Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 1/7 - Pithoi
I’m reading a novel set in ancient Greece. Among the spoils gained by the heroic Theseus from Minos were items with which I was completely unfamiliar: Pithoi - a large ceramic container for oil or grain; and Faience - glazed ceramic ware, often glazed with tin. I doubt I’ll ever use either word. Sign of the times - I looked them up online instead of in the dictionary.
Speaker of the House John Boehner was recently vilified, even by members of his own party, for not allowing a vote on a bill for Hurricane Sandy relief. The bill is stuffed with 17 billion in pork, including millions for Alaskan fisheries and community organizations coast to coast. Anyone who voted for this travesty should be voted out of office, but it won't happen. To most of the electorate, it's the representatives of other areas who are the problem. Politics is maddening.
I drove my eldest niece, Isabella, to the airport. She is bound for Italy to meet her new grandson, Gabriel, born to her eldest, Tanya, her second son. Isabella now has five grandkids, four boys, one girl. I’m a great-great uncle several times over! I can still picture Isabella coming home from her first day at St. Mary’s elementary school, skipping happily. “I love it,” she said, which boggled the mind of someone who hated school as much as I. I’d bet she has the highest IQ of anyone in our family. There’s only six years difference in our ages. My four nieces were more like sisters to me. None of them calls me uncle.
Since the weather was so pleasant, I decided to keep the floating book shop open past two, when a woman who barely speaks English usually passes, walking her dog. Earlier, the lovely Russian hand-holding couple had donated five hardcovers in mint condition. As I expected, the woman bought four of them. Spasibo, madam, and to the other folks who made purchases. I also was visited by three local writers: Alexander E(excellence) Poet; Steve, the poet laureate of Sheepshead Bay, who is sporting a Walt Whitman-type beard; and novelist Jon Krulla. Always a pleasure, guys.
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