Malissa Chapin's Blog

I dreamed of finding a vintage library card catalog for years. They are not cheap so I added it to my “someday” list.

Late one night—-when I should have been zonked out—I saw a listing on Facebook Marketplace. The listing said her stepmother was moving into memory care and the family would only be available for three days.

I sent a message, but she said there was a lot of interest.

I panicked and sent another message. “I can come first thing in the morning. I can pay right now!”

The price was very fair, and I worried someone would offer her more money and I’d lose out.
She replied she was reconsidering and felt she should sell the drawers for a higher price.
Oh well, I guess these are not for me.
She sent another message. “Okay, you can pick it up in the morning. I sold a Steinway today and am exhausted.”

A Steinway!! My dream piano.
I told her I wrote a book about a Steinway-playing piano teacher.
“Yes,” she said. “I peeked at your profile. Nancy would have loved you.”

When we arrived to pick up the library card drawers, she asked if I’d like to look through Nancy’s sheet music since I’m a pianist.

“Take what you want. Also, I see you watercolor paint? She gave us a set of watercolor paint and brushes.
She smiled. “Nancy would have been so pleased her things went to the right person.”

Nancy had worked at the library at Harvard for many years and snagged these drawers when they removed the card catalog.

I’m so happy I have Nancy’s drawers.

I shared this photo of my house and a friend asked what I keep in the library card drawers, and I thought perhaps you’d like to peek inside my card catalog.

Room in my houseVintage catalog cards of Wisconsin authorsBookmarks for my novels—if you’d like some, contact me with your mailing address and I’ll pop some in the mailBookmarks for personal usePencils for homeschoolNotes and cards from friends and loved ones

What about you? Do you have a vintage card catalog? Do you dream of finding affordable library card drawers?

 

 

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September is National Honey Month, and I wondered what books I could find to read about bees or honey.

Here’s what I dug up while searching. Take a peek at these lovely books.

Meant To Bee Storm Shultz

He Should Have Told The Bees Amanda Cox

The Enlightenment of Bees Rachel Linden

The Bird and the Bees Neena Gaynor

How to Charm a Beekeeper’s Heart Candice Sue Patterson

Keeper of the Bees Gene Stratton Porter

The Bee Tree Patricia Polacco

Honeybee : The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann

UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings Douglas Florian

The Honey Makers Gail Gibbons

H is for Honey Bee A Beekeeping Alphabet Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen

The Life and Times of the Honeybee Charles Micucci

Winter of the Bees Angela R Watts a middle grade book

The Bee Man of Orn Frank R Stockton illustrated by Maurice Sendak 

I couldn’t find the illustrated version online, but perhaps you’ll have better luck.

 

My favorite cough recipe using honey. This stuff works!

Honey recipes from Taste of Home

Your turn! Do you have any favorite books about bees or honey? What about recipes? I’d love to hear–leave a comment, pretty please.

 

**Some links are affiliate links**

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When I was a young child, our family lived in a tiny town in Iowa. My dad pastored the local Baptist church and my mom helped part time at the library.

I learned to read at an early age and spent my childhood immersed in books. My mom had to make a new rule. “When I tell you to come here, you put the book down.” Before that, I’d walk through the house without taking my eyes from my book. I had to find out what Laura was doing, or see if Nancy would solve the mystery. How would Trixie Belden get out of her scrapes if I didn’t keep reading?

When mom told me about the summer reading contest, my heart raced. What would the prize be? A gift certificate for a treat? A new book? A fun toy?

Nope—it was a Superman towel. To be completely honest, 7 (or 8) year old Malissa was not interested in a Superman towel—not even a teensy tiny little bit. Oh well, I’d still read, but I no longer cared about winning the contest.

That is until Walter told me he was going to win the contest. Oh really, Walter? I don’t think so!

I read like crazy because each book finished earned one entry in the giveaway. My smug smile spread across my face as I wrote my name on slips of paper, dropping them into the jar. I kept a running tally in my head in case I ran into Walter.

“How many books have you read, Walter?”

He’d grin and tell me the number of entries he earned that week. Sometimes, I was ahead and other times, he’d earned more slips of paper in the jar than me. On those weeks, I’d race through my books, reading as fast as my eyes could focus.

Several weeks later, a knock at the door interrupted my reading.

“Malissa, someone here to see you,” Mom called from the door. I dropped my book and hurried to the door to find the librarian.

She handed me the Superman beach towel with a smile. “You’re the winner in the reading contest.”

I clutched the towel to my heart and beamed. I won the Superman beach towel and Walter did not.

Oh, poor Walter. I wish I could remember his last name and look him up. I hope he got over the agony of defeat!

I kept the towel tucked away in a trunk with all my childhood treasures until a few summers ago. My little boy saw it when I was cleaning and asked if he could use it. It seemed silly to hold on to it any longer, so I handed it over. He used it all summer and wore it out until the threads no longer resembled my hard won beach towel and we tossed the pieces in the garbage.

I’m not sure I’ve won a contest since that excited me as much as this one did when I was a little girl in Iowa.

Sorry, Walter!

 

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Find my books, eBooks, audiobooks, my art, and literary gifts and accessories.

Check it out here. Shop Malissa Chapin

Malissa Chapin’s direct shop   

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I’m so excited to share that my first audiobook is available! It’s available on my site–you can hear a sample here. 

It’s also available most place audiobooks are sold. If you listen to the sample, please let me know what you think.

Working with a narrator for my audiobook was a great learning experience. Thank you to Barbara Henslee for doing a wonderful job with my book baby.

The post The Road Home Audiobook is Available appeared first on Malissa Chapin, Author.

I enjoyed chatting about books and my books on Chautona Havig’s Because Fiction podcast. 

 

Take a listen and let me know what you enjoyed.

The post Because Fiction Podcast Guest–Yours Truly! appeared first on Malissa Chapin, Author.

 

I love all of my book covers. Don’t they look lovely on a collage?

 

(Ok, I just needed a url for this image.)

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(thank you to Part Time Pickers for allowing me use of the photo)

I come from a family of story-tellers and memory keepers. We are blessed to have documents, photos, and stories from both sides of the family.

One of our legendary stories involves my grandma, my mom, and a perfume machine. I had never seen one before Part Time Pickers posted the above photo the other day.

This machine has had the labels and prices changes, but the pink machine is obviously from the 1950s.

Sometime at the end of the 1950s or early 1960s, my grandpa planned a summer vacation. My grandma became ill sometime before they left, but grandpa thought they should go ahead and leave.
They packed into the car and set off on a sizzling hot day in New Mexico. Grandma laid down on the back seat and groaned. Her misery filled the car and the heat added to the stifling atmosphere.
(My mom and grandma a few years before this story.)

Grandpa stopped at a service station and my young mom dragged her mother into the bathroom to freshen up. Mom said they used the facilities and then washed up. Grandma splashed cold water on her face and arms trying to find relief from her misery.

When she turned from the sink, she spied the perfume machine on the wall. “Dig a nickel out of my purse. Maybe some perfume will make me feel better.”

Mom dug through the purse and pulled out a nickel. Grandma put the nickel in the machine and made her choice. (My sister and I just realized we don’t know what kind of perfume grandma chose and our mom has passed away. Hint–ask the questions and write down the details! You’ll wish you had–trust me.)

Grandma pushed the lever. No perfume.
She twisted the lever. No perfume.
She tapped the machine. No perfume.
She shook the machine. No perfume.
She repeated everything. No perfume.

Wondering if anything had jammed the machine, grandma leaned down to look and the machine immediately sprayed her in the face.

Grandma and my mom burst into hysterical laughter and grandma spit perfume while trying to catch her breath.

Meanwhile, grandpa had sent his terribly ill wife into the bathroom and now heard screaming. He began beating on the door yelling, “What’s wrong?!”

Mom said they couldn’t stop laughing long enough to open the door and let him know what happened.

When they calmed down and climbed back in the car, Grandma spit perfume all across New Mexico.

Our sweet grandma was the girl that if anything crazy was going to happen, it was going to happen to her. We have other grandma stories, but the perfume machine is legendary.

Thanks, Part Time Pickers for sharing this great picture. I enjoyed having something to picture now when I think of my grandma and mom screaming and spitting perfume in a hot bathroom somewhere in the southwest on a stifling hot summer day.

Had you ever seen one of these?
Does your family have any legendary tales?

The post Family Stories, Fond Memories, and Vintage Perfume Machines appeared first on Malissa Chapin, Author.

Malissa Chapin Author free printable bookmarks

Enjoy four watercolor bookmarks I painted for you. Download and print as many times as you like, please leave my website on them.

Thank you for being part of my writing journey.

The post Free Printable Watercolor Bookmarks Specially Painted by Malissa Chapin, Author appeared first on Malissa Chapin, Author.

Here it is! I took the top 12 categories my book lovers group voted for and arranged them into this challenge

I’ll offer quarterly giveaways-something small and fun.

I’ll do a monthly check-in and you can share what book you chose and your thoughts about what you read

To be eligible for the prize drawing, you’ll need to have posted on each monthly thread in Malissa’s Merry Band of Book Lovers on Facebook.  You can post on the threads with the books you read by the end of the quarter.
For the end of the year giveaway, you’ll have had to post on each monthly thread before the giveaway closure in Jan 2025.

No stress—this is just for fun. You’re welcome to read in any order you choose, but only check in on the correct thread.

For example, if you read the December category in January that’s fine. But don’t check in until I post the thread for that category. Make sense?

To count the book toward the challenge, it has to be read in 2024 (or December 2023 if you’d like to start early).
Have fun! And don’t forget to join my group if you’d like to enter to win prizes.

The post Malissa Chapin’s 2024 Reading Challenge–Info, Giveaways, & Guidelines appeared first on Malissa Chapin, Author.