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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Pawn Shop Finds

As many of you know, I work at a Pawn/Antique shop, and in addition to the wicked cool stuff we get in that will go up for sale, sometimes we get stuff that won't. Among these are some papers I found in an old Funk and Wagnalls dictionary:

I wonder who she means by Pat or Rick?

I looked up the Edith Doll, which was popular in the late 50's.






This is a resume from 1958 from a man who was 33 years old, graduated from MIT (class of '46 with a degree in Electrical Engineering), and had a wife and three kids. I wonder if he got the job. Maybe the dear Santa letters were written by his daughters...



This last was among a bunch of books that had never gotten priced and it caught my eye

How cool is that?

I started reading and decided I had to have it, and oh boy is it interesting. After a brief introduction to the time and place - Northern France, 1220 - the reader is introduced to the castle, and its defensibility. One of my favorite passages is this:

"Even if the foe should cross the moat, shatter the portcullis, and split open the heavy doors, he would merely be at the beginning of terrible hours of ax- and sword-play. He would be in a narrow and low vaulted passage, with many loopholes on either side for archers, and also with slits in the ceiling for pouring down boiling oil, seething pitch, molten lead, and other pleasantries; and if he rushed past all these forms of death into the courts, there, behind him, capable still of very stout defense, would rise the two strong gate towers, rendering every attempt to reinforce the original attacking party a dice-throwing with death...

Good times.

Anyway, fascinating book, describing in detail what people ate, what they wore, how they celebrated, and what life was like in a place like this at that time. My mind is whirring away...how can I use this?

Happy Hump Day and I'll be back on Friday with a review of The Star-Touched Queen for the Cephalopod Coffee House.

22 comments:

  1. And we think trying to get through Christmas shopping is tough...

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  2. That book... I would totally flip over it. WHAT a treasure!

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    1. I am flipping over it! And oh yeah, definitely a treasure.

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  3. Wow! That book! Next WIP set in a medieval barony perhaps? ;)

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    1. Perhaps...my little brain is thinking and wondering and imagining...for example, while reading about how hard it was to get inside a castle, I imagined someone inside telling someone outside, how they might be able to breach the castle, what would be waiting for them and how they might survive it and get in...oh yeah, lots of ideas :)

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  4. Oooh that book sounds interesting and to read something written so long ago would attract my attention too. One of the perks of your job!

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    1. It's VERY interesting. I'm half way through...

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  5. The possibilities are endless.

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    1. Indeed! *she says rubbing her hands together*

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  6. I would love this book. And devour it. I suspect your job would give me a lot of difficulties with my plans to declutter.

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    1. Oh, yes it would indeed. I have to restrain myself.

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  7. I bet this is just a few of the fun things you find at your job. Fun seeing what you dug up.

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    1. It's pretty much endless, Which is why I like my job so much.

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  8. Such interesting glimpses into other lives.

    Glad you're joining us on Friday!

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    1. That's what I thought, too. I think that's why I like history.

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  9. Now I know more about defending my castle. Thanks!

    Love,
    Janie

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  10. I've always been fascinated by castles, knights, medieval times, etc! Don't know that I would have wanted to live in those times, though.

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    1. Definitely not. The lack of central heating would do me in.

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