Found Item: Skeleton Mermaid Postcard

I was in Seattle last weekend for a wedding. One evening, I went to a pub to watch a soccer game, and found the above postcard sitting abandoned on a table. If you know me at all, you know that this artwork is so me. Therefore, I thought it an amusing coincidence that it ended up in my hands.

I intended to transcribe what's written on the back, but the more I read it, the more it feels too intimate to share, even though I would never post the names of who wrote it or who it was sent to. It's a Billie Holiday quote, coupled with a longing sentiment. It's both lovely and sad.

I feel so lucky to have stumbled across this find.

Found Items: MFOL bookmark

Bookmarks are, of course, commonly found in donated books at the bookstore. And one of the volunteers (I don't even know who) does make these cardstock paper bookmarks with funny sayings on them that people can have for free.

But the twain, as Robert Frost would say, rarely meet. This weekend, however, one of my fellow volunteers found an MFOL (Maui Friends of the Library) bookmark in a book that was returned to us, and it's one I'd never seen before:

"Canadians know a good deal when they see one, eh," it says. "They shop at Maui Friends of the Library Used Book Store."

I have to say that I'm rather tickled by this bookmark, especially since there's a "Canadian" joke that is frequently mentioned in my household.

At any rate, the MFOL bookstore is in fact a good deal - just 10 cents per book - so if you live on Maui you should check it out.

Found Items: Hotel Lanai postcard

After a month-long hiatus from the bookstore, I returned last weekend and came home with this find:

The caption on the back says: "Located in the heart of tranquil Lana'i City is the 11-room Hotel Lanai, with all its quaint and rustic charm from the plantation era."

Ha, traquil is right. Coming in at just 3,124 people at the 2000 census (nearly the whole population of the island), it's the only town on Lanai. A friend once told me that when he was staying there one night, he saw a herd of deer run right down the main street of town. If you want to get away from it all, Lanai might just be the place for you. When he got married to Melinda, Bill Gates rented the whole island for the weekend.

The postcard is not filled out to anyone. It was being used as a bookmark.

Found Items: Physics Equations

This weekend at the bookstore, a family brought in six large plastic bins full of science books. The books had belonged to the wife/mother's brother. He had recently passed away.

As we went through the books, it became increasingly more clear what a rare gift we'd been given. Science and math books don't find their way to the bookstore very often. When they do, they're usually very, very outdated. But these books were absolutely beautiful and new. He had obviously loved his books well, and, judging by the little pieces of paper with notes on them that we found in each book, he must have read every single one of them.

The variety was mind-boggling: microbiology, neuroscience, astronomy, quantum theory. And those are just the ones that I can remember (and pronounce). One of our fellow volunteers is a science buff. We had to consult with him to even figure out what some of these books were about!

I have to say that watching his face light up when he realized what all the books were about was priceless. It's a good lesson to keep in mind, folks. I used to hold on to all of my books, but now I think I'll always give all but the ones I like the most away. If you're also a reader, then you can probably imagine how much joy you feel when you find a book that you've always wanted for cheap.

At any rate, this man was obviously a genius and a modern-day Renaissance Man. I thank his family from the bottom of my heart for sharing this gift. Here is a page of some of his physics equations that I found in one of the books:

Found Items: It's Patriotic Bookmark Week!

I have to admit that the idea of a patriotic bookmark had not previously crossed my mind. I mean, if I didn't have this blog, I wouldn't be showing my bookmarks around to anyone, so I don't feel like I have to "prove" my patriotism through my bookmarks. Nor do I feel the need to remind myself that I am patriotic.

But I'm beginning to wonder if I am in the minority here. Perhaps patriotism doesn't stop with flag pins or t-shirts. Perhaps my books need a reminder that they're being read by an American. This is something I'll have to ponder further.

As an aside, you know what I find is most frequently used as a bookmark (other than random scraps of paper)? Paperclips. I think it's weird. They're very obtrusive, leave grooves in the pages (if left long enough), and the metal ones leave rust marks!

Found Items: My Magnetic Bookmark Collection

I have to admit that I'm pretty sure that I didn't know that magnetic bookmarks existed prior to finding some tucked away in books at the bookstore. Here is my collection as it currently stands:

My first find was the "Oregon" bookmark that appears to showcase Multnomah Falls. Prior to finding this bookmark, I was never much of a bookmark user. I would just set books aside and find my place the next time I picked them up (sometimes unsuccessfully). But this bookmark appealed to my sentimental side.

Now I love magnetic bookmarks. What a fantastic invention!

The white one with the flower was my second find and is probably my favorite because it's pretty.

The monkey one is my latest acquisition - just this last weekend, in fact. I like it because it's a nice size, but it perplexes me. Why would a monkey be shushing anyone? Aren't they kind of loud themselves?

Found Items: Geisha Lady (?) and Christian Bookmark

Not found in the same book, hahaha.

I actually doubt that this is a geisha, but rather probably a woman in traditional Japanese dress. I say this because the name "John" is written on the back in childish cursive, leading me to believe that she was cut out and colored as part of a school project. And I doubt they're teaching the young kids about geishas these days. I commend John for his excellent cutting and coloring skills, in addition to his imagination: I don't think you can see it in the picture, but in pencil he drew a fan in her hand.

The wording on the bookmark below reads thus: "The most important principle I can share is: anchor your life in Jesus Christ, your Redeemer. Make Heavenly Father and his beloved Son more important than a beloved companion or children or anyone on earth. Make their will your central desire. Then all that you need for happiness will come to you. (Richard S. Scott)"

I don't know who Richard S. Scott is. A very cursory "Google" search turned up many Richard S. Scotts in the world, the most prominent of which was an actor - confusing, seeing as how his one acting credit was a movie called "Solar Crisis" in 1990. Huh.

At any rate, I have to say I disagree with Mr. Scott. Personally, I wouldn't be too thrilled if my husband considered invisible people more important than me or our hypothetical children, but to each their own, I guess.

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.

A Banner Day for Found Items

Lots of great stuff at the bookstore last Saturday! I now wonder if there was always this much stuff to be found and I wasn't looking. What have I missed out on all these weekends?

The theme of last Saturday seemed to be postcards. I found three of them:

I find it interesting that two of them had a "space" theme, even though I found them in different books, neither of which were space-themed themselves.

I also found this shellacked Canadian two dollar bill bookmark:

No one else wanted it, so it came home with me, even though I don't tend to use bookmarks. Why would you pass up shellacked money?