somehow we managed to show remarkable restraint:
From B&N where we had a coupon for an extra 15% off, Bookman selected The Windup Girl and I chose The Children’s Book while we each eyed the other’s selection with plans to share.
At HPB Bookman scored a copy of The Passage in hardcover for only $10 while I discovered a like new copy of Night Train to Lisbon.
There are four additional books we bought at HPB that are not in the photo. They had volumes 3-6 of Virginia Woolf’s letters. I could not remember what volumes I had at home. I was sure I had all of her essays but only volumes 1-3 of the letters. Not wanting to risk the loss of such a find, we bought them all. When we got home Bookman went to go look at the library shelves. Guess what? I have all of them. It is the essays of which I only have three volumes. Silly me. But no problem. We saved the receipt and will take them back.
On a lark this afternoon since I just finished reading May Sarton’s The Small Room I started reading e.e. cummings’s The Enormous Room (mine is a nice, old Modern Library edition). Two very different books. Cummings is so far enjoyable.
I can hear the cold rain against the window. Time to go snuggle up and have a cozy reading evening.
Happy happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary, Stefanie!
That sounds absolutely lovely! Best to you both, the queen and her Bookman.
Aw, happy anniversary! I think two days off work doing nothing in particular is an EXCELLENT way to celebrate; add in book acquisition, and it gets downright heavenly…
What is HPB? And Happy Anniversary from the surfer dude.
hap-happy anniversary! taking days off to read sounds luxuriating…
Happy anniversary!
Hope you have a lovely anniversary and I’m glad the crowning was not too painful–what a combination on a celebratory weekend! Whenever I am at the bookstore and trying to remeber whether I have a book or not (if I don’t buy it I can almost be assured I don’t actually own it) I wish I had some sort of device where I could tap into my library thing! Enjoy your books and your day off (it’s raining and windy here, too)!
Oh, happy happy anniversary! Something to celebrate for sure! You and Terri were having your crowns put on at the same time. Hurrah for the queens!
Congratulations on your anniversary! What a wonderful way to celebrate. And given that you had to endure the dentist I’m surprised you didn’t buy more books – you know, retail therapy
Congrats, and happy anniversary, though I must say that something fancy for an anniversary, no matter how long you’ve been married, never goes astray! But, companionable book shopping sounds pretty good to me and a perfect way to celebrate togetherness.
Oh Happy Anniversary! Nineteen years is a wonderful time in a marriage – long enough to have got beyond the knocking-corners-off stage and into relaxed, steady companionship. It rained at our wedding too, so I’m inclined to think of it now as a lucky sign. Lovely book shopping and I am most interested in e e cummings although his work is very hard to get hold of in the UK. Must look harder for it!
Happy Anniversary!!! Sounds like a perfect way of spending it, too (Mr. Inkslinger and I find book-filled, rainy anniversaries the best!).
Happy (belated) anniversary!
Thanks for all the good wishes everyone!
Emily, heavenly is right. I have told my husband not a few times that I married him for his books.
Richard, HPB is the wonderful Half Price Books. it’s the closest thing I have to Powells out here and even then it isn’t very close.
Danielle, an iPhone or smartphone or even an iPod with an internet connection would let us check LibraryThing but we are too cheap to buy the devices and pay the service fees just for the ability to check our book catalog now and then. We’d rather spend our hard earned dollars on actual books
Daphne, hurray for Queen Terri!
Iliana, LOL! Since our shelf space is currently limited we have to at least make a show of being restrained
Whisperinggums, thanks! Next anniversary we might do something a little extra special. No definite plans yet but there is plenty of time.
Litlove, you are so right, relaxed, steady companionship. It is marvelous. someone told us rain on a wedding day was good luck. Not sure if it’s true or not but it’s been good luck for both you and I!
Inkslinger, book-filled anything is pretty good!
Thanks Rebecca!
When I read The Children’s Book earlier this year, it instantly became one of my all-time favorite books, ranking right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. I think A.S. Byatt is a genius. It took me three tries to get into Possession, and once in, I wanted to stay there. It took me no time at all to get hooked on The Children’s book, and I can hardly wait to forget enough of it that I can read it again.
Just discovered your blog today – what a great find!
Happy belated anniversary, 19 years is very good going for nowadays. We tend not to do much now and I can’t even remember our 19th. But 20 is your china anniversary, just don’t throw any at each other!
Verna, Children’s Book is that good, huh? I’ll have to be sure to save it for a time when I can savor it. And thanks!
Katrina, thank you! We have never thrown anything at each other so I think we will be safe next year
All hail the queen.
Sounds like you had a lovely anniversary. 19 years together in love is so fab
Your book selections are also wonderful. If you end up reading The Windup Girl be sure to let us know what you thought, would love to discuss it with you.