Museum Artifact

(Photo by Mike Hall)

A page from the past is shown from this book called “English Grammar” by Kate Smith, Ethel B. Magee with S.S. Seward, Jr.,  published in 1928  by The Athenaeum Press of Ginn and Company in Boston.

I heard on the radio recently that Barnes and Noble was closing even more stores around the country in the shadow of the closing of Borders book stores.  The announcer said there was something about books which was comforting. This got me thinking.  I admit I probably could not  many afford books at the B & N stores, and the Half Price Books Store is to more my liking. They also have real records there too.  I still have a few books from college, because I paid for them, they still may have some informational value (Photography books are that way), and perhaps they were a part of my past.  It may be ironic I am writing a blog about this topic on the Internet, but when I get confused and such, a poem sometimes helps resolve the problem somehow.  I imagined how in the not so distant future 40 to 50 years from now, books became obsolete. This is a basis of several novels, too.  I have no time for novels, and arrived at this poem, “Museum Artifact.”

Museum Artifact

I saw a thing I used to read in school.
It was a book along with other
volumes shelved in storage in a
wooden book case behind the glass.
They had lots of information, and
they didn’t need batteries, nor did
they need to be plugged in to operate.
Some books had thin paper back, and
were small enough to fit in a pocket.
They took me to places where I had
never been without leaving the room,
and I wasn’t looking at any color videos.
Words inspired my imagination.  Back then,
some people had quite a few bound books
In elaborate personal libraries,
but now they are gone in the electronic
age, and I can only use this gadget that
I really don’t like at all.

Learn 10 ways how you can harness the Power of Words with modern technology.

Yard Sale Treasures

(Photo by Mike Hall)

Patty Hall smiles after getting back home with the groceries recently.

Yard Sale Treasures 

Normally, with temperatures reaching to get up to freezing, the concept of yard sales would be, to put it one way- frozen- in most places.  Patty and I have found three moving sales and one church sale - all indoors for the most part- in Zionsville, a community northwest of Indianapolis.

We have been pleasantly surprised at what we found and bought.  Most recently we have brought home a name-brand reversible belt that fits me after the holidays, and new name-brand tie for work, a bargain on earrings for Patty, a mini-sandwich maker (for 50 cents),  a new lace old-fashioned table cloth that work well with the Old West theme of our apartment, a wooden snowman accessory kit with a heart and corn-cob pipe (just add snow), a few cool music cassettes that may make it to my computer (with my conversion kit), and a mini-emergency flashlight with three kinds of lights (batteries not included).

For $8, I bought a new digital compact camera case with a HP Photosmart M525, made in 2009.  First introduced in 2006, I read on the Internet the camera was a good basic compact camera that originally sold for $104.  Amazon had two new of the discontinued items for $292 each (at the time of this writing).  Even though the built-in lens cover didn’t close when shut off, the one I got worked well otherwise.   Look at the photo of Patty I took just after I brought in the groceries.  This camera was a good deal for the price, and even though I have five other digital cameras, I took a chance.  That’s the fun of it.

Sometimes the electronic sales from yard sales are not so good, and blogs on the topic suggest not buying electronic devices. I say just don’t go crazy.  I once got a complete Pentax K-1000 film camera outfit with bag, three lenses and flash for $50. I still have it.  That camera bag was used for another camera set-up I have, and the Pentax system is now in another large camera bag I got that same weekend.

One thing about going to yard sales, even when it’s 25 degrees outside, is the thrill of finding different locations.  You learn things about other places.  By going to the historic town of Zionsville, we discovered a great restaurant , The Carolina Grill, in Zionsville that serves real fried chicken the way Patty likes it, and a local coffeehouse, The Eagle Creek Coffee Company, along Main Street, not a franchise, that was the place to be on a Saturday afternoon.  By checking the newspaper for places to go, filling up the gas tank, and filling the wallet with a few bucks, the rewards can be amazing.  We often contribute to Goodwill, as we did this weekend, before going on to our  adventures, so what we don’t want any more is someone else’s treasure.   It’s all a matter of balance. Happy hunting.
Click on the name Patty Hall or her photo for a biography of her.

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Desert woman

Introducing  Seema Gupta

Seema Gupta    (Courtesy photo)

Seema Gupta

She is recognized among 111 Top Hindi Women Writers of the 21st Century,  and was Published in “The Sunday Indian Hindi,” August 2011.

Her achievements include: Author of two Hindi Poetry books; “Vireh ke rang” published in May 2010 by “Shivna Prakashan” sehore (hindi) “Dard ka Dariya” published in Nov 2010 by A.I.P.C Khurja (hindi and Urdu)
and two management-related books.

She works as general manager in M/S NAVSHIKHA POLY PACK GURGAON (manufacturing PVC pipe and fittings), and has a Master’s Degree-Post Graduate (M.Com) year 1995.  She has major(s) in accounting & finance, and has 18 years experience in her profession.

Blogs and website include:
http://mairebhavnayen.blogspot.com/
http://bikhreyseafsaney.blogspot.com/
http://loveneverloves.blogspot.com/
http://www.voicesnet.org/allpoemsoneauthor.aspx?memberid=1208420010 (for English POETRY)
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mheepoetry)
http://www.anubhuti-hindi.org/anjuman/s/seema_gupta/index.htm
http://www.facebook.com/groups/jatiyoparty#!/profile.php?id=100001472328042

Here is the first of six poems by Seema to be published to the World of Words by Elias Tobias.

Desert woman

She is born with the
silent language of desert and winds
engraved in her soul and
every night staring towards the sky
fighting with her own guesses
which she made to catch the star
her beloved was following
to reach his destination
she sends her whispers
along with tender kisses
placing on the wings of wind
believing the wind would surely
travel far and far away
to transfer her kisses
with her passionate message of
longingness to her beloved
she lives in fire of
endless waiting moments
with flood of storms in her eyes
and suffers moments of blazing coals
as horrible pain
with a desperate desire to
rest in his strong arms forever
she tries to gather dews of her
evaporating deep breaths
and create imaginary of being
beside him peeping in his eyes
she never know
her wait would end or not
But she know one thing
she is a desert woman
and with flux of stone body
she would be waiting till her last breath….

Do you have a poem that you would like to share? Submit your work to the Free Open Poetry Forum.

Title of the Song

Title of the Song 

I was listen to the country radio,
And it played an old song I used to know.
I heard the guitar player pick the notes
And the singer started to sing a story
Of how she was now suddenly alone.
Life was different from what she planned
She was no longer with her man.
She said she was sorry things turned out that way,
And she really didn’t have much else to say
Except it that kept of repeating a simple line,
The title of the song, that was not lost in time.

Have you read a good book lately? Find plenty of free books online at Mike’s Books Cafe.

ArtBrushed Watercolors-Photo Puzzle 6

  Photo Puzzle

(Photo by Mike Hall)

Fort Benjamin Harrison in Lawrence, near Indianapolis, Indiana, is a natural recreational getaway for all seasons, including scene from the winter of 2010 near a walking trail turned cross-country ski trail. This ArtBrushed photo is been transformed into a water color work. Click on the photo to get the entire photo, fit for framing. You might want to make a print of it, too. What is even better is that this picture is puzzle, and if you CLICK HERE, you can go to this puzzle.  You may want to make a print first so you can see the whole ArtBrushed photo before you start the puzzle.  See how long it takes to complete the puzzle. Then use the back arrows to come back to the World of Words by Elias Tobias site for more.  If you want to start at another photo puzzle, go to Artbrushed Photo Puzzles.  This is fun!

Have you read a good book lately? Find plenty of free books online at Mike’s Books Cafe.