Sunday, August 16, 2009

just what I need...another hobby.


Well, not sure hobby is the right word. Compulsion, perhaps.

We have a thrift/recycle store right around the corner. It's a nice little walk to take with the boys, and it's always fun to see what might pop up on any given day. I recently discovered the kids book section...everything's a quarter. EVERYTHING. No matter the quality or size. Sure there is a lot of crap, but hidden among the Dora coloring books and thrashed dinosaur encyclopedias I've found a few gems. Some solid Dr. Suess that is providing some MUCH needed variety at bedtime, and some Judy Blume is now sitting next to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH patiently waiting for the boys to get a little older.

Besides finding some old favorites I've also come across books I've never heard of, but by the feel and the styling of them, I'm compelled to crack them open and take a look. And inside, there will be these beautiful illustrations. I get all giddy like I've found some hidden treasure. So I've started looking closer...and now I can't stop.

This is the book that started it all.


When I first saw it, I thought I could cut up the illustrations and frame them? decopage ? something, they were just so cool.



When I got it home, I looked it up on the internet and it's probably worth about $50! Of course, that's only if you have someone willing to pay $50, which I don't, and I'm not into the ebay thing, so really, it's just cool to have. But of course, now I don't want to cut it up.

So I went back to look for something else with cool graphics or illustrations and I found this!


But this one had an inscription.



"To my sweet Markie, in far off Africa - Christmas 1962 - Grandma Freudenberger"

Well, I defintiely can't cut THAT one up. I practically erupted in tears when I read it.

And most recently, this one.



Check out this circus scene...




and looking at the back, I see the author is actually Robert Frosts daughter.


Neat. But nothing so major to keep me from cutting it up. And then I realize this one also has an inscription...



"To Christie Couchie - To read and be read to - From Lesely Frost, who wrote it - Xmas 1964"

Ok, now I just need a bigger bookcase.

3 comments:

anniebel said...

You're too funny!!! The boys will have a great time being read to. Looks like you found some gems!

Jess said...

Please tell me you googled Mark Freudenberger . . . you should contact him - I know you love the book - but how cool would it be to reunite him with it?! I smell a teary Oprah segment brewing!


Mark Freudenberger has been the regional director for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s environment-development projects in the province of Fianarantsoa since 1998. His work has been focused primarily on protecting the forest corridor that links two of Madagascar's important humid-forest national parks, Ranomafana and Andringitra. He has lived in Africa on and off for most of his life, having spent his early childhood in Zaire and having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo. He has a Ph.D. in Regional Planning from UCLA.

K said...

So I actually just did a little googling myself and it appears sweet Markie now works in Burlington, after leaving Madagascar. So he is more than likely the one who gave the book up...

ingrate

(just kidding, mark, if somehow you happen upon this)