“There were some problems only coffee and ice cream could fix.”
The sun is glinting through the leaves. The sky is blue and clear of clouds. The wind is blowing. It is 62˚, just about the high for the day. I have tentatively scheduled a dump run. It depends on my mood.
Yesterday I ran the dry mop through all the downstairs rooms and picked up the clumps of fur. I sleeved the dusty tables. I do need to wash the kitchen floor, and I’ll do that later today. Every day I clean. Dust is endless.
I bought some ice cream, some mint chocolate chip. For a long time that was my flavor of choice then I switched to mocha chip. I think I have some hot fudge in the fridge. I’m working toward a sundae.
My father worked for an ice cream company, for Hood’s. He became the manager in Hyannis which is why we moved to the cape. His building was at the north end of Hyannis. That first summer we lived here, I’d hitch to Hyannis, wander around and then get a ride home from him. The bookstore was my favorite place to loiter. It was in an old house, and each room had a different category of books. I remember the travel books were in the back by windows which looked on the yard. There was a merry go round on the lawn outside the door. Across the street was a Grant’s and a Zayre’s. Back then downtown Hyannis had plenty of stores. There was and still is a penny candy store. In the old days, the candy was really a penny. Now it is a nickel or a dime. I wonder why they still call it penny candy.
Harry’s was the name of the restaurant which much later took over my father’s building. I brought my mother there for lunch. My father’s office had become part of the kitchen. It was a strange transformation. We ate Cajun.
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May 31, 2020 at 4:35 pm
Hi Kat,
That sounds like an interesting library building. I love exploring libraries or book stores. When I was a kid in Dallas the public library had bookmobiles that went around the city especially during the summer. The bookmobiles were the size of buses and came into the neighborhood on a schedule where you could check out and return books. The bookmobiles are retired because the city built more branch libraries.
I remember when penny candy was a penny but due to inflation a Hershey Bar is now more than a dollar. My father hated inflation because he was living on a fixed income. He wanted prices to go down which is deflation and that’s worse. If prices are going down people wouldn’t buy anything. Why buy a new car today when it will be cheaper tomorrow. In deflation lower prices lead to layoffs because people aren’t buying things awaiting lower prices. 😦
Although the sky is sunny it’s not as hot. Only a high in the mid 80s.
May 31, 2020 at 7:07 pm
Hi Bob,
That was the old book store in Hyannis, now gone. It moved to a different building way too far out of town. I loved wandering through all those shelves. They also had great used books.
When I mention how much my going to college cost my father, people are amazed at how little then I remind them my father was making around $13,000 a year, had a mortgage and three other kids. That put things into perspective.
May 31, 2020 at 6:48 pm
I usually read library books when I was young but whenever I got some extra money I went to my favorite bookstore. It was really tiny, about the size of a garage, and full of books from bottom to top. It was run by a nice old lady who was really patient. It could take some time to find the right book, when you don’t have much money you have to choose carefully. The house is gone now. “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Two Pentecost holidays here and perfect weather and a nice 7 hour bike trip today.
May 31, 2020 at 6:58 pm
Bob,
I also bought books and usually spent my whole allowance buying one each week. When I needed more, I went to the library. Now I buy e-books if I can find cheap ones. The older novels of authors I like are under $5.00.
So much is gone forever.
May 31, 2020 at 7:12 pm
Birgit,
My father told me I should be saving my money, my allowance. I thought buying a book was the best investment so I ignored him. The books were usually part of a series so I always know which book was next.
The next town over has an independent book store, one of the few left. I try to spend money there as often as I can. Too many book stores have closed.
I stayed home.