All In One Place

Today Mom and I went to an auction, which of course means that I now make most lobsters look a pale shade of pink. Somehow I always end up sitting directly facing the sun, and I always forget my sunscreen. Even if I don't buy a thing at an auction, I always come home with a souvenir: sunburn. This time Mom and I had a blast. We used our eBay money and bought waaaay too much stuff. I called Jesse an hour into the auction (he was kind enough to stay home with Mia) and asked him to bring the van. Two hours later I called him again and told him to take out the backseat before he came. It's a good thing the auction ended when it did, because I don't know how we would have gotten everything home otherwise. It was a frustrating day, because the auctioneer wanted to get through everything as quickly as possible, so he through lots of boxes together for one price. When buying a wooden rocker for Mia, I also ended up with several gaudy framed pictures, a footstool past its prime, and two baskets with very tall handles. Much of the day was spent going to someone who won an auction and asking them if you could purchase from them one item from the lot. We bought and sold that way all day. My prize of the day is the mixing bowl in the picture above. I fell in love with it at first sight, and truth be told probably paid a little more for it than I should have. I got a similarly sized turquoise bowl with a basket pattern, and that is currently gracing the center of my kitchen table. Mom and I also picked up several white ironstone pitchers. Mom's had a collection for years, and she won't share, so I've been slowly accumulating my own. This was my take from today. We got too many things to count (and even more to get rid of or try to sell ourselves), and we had fun. I hope that when Molly grows up, we can have the kind of fun together that my mom and I do.

All In One Place by Carolyne Aarsen is the sequel to last year's The Only Best Place. This book features Terra Froese, the sister of Leslie VanderKeere. Terra is on the run from an abusive boyfriend and turns to the only family she has: Leslie. Unfortunately, she meets Amelia who takes her to a bar and soon Leslie is paying Terra's bail and picking her up from jail. Not a fortuitous reunion. Terra takes a job at the local diner to pay Leslie back and soon finds herself falling for police deputy named Jack. Terra's fear of trust and rebellious ways mean she's in for trouble. I loved The Only Best Place, and I was not disappointed in its sequel. Terra is a wry character always ready with her cynical wit to defuse a situation. Aarsen does an amazing job of writing Terra from a completely different point of view from Leslie. Leslie was easy for me to relate to as a wife and mother trying to make it through each day in unexpected circumstances. Terra is very different, and yet Aarsen is able to make her come alive. Terra's vulnerability cracks through on rare occasions, and when it does, it shines. St. Francis of Assisi said to preach the Gospel always, and if necessary use words. Terra sees the Gospel working through the various denizens of town, and while it frightens her, it also pulls her toward the Lord. The ending with Eric seemed a bit cliched to me, but Terra's will to fight put a different spin on a scene that has been written in many books before. The resolution was never truly in doubt to anyone except Terra. This is a wonderful read.

Tomorrow it's supposed to be up to 95. I'm very grateful for my air-conditioned home. We're going to the same church we visited last week. Then we'll come back home and hide in the cool house. I hope you stay cool tomorrow!