
I think sometimes we get too caught up on having the biggest and best to realize that some of the best things in life are the simplest, and we stumble upon them unsuspectingly. I've discovered pretty much every author I came to love over the past few years by buying their books at the secondhand bookstore. I found P.D. James, Ben Bova, R.A. Salvatore, and most recently Kim Stanley Robertson by picking up one of their older titles at The Book Dispensery - a secondhand bookstore here in town. And you know what? I loved their work so much that I went on to buy new copies (and more recently, ebooks) of more recent titles. In fact, I'd be honored if I found a niche market of my own like this - just people browsing for something inexpensive and finding my work to be a treasure.
One of the best CD's in my collection, Cold's 2000 album titled "Year of the Spider," came from the used CD bin at a local music store for $8. One of my favorite rose fragrances came from Freds, a discount store. I've had a lot of compliments on a purple tote bag I bought from the Avon Outlet catalog for $5. The wrist brace I wear occasionally that's a lifesaver when I have to type a lot between work and writing was $7 in the discount bin at Bi-Lo. One of the best "nights out" I've had recently was last Friday, sitting on the front porch with Rick the birds, watching and listening to the wild birds sing and fly around in the setting sun. And if the summer weather gets too hot to sit outside, that's ok. We can enjoy a TV show or movie from Netflix, satellite or our own DVD collection from our nice, comfy recliners. The gas grill has made nice suppers for us and for entertaining guests, and the coffee pot we got as a Christmas gift many years ago still brews some of the best java around, in my opinion, especially when we drink it watching the bluebirds through the sliding glass door while Ollie sings.
Of course we all want the nice things in life. Red wine and steak are nice - but sometimes you just want a cheeseburger, fries and a soft drink. And that's ok too. You can't have it all, and when you're willing to accept some of the simpler things, I believe that's when you find the true joy in life.
That's all today.
Bye!