McHuston Booksellers

Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: book store (Page 12 of 104)

Out with Old! In with New!

January 2, 2016 /

Happy New Year!

We’re shuffling 2015 off to the history books and welcoming in a brand-new year, free of dents, door dings, scuffs, tangles, and creases.

No “places” on it yet.

That’s a line from the thrift shop and yard sale lexicon.

Buyer holding up a bric-a-brac vase: How much for this? It has a place on it.

Yard Sale vendor: A place? Where?

Buyer: Right here. Little spot there.

Vendor: Well, I had it marked a dollar. But I’ll knock off a quarter for the place.

Buyer: Oh. I just noticed – there are a couple more places on the bottom here. And another one here.

Vendor: Hmmm. Well, then. Just go ahead and take it. I guess we’re even.

tombstonePic

Plenty of newly-arrived books being sorted out to start the year in the bookshop. Including a couple with “places” and a couple that are interesting, but have been shuffled off to the “useless reference book” section.

Not a lot of calls for “Maidcraft” these days. The opening paragraph might help you understand why:


A cross section of bridge table conversation is enough to convince anyone that Maidcraft is one of the chief interests of the average woman. “Does your maid serve properly? – “My maid can’t seem to systemize her work.” – “Yes, my maid can cook, but she never gets anything on the table hot.” – “What my maid needs is a schedule for cleaning.” And then there’s always the woman who couldn’t play bridge because she was breaking in a new maid.

Like I said – not much demand for a book like this one. Maybe I can set it over on the shelf with the telegraph operator’s handbook.

And as we send 2015 off to the calendar afterlife, maybe an entry from the just-arrived book of “Comic Epitaphs from the Very Best Old Graveyards” is appropriate. This – from the tombstone of Mary Weary, Housewife:

DERE FRIENDS I AM GOING
WHERE WASHING AIN’T DONE
OR COOKING OR SEWING:
DON’T MOURN FOR ME NOW
OR WEEP FOR ME NEVER:
FOR I GO TO DO NOTHING
FOREVER AND EVER.

Hope there’s plenty of something going on for you and yours in the New Year!

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow, OK!

Buckets O’ Fun.

December 27, 2015 /

Books and water don’t mix well. The repair to the roof was made, but unfortunately, the success of that work isn’t known until it is tested by a good rain.

Well. We’re having a good rain.

The buckets and cans are situated and the floor is drying out. The spot where the water was coming in earlier might be plugged, but it seems to have moved a bit downstream. It’s lucky that the drips aren’t coming directly down on the bookshelves.

But.

There were some books displayed on the conference table that aren’t going to make it and some paperback westerns that were awaiting my attention will now be herded to the west – out to the dumpster.

aRoofDrip

I’m happy that several one-of-a-kind books that were in the immediate vicinity were spared. All in all, perhaps two dozen are headed to that great library in the sky.

Strangely, the torrential rain on Saturday stayed outside the building (or maybe it was just collecting itself for a later release). It does seem that when wind is added to the equation the water is more likely to find its way to the floor.

So, the trash cans and the mop bucket are called into service and those newspapers that I was supposed to drop at the recycling bin are working to sop up the standing water.

Don’t take it as whining on my part. I know there are plenty of folks who are having a tougher time with the weather this weekend. (I passed by two cars who went into the highway median ditch in separate accidents on Saturday, and the strange mixture of inclement weather across western Oklahoma and Texas has been a nightmare.)

Losing a few books isn’t fun for a book person. But I feel lucky enough as it is.

Glad I decided to come down and check on the bookshop on my Sunday off!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Outside the rain begins…

December 26, 2015 /

Holiday Road Trip!

And the drive back to Broken Arrow made me long for something soothing – like a Stephen King novel. Talk about a white-knuckle ride… our weather forecasters hit the mark and the deluge came as predicted, creating highway visibilities of about two car-lengths.

But, it was a great holiday break! And I hope your own celebrations were filled with as much happiness and camaraderie as ours was.

aSparkleBook

I love seeing so many traditions being carried on, and the beginning of new family customs to be associated with the holiday season. It can sometimes be a time when stress slips in amongst all the good feelings, and I hope as you look back on the season you’ll recall nothing but good times.

On to the New Year!

We’re having a rare break from the day-to-day, but we’ll be serving at lunchtime on Monday, so – come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

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