For some while now I have been looking for an extra bookcase. In my daydreams, I saw a practical storage unit which had plenty of room for books on the bottom, and craft things/material neatly put in the shallower top shelves. In my crafting magazines, dedicated crafters all had one - though usually the sort you bought as a flat-pack and built in situ.
I went to auction yesterday, ostensibly to bid on two other lots, but I had spotted, in the dim recesses of the sale room, JUST the bookcase I wanted. It was solid mahogany, and had an auction estimate within our means. Anyway, off I went to auction, but didn't get the earlier lots I was interested in. Only one other blardy bidder at the end too, and he had more moolah than me. But I did leave a sensible bid on the bookcase. And I got it. BUT then I discovered that they didn't deliver, and since the bookcase was about 6 feet square, there was no way I was going to fit it in the back of the car. . . My husband was Not Amused, as you can imagine. I tried to have a conversation with a neighbour to see if he could help me out, but his mobile was in a poor reception area, and I was left not knowing whether he could fetch it or not. Out of desperation, I tried a Man and a Van link on the internet, and had quotes from £29 to £50 to fetch it the 10 miles . . . Anyway, the neighbour turned up after all and fetched it today, and I am delighted. HE thought I was barking mad, (he would buy new from a shop) but hey-ho, horses for courses!
It will have to live in the hall for the moment, as it's too heavy to take upstairs and my sewing room has a sort of hobbit-hole entrance (only square) which allows nothing bigger than a carefully-managed bed through. I hate to tell my husband that perhaps he could bring all my craft books DOWNSTAIRS again now . . . In the pic, the books are only there temporarily, being ones my OH sorted out today to rehome, and the few bits of material were to show him what I meant about storing material in the top bits . . .
Meanwhile, it has been raining all afternoon. As I came back from dropping our son at the bus stop, I saw quite a few fields had been cut for haylage and just needed a few more hours to get it baled in perfect condition. However, the rain came in early. One farmer was desperately baling as his tractor driver went a row ahead of him fluffing up the windrows with the tedder. It was a smallish field, so I hope they got it all baled in time. It isn't often you see small bales being made these days, but here in Wales some of the fields are pretty small and the old die-hards stick with tradition.
Our boy-cats have returned from their nights-out on the tiles. Little Whale returned absolutely sopping at tea-time and then went and laid on the sofa to dry out. I have just heard growls and yowls in the top hall as he and his brother Alfie (aka Wild Thing) play-fight. Well, perhaps not so much play at times as it soon descends into a free-for-all. Then they calm down, and one will lick the other, until all of a sudden one has the other by the throat and it's no holds barred again! They do make me laugh.
what a bit of luck!
ReplyDeleteSo much nicer than buying new and always good to get a bargain. Looking forward to seeing it!
ReplyDeleteNobody has cut or baled anything here yet but a lot do a mixture of bales sizes because of all the wealthy horse owners around here who want the small ones.
Hope your lungs are functioning well today...x
Kath - I think it had my name on it!
ReplyDeleteEm - Weeeeeeeeeeeeeell, I overdid it with being out in the pollen this morning, so my breathing isn't as free as it has been, but having said that, the anti-histamines I'm on now are brilliant. (Loperimide I think it is). I do like my auction bargains : ) I expect your hay is well behind too - it wasn't much of a cut, looking at a neighbour's fields . . .
Great solid bookcase-love it and the bargain you were able to get. Will you bake the neighbor a dessert for his carrying it home? My curiosity drives me to ask how other places in the world repay that kind of community spirit and generosity.
ReplyDeleteHere in northern California baked goods, a grocery gift certificate or petrol gift card are common. My neighbor brought me a lovely bag of groceries and a pretty sarong after I put her pup away one morning when he snuck out while she loaded the car unaware of his subterfuge. We have repaid with home-cooked dinner invites or dropped off same in non-returnable containers. Mowing the yard of the older gent next door often gets us a check from his grateful daughter in Seattle.
Hi Lynda - we paid in hard cash! With petrol prices so high over here, we just asked him what we owed him. For other favours, I usually bake a cake or some biscuits, and always take something baked when we are asked to coffee with friends. It sounds like you have such good neighbours (and indeed, are one yourself!)
ReplyDeleteI thought the bookcase was solid mahogany, but my husband (on lifting it!) reckons pine carcase with mahogany veneer and edging. Even so - good and solid!
Sometimes one just has to have something - and husbands usually come round in the end don't they - particularly if you move your books off their shelf to give them more room.
ReplyDeleteThat's it Pat - I think he can see the sense in it now, and we have just had a discussion about what to do with the big elm grain bin which has been my container for wool and material stashes for many a long year now. He is going to turn it into an elm coffer, and my new bookcase will take its position in the Junk Room, which is about to have a radical overhaul (again!)
ReplyDeleteGood buy that bookshelf, catching up with your news, hope the infection subsides soon, pollen count is up even I am sneezing, especially round cotton grass, is that what it is called?
ReplyDeleteIt's a gorgeous bookcase, I can see why you liked it.
ReplyDeleteIt looks a good solid piece of furniture. Well done I#m sure when it is in situ full of your stuff the hubby will come round. Case of breaking them in gently. :)
ReplyDeleteA well bid upon find! There's no sub for stout wood shelving....
ReplyDeleteHope you have it located and in use (with minimal whining from the hubs :-) soon!
Hugs
Issy