Category: Writing

A Bit of Whimsy on North Lamar

On By DGThomaIn Humor/Light Hearted, News and Reviews, WritingLeave a comment

Driving to work during early morning traffic in Austin, TX is seldom boring.  You never know which route to take until you actually approach the outskirts of town.  As many people who live in the surrounding area, we have a fairly substantial commute, depending upon the traffic.

Our normal commute is about an hour, but it can range more or less depending upon the circumstances.  I’m often a passenger rather than  driver and find myself peering at any changes happening outside my window.

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If the interstate is backed up, which is the norm; we drive to North Lamar and head into downtown.  Recently we  noticed that someone had put skirts on several of the light poles along Lamar.   That’s really not terribly unusual for Austin.  Austin is filled with a lot of incredibly talented and bright people but for some reason I was intrigued by those whimsical skirts wrapped around the light poles.  At first there were only a couple of the skirts near Shoal Creek along Lamar.  I began to watch with interest each day as we drove down Lamar, looking for a new skirt blowing in the breeze.  20150909_182544

I couldn’t help myself; I started to imagine the shoemaker and the elves.  I wondered what sort of elves were showing up overnight to drape fabric around the naked light poles parading down the sidewalk.

It was a couple of months ago the skirts started appearing.  I thought about taking pictures, but I always spotted them while we were driving past.  It was never an opportune photo op.

This morning as we were driving by  I noticed a new skirt had appeared on North Lamar.  I determined to take a few pictures on my way to work today, but as we drove along I found that the original skirts were all missing!

Regretting that I hadn’t stopped to count the skirts previously, I was only able to find two of the skirted poles remaining.

As we left work, I went in search of more skirts to see if I could find anymore.  The two were all that remained.  Circling around I finally managed to take a picture.  It was a lot of fun watching for new skirts to appear and I will miss the adventure.

I don’t know who is responsible for the entertainment I enjoyed, but I do thank them.   Tomorrow I will be in search of the next entertaining project, but whatever it is, it will have big skirts to fill.

Finding the Sunshine

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Food, Gardening, Humor/Light Hearted, WritingLeave a comment

I’ve been so busy and absentminded lately!  Today I was particularly scattered.  I began the day with my supervisor standing in the door of my office with a major problem.  I spent the first half hour of my day researching the details of his issue only to find out everything was fine and there really wasn’t a problem after all.

When I finally got to my computer, I checked my calendar for meetings.  The first one was scheduled for 10:00 AM with another one scheduled immediately afterward.  I had just enough time to get a few things out-of-the-way first.

At 10:00 AM I headed off to the meeting, stopping by to grab my staff.  They informed me I had been looking at tomorrow’s calendar.  The rest of the morning, I kept forgetting it was Wednesday and tackling Thursday’s tasks.

I was sure I was going to forget to pick up my vegetables from the Farm to Work program which is delivered on Wednesday afternoon.  The pickup time had changed from 2:30 PM to 1:45 PM.  Finally I set my alarm for 1:45 PM and got back to work.  I kept thinking about the pickup time and watching the clock until finally the alarm went off.  I realized I had forgotten to bring a bag for the vegetables!20150902_205124

Digging through my office, I finally found a bag with some books in it.  Dumping the books out, I rushed down three flights of stairs and hurried to the courtyard to pick up my vegetables. I had been so busy I had only left my desk one time to get a glass of water.  Walking through the fresh air and sunshine was revitalizing!  When I rounded the corner of the building at 1:46 PM, no one was waiting, no vegetables were lined up for collecting and I didn’t see the farm truck parked in its spot.  I took a seat at the picnic table and enjoyed the sunshine.  After five minutes or so I began to wonder if maybe I was confused about what day it was, although I was pretty sure I had already established it was really Wednesday.

Reluctantly I left the warm sunshine and headed back up the stairs to re-check my email.  When I opened my email, I saw that at 1:15 PM I had received a message about the vegetables arriving early.  The vegetables were in the Wellness office. I headed back down the stairs, back into the sunshine in search of vegetables.

As I filled my bag with the lovely fresh smell of cucumbers, sweet potatoes, jalapeno, squash and more I was smiling.

I didn’t forget my vegetables, I got more exercise by doing the stairs twice and I had some delicious vegetables to use as weights on the way back to my office.

Even the view outside my window looking at downtown Austin, TX looked just a little bit brighter.

Colorado River, Good Food and Laundromats

On By DGThomaIn Food, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, News and Reviews, Writing3 Comments

I find myself becoming more conservative as I age.  That’s a fact.  I’m not frugal in all things, but if I can save a few dollars without much effort I usually take advantage.

So when we went to our local dry cleaners to drop off a couple of comforters, I balked at the 100 dollar price quote.  One comforter was labeled as dry clean only but the other was marked machine washable.  Knowing there was no way the bulky comforter would fit in my home washing machine, I left the dry clean comforter with the experts and set off to find a commercial laundromat to wash the other one.

The closest laundromat with machines large enough to handle a comforter was in Bastrop, TX about 20 miles from my home.  Bastrop is a small town in Central Texas with a downtown that has maintained many of its historic buildings.  The Colorado River flowing through town, just off Main Street makes it a lovely place to visit, even if you are looking for a laundromat.

20150822_151920   Dining Room

We decided to eat lunch before we tackled our laundry project and found ourselves at Neighbors, a local restaurant overlooking the banks of the Colorado River.  It had been awhile since we visited this restaurant and I’d forgotten the pleasant atmosphere.  The Colorado River peeked through the trees as we enjoyed the cool air inside.  20150822_140232

We started off with Garlic Knots which are exactly like they sound, yummy yeast rolls twisted into knots with just the right amount of butter and garlic.  I would have taken a picture, but they disappeared too fast!

Neighbors is famous for its pizza, but we chose to forgo the usual and try something different.  We opted for The City Slicker Salad, a meatball sandwich and a meat calzone.  The salad came topped with apples, walnuts and goat cheese and was served with a lemon poppy seed dressing.  Delicious!  Ron tackled the calzone, stuffed with pepperoni, sausage and cheese.Rich had the meatball sandwich which speaks for itself.  It’s meatballs after all!  It was a wonderfully relaxing and delicious meal.

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After such a wonderful meal I wasn’t nearly so excited about the laundromat!  Putting it off a while longer, we ducked into Best Buy for a quick errand and then found ourselves at Baskin Robbins.  I mean there is always room for ice cream, right!  Honestly, I don’t often eat dessert, but Baskin Robbins can almost always tempt me.

Finally out of excuses, we pulled up in front of the laundromat.  It’s been years since I lived without a washer and dryer.  The few times I find myself at the laundromat I am always grateful that I don’t have to be there very often.  Digging for quarters, we shoved the comforter into the oversized machine and settled in for a half hour watching laundromat activity.  This laundromat has a television, arcade games and booths.  It’s quite interesting watching people come and go and feed the machines.  Finally the washer cycle completed and we moved the comforter to the dryer.  Thirty minutes later, the dryer was done, the comforter was folded and we were headed back home.

3.00 for the washer, 1.50 for the dryer  saved me 45.00 dollars.  Happy and contented, I dozed comfortably all the way home.

Taste of Ethiopia – take #2

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, News and Reviews, Writing1 Comment

When we have family gatherings, it almost always centers around food.  Whether it’s cooking, potluck or trying a new restaurant, we love food.

Months ago, when my daughter, Kat was visiting we tried a new restaurant in Pflugerville, TX, the Taste of Ethiopia.  It was wonderful!  The food was delicious and the atmosphere inviting, providing a full dining experience.  It’s not a large venue, managing to feel intimate but not crowded.

When Kat returned to Austin for a visit this weekend, she mentioned how delicious the meal had been and we decided it was time for a return visit.  This time my son, Rich accompanied us.

As before, once we reached our seats, our server informed us with a huge smile that we were to eat with our hands.  If you aren’t up to the full experience, utensils are available.  The meals are served on a special bread called injera which is used to scoop up the food.  20150814_133030

Meals are served family style in a woven basket called a mesob.  A large metal tray covered with the injera is placed into the basket and topped with the food.

We over ordered but wanted to try everything.  We started with Sambusa, Minchet Abish and Tomato salad for appetizers.  The Sambusa is a light pastry dough filled with your choice of beef, lentils or spinach.  On our first visit we had the spinach filling but today we chose the lentil.  Both were delicious.  Rich said the minchet abish reminded him of sloppy joe texturally but a much nicer flavor.

We ordered the Ultimate Combo of vegetarian dishes.  We had gomen (seasoned collard greens), fesolia (mixed vegetable stew with ginger and turmeric), yemisisr wot (lentils with traditional spices), tikil gomen (spiced cabbage, carrots, onions and tomatoes, ater kik (split peas in herbs and turmeric) and eggplant wot (eggplant with traditional spices).  If you’re thinking that’s a lot of food and Yum,  you are correct on both counts.  Even with three of us eating we left with several cartons of food.

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The mesob(basket) arrived at our table first, followed soon after with a basket of injera.  My mouth was watering from the smell of the buffet simmering in the back of the room.  When our food arrived, our server sat a large pan of injera inside the mesob.   He then spooned each of the entrees around the circle putting half on each side.

I think my favorites were eggplant, sambusa, and yemisisr, but truthfully, we loved everything we ate.

Kat and I ended our meal with a cup of traditional Ethiopian coffee.  The coffee was prepared in the back and then delivered to our table in a special clay pot called a jebena.  I’m not sure how they make it, but it was the perfect treat to end our meal.

It was a lovely experience which I hope to repeat soon!

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Squared, Instant or Steel Cut…..

On By DGThomaIn Food, Writing3 Comments

Oatmeal is big news!  If you google “oatmeal” you will get a multitude of hits.  I’m not a fan of jumping on the band wagon for every new food craze; although you can’t really classify oatmeal as new.  I like to eat healthy fresh food whenever possible and treat myself occasionally with a sweet treat.

When I started seeing overnight oats popping up on all the recipe and Pinterest boards, I was intrigued but slow to investigate.  When I begrudgingly decided to see what all the hooplah was about I found so many recipes that I was a bit overwhelmed.20150812_200058

I thought a crock-pot version that would cook overnight might be tempting. I imagined waking up to the aroma of warm cinnamon and apple snaking through the air to entice me from my warm bed. Searching, I discovered numerous refrigerator oatmeal recipes made with yogurt as well as crock-pot recipes.

I like oatmeal and I like yogurt, but I never put them together.  Texture is a big thing for me.  I don’t enjoy soggy food so I was hesitant to try it.  Saturday morning I was sitting on my deck searching for overnight oatmeal recipes.  I found a dozen or so recipes that I sent to the printer.  I didn’t bother to save any links so unfortunately when I discovered the printer was low on ink  and only a few recipes actually printed, I was disappointed.

Of course the recipes that printed were all cold overnight recipes made with Greek yogurt.  When I realized they were the only ones printed, I decided to give it a try.  After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was ready to master some overnight oats.

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I seldom follow recipes to the letter but I’ll do my best to tell you how I mixed my first batch.

  • 1/4 cup raw oats
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp of chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup frozen cherries and berries
  • 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts 20150812_200119

I dumped it all together in no particular order and stirred it just enough to ensure everything was moistened before sticking it in the fridge.

The next morning, I hesitantly scooped up a small amount of the yogurt/oats mixture and carried it to my office for breakfast.  As I sat at my desk and lifted the lid, I was pleasantly surprised at the pleasant berry aroma that escaped.  Still nervous about the texture, I found the raw oats not soggy and the addition of the pumpkin seeds and walnuts added just the right crunch. I scraped the bowl clean wishing I had more!

I am a definite convert!  I still haven’t gone back to find the crock-pot recipes, but have continued enjoying cold overnight oats.  I’ve seen it called Kerf, Muesli or just plain overnight oats.  Whatever you call it, I call it delicious.  20150812_202124

 

Where Oh Where has the Cool Weather Gone?

On By DGThomaIn Exercise, Writing1 Comment

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The past couple of weeks the temperatures in Austin Texas hovered just under 100 degrees finally tipping the scales to peak at 100 degrees for more than 8 days straight.  The thought of slogging through the humid soupy air isn’t very motivating.

As the heat climbs, exercising outdoors becomes dangerous.  In Austin, the trails and roads are filled with all of us crazy runners, walkers and cyclist at all hours of the day.

Savvy athletes know you should always carry water if you will be out for any length of time in the Texas heat.  Even so I have occasionally found myself in the heat sans water bottle.  It usually happens when I intend to go a short distance and turn around but get caught up in the run and forget.  I’m certainly no expert on how to prevent or treat heat illnesses but running in Austin for 12 years, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks on keeping your cool.20150609_192313

If you run in the downtown area, the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail has water fountains placed strategically along the course.  Much of the trail is shaded with large trees hanging over the path. I enjoy the shade on the trail, but it does get too crowded at times.  Dodging strollers, cyclist and pets often drives me to the pavement for my runs.

If like me you prefer to run the roads instead of the trail, downtown Austin offers wide sidewalks on many streets.  Drivers are accustomed to runners in the crosswalk, on the shoulder or occasionally in the bike lane.  Less traveled side streets commonly offer tree lined sidewalks which provide some shade.

If you find yourself in need of water, there is a public water fountain near Colorado on Cesar Chavez.  About a mile down Congress from Cesar Chavez you can access a replica water fountain located on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol Building.  The fountain was restored in the early 1950’s and has a foot pedal to pump fresh water to quench your thirst.  Warning!  Be prepared to get wet as you push your face under the falling stream for a sip.

Fountain

There are a few businesses who provide access to water for runners as well.  I personally know of a dry cleaner who leaves a hose out for runners so they can get a drink from his outdoor faucet.  I have also befriended a gas station attendant who has invited us to share the fountain in his garage any time we are out for a run.

On the UT campus there are public areas that offer cold water fountains for a brief respite for overheated runners.  In addition, Pease Park and Butler Park both have water fountains to refill water bottles.  I’m sure there are many other water sources but these are some of my “go to sources”  if I find my water bottle nearing empty on a hot day.

All things considered, if you have to train in the heat, Austin Texas is a great place to do it.

The Phone Rings…..

On By DGThomaIn Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, WritingLeave a comment

How often does that happen anymore?  It is rare for me to receive a call.  I keep a house phone simply for the convenience of the answering machine.  I give out my home number when I am asked for one by a business or individual I’m not familiar with.    20150722_200818

Every month, on my cell phone invoice the minutes used are minimal.  Everyone I know texts.  My daughter and one of my sisters are both great at calling.  And my dad, one of my aunt’s, my granddaughter…..  Ok, maybe it’s a few more people than I first thought.

When my cell phone rings, it’s like getting a call in the middle of the night.  I immediately picture chaos and mayhem.

Tonight, as I was leaving work my cell phone rang.  Halfway down the stairs, I began to shift my lunch bag so I could dig through the suitcase I call a purse in search of the vibration tingling my hip.  Just as I pulled it free from the tangle of phone chargers, lipstick etc., it stopped ringing.

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I smiled when I saw it was my sister. I immediately returned the call.  She answered and said, “Hey, I haven’t talked to you in a while and wanted to see how you are doing.”  Then she waited for an answer and actually listened for a response.

It was an amazing thing!  A real conversation, listening, talking and listening some more.  How lovely is that!

With a smile on my face and well caught up on the family news, I said goodbye to my sister and tossed the phone back into my purse.  Immediately, I felt it vibrate once again.

This time it was my daughter.  After a too brief conversation, I hung up smiling even more broadly and declared it to be “The Night of Phone Calls!”

A lovely surprise which I highly recommend!  Maybe I should try it myself occasionally!

Pick a Little, Talk a Little…….

A Change of Plans…

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Friends, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, Travel, Writing5 Comments

July 4, 2015… Well it actually started July 2nd.

When my Dad called to say he wanted to come for a visit, we decided to rent a cabin for a couple of nights at the lake.  Knowing the cabins would fill quickly over the 4th of July, we made reservations months ago.  My dad loves to fish, which is obvious from his nickname “Fishhook”.  We made sure to get a waterfront cabin so he could fish as much as he wanted.  I’m not a fan of water and I don’t have the heart to go fishing, but Dad loves it!

In anticipation of our time together, we postponed our Father’s Day celebration.  We decided to celebrate Father’s day and my birthday together.  (my birthday falls on the 6th of July).

My daughter, Kat planned to swing by and pick up the boys, (my grandson’s) and my Dad.  They all live about six hours away and although Dad is perfectly capable of driving here himself, at 82 I hate for him to be on the road.

We reserved the cabin for Thursday night and Friday night.  We planned to drive to Corpus to see my older sister Saturday morning.  She and I share a birthday even though we are three years apart.  My Dad wanted to visit both of us on our birthday.  Rarely do she and I have an opportunity to spend time together and it’s been years since Dad was able to join us on our birthday.

As often happens, our plans went awry.  The boys had rehearsals for their community theater production and couldn’t get away.  Dad lost his critter sitter and didn’t want to leave his dogs.  He was also feeling a bit under the weather.

We thought about cancelling the trip and just gathering at home, but decided against it.  The cabin was only 20 minutes or so from our house, but tucked away among the trees and nestled on the bank of the lake made it feel worlds apart.20150703_165613

We left for the cabin on Thursday, picking up my goddaughter, Dez and my son, Rich on the way.  Dez, loves to fish and had eagerly anticipated fishing with my Dad.  Rich on the other hand has never really enjoyed fishing as much as his sister does.  My daughter was bringing her fishing gear and planned to arrive Thursday evening.  She and Dez would be our fisherwomen for the weekend.20150703_120614

The cabin was very basic.  It had five beds, an air conditioner and a trail leading to a shared shower and restroom facility.  It also had a beautiful view of the lake, fresh air, an outdoor grill and a picnic table.

During the weekend we played games, rented a canoe, ate too much food and created unbelievable memories.  My son discovered an enjoyment of fishing (much to his surprise), my daughter discovered a slug in her tennis shoe and a June bug in her swimsuit cover-up and my granddaughter, Jilly discovered a beetle in her nightshirt.

I discovered the delight of sitting in the middle of a canoe, lightly rowing and watching my Kat and Dez cast their lines.  We laughed so hard trying to launch the canoe we almost didn’t get in the water.  Even when the wind picked up and the rain fell, we laughed and fished and rowed.20150703_165844

 

 

Father’s Day was celebrated on Thursday night.  We celebrated my birthday on Friday night, with Kat and Jilly surprised me with a cake and everyone sang happy birthday.

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Saturday morning we were supposed to leave by noon but no one was ready to leave.  Anticipating failure, but deciding to try anyway, my husband went to see if we could stay another night.  Our cabin was already booked but the one next door was available.  Rather than make us move, they switched the other guests next door.  After a wonderful breakfast and lunch, my husband and I went to pick up a fresh bundle of firewood from the front office.  When we arrived, they let us know the family that was originally booked in our cabin was insisting that we move and give them our cabin.

Since our reservation had been impromptu and it seemed to be important to the other family, we willing agreed to move.  I rushed into the cabin to interrupt the current game in process and let everyone know we were moving.  We had 5 beds stripped, suitcases moved, dishes and food transitioned and all our outdoor gear moved in about 15 minutes.  By the time the new guests arrived we were already seated in our chairs next door planning our dinner meal.

I decided that if we ever have to go on the run or leave in a hurry, we definitely have the skills!  Slightly sunburned, a few pounds heavier and a heart full of sunshine, we went our separate ways.  It was a wonderfully fulfilling weekend with many stories left to tell…. Like the raccoon and the hotdogs and the snake in the reeds….  All stories for another day.

 

Under the Peach Tree

On By DGThomaIn Family, Food, Gardening, Humor/Light Hearted, Writing1 Comment

It might be an aroma or a quick glimpse of something that triggers a memory snippet.  For me, it is often a smell.  Fresh bread baking immediately finds me standing in the school cafeteria with a tray in my hand waiting for a delicious hot yeast roll to land beside my mashed potatoes.

Last night, I was in the kitchen putting away groceries, when my husband placed a bag on the counter.  It was a bag of fresh Fredericksburg peaches.  They had been picked three days earlier.  Without moving closer to the bag I began to smell the peaches.  Not the ones on the counter, but the fresh ripe peaches hanging from the limbs of the two peach trees which grew in my childhood backyard.   20150629_183049

The smell of those peaches brought a kaleidoscope of memories.  In the heat of the day, my mother would send me out to pick a few peaches.  She sliced the warm peach in half, removed the pit and poured cold evaporated milk over the peach before sprinkling it liberally with granulated sugar.  I think she invented sweetened condensed milk long before Eagle Brand marketed it!

I can’t even remember how it tasted, but I remember the anticipation and the contrast of the warm peach against the cold milk.  Yum!   I haven’t thought of eating those cream soaked peaches in years.  My husband has brought in peaches countless times and laid them on the counter.  I’m not sure why yesterday triggered the memory, but I’m glad it did.

It made me think of my Mom and smile.  A momentary sadness tugged at my heart as I miss those days with my mother but it was soon replaced by happy memories.

My thoughts followed the path to other memories of time spent around and under the peach tree.  My friends from next door would stop by and we would sit under those two trees.  We invented fairy tale worlds and planned our future.  You know important stuff, like who would we sit by next year in school and how would we fill our days next week.

I also thought about my mother telling me to behave or she would switch my legs with a peach tree limb.  Now those trees had thin pliable limbs that could sting like fire.  Not that I would know!  The threat of having to go cut a peach tree limb and bring it back to my mom was enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.  I’m pretty sure I was never spanked with one, but I remember the dread well.

 

Peach Tree

After dinner last night, I pulled a peach from the bag on the counter.  I rinsed the peach and bit into the crisp fruit.  As juice dribbled down my chin, I closed my eyes.  For the moment I was ten years old, sitting beneath the peach tree, playing make believe with my siblings.

 

For The Love of Books

On By DGThomaIn Family, Humor/Light Hearted, Musings, WritingLeave a comment

I have always loved reading.  When I was very young, I remember going to the public library over the summer.  I’d get lost in the books and spend hours selecting which I wanted to read. The Edwards Public Library in Henrietta, Texas was approximately 10-12 blocks from my house.  A few times my mother allowed me to walk to the library if my older sister was willing to accompany me.  Most of the time, my mother drove us to the library because she loved books and reading as much as we did.  I signed up for the book worm reading club each summer.  Reading one hundred books over the summer would earn us a small orange striped pin in the shape of a worm. I pinned that worm proudly to my t-shirt when the librarian handed it to me. I doubt if I ever wore it again but I was so proud of earning it.  Reading one hundred books was not a chore for me and I would have easily read them over the summer without any incentive.
Bully

One book I remember checking out from the library was The Bully of Barkham Street by Mary Stolz.  I don’t remember much about the context of the book although I remember I enjoyed it when I read it.  I vividly remember the book because it was one of those hundred books I read that summer when I was eight years old and because of the letter that came in the mail afterward.

I finished my reading list and received my coveted book pin. About a week later my mother received a letter in the mail.   BookWormThe librarian said I had never returned The Bully of Barkham Street.  I was devastated!  I treasured books then as I do now.  I couldn’t imagine being so careless.  I assured my mother they had made a mistake, but she still had to pay for the book. I had never owned a book before and I hated to pay for one I didn’t get to keep.  With five children and a one income family it wasn’t in the budget for my parents to pay for the book.  However, my mother paid for the book and never made me feel bad about it.

A few months later I went out to my favorite reading hide out.  My grandfather had built a handmade camper shell to fit in the back of his 1950ish pickup.  When it was off the truck, I monopolized it for reading.  It was private, comfy and quiet.  I stretched out on the cushions that served as one of the beds and felt a lump under the cushion.  Yep! The Bully of Barkham Street was wedged under the cushions.  It was a bit warped.  It had been sat on and moisture in the air had made it’s way into the camper shell damaging the pages.

I debated throwing it away without telling my mother, but I just couldn’t do it.  I carried it in and showed my mom.  She just shook her head and sighed as she handed it back to me saying, “Well, it’s your’s now.”  Dejected, I carried it to my room.  I’m not sure what happened to that book, but I’m pretty sure I never returned a library book late again.

The first new book I ever owned was a Bobbsey Twins hardcover.  TwinsI have no idea which one, because I eventually read them all.  I was in the hospital for about a week and my Aunt Carol came to visit.  She brought me a pair of pajamas with orange fish on them and two Bobbsey Twin books.  My dad bought me a pair of pajamas with Cowboys and Indians on them trimmed in red rick rack.  Yes, those are very vivid memories for me even years later.

Being the middle child of five, I felt spoiled and very special!  My brother and sisters stood outside my window and we both cried.  We had never been separated before.
I think the two incidents above cemented my love of reading and book ownership.  I have a hard time giving up a book once I purchase it.  At last count my book collection was well over 1500 and growing.  I routinely decide to downsize my collection and cull a few books, but before I know it, they are replaced and more are added.
When I retire, I’ll stick to my plan to downsize but for now…. I think I’ll go read a good book.