What Are You
Spent most of the working week loading for 3rd Sunday Market in Bloomington. 3rd Sunday is in its 37th year and second generation of owners. Great family-love them. Had been putting aside some really nice items for the show and it worked out well. There was a great crowd. Understand there was a dust storm in Bloomington on Friday and that the interstate had to be closed down. We missed all that as I go up on Saturday morning. Leave about 9 and get there around noon. Mike Raycraft furnished lunch for all the vendors on Saturday. It was great and much appreciated. Had great sales and a good day. Felt super special when the owner of the show and his son, Thomas, helped me load out. I can pack all my boxes of merchandise fairly rapidly but my plywood tables are heavy and awkward and help is almost essential getting unloaded and loaded up again.
Also love the social aspect of doing antique shows. Studies show that isolation is as bad for one’s health as smoking and drinking to excess. It is fun to see so many people one hasn’t seen since the last show. Thank You.
Use my phone constantly, both to communicate and to take photos which I share with friends. Stopped at the Tennessee Junction to photograph the sunset and the picture was fuzzy. Looked at my phone and one of the lenses was smashed. I often carry my phone in my pocket with a stylus as I have chubby fingers. Figured the stylus got between the seat belt and the phone while I was driving. When I checked my pocket also found a metal rivet I had picked up to keep it from getting in a tire so perhaps it got my camera lens instead.
This road warrior has had a long day and I hear the News calling so will end this column a bit short tonight. Thanks to all the people who tell me they enjoy the column even at 3rd Sun Market. Have a great week. Scatter Kindness and Love.
Even Puff and Sally are getting along better now. One can even learn to love those who intrude on what they think of as their space. Hugs and Love to each of you reading this.
Editor’s Note; Joyce is a resident of Plymouth and owns Plymouth Rock Roost B & B and Plymouth Rock Antiques.
What Are You Reading? A project sponsored by the Friends of the Macomb Public Library District to encourage reading and book discussion in our community. Would you like to share your favorite books with other readers? Please send your name, occupation or grade level, book author and title, and a brief statement about the book and why you liked it to Kate Joswick, [email protected].
Reviewer’s Name: Merikay Potter Reviewer’s Occupation: Retired Teacher Book Title: Somewhere in the Unknown World Book’s Author: Kao Kalia Yang This is a collection of personal stories from refugees with ties to the diverse University Avenue area in Minneapolis-St Paul.
The author, who is Hmong and was herself born in a refugee camp in Thailand, came to Minnesota as a young girl and has published her own memoir as well as several children’s books. In this book, she highlights 15 refugees she has encountered in her Minneapolis life. Each one is from a different country in a different part of the globe—Mideast, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe. Interestingly, there weren’t any from Central or South America. The collection also reflected a variety of perspectives because some arrived as children while others made their way as young adults or parents and extended families. The narrators focus on the conflict in their native country leading to their unique path to reach Minneapolis, in some cases arduous, multi-year journeys. They also share how they fit into the Minneapolis community. The humanity represented in each story is powerful. All of the refugees encountered unimaginable challenges which sometimes made for a difficult read, but it was satisfying to see how they persevered and succeeded. These were, of course, the “lucky” ones, and it was hard not to think of those who didn’t have the same outcome. It also led me to want to know more about how the refugee process works, which was touched on in the end notes. One of several interesting statistics from the book’s notes is that while not usually considered a particularly diverse state, Minnesota ranks 13th for refugee resettlement.
