Found Pictures: VW Camper

It never ceases to amuse me, the random pictures that I find tucked away in books.

With a much-needed influx of books received last weekend, I finally found another gem:

This one has three inscriptions on the back. They say: "'87 VW Camper"; "HCts Beach lot - camping area - Paia - Date was Brian - Ross' 60th Bday Gathering"; and "Paid 400 - to Donald Gusman of HCts - sold it for 2400 - couldn't get it to run well."

I haven't yet figured out what "HCts" means, although the town mentioned, Paia, is here on Maui. The rest seems self-explanatory.

I have often wondered what sort of person uses a photograph as a bookmark. For me, pictures are precious and I would never use one to mark my place in a book. But this one in particular fascinates me. Who takes a picture of a vehicle to commemorate a party they went to? And then writes down the name of their date on the back? Why no picture of the date?

On the other hand, I would like to congratulate the owner of this picture for selling the showcased vehicle for $2,000 more than they paid for it, particularly since, as they say, they "couldn't get it to run well." Good show!

Tales from the Bookstore: Necklace

Two weekends ago, when I was at the bookstore, I admired the necklaces that a man and his wife were wearing. It turns out that the man made these necklaces from glass that he's found on various beaches around the world. He doesn't do anything to the glass, just fashions it into a necklace as-is, with truly beautiful results.

The man was delighted that I had complimented his artwork and said that he had more necklaces in the car. A few minutes later, he came back in with the necklaces in-hand. He insisted that one of my fellow volunteers and I both pick one free-of-charge. Here is mine:

And a close up of the glass:

I wish that I had taken a photo of the other volunteer's choice, a piece that looked black when lying flat, but a deep, rich green when held up to the light.

I was deeply moved by this freely-given gift. It brightened my whole day. In a world where we seem to be hearing the worst news all of the time, it's nice to know that people can still surprise and humble me with their kindness.

Tales from the Bookstore: A Taste of Home

Several weeks ago, I missed my day at the bookstore due to a bad case of death-flu. Since coming back, pickings there have been a little slim. These last few weeks, we've had the least amount of donations I've seen since I started volunteering there some 8 months ago.

Needless to say, found objects have been a little scarce. However, the weekend I came back from the death-flu, I found this lovely little bookmark:

Oh Powell's, how I do miss thee, one of favorite things in my adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon.

The find was not too much of a surprise; a lot of people move here from Oregon and vice versa. But it sure gave my little heart a thrill.