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2/21/2006

To: Kitty Ann


Today I am shipping a big box to my Mom. In fact, the box is entirely too big since I overestimated my need for space and stubbornly refused to buy a smaller box. To make up for the vacuum of air I stuffed red, blue, and polka-dot tissue paper and a bag of giftwrap bows inside; I'm lacking Styrofoam peanuts. In the box are several books my Mom requested while I still worked for Half Price Books where I received an unbelievable discount. I love the gamut of genres:

1. The Truest Pleasure by Robert Morgan
2. Kristin Lavransdatter 3: The Cross by Sigrid Undset
3. Slander by Ann Coulter
4. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
5. The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
6. Here I Stand by Roland H. Bainton
7. Great Dialogues of Plato
8. He is There and He is Not Silent by Francis Schaeffer
9. The Confessions of St. Augustine, a contemporary translation by Rex Warner

A few of these books are ones I've always intended to read and others are duplicates from the Simmons' library. I'm shipping The Cross because when I last visited my parents, my Mom and I took advantage of my then store discount at the massive Half Price Books off the NW Hwy. in Dallas, TX. We ordered coffee from a grumpy dude-barista and spent 2-3 hours shopping. The store is so big that at one point my Mom called me on our cell phones to find out which section I was browsing. I talked her into purchasing The Mistress of Husaby, the second part of Undset's trilogy, but I would not allow her to buy the third book, The Cross, since I owned it and because Uncle Bobby kindly gave me the hardback trilogy all in one book! Also, in between my reading the first book and purchasing the third book, I checked out the second book from the library in a time of financial need. However, in urging my Mom to buy book #2 I forgot I gave book #1 to Aunt Denise. The wonderful hardships of familial reading! My solution was to order book #1, The Bridal Wreath, from Eighth Day Books and send it to Mama.

Between the boxed books are nestled a few CDs. One is Livin', Lovin', Losin' ~ Songs of the Louvin Brothers which I'm finally returning! The others are by Johnny's friend Ross King; we have a few duplicates and I think my parents will enjoy the tunes. There is also one surprise item for Kitty Ann which I cannot reveal or it would ruin her glee.

The sucky thing about this fun package is after I taped up the box beautifully I saw my Mom's cute card sitting on our coffee table, handwritten message and all. I thought of a few curse words and Johnny tried not to laugh. It is a lovely card from a box set: a vintage Chicoree-Williot print with a blue coffeepot and red package of biscotti on a blue and white-checkered tablecloth. You will see, Mom - I taped the picture half of the card on your box. This mention of chicory triggered a craving for French Market coffee with chicory. I will enjoy a cup then head to the post office.

3 comments:

Johnny! said...

"Dude-barista."


I love my wife.

Christine said...

Ooooohhh, I'll have to check out that Francis Schaeffer book! Have you read it?

jenni said...

I've read parts of He is There and He is Not Silent over the years but I want to read the whole book soon - that book was one of our duplicates. First I better finish the 3 books I'm working on including another Schaeffer book!

Dude, I love my husband.