Each day is a stepping stone into future days on the upward path. Enrich each day with gratitude and a time of quiet. – Lillian Marshall
Gosh, you won’t believe this! Yesterday I braved the traffic by taking a commute to visit the book sale at Books for Less in Pasig City. It is right in front of La Consolacion College where my two kids spent their high school so the place is quite familiar. This is the first time that I visited BFL and I was like, “Oh, Oh, I don’t know what books to buy”.
There were so many volumes on so many subjects that I was in a quandary which to choose. Some look practically new with the dust jackets still intact but of course, BFL sells secondhand books. I don’t mind buying secondhand books, I’ve done it for years at Booksale. I only get to buy new ones on the works of authors I am collecting and those lovely editions that one can’t help having on one’s shelf. Sometimes, I just close my eyes and don’t look at the price 🙂 This time though, I enjoyed an hour looking for well-known authors that I like, discovering some fiction books that look interesting. I was able to buy twelve books in all, including a small volume entitled Stepping Stones (meditations in a garden) with lovely flower illustrations on each page. I just love it. I also found another collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors, Rosamunde Pilcher. It was such a joy to see two more volumes of L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, classic stories that never grow old with time. I hope I will be able to find the missing three more volumes to complete my collection. There was also a memoir and a children’s book for Nate (which looks new) and the rest are fiction books of authors that I haven’t read yet. Josef told me yesterday to go back there and we would bring the car so I don’t have to commute but he has to buy a replacement for our submersible pump for our small pond. I am comforted by the thought that the sale would end on August 31 so I still have plenty of time to buy books. Did I tell you that I only spent P120 pesos for those twelve books? Each one costs P10 pesos, easier on the pocket, I must say. My book shelves are close to bursting.
Today is the Feast Day of St. Dominic. Happy Feast Day to all of my Dominican friends. Fr. Lovell, O.P. (my adopted son) texted and said that he is praying for and offering his masses for the family. I told him it is a noble gift to be prayed for always. What a blessing! I am sad though to learn that the former Rector of UST, Rev. Leonardo Z. Legaspi, O.P. passed on this morning . He was the first Filipino UST Rector. He was a part of my high school and college life in the 70’s. He died on the feast day of St. Dominic and on his episcopate ordination anniversary, two special events that would make it easy for his friends and family to remember. He would always say “Good morning” every time he meets students at the UST campus. Requiescat in pace. I’ll remember you in prayers.
I don’t know how much 10 pesos is in English currency, but I presume it was a bargain. Always nice to have lots of books, as long as you have somewhere to store the.- unlike me- ! Best wishes, Pete.
(I have just done a conversion, and 10 pesos comes out to less than half of one pence. Surely that cannot be right?)
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The latest currency rate is 74.265 pesos for a British pound. It’s really a bargain. We have built-in book cabinets but they’re about almost full now. This loot would tide me over maybe until the end of the year or early part of next year because I still have e-books to read.
Thanks Pete!
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what a bargain, Arlene! i can imagine you going back to BFL for more finds:)
i do get books regurlarly for our little big guy. there’s a barnes & nobles about a mile from where we live and i spend an hour or two, easy, leafing through books of interest. happy feast day!
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Thanks lolaWi. How lucky you are that you are close to Barnes and Nobles. My brother told me once that if I were there, I’ll probably spend the whole day browsing and I’d be happy. Too true 🙂
A close friend brought home a dozen brand new books for me two years ago when she came back for a short vacation, I have two Mary Oliver books now, a lovely book by Helen Steiner Rice, a cute volume of the famous Breakfast at Tifanny’s, a lovely edition of Oscar Wilde’s writing and of course more books by Richard Paul Evans. Evans is on my mailing list for more than ten years now.
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Wow!!! 🙂 I love Anne of Green Gables so instead of looking for each piece in bookstores, I ordered the whole from Fully Booked. Hehe.
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*whole set
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That’s nice Cielo, I envy you. Sometimes though it is a delight to discover them when you are not looking. Such priceless find 🙂
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