$5.50 (by Kat)

What can be bought for $5.50 these days?

From the photo above, I suppose the best answer would be new socks for my husband.

The answer you get, however, is a bag full of books! Our local library has an auxiliary group called, oddly enough, "Friends of the Library." The group raises money, mostly through used book sales, which helps support the purchase of new books for the library as well as programs offered to the public through the library.

Yesterday they had a HUGE blowout sale. Table after table after table of books, all for $1.00 a piece.

Mathematically minded folks are now wondering how my total came to $5.50, then, right? Well, one of my favorite finds at the sale was a little magazine they gave me for 50 cents.

Years ago, an extremely introverted and shy friend of ours wrote a wonderful short story that was published in the local university's English department yearly publication. He was subsequently asked to read the story aloud at a downtown establishment.

Now, my husband and this guy were roommates for a few years. My husband heard maybe two or three incomplete sentences from our friend per week. Sure, he'd smile, grunt, maybe even laugh a little during a conversation among friends, but that was about it.

So of course we went to hear his reading, and it's a night I'll never forget. Not only did he read the story, he did the voices as well. Holy Cow!!! He performed it so well, he received a standing ovation. I really wanted him to read it again. I wanted to hear him over and over again.

Once off the stage, he was back to himself. Very quiet, smiling, a happy presence to be around.

Somewhere in the shuffle of life, we've lost touch. I think he's somewhere in Oregon.

Well, when I found the publication tucked amongst some books at the book sale yesterday, I was floored! It was the edition with his story. I read through it quickly, and heard it in his loud, strong voice. The voice he used on a stage, with a mic, in front of a room full of people.

They charged me 50 cents for it, but it's value was exceedingly more.

In case you're wondering, I also picked up "All the Pretty Horses," a book Bet has recommended to me in the past, but is never available at the library; "The God of Small Things," recommended by a fellow shopper; "Hurry Sundown," volumes one and two, recommended by a friend I ran into at the sale; and "Better Homes and Gardens Garden Book," 1951 edition.

So, for $5.50, I bought a memory, some good reads, and a fun garden book to boot.

Next trip downtown I'll get my man some new socks...