What's Up with Edward McKay Used Books?

Edward McKay used to be one of my absolute favorite places in Greensboro.  What the heck has happened to this establishment?  There was a time I could bring a brimming bag of books to the counter and get back some good credit or cash.  And I always felt like I was getting a great bargain on almost every book or CD
I ever purchased there.

But not so much anymore .... I'm not feeling the love from Edward McKay's Used Books and More.

The "More" must mean, "Give 'em more and get less!" Because it's like an act of Congress for them to give you a few cents for your books.

Just the other day,  I dragged an overflowing bag filled mostly with the classics. The Bostonians.  Wuthering Heights.  Black Beauty.  Little Men.  I could go on and on with the titles, but you get the idea.   Some I'd even bought from their store for my own reading pleasure or because they were required by Guilford County Schools for either summer or regular school year reading. True, some of my books were older editions both in paperback and hardcover, but still in good, very usable condition.

Certainly book lovers couldn't possibly be above reading an older edition of a classic or any great piece of literature, even if it's in less than pristine condition. If you're like me, I enjoy a book with some character, one that looks like it's been passed around.  A little bit of wear, a few dog ears, and some strategic underlining makes the book much more interesting for me.  My mind wanders as to the stream of folks who have read the book before me. I also love it when someone has written something personal in the front cover for a birthday or other special occasion.

I'm definitely not complaining about the credit I received on the books that McKay's decided to take. I got back around $8.00 and change from whatever was deemed worthy to be placed upon their holy shelves.   However, I left the shop with 3/4 of the books still in the bag.

Very annoying.

I'd love to know what it is Edward McKay wants and what it is he doesn't want.  But who can figure it out?

Midlife Madness: How Tom Petty, My Whining Guitar and a Local Wizard Saved the Day!

Once upon a time, I made a promise to myself.  I would never be one of those women thrust into the madness of a midlife crisis.  I thought I had it all figured out.

Then a few summers ago, it hit me out of nowhere.  I dropped 75 cents into the slot of a newspaper machine.  I pulled a USA Today out from the stacks.  And there appeared Tom Petty of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  I couldn't believe it!  The guy on the cover resembled nothing of the skinny kid who stopped me dead in my tracks, singing Refugee on Saturday Night Live.  He looked great, but obviously time had passed.  Petty's face and figure were a little fuller. His hair was slightly shorter and not so blonde.  Nonetheless, he was smiling and aging with all the grace a fifty-something year old man can muster.

What's ol' Tom up to these days?  Where's he been?  I thought to myself.

However, by the time I'd finished reading the article, I was pretty shaken up and asking myself a different question ... 

Be Kind ... And Sing Anyway!

People will say you sing too loud and sometimes sound off key. Keep practicing, hang with supportive vocalists, and sing anyway!

People will say you have no rhythm and can't dance. Keep swaying and dance the night away anyway!

People may be indifferent when you strum your guitar or make music.  Play that darn guitar anyway!  Or bang on your bongos ...

People will say your skirt is too short or it's too long.  They'll say you're style is not hip enough or you're not hip enough.  Wear what pleases you and not everyone else.  And if you're reported to the folks at What Not to Wear take a few tips, but never let 'em take your spirit!

People will tell you, you need to lose weight. Then when you lose weight, they might say you're too thin.  Love yourself,  eat more veggies than carbs, and walk whenever you can.  Know that you're so much more than that number on the scale.  And keep telling yourself : You will get to a healthy weight.

People will comment on the fact you got a haircut, then say nothing more. Assume they love it and enjoy the new you.

Publishers will say you're writing is not what they're looking for, if you're lucky enough to receive any reply.  Take constructive feedback if offered, but for goodness sake keep writing anyway! 

People have a lot to say.  It's not always nice.  So grow the skin of a rhinoceros. 

Have faith in yourself and God.  And be kind anyway!

Inspired by the poem The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent M. Keith and Do It Anyway by Mother Teresa.  copr. 2010 donna tessitore

How Old Is Your Baby?

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly driving through my local Goodwill donating clothes that we've outgrown or grown tired of.  It seems I'm up at Goodwill at least on a weekly basis.  I hate to admit it, but I'm a bit of a pack rat.  Open up one of our closets and you'll wonder why this small family of three has so much stuff.  Well, that's because I don't do a very good job of letting go.

On Friday I again hit Goodwill.  You're not going to believe this, but I had six medium ziptop bags of clothes filled with my daughter's baby things.  The bags were filled with soft blankets, handknit sweaters and hats, bonnets, cute dresses, and tiny booties et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

The day before I had unzipped the clear bags and surprisingly the clothes smelled just as clean as the day I had washed and packed them all away.  I savored the scent and saved a knit hat or two, some bunny booties, and a bonnet. Pretty good for a pack rat.  I vowed the rest of the bags were going.

That morning, I loaded the bags into the Explorer.  On my way home from work, I stopped at the Goodwill drive-through and laid all of the bags along the curbside. 

That's when my plan fell to pieces ...

Life is Good When Your Plumbing Works!

It's been a tough week at our house. We've had plumbing problems galore.  It started last Saturday when our hot water heater sprung a leak.  We took  ice cold showers all weekend long until our plumber could come first thing Monday morning.  $675 later we had hot water.

Then we heard a bizarre shaking sound coming and going from our crawl space.  We called our water filter guy, since we had narrowed the problem down to that system.  But naturally he could find nothing wrong when he arrived and the noise just mysteriously disappeared. 

On Tuesday, I was filling my pasta pot with water and suddenly felt a cool wave hit my ankles.  I opened the cabinets to a mini- flood and discovered more plumbing problems.  I have to admit that I'd reached my limit on plumbing issues and simply broke down and cried after bailing all that water and toweling it dry.

Three Men, A Lady, and A Sports Bar

The college basketball season is finally over.  

So last Saturday night, I spent my evening at our neighborhood sports bar, a place aptly named J. P. Looney's.  And though I only drank one and a half  Miller Lites, I'm still recovering from the rather alarming chili.  I don’t wish to blame Looney’s for my sensitive GI, but if you have a hankering for haute cuisine or require healthy eats, the local sports bar isn’t the place to go. 

Now if you want a couple of beers, the ambience of big screen TV’s, and noise so deafening you can hardly hear your own words, you’ve come to the right place!  Because sports bars certainly have all the B’s covered:  beer, basketball, big-screen TV’s, bustling, and “bad for you” food. 

To be perfectly honest, I can’t think of another place I despise more than the monster sports bar. Because once you’re there, you’re there-- immersed and surrounded on all sides by sports, sports, and more sports!. And though I consider myself the master of tuning unpleasant things right out of my mind, it is an impossible feat to mentally remove yourself while sitting smack in the middle of a sports bar. 

Believe me, I’ve tried!

On Being Green

I'm one of those people who thinks way too much.  I'm great at finding something to feel guilty about whether it be the condition of my house, the state of my gardens, or the quality of my cooking.  Lately, I've been obsessing over the environment and recycling.

These days everyone seems to be going green. And even if you really don't care about being green, it's real trendy right now to be environmentally responsible.  So some folks are spending lots of money on home renovation and new construction that meets the new green standard.   Unfortunately, most of us aren't in a position to spend a whole lot of the green. 

So, we do what we can in our house to conserve. We've changed all our light bulbs to the energy-saving kind.  We've programmed our thermostat to reduce the temperature at night. We use a rain barrel to capture water for our garden.

And we continously sort our cans, bottles, and boxes to reduce the humongous waste pile for future generations.

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly tripping over cans and cartons, overflow from our main recycling bin.  The garbage men take the Wednesday load away and the next day I'm at the neighborhood recycling center to get rid of a few more things.   It's an ongoing challenge to keep up with The Recyclables. Yes, sometimes I think there is another family living in our garage!


Kermit the Frog was right.  It's not easy being green.  

No Holiday Brag Sheets Please ...

Another Christmas and New Year has come and gone!  I did a quick first round clean-up last week, but I'm still wading through a few Christmas bags and bows.  And my Christmas tree is still standing in a corner stripped of its festive ornaments and gold angel top.  It's so cold outside that neither me or my husband have volunteered to drag the darn thing back to the shed.

So who knows how long it will remain in my great room! 

But I just can't discard all the beautiful Christmas cards folks take the time and expense to send our way.  I absolutely love receiving holiday photos of families ranging from newborns to college age. I keep those photo cards well after Christmas to peruse and enjoy. I also welcome a brief year-end update.   

Unfortunately, I don't feel the same way about some of the extensive newsletters slipped into the cards.

Let me clarify this.  I enjoy a good family update when it's informative and/or funny and/or thoughtfully done. I'm thrilled when friends travel and mention that special trip to Italy or Ireland or even Disneyworld.

I want to hear highlights about what the kids and adults are doing and any major accomplishments.  I also appreciate hearing updates when it relates to a family member's health or recovery from illness or landing a new job.  That is important stuff!

I am not the grinch.