The Vintage Reader

Abebooks... Book Sale Finder... Powells... Half.com... Amazon (and now, Barnes & Noble as well)... alibris... most of the places on this list...

...and of course, my favorite, Paperbackswap.com.

According to the economists: not really.

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Argh. I heard this on the way to work the other morning and somehow couldn't quit listening; it was like watching a really bad movie that stars somebody you used to like a lot.

I would also include "Candle in the Wind" on this list. I thought at the time that Princess Diana deserved her own song, not a rewrite of somebody else's, and I've read a rumor that Elton John intended that; that the rewrite was a misunderstanding on Bernie Taupin's part, and by the time it was cleared up it was too late to write another song. Elton John apparently hasn't played it since the funeral, and does the Marilyn Monroe version from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in concert.

Well, and of course, there's that whole Texas thing. I don't really see how, as an Oklahoma native, I could in good conscience move there; but then, many of my fellow Okies would no doubt say that I couldn't move to New York either, and yet here I am.

Anyway, they clearly have much better garage sales in Houston than what we've got here. One of the problems with living in a place that has experienced a steady exodus over the last 25 years is that the people who had neat stuff in the 30s, 40s, and 50s left long ago. They probably moved to Houston, to get away from the cold.

Apparently, children in the U.K. are using plastic braid to transmit secret messages such as "best brother" and "soul mate" to one another.

Back when I was in day camp the stuff was made out of leather, and if there were hidden messages to be constructed, I'm sure I didn't know what they were. I was quite good with it, though, and could do the complicated 8-strand twists with variations like splitting it into four strands for a loop and then bringing it back together. Of course, by that time I was a Counselor in Training and had to actually teach children how to do it, so I'm pretty sure a high level of expertise with leather braid was required.

I just think it's interesting to see that some of my childhood fascinations are still apparently fascinating to children (there's actually a whole aisle devoted to plastic braid at my local craft store), and also that the day camp is stressing a "healthy love of children," possibly due to an incident dating back to my days as a camper. Personally, I don't remember having any kind of love of children when I was a CIT; I just liked being able to ride horses and roller-skate for free (not to mention the excellent films, like Follow Me, Boys and Summer Magic, each of which I figure I've seen upwards of 14 times) in exchange for keeping the little boogers from killing each other. For all that, I think I was probably a pretty good CIT.

From The Housewife's Year Book of Health and Homemaking, a pamphlet published by Kellogg's in 1937 (my copy was mailed to "Boxholder, R.F.D. Local." It cost one cent to mail):

6 RULES FOR SAFE REDUCING

1. Consult your physician. Find out your daily calorie requirement.


2. Decide on a sound plan and adhere to it.


3. Select foods low in calories and rich in "bulk." Especially avoid foods of high fat content.


4. Drink plenty of water.


5. Get some exercise in the open air every day.


6. Check frequently not only your weight but your general feeling of well-being.

Still sound advice, I'd say.

The pamphlet is basically a 36-page ad for All-Bran, and includes some tasty-sounding recipes such as "All-Bran Waffles Supreme" and "All-Bran Gingerbread." Of course, I kind of like All-Bran, so I might be a little biased as to tastiness. However, some of the recommendations seem a little bizarre, even to me:

"ALL-BRAN should be used, too, to add 'bulk' to many delicious dishes that are low in cellulose. When you cook macaroni or spaghetti, for instance, add ALL-BRAN just before serving. Use it to replace nut meats in certain recipes, if there is little or no liquid called for. Sprinkle it into soups, over salads or cooked cereals. ALL-BRAN adds a rich flavor and health building qualities."

It appears that the switch has taken place, but this is a test to make sure. Feel free to disregard.

I'm in the process of changing web hosts and transferring the domain, so you might see some weirdness for a little while. My new host supports WordPress, so I'll probably be switching from Blogger too. Fun stuff!