Bloomington
Jun. 5th, 2022 01:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerAn excellent trip to Bloomington yesterday! I met up with friends, and we went to the farmers market and bought fresh seasonal strawberries and an almond frangipani tart (which we later ate together, with excellent results), and had brunch at our favorite brunch place where I had a waffle (I am not always in a waffle mood but yesterday I WAS in a waffle mood, and it was absolutely scrumptious), and then we strolled down the street for the homemade fair, which was tragically nearly devoid of notecards, but I DID get a sticker that said "Spend your life doing strange things with weird people" which is honestly my philosophy of life.
It was also an AMAZING day for used book hunting. I got to Bloomington earlier than expected, and spent the time happily trawling the children's books stacks at Goodwill, where I found Natalie Babbitt's Knee-Knock Rise, which cried out to me to be bought. I have learned that when a book cries for you, you should listen (particularly when it is ninety-nine cents), so I bought it and read it over a pot of apricot tea at Bloomingtea.
Very much enjoyed the visit to Bloomingtea, but the book less so. Perhaps Babbitt and I are just not meant to be. I know lots of people who love Tuck Everlasting and I was never big on that one, either... Anyway, in this one our hero Egan goes to visit his aunt and uncle at the foot of Knee-Knock Rise, which has an annual fair on account of the howling of the Megrimum, a monster that lives on top of the rise... or does it? "I bet the howling is the result of air currents whistling through a rock formation," I said, and I was not quite right, but nonetheless it seems pretty clear there is no monster and the people continue to believe in it because it is fun and also draws in crowds of people who spend money on the fair.
I also found Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Season of Ponies, which I've read before and apparently found underwhelming, I guess because I was just not in the mood for joy that week? I've been rereading it, and it is about a girl who meets a herd of magical ponies in all colors (the ordinary white and black, but also pink and blue and gold...), as beautiful as the blown glass horses on her book case, and with the ponies and their accompanying human (called Ponyboy, as he doesn't like to answer questions, including questions about his name), Pamela rides around the countryside having adventures. I believe the joy and freedom of these rides will give Pamela the strength to stand up to her strict, stern aunt, but We Shall See.
And then later we stopped at the library bookstore, where I couldn't resist The Friendly Young Ladies, I guess because I love to have suffering always at my fingertips? It was in support of the library! It is the same edition of my copy of The Charioteer and they look very nice together. I regret nothing.
It was also an AMAZING day for used book hunting. I got to Bloomington earlier than expected, and spent the time happily trawling the children's books stacks at Goodwill, where I found Natalie Babbitt's Knee-Knock Rise, which cried out to me to be bought. I have learned that when a book cries for you, you should listen (particularly when it is ninety-nine cents), so I bought it and read it over a pot of apricot tea at Bloomingtea.
Very much enjoyed the visit to Bloomingtea, but the book less so. Perhaps Babbitt and I are just not meant to be. I know lots of people who love Tuck Everlasting and I was never big on that one, either... Anyway, in this one our hero Egan goes to visit his aunt and uncle at the foot of Knee-Knock Rise, which has an annual fair on account of the howling of the Megrimum, a monster that lives on top of the rise... or does it? "I bet the howling is the result of air currents whistling through a rock formation," I said, and I was not quite right, but nonetheless it seems pretty clear there is no monster and the people continue to believe in it because it is fun and also draws in crowds of people who spend money on the fair.
I also found Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Season of Ponies, which I've read before and apparently found underwhelming, I guess because I was just not in the mood for joy that week? I've been rereading it, and it is about a girl who meets a herd of magical ponies in all colors (the ordinary white and black, but also pink and blue and gold...), as beautiful as the blown glass horses on her book case, and with the ponies and their accompanying human (called Ponyboy, as he doesn't like to answer questions, including questions about his name), Pamela rides around the countryside having adventures. I believe the joy and freedom of these rides will give Pamela the strength to stand up to her strict, stern aunt, but We Shall See.
And then later we stopped at the library bookstore, where I couldn't resist The Friendly Young Ladies, I guess because I love to have suffering always at my fingertips? It was in support of the library! It is the same edition of my copy of The Charioteer and they look very nice together. I regret nothing.
no subject
Date: 2022-06-06 08:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-06-06 12:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-06-06 05:37 pm (UTC)I'm glad Season of Ponies is appealing more this time around!
no subject
Date: 2022-06-07 12:42 am (UTC)Possibly I should make a Natalie Babbitt tag, however, because I probably WILL end up reading The Search for Delicious someday, just because it's one of those books that continually pops up.