She Sewed a Book

When I recently moved I donated about 90% of my books. It was difficult, I love books. I would have hundreds if I could. I miss seeing them, touching them but this has enticed me back to the Library. Guess what is in there? Books, hundreds of books and I do not need to store them they are cleverly kept on shelves just for me. I enter and to me it is like walking into a sacred place, the Sistine Chapel, or The Art Institute of Chicago or Warwick Castle. 

It is filled with memories, information, history, and carefully woven tales. The Library contains secrets that beg to be discovered. It was one of my favorite places to go as a child. I knew that there inside I would encounter knowledge and that knowledge would give me power, ideas, dreams, and offer an escape.

Over the years I have developed this ritual. I wonder until I feel compelled to stop. I touch the shelves directly in front of me, stopping at one and then I pick up each book reading the jacket to see if I am enticed to explore further. Yesterday I walked right up to a shelf and there winking at me from a top shelf was a large thick book by my favorite author. I came home and read for hours.

The books I kept were several devotional books. A few cook books (I love to read cook books), Pirate books (they are actually part of my decor, Vampire books (those are decor for my kitchen, you would have to see it) and a few old books that belonged to my grandfather’s mother. One of which is signed with a very mysterious message.

While wistfully flipping through a cookbook 

that belonged to my grandmother a hand written recipe fell out. I stared at it for several moments when the thought occurred that her candy recipes may be secreted inside. The book was well worn and stained not just from age but also from use.  My Grandmother made the most delicious peanut butter candy, caramel candy and chocolate candy. Not fudge candy. Smooth, creamy candy like a Hershey bar.

My grandmother did not have a stapler as I discovered. Recipes were hand written 

onto pages that were designed for that at the end of each chapter and when there was no room she wrote them around the outside edges of another page. There are recipes pinned to pages with straight pins,

 there are recipes that are attached with safety pins

 and there are even a few that are sewn to pages. 

Yes, she actually took thread and needle and sewed recipes to pages. 

I went through the book carefully looking at each recipe she had added and even the ones written on the pages of Sweets. No candy recipe did I find. The experience left me feeling bereft, sad and oddly alone. But as I put the book back on the shelf and saw my hands on the cover I remembered my Grandmother’s hands had touched this book many many times while she planned and created meals for her family.

It was a lovely adventure I took because of that book.

Muffins and my current book adventure now await me.

Enjoy your Breakfast.