Another Giveaway!

Thank you to all who entered the Alphabet Glue Volume Two giveaway. The winners, as picked by Random.org, are:

Michele of The Great Read

Marie

Lise of In the Purple House

Pearly Queen of Violet-White

And Kim of A is for Akari!

(Please email me so I can forward your email addresses to Annie. mollydunham at sbcglobal dot net)

I just virtually "met" Michele of The Great Read. Have you visited her blog? She groups and shares library suggestions in the most appealing way: a book, movie, music cd, and a cookbook all sharing a common theme. I do believe she loves the library as much as I do! So I asked her to make a little collection in her signature, gold framed style for me:

With the exception of The Dirty Life (which my library did not have), I've checked these items out from my local library. I then bought the Dixie Chicks CD and Around My French Table because the three weeks I had them on loan wasn't enough.

Several of the songs on the album "Fly" make me think of Kristin Kimball in The Dirty Life - particularly "Cowboy Take Me Away". I too want to "touch the earth, wanna hold it in my hands, wanna grow something wild and unruly". The "Girl from Paris" does just that, despite hardships, setbacks, and prejudices. She grows more than food; she makes and nurtures a friendship with an old farmer, who happens to cook traditional French food using recipes passed down from his mother, dishes that are no doubt reminiscent of Dorie Greenspan's moutwatering recipes. And that is how my collection ties together. Thank you Michele for showcasing it so beautifully!

I recently checked out The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate from our library, but by the time we got around to reading it, it was due within a few days. There was no way I could read it out loud in three nights, especially with late night swimming practices. Then a miracle of sorts occurred: I popped into the Goodwill, compelled to peruse their bookshelves. And there on the bottom shelf in the children's book section were three brand new copies of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate! I bought one for us (and returned the library's copy before I incurred overdue fees) and two for you.

If you're interested in a copy, leave a comment and I'll randomly select two winners to be announced Friday, July 15th.

We're a third of the way into the book and loving it so far. Calpurnia appeals to the latent naturalist tomboy in me. We could both hunt for bugs all day. Plus there's a fair dose of history and science, so we're all learning something new while reading.

Books and bugs, libraries and thrift stores. Just a few essentials for a beautifully balanced life.