A Break, for Braking

Good morning! (Or, good whenever-you-read-this!)
I've been making an effort to get out of bed at 7 a.m., so I see more daylight, to keep my spirits up. 
I didn't quite hit the mark this morning, but did get up at 7:30, even though I was so snuggly and warm and I could tell it's a gray day (easier to hop out of bed in the sunshine). 

We've been having a cold fall--the temps went right from 90º to 30º (and lower--it was 14º when I biked to work yesterday morning).

The other day I thought, "It's never nice anymore." 
Wouldn't that make a good opening line for a short story? Though my idea was to write a chipper story about avoiding the climate apocalypse, that just isn't coming to me. Crazy, huh?

I. Holiday Break!

Weather notwithstanding, I am happy, happy, happy:
I decided last-minute to take off work today and this Friday & Saturday, and we're closed Thursday (for Thanksgiving), so I have almost a week's vacation!
Lucky timing, it's warmed up a bit outside: supposed to be 40º for Thanksgiving...

I've been working at the thrift store for 6 months without a stretch of time off, so this is VERY welcome. . .
even though I had to sort of talk myself into it: 
Brake! Brake!
This morning I woke up thinking of things I could do, and want to do, at work.
But of course it's endless, the things you can work on at a thrift store that gets piles of donations daily--they will be there, and more, when I return. And there are so many things I want to catch up with at home. Several bears, washed and dried, are patiently waiting for new stuffing...

At work, the main thing I have to do--and WANT to do--is go through the rest of the boxes of books (& a few other things) from a doll collector (donated, I think, by a surviving relative).

I'm enjoying going through them, though I'm more interested in stuffed animals than dolls---still, they are related.

Some of the books are so specialized, though, I want to advertise them (Craiglist, FB), because most likely only another serious doll collector would want them--maybe even be excited to get them.
Of course there are doll collectors in town---I should start locally, and if they don't sell, try ebay.

My philosophy has evolved: 
keep things affordable and local.
Ebay has become my LAST resort, instead of my first, which it was when I started. The boss had set the stage for my initial p.o.v., though he agrees with me now that putting out unique things keeps customers coming back, so he's OK with my plan.

I'm finding there are enough walk-in sales of odd/vintage things--no need to do the extra work of listing things online, mostly, even if we could get a few more dollars for them.

II. Vanity, Oh, Vanity

Here are a couple of the Cool Old Books & Things shelves as I left them yesterday. Those two pretty books on display up top are Hebrew (or Yiddish?).

On the bottom shelf are old Celluloid or Bakelite faux-ivory pieces from vanity sets, c. 1930s. 
My mother's mother had a set of them, and I was horrified that the ladies who sort housewares had thrown them in the trash.
I'd though they'd be expensive, but there must be zillions of them because online each piece only sells for a few dollars.  

To me, they are glamorous and I priced them two to five dollars each.
Here's a young (I barely recognize her) Barbara Stanwyck at her dressing table: 

Earlier, I'd put out another faux-ivory hand mirror. I happened to be near the cashier when a guy bought it, so I commented on it to him––he said he's going to use it to see the back of his head when he cuts his hair!
I was so happy it's going to be USED.

The doll collector gave us vintage linens too, a huge box worth (almost the size of half a refrigerator box). I set out some of those here. 
* * * If any of you out there want dresser linens, doilies, and the like, let me know!

This shelf won't stay nicely arranged for long: 
people either buy the nice things all up (I almost hate to see that... "Put those back!"), or they pull displays apart leave them a mess.

II. "Where Apes Swing To and Fro"

I want to catch up with all sorts of things here!
Like the question of what to do with old-timey-racist books––the White Father paternalistic kind, not the KKK kind. (No one has donated viciously racist books, though what is vicious is debatable.) 

UPDATE: The Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris University, Michigan accepts donations of racist objects.
www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/donate.htm

In frustration (the frustration of being deluged by Too Much Stuff to Even Think Properly), I've thrown out two or three, but am glad I saved this comic-book one. It's about a cricketer who becomes a missionary, and it presents mission work in a similar light as sport: a boy's grand adventure.

This week I sent this photo of the cover art ^ to my art-historian friend Allan, who wrote back saying he might know a teacher who could use it:

"Potentially useful as subject of analysis for anyone studying perceptions of cultural one-upmanship:

Euros = wearing clothes, as civilized people should; "natives" = almost naked, hence inferior.

Euros = standing (higher position), moving forward; "natives" = crouching (inferior position), static.

Euros = faces illuminated (intelligence, knowledge, truth; "natives" = faces shadowed (ignorance, superstition).

Then there's the "primitive" architecture, not to mention the skull prominently displayed (oooh, savagery, weird beliefs like ancestor worship?, maybe even head-hunting or cannibalism (the ultimate non-Christian practice)?

Ooga-booga, ugh-ugh.   (To be followed by pidgin English statements such as "You Jesus-men?")"

Allan also sent me these hymn lyrics (1929):

Remember all the people
Who live in far off lands
Where children wade through rice fieldsAnd watch the camel trains.

Some work in sultry forests
Where apes swing to and fro,

Remember all God’s children,
Who yet have never heard
The truth that comes from Jesus,
The glory of His Word.

And so on...

IV. Camel Train Coming 

Where in world geography camel trains pass rice fields, I can't picture.
BUT, I do have a picture of a camel!

I got this camel, below, yesterday at work--along with three other Italian creche pieces. I brought it to my monthly happy hour with my friend John--we meet at a nearby restaurant that specializes in Old Fashioneds:

John asked if he could buy the camel. 
He can, but not until after the first Sunday in Advent, December 2:
that's the next Orphan Red Costume Day. Sister, bink & I will be making Three Magi costumes for the little reds, and I am starting my Advent Calendar project:
a photo a day of the Reds opening something.

The Reds are still wearing their Halloween costumes.
Here's Penny Cooper, keeper of the wintertime health elixirs, in the dress sister made for her. She is also Keeper of the Coffee (in tin behind her):

Speaking of Halloween, I never posted my own costume here!
I was going to be Mr. Spock but ended up feeling happier being the Enterprise librarian.

Here I am at work--that's my big boss behind me, as Batman, and the assistant boss in her pink p.j.s next to me, and a couple coworkers (most of the guys didn't dress up at all--some Baptists because they said it's the devil's holiday)--we posted this on FB:

And here, below, after work:
Julia, you can see, is Pippi Longstocking, and Marz is "Christmas on Mars":

,

One more--a historic one, from Halloween 2011:
Marz is Tintin, bink as Snowy, and me as Captain Haddock:

V. A Seventies Thanksgiving

This table with four Naugahyde chairs in pristine shape came into the store---the chairs are stamped 1975 underneath. I had fun setting the table yesterday, and posted this on the store's FB (and mine):

I've been the store's FB valet for 6 months, and the page has livened up a bit---I mean, people have just started to leave fun comments--such as the little exchange on this one:

And now I am going to clean up and eat breakfast and go downtown FOR NO REASON! Just for fun! Maybe go see a movie? I hear the Queen movie (Bohemian Rhapsody) isn't great, but a fan said they loved it anyway, and I think I might too.

Happy Thanksgiving, blog friends:

I am thankful for you!!!