Friday, May 16, 2011

Bargain Barn

Typical Minnesota April: balmy Wednesday, freezing Thursday, miserable Friday. Sleet and snow on the way. But I decided long ago not to let what I can’t control control my mood. “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances,” said Paul. I haven't quite got there yet, but April will turn to May and it’s good to be home.

Thursday morning, philosopher Clyde stopped by with Kevin close behind. I made a bad pot of bad coffee and wisdom flowed deep and wide. Then Sally showed with a bag of sweet rolls, adding a feminine touch. Life can’t get much better: dear friend, loving family, good conversation. Even bad coffee can’t spoil that.

Friday was unfit for man or beast. I hunkered indoors until Dale came with neighbor Mel for our small boat, which he will park on his wooded acres. The rest of the day I pondered, wrote, and read. New books keep showing up; I must exile myself from Amazon.com.

Getting ready for summer work, I set up folders for Book Six and three audio books. I fielded emails. Sure nice to have crisp Internet connection! I organized what’s left of the Wordshed inventory—thousands of books have shrunk to hundreds. I then summoned the Wordshed executive committee for a virtual session. We set up a Five Buck Bargain Barn—one fin for each item plus shipping. We tossed in a Library Special: the works for fifty bucks: 8 books, 8 CDs. Some titles are in limited supply.

Books: ALASKA: New Life for an Ancient People; ALASKA: A Man from Kanatak; Walking To the Light; All the Days of My Life; Never Baptize Downstream; Christian Camping Today; What is God Like?; Night Watch.

Audios: ALASKA: a Man from Kanatak (3 CDs); Bigfoot and the Michigamme Trolls (2 CDs); Dead Men Walking (5 short devotionals by Lloyd and five songs by Kevin); Joel Mattson’s Songs and Legends of Alaska; Kevin’s sampler CD: songs old and new.

From the beginning, the Wordshed has been a not-for-profit outreach. Bargain Barn sales will help fund the remaining Wordshed projects.

My Elsie smiles down from the shelf above my desk. She would share my wonder at our retirement vision. Two books grew to seven sending 30,000 copies around the world.

Check out the Bargain Barn. Maybe can help me wrap up our vision before I get too old.

Old Grandpa Lloyd

  

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Home

Home from winter wanderings to springtime in Duluth. Travel came off without a hitch with blessings along the way. It’s great to be old and uninhibited. I talk to seatmates on planes and shuttles.

The Tucson to Denver flight put me next to a young woman loaded with papers that cried teacher. I learned she was a professor at Maryville College near St. Louis. “I teach teachers,” she said. I asked if she knew Dr. Parker Palmer’s work (recently referenced in the Hole News). “Of course! Courage to Teach. He has written good books.” The professor turned to her papers and I to my book.

Denver to Minneapolis found me in a window seat. A woman took the aisle seat. I smiled; she smiled back; we exchanged pleasantries. A late-arriving young man wedged between us. “Would you prefer a window seat?” I said. We swapped, putting me next to Mary Jane Sutterland, a retired special ed teacher from Minnesota. We talked all the way to Minneapolis.

Somehow, music and the QChord entered the conversation As I described the instrument, Mary Jane got fired up. “That would be perfect for my handicapped friend!” She told me about the young man's love of music and limitations. I told her of our contact with a 16-year-old handicapped Florida lad and outlined the McGuffey handbook Kevin and I put together. I told her I could get her a good deal on the Q. Perhaps we’ll have another opportunity to serve a young brother with mountains to climb.

Rita was my seatmate on the Minneapolis to Duluth shuttle. I noted she was reading a Nook, Barnes & Noble’s  e-reader. I asked how the Nook compared with the Kindle. Our conversation lasted all the way to Duluth. I told Rita about Elsie and our Wordshed books and gave her the website card. I expect I’ll hear from her. 

Capping my first day home was an email from Jeannine Sawell with a piece she wrote about the Hole News for Fresh Start, a stimulating e-devotional produced by Oakwood Church, Hartland, WI.  Check out Fresh Start;  you’ll be blessed: tracy@oakwoodnow.org. Wish to read Jeannine’s take on the Hole News?  I’ll email a copy.

See you Friday.

Old Grandpa Lloyd