Sunday Auction

Sunday morning dawned chilly and gray ~ a perfect day for a drive and a country auction. Braving the cold and just getting out was the point; we had no plans to buy anything, of course! But we signed up for a bid number ... just in case. You never know what little treasure is going to make an appearance. When one did, my husband, who was holding the bid card, was gazing in deep contemplation at a beautiful old clock across the room. He wasn't exactly paying attention to what the current offering was. But, sweetie that he is, when I turned to him and said "BID" he just pushed our bid card up in the air and waved it back and forth, while saying "How high?" ... as in how high are we willing to go on whatever that small thing is that the auctioneer is holding up.... Happily, there wasn't much competition for this item that had caught my fancy. Here it is ~

"Practical Hints on Paris - Offered by the American people through the American Red Cross" ~ a darling little guidebook with a copyright date of 1919. Here's the preface ~

There are keys to pronunciation, sections on theaters, churches, shops, and restaurants (the restaurant section provides the whereabouts of the American Red Cross canteens - meals for 75 centimes, and coffee and sandwiches for 50 centimes!), plus there are these clever maps that unfold and show you where everything is located. Here's the map for 'Artistic Paris' ~ you can see the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, plus all the other places that have been visited by tourists for centuries.
It's a clever little book, 90 years old, and a wonderful piece of history. But the reason I was so enchanted with it is that our younger daughter is getting her Master's degree in France. She has been to Paris many times, and I knew she would be fascinated to see what had changed since World War I, and what has remained the same. But more than that, finding little treasures like this for our daughters helps me stay connected to them even when they are miles away and I hope lets them know that I am always thinking about them.

And so, with this post, I have joined the delightful world of blogging. It was one of my New Year's resolutions to do so. Over the last few months, as I have read the entries of others, I have been continually impressed with their inspiration, wisdom, humor, and creativity. After much angst over how to begin.... I realized that I just had to start! I'm looking forward to this new adventure.