Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at the Printed Page.
We’re on vacation, but, as you know, a reader never rests! We’re always on the lookout for bookish treasures – new stores to explore, books of local interest to discover, and simply the excuse that since we’re on vacation it’s OK to treat ourselves (like ice cream every day)!
Here’s a photo of what I’m adding to my bags after our first week of vacation (below)
We went to Provincetown on Monday and I picked up this fun Great Women Rulers of Literture wooden ruler at Marine Specialties, a surplus store known simply as “the Army/Navy store” locally.
A few days later I bought a pin for my denim jacket (a sure sign I’m thinking about fall and back-to-school). It’s hard to see in the photo – the inner blocks says “I Read Banned Books” and has reproductions of The Color Purple and To Kill a Mockingbird on either side.
By Thursday we were ready to take a break from the beach. A little wet weather had the kids and I piling in the car to drive down to Hyannis where we visited the Cape Cod Potato Chips factory. The factory tour was minimal but fun, and we enjoyed the samples and special flavors we brought back to the beach house with us. (Yeah, I know, not book-related, but it explains what we were doing in Hyannis!)
Hyannis has the largest concentration of chain stores on the Cape. While we were there we popped into Borders and I picked up Rudyard Kipling’s Kim which I’m reading for the Newsweek 50 Books for our Times Reading Project hosted by My Friend Amy. I also got Steve Matin’s Shopgirl from the bargain rack; I haven’t yet read this novella, and how could I resist a $1 book!? The kids each picked a new book, too; they are also too fond of books!
Later in the week I took my 7-year-old to Where the Sidewalk Ends, a great indie bookstore in Chatham (yes, there will be a Spotlight on Bookstores coming up!). We were there for a signing with Hannah Roberts McKinnon, whose Middle Grade novel, Franny Parker, has been recently published by Farrar Straus Giroux. We purchased the book and a nice tote bag from the store. In a fun “it’s a small world” coversation, we discovered that McKinnon’s family and ours have good friends in common.
One week down, one to go … I’m looking forward to getting more goodies as we wind down our vacation and am seeking out books on local lore.
What books came into your hands this past week?
Oh, we LOVE Cape Cod Chips. That would definitely be on our list of visits. Your trip sounds wonderful so far. Hope you are able to relax a little, and read alot!
Great you had a good vacation!
Mondays: Musings/Whereabouts
Sounds like you are having a great time on vacation. I love the Cape Cod chip factory. Provincetown is fun. Happy reading on vacation.
I love the book bag! And the mailbox you show this week is perfectly chosen for your vacation!
Enjoy your second week! We bought that same ruler at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in the Berkshires, last summer. Daughter #1 ended up taking it to college.
Hope you’re having a wonderful vacation. Cape Cod chips are super yummy!
I wish you the best for that second week of vacation!
I read Shopgirl and really liked it; I didn’t think Steve Martin could actually write, but I found out I really enjoy his style.
I think the chip factory would be so much fun — samples and everything! I like doing that kind of thing. And what’s a vacation without lots of bookish things?
Cape Cod chips can’t be beat and to say the tour is minimal is being very nice. We didn’t think you really got to see much of anything but it was worth it for the samples. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.
Have a great week and enjoy your new books. My MM is here
I’m glad you’re having a good vacation. I say anytime is a good time for adding more books to our collections!
Sandy – it’s going great – yes, lots of relaxing and lots of reading
gautami – thanks, lots of fun, and fun to add books to our collection.
Serena – I wish we had a sitter with us, so J and I could have gone up to P-town at night … lots of restaurants and galleries to explore without the kids.
rhapsody – I found the mailbox using your Google image search tips for reproducible images
JoAnn – oh, I’ve never been to The Mount; I bet that’s a fun excursion.
Anna – we each got two small sample bags (which didn’t make it out of Hyannis), and bought a large bag of flavored chips and popcorn.
Kay – my favorite image of Steve Martin will always be from the movie The Jerk
Beth – what’s any day without bookish things?!?
Kaye – yes, the tour (all 150 feet of it!) was about the length of my youngest’s attention span, so it worked for us
The drive took TOO LONG though, traffic on 28 was a mess!
Dar – I can justify pretty much anything … glad I have you for company in that!
Haven’t been to P-town in about 5 years, but it is always a fun place to shop, and people-watch. Glad you had a fun vacation.
Great Mailbox! Love the bag..did someone say potato chips.
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Enjoy your vacation.
There is nothing better than picking up bookish treasure while on vacay. Enjoy!
The Cape Cod factory sounds good to me. We like their dark russet chips. Where the Sidewalk Ends sounds good too – can’t wait to read about it later.
Diane -we loved the Army/Navy store! I went into a few bookstores, but sadly didn’t find them “warm” and didn’t stay long
Toni – I can’t resist a tote bag! And this will have great memories with it.
Ti – I have to catch up; haven’t found many goodies yet this second week!
Kathy – We didn’t get russet, but the standard flavor is yummy – so thick and crunchy! I’ll look for russet at the store …
sounds like an awesome vacation! i’m hitting nantucket next week- can’t wait! your post is making me itchy to get down there!
Glad you had a wonderful vacation. I like reading banned books too! The behavior of fellow humans never ceases to amaze me
I’m really late getting around to checking out everyone’s mailboxes this week! I hope your vacation is wonderful! It sounds like you’re really doing it right! Bookstores and chip factories….heavenly! My mailbox is here.
I love all the treasures you’ve gotten on your vacation! Sounds like you’re having a great time … and I can’t wait to read your Spotlight on Bookstores post about Where the Sidewalk Ends. What a great name for a bookstore!