ABCs of Sunday

A = A rainy day

Okay, I cheated a little with the "a". I realize I may be the only person in the world who feels this way, (if you want to read more about how much I love rainy days, see my earlier post), but honestly, I'm so much more productive and creative-feeling when it's raining. Oddly, though, unlike on sunny days, the productivity doesn't come with a rushed feeling. When it's raining, I have all the time in the world! I pull out my suspenders - I always get a craving to wear them when it's raining, I don't know why - roll up my jeans, throw on some sandals, and off I go!

B = Bookstore

Finally got to check out Grey Matter Books! I've only been wanting to go for AGES (at least a month now). Four of us piled into the car and set out with good intentions of wandering a little and doing loads of work. The work didn't really happen, but truth be told, I didn't expect it to. Instead, we found Grey Matter to be delightful (though not a cozy place to study, in case anyone is wondering). I found at least four books I didn't need - a copy of The King's English by Betsy Burton, which I'd been previously reading online; an old New England Cookbook of recipes that were collected from Yankee magazine (I just can't pass up adorable ancient cookbooks I'll never use); Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, my favorite; and a book for Dad - Talbot Mundy's The Purple Pirate (I always take a look through for Talbot Mundy for Dad in used bookstores. Mr. Mundy apparently writes great fantasy stuff, though I've never read him myself).

The store was also playing some great music - first Otis Redding, I believe, or someone who sounded very similar, and then some neat blue grassy-type stuff. I couldn't help but dance around the stacks as I looked for treasures. I admit it - I judge a bookstore based on its music - one of the reasons I'm a wee bit disappointed we can't play what we want at the Odyssey. But I digress.

C = Cooking

I subscribe to two blogs that send me emails. The first being Lark About (one of my favorite posts here); the second being Pinch My Salt. One speaks to my soul, the other to my stomach. Pinch My Salt's most recent posting was about the Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato and I drool every time I think of it. I've recently come to terms with my tomato obsession - sundried, slow-roasted, cherry, grape, heirloom, pesto, with cheese, on a salad, in sauce, getting the picture? (Also, reminding you of Forrest Gump?) So, I tried to make some today. I say tried because it's really not a hard process, and if I had spent any time keeping half an eye on the tray in the oven, they might have come out alright, but instead I went on this little bookstore expedition and they came out more like cherry tomato crisps rather than slow-roasted. They're still delish, though, I have to say.

The real crowning glory of my cooking today was rather unexpected. We finally have a South Hadley farmer's market (thank the good sweet deities above - I miss both the Saturday and Tuesday ones in Northampton thanks to work), so I'm able to do my weekly groceries for almost all my fruits, veggies, and yes, even meat, every Thursday. I recently acquired some lamb and pork sausage and thought I would make a nice sausage gravy for myself this weekend. Wouldn't you know it - I forgot to buy the ingredients for biscuits! So, I'm halfway through making the gravy when I realize I've got nothing to eat it with.

Except for that big batch of potatoes over there.

Hashbrowns did come to mind, but I've been craving something more in the scalloped family, so what did I do? Sliced those potatoes right up, pulled out a casserole dish, layered the potatoes and the mostly-cooked sausage gravy, shoved it all in the oven with some Parmesan cheese on top, and VOILA! presto! an absolutely unexpectedly delicious dish!

This is why I prefer cooking to baking - don't have all the ingredients? No problem! Throw what you do have together and make up something new.

So there ya have it folks - the ABCs to a pretty darn good Sunday.

Now I'm going to skip ahead a few letters and get started on...

H = homework

Book Barge

Oh to live closer to a body of water! Then things like this might be possible:

"Bookstore on Barge is One Hull of an Idea"

Yes! It's exactly what that article title implies - a bookstore on a barge! On an actual river! There are not enough exclamation points in the world to contain my excitement!

I could hardly believe my eyes when I read about it in this morning's Shelf Awareness:

Books ahoy! Although we mention business and book launches routinely here, the word launch is literally appropriate for the Book Barge. The Express & Star reported that the "canal bookstore . . . moored at Barton Marina, Barton-under-Needwood . . . is the brainchild of Sarah Henshaw. She has transformed her 60-foot narrowboat into a haven for book lovers wanting something different from high street chain stores with the help of her trainee carpenter boyfriend." "Opening my own bookshop was a childhood dream but I began to fear it would never come true," she said. "I didn't have the money to rent a high street shop. Then we came across Barton Marina and loved it, it's so pretty. But when I inquired about units there weren't any available." The inspired solution to this dilemma was to take to the water. "I very much want this to become the community bookstore, not just a gimmick, and the locals are being very supportive," she added.

Brilliant, no?! As I gear up my own business plans and drool over locations I'll never be able to afford, I can't help but be awed/jealous by the utter coolness of a bookstore on a riverboat. I want one! Also, now I know where I'm taking my next vacation.

Here's their official website - go check 'em out!

Bookstores I Love

A friend recently suggested,
"You should have a section about bookstores [in the blog]...
independents, ones you've visited and loved, etc."
Genius. Pure genius!

Then I started the section of links in the right-hand column and realized I couldn't remember the names of most of the bookstores I've been to!
So sad.
The stores in the list at the moment are the only ones my limited memory could handle today, but I thought I would open this question up to you, cool reader of the blog.

What are some of your favorite bookstores? And why? Tell me about them, share your secret places. I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.

My favorite bookstore at the moment (besides the one I work in, of course) is The Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA. A former mill situated on the banks of the Sawmill River, this used bookstore is in a positively idyllic location. Part of a small complex of stores, the Bookmill compound is also home to Turn It Up! (a music store), an antique shop, an art studio, the Night Kitchen (a restaurant), and, my personal favorite, the Lady Killigrew Cafe which is connected to the Bookmill itself.
Seriously, I have dreams about the warm brown rice salad, the summer sausage sandwich with cheese and grainy beer mustard (sandwich #3, I think, on their menu), and a rich, chocolate cupcake with white mint frosting for dessert. They also serve beer and wine (other drinks, too), and though the Bookmill itself closes at 6 every day, the Lady Killigrew is open much, much later. Perfect for the overworked grad student, hence my current obsession.

What are some of your favorites?