Of the making of books there is no end...

If there is a place where time stands still. . .

It is a bookstore.

There are the big box stores that sometimes sell as many gadgets and gifty items as books. . .and there is Elliott Bay Bookstore, with its hardwood floors, several stories, and enough books to keep me busy every rainy Saturday and then some. . .but there is also Third Place Books.

I had seen an advertisement for 40% off used books, so us girls decided to include Third Place in Lake Forest Park in our itinerary last Saturday. They have an amazing collection of just about every imaginable book ever written in both new and used form. I spent most of my time browsing the used book section and came away with some gems, like. . .

Emily Post's Etiquette. In case you are ever in the situation: When invited to the White House, you must arrive several minutes before the hour specified, at the very least. It is an unpardonable breach of etiquette not to be standing in the drawing room when the President makes his entry.

Some poor unsuspecting new bride may someday find themselves the proud owner of Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping. Did you know that 120 drops of water equal 1 teaspoon?

Also on my reading pile: Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love and View from the Summit, Sir Edmund Hillary's autobiography. I'm off to read a few pages. . .

It's Been a While...

Life has brought so many changes, ups and downs and topsy-turvy happenings lately I've been remiss to blog. However, to make up for the coldest June on record we have had a fabulous October.

I can identify with John Muir:

The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.

Also:

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face. by John Donne

Last weekend I savored the best of autumn:

A pumpkin-themed dinner for girls' night...pumpkin chili, pumpkin rigatoni with goat cheese, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cheesecake, spinach salad with pumpkin seeds, pumpkin trifle, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin bread..all so wonderful!

And then a day spent wandering through the fields picking the perfect pumpkin, carving it up, and eating borscht, squash soup, and bread.

Local Flavor Day

Took some out-of-town guests on a tour Saturday...

We stopped at the Ballard Locks to watch the chinook and coho swimming through and were also treated to a myriad of boats large and small heading through the locks.

Then it was off to Cupcake Royale for lavender cupcakes and Stumptown coffee. Still fabulous, as always.

We topped the day off with dinner at Ivar's Salmon House. Eat here! I had a 70th anniversary special, a $19.38 three-course dinner, which was a side Caesar salad with alder grilled Alaskan sockeye and Ivar's homemade blueberry ice cream.

What a beautiful spot. It's modeled after an Indian long house. The cedar planks and old wooden canoes hanging from the ceiling make for some fabulous decor, the view of the city is unbeatable, and we managed to show up right on time to witness a spectacular sunset.