Oh! the books...

I just spent a little too much (I fear)on some wonderful Grainger books. So many are out of print - and I found all the ones I didn't have here.

But to see them all displayed so nicely in the apartment! I am sitting here, listening to Billie Holiday, sipping French vanilla coffee. Sometimes I think we overlook the more perfect, quiet moments of life. This morning is certainly one of them.

I shall remember this morning tomorrow when we are moving yet again. The last day! I then have one more true week of vacation, to clean and organize and make this place ours for real. It has been a great experience to begin sifting through all of my belongings - pictures that had been stored, books I am eager to reread. We have been sure to have enough shelves and CD racks to keep all we love handy and close.

My friend M. and I visited Salem yesterday. What an intriguing town. I am planning on getting a library card today, and some books on the history of the town. M. pointed out how unusual it is that this place is a tourist attraction built on the tragedy of the hangings of innocent people. 24 died in all - 19 hangings, 1 pressing, and 4 died in prison awaiting trail.

We also walked to the famous House of Seven Gables. I was most interested in the tourists. They did not seem particularly happy. Not just the kids, some of whom had obviously been dragged to this "important" building on a family vacation, but the adults as well. Kinda bored, kinda subdued. I wonder why this was. I think just walking down the street as a thrill- it's easy to imagine how all these seaside homes looked back in Hawthorne's time.