Our Brownville Shop: Brownville Blog
After many years of enjoying Brownville, Nebraska for its scenery and relaxing pace, we decided to join the community. We opened A Novel Idea Bookstore, Chapter Two in late November of 2006. Shop hours are Thursday - Sunday, 11am - 4pm, April - December. (We hibernate over the winter!)

Brownville has a summer theater, concert hall, winery, riverboat tours, historic buildings, museums, several art galleries and an elegant little restaurant that serves fresh, delicious food. It also has a growing number of bookstores--  three open shops so far, plus The Antiquarium, which has moved to Brownville from Omaha.

We are right on the Missouri River and there are great walking trails through town. We are also a mere 15 minutes away from Indian Cave State Park. The population of Brownville is 148. There are no stoplights. There are very few worries.

From Lincoln, you can be here in an hour and twenty minutes. Pour coffee into your travel mug, turn on NPR, and head toward the river. You can have lunch when you get here. A nice day exploring small shops, browsing bookstores, strolling around town and relaxing on the deck of the winery awaits you. You can find out more about Brownville by visiting their website.
 

Cinnamon's Brownville Blog                       Our Humble Beginnings

Cinnamon's Brownville Blog

8/27/10: I brought 10 boxes of books to Brownville this week in preparation for Brownville's Fall Flea Market at the end of September. They remain untouched - I had a dinner invitation from Jay & Nora Tallmon. Jay has some kind of computer-related job that took him to Kosovo a few weeks ago. Nora just returned from a 10-week trip to Greece, where she was working with archaeologists. They are gracious hosts and the meal of filet mignon & roasted vegetables was delicious. It was 10 o'clock by the time I returned to the apartment. The Flea Market books...well, they can wait.

Also, I had a chance to visit the new Mary's Emporium today! The shop is now located at 2nd & Atlantic (in Brownville). The new location has lots of space - Mary has done a beautiful job! Mary has a Master's degree in Education and she & I had a great talk about curriculum. I bought a necklace with a Mona Lisa pendant for my daughter, Isabel. Isabel loves art & I know she'll like it. Isabel also loves Mary. Mary was going to give me the necklace for free - but I managed to talk her up to $3.  (You're a sweetheart, Mary. Thank you!)

8/22/10: Welcome back, Bobcats! Peru State College (located just 10 miles from us in Peru, Nebraska) is known as the campus of 1,000 oaks. DeeAnn from our book shop & Kimberly from Porridge Papers represented Brownville at the PSC Community event last night and had a great time meeting the new students.

Bobcats - remember to show your student i.d. at A Novel Idea Bookstore - Chapter Two in Brownville for the 10% student discount. Come spend some time in Brownville on Fridays!

8/6/10: Last Thursday, Rachel from Porridge Papers (a great new shop up the street) and I closed for the day, grabbed a couple bottles of beer & made some dinner. We grilled squash and ate it with fresh tomatoes & basil. After that, we ventured down the trail behind the shops to the Brownville Village Theatre. Down the little hill, through the trees, over the wooden bridge that crosses the creek...and, voila! We saw "Playing Doctor", an entertaining farce that had us laughing pretty hard.

After BVT shows, they light the torches along the walks and serve lemonade & cookies on the lawn. All the actors come out, still dressed in their costumes, to chat with audience members. It's a great tradition!

7/24/10: Last night's Summer Street Party was lots of fun! We managed to get more wine after Thursday's mishap (see 7/22's entry) and served it with strawberries & cream puffs at Chapter Two. Sum Guise - a fun-loving band whose members serve the community by day as professors, engineers & business people - entertained the crowd. We sold lots of books, drank wine, enjoyed the music and had a great time all around!

7/22/10: Wow. So, here's what happened: We are having our Merchants of Brownville Street Party tomorrow. Knowing that I had a very busy week, I bought several bottles of wine a couple of days ago. (I was pleased with myself, planning ahead & all.) However, in my busy-ness, I forgot to take the wine out of my Ford Explorer, "Clifford-the-big-red-truck".

It was a VERY hot day today. I left the Lincoln store after a good day's work and, when I opened my car door, I was struck by an unmistakably boozy odor. In the heat, the wine bottles popped their corks and spilled all over Clifford. Wow! Well, I guess Clifford will need a cleaning - and I'll need to replenish my stock of party wine.

In the meanwhile, I'm driving very carefully. I'm just not sure the State Patrol would believe my story.

7/10/10: Here are a few more photos of the Freedom Celebration. Hats off to Bob Chitwood, who really gets in the spirit of the holiday. Also, many thanks to all the veterans who attended the ceremonies. We are grateful for your service to our country.

7/3/10: The Freedom Celebration is impressive - particularly the "Freedom Run" (5K, 10K & half-marathon). We have over 250 runners this year & they seem to be having a great time. Since I run only when chased, I'm somewhat amazed at this whole spectacle. However, being around this kind of energy is pretty neat.

7/1/10: Jon & I are bringing the kids to Brownville this weekend for the Freedom Celebration. We love the Dog Show (with kindly judges who extemporaneously offer prizes to dogs with the prettiest eyes, best personality, curliest tail, etc.) and the parade. This year, we have tickets to the afternoon performance of "Snoopy: The Musical" at the Brownville Village Theatre. Break a leg, BVT actors! We're looking forward to seeing you!

Flood note: the river is no longer over the road & the Saturday Freedom Run will use the scheduled route. However, the water is still very high, which means no fireworks on the banks this year. Darn. Oh, well. After a day of baseball, bike riding and little fireworks, the kids might just be sleepy enough to be content with homemade ice cream and a few books. (As a back-up, we also have "Schoolhouse Rocks: America Rocks" on DVD. Sing it with me! "We the People...in order to form a more perfect union...")

6/17/10: I had heard the river was high - but it's still a shock to see it covering the road. People have said they expect the water to crest on Tuesday...that the dykes/levees won't hold on the Missouri side and they're already evacuating people living in the bottoms. If it breaks on the Mo side, the floodwater on our side will drain. I hate to think of all the damage and loss on the other side.

Lots of people have emailed/messaged concern for our little bookshop. Thank you! Fortunately, we are situated on a hill out of danger. (Harold from Brownville Mills says if floodwaters get this high, we should all build an ark...)

As you might think, I was expecting a slow day in the shop. Boy, have I been suprised! It's one of our busiest days on record. Honeymooners, Ladies' Clubs, BVT Actors, Indian Cave Campers & Families...there are LOTS of people enjoying Brownville.

It's a little hard to make out, but in the third photo, the line-drawn boat from the Riverboat Museum sign appears to be floating on real water. Yikes.

6/16/10: I posted some photos from the opening of the new Railroading Museum below. (I wish now I would've taken more pictures of the exhibits - but I was captivated by all the happy people. This is such a nice town!) Kudos to all who worked hard to make this possible. It's a wonderful addition to Brownville. Bob Chitwood (photo 2) tells me that Fall Flea Market this year will have a "railroad memorabilia" swap meet component. That'll add a new dimension to the traditional Flea Market. Pencil in the last weekend of September for a jaunt to Brownville!

6/12/10: My daughter & I decided to have a Girls' Weekend in Brownville! We went to the opening of the Railroad Museum. They gave railroad caps, kerchiefs and lifesaver trains to the kids and we all sang "Workin' on the Railroad" & blew our "Browville Railroad Museum" whistles. I tried to photograph the shooting of the Civil War cannon - but the loud noise made me jump! (Photos will be up soon - probably not the screwy one taken during the BOOM, though...)

5/31/10: DeeAnn & I had a fun day yesterday! We had lots of people in and sold lots of good books - including a signed copy of Mari Sandoz's Old Jules, which went home with a happy lady who said it was the first book by a Nebraska author that she had read as a child. When the clock struck five and it was quittin' time, we packed up the books from outside and cracked open a bottle of wine. And then we sold more books to some nice folks who were wandering about. Good day.

5/30/10 (later): Jon says I went a little crazy with my camera - but there's a lot to see! I'm planning to visit Linda from Chuckwagon Ice Cream this afternoon. Who can resist homemade ice cream? For those who CAN resist homemade ice cream, there are smoked turkey legs!

5/30/10: Jon and I spent part of the morning trolling the Flea Market - and eating biscuits & gravy from one of the stands. I found some Nancy Drew books. Jon found a baseball bat. It was really fun! (Also, I was wrong on the site when I said there were 200 dealers. There are over 300 - it's gigantic this year!)

5/29/10: Christiopher James (& crew!) from Porridge Papers has been working like crazy this weekend on his shop at the other end of Outfitters' Row. I like to think of us as the bookends of the building! He has made HUGE progress so far & plans to open next week - stay tuned!

 5/27/10: I packed my little apartment refrigerator with spinach and lettuce (my garden), zucchini (grocery store) & all kinds of good eats to enjoy while here for the holiday weekend. Christopher & Kevin from Porridge Papers/Signature Bindery will be in town working on the build-out for their shops on the row. At some point, we'll all take a break to grill & have a big salad...and a few bottles of beer!

Spring Flea Market is this weekend - 200 dealers, tons of people. Even though it doesn't start until Saturday, people are already arriving and starting to set up their booths! Give me a call at (402) 825-3974 if you have any questions!

5/20/10: Today in Brownville feels dreamy. It was lightly raining when I arrived but I managed to get three boxes of books & two canvas bags of miscellaneous work into the shop. I made a cup of tea and lit the candle on my desk. It's a treat to have the candle - the cats at the Lincoln store are too active to be around open flames! Thursdays at this time of year are blissfully quiet and I use them to catch up on work that has been piling up. Andy was in for a biography of Thomas Jefferson. Harry purchased a nice book of lithographs by Marc Chagall - and later returned to surprise me with a cup of fresh coffee and several cookies. How sweet!

The big news: Signature Bindery (see Kevin Oliver in the last photo below) and Porridge Papers are both opening shops here on Outfitters' Row. AND the new Railroading Museum will open in mid-June! It's right behind our bookshop and I've been watching the progress. I'll keep you posted...

Spring Flea Market is next weekend. I'll spend part of tomorrow puttering around in here, deciding what books to bring when I come down next Thursday. That'll be fun. For now, a little more deskwork - and some coffee & cookies.

4/24/10: The Wine, Writers & Song Festival is in full swing! Thanks to the Omaha Healing Arts Slam Poetry Team for last night's program at The River Inn. It was a beautiful setting - and Marissa Gill's "Amazing Grace" poem never fails to knock me out. (She sings as part of her performance, which always puts goosebumps on my arms and tears in my eyes.)

This morning, we had programs by Paul Johnsgard & Jeff Barnes - and a great Children's Program with music by Mike Mennard, storytelling by Linda Garcia & a reading by N.L. Sharp. I'm looking forward to the "Pairing Food & Wine" program at the winery this afternoon.

3/29/10: Spring is here & we're getting ready to re-open our little shop for the season. Time for Spring Cleaning and opening the windows to fresh air. We'll open on Thursday, April 15th!

12/15/09: We have closed for the 2009 season and begin our usual Winter hibernation. We'll re-open in the Spring, refreshed and ready for another season of festivals, music, theater, wine & books. DeeAnn will continue to care for the sleeping shop regularly, keeping it clear of cobwebs. Many thanks to all of our Brownville friends - and our patrons from far and wide. We will miss you during the cold months and look forward to warmth again in April!

12/5 & 12/6: We have the cider on and the shop smells great. All our books are 10% off this weekend while we're celebrating the season with our Holiday Open House!

11/30/09: Our little shop is decorated for the holidays. I was decking the halls until the wee hours. (I always forget how long it takes. I love coffee...) Anyway, it looks wonderful - so cozy & warm. Come down to see us before we close for the '09 season. We'll be open Thurs-Sun this week & Sat-Sun next week. Brownville's Main Street is beautifully lit for your visit!

11/20/09: Plans for the Wine, Writers & Song Festival are coming along. Nora Tallmon & I visited some of the venues - the Brownville Village Theatre Actors' Residence, where the Weekend Writers' Workshop will be held and The River Inn Floating B & B, where the opening dinner & Poetry program will kick off the festival. The River Inn's 2nd level can seat 130 for dinner.  It was completed last year after the festival and will be a nice addition to the festival this year. Nora & I are working on the festival web site for 2010, but if you'd like to see some photos from last year, just follow this link: Wine, Writers & Song Festival

11/19/09: It feels so good to be back in Brownville. Mist & fog have settled in the river valley, which makes everything feel dreamy. I'm here to unpack books, decorate for the holidays - and do some prep work for the Wine, Writers & Song Festival, which will happen in April. Being here is such a deep breath. The stained glass lamps are on. I take my things to the oak desk. I unpack boxes and pile books on the rug in the fiction section. It just doesn't seem like there's any such thing as time.

10/10/09: It's the Old Time Autumn Festival. The blacksmith has a dog-powered wheel that makes the bellows work...not a bad idea. We had poet Amil Quayle and his publisher, Sarah Fairchild, at Chapter Two this afternoon. Amil signed copies of his most recent book, Grand Canyon & Other Selected Poems and we all chatted about some of our favorite books. It was a grand time. (If you haven't read Grand Canyon, do. I really enjoyed it...and it's a great gift for a fan of the PBS National Parks series.)

Right now, we have the pleasure of listening to Rick Otto, who wandered in with his guitar. He has been playing some great Hoagy Carmichael. What a treat! Traveling minstrels are always welcome in Brownville! (I love this guy! I love this town!)

9/26/09: Flea Market Weekend! Peggy & I have been wandering in and out of the booths, munching on cinnamon almonds. Peggy has her eye on a quilt...

8/14/09: DeeAnn Davis has returned from her European journey & has re-joined the Brownville staff! You'll find her at the desk of Chapter Two on Saturdays & Sundays. We're glad to have her back.

 Also, we now have "Husker Read" T-shirts for sale in Brownville. (Brownville is the perfect getaway if Game Day Lincoln makes you nuts...) Check out our Home page and see how the T-shirt looks on Matt, one of our Lincoln staffers.

Thanks to Nora Tallmon, who is helping with the Brownville Village Theatre annual fundraiser this year. We're donating a "Nebraska basket" with a couple of the new T-shirts, a copy of Dueling Chefs: A Vegetarian & a Meat Lover Debate the Plate published by U of NE Press (authors Maggie & Sean have appeared in Brownville a couple of times and plan to come back for the Wine, Writers & Song Festival in April), a copy of Joel Sartore's Under a Big Red Sky (great photography) and a couple of gift certificates.

7/18/09: Last night was the Outfitters' Row Summer Street Party. What a blast! Sum Guise entertained us with music (they get bigger & better every year) and the shops were all open for business...and offering wine & treats. Harry Andersen of Gallery 119 served homemade meatballs that melted in our mouths. We had chocolate eclairs and fresh strawberries at the bookstore. The other galleries & shops all had something delectable. It's hard to go wrong with great food and music...a good time was had by all.

(Special thanks to Sara Bucy of Handmade Modern, who let my kids borrow her dog, Moose!)

7/4/09: Jon and I took the kids on the riverboat ride this afternoon, which we all enjoyed. (Jon & I liked the view...the kids liked the paddlewheel and the $.25 popsicles!) Later that evening, we relaxed in the apartment and I went to the Ice Cream Stand on Main Street. I happened to see Jodi and Charlie Anderson, who were coming from the BBQ. Jodi was carrying pans of leftover cake and urged me to take one. (Not much of a struggle, really.) She told me that Pat Chitwood had made the dessert and to just leave the pan on her porch when we finished.

This sort of small-town experience just delights me. I returned to the apartment with bowls of ice cream and a delicious cake. (I was greeted like a Goddess, as you might imagine. To my children, Brownville is a place where you can just wander up the street and be given cake. Magic and wonder!)

We made a thank-you card for Pat and left the pan on her side porch on our way to watch Fireworks at the river. It was a great evening!

6/30/09: Brownville is getting ready for its annual Freedom Day Celebration. The Fourth of July festivities include a dog show, parade, Freedom Run, music, BBQ, Riverboat Ride and, of course, Fireworks. Last year, the kids and I walked in the parade! (Thanks again to Bob, pictured above, for letting Isabel ride the horse with him. It was the highlight of her weekend!)

Our shop will be open for business all weekend. Stop in to cool off and select a book to read at Whiskey Run Creek Winery...or on the Riverboat!

5/24/09: It is SPRING FLEA MARKET! We've been selling cookbooks and old antique books outside...and all kinds of books inside. Kevin is keeping track of the goings-on outside and I'm here at the desk inside. Yesterday, I got the chance to walk around a bit. (The people with wagons to carry things have the right idea!)

   
5/18/09: We spent yesterday in Brownville on all-staff retreat. The day was beautiful, the food was delicious & the conversation about books was vibrant. We took advantage of the time and did some extra staff training...and we toured The Lyceum Bookstore and The Antiquarium Bookstore. Fun!

       
4/27/09: Wow! The Wine, Writers & Song Festival was wonderful. There were 80 people at The Children's Program...The String Beans were very popular! The town was buzzing with musicians, poets, authors, historians, chefs. We're already looking forward to next year's fest.

4/16/09: The Wine, Writers & Song Festival is right around the corner and this year's line up looks really great. Thanks to all the volunteers who are working hard to make this a great festival!

4/5/09: Springback was a little chilly but we enjoyed ourselves. The shop is freshened up for the season...and it's always good to start the year with some good sales! Colleen, we'll keep bringing more cookbooks to tempt you!

3/30/09: I am getting ready to travel to Brownville for four days this week and I can hardly wait. I've missed it tremendously over the winter. I'm looking forward to meals at The Lyceum, browsing through Gallery 119 & Chaney Gallery...and visiting with my Brownville friends.

Join us this Sunday for our celebratory Springback to Outfitters' Row event. From 11am-4pm, we'll have treats to share and all books will be 10% off! Come visit us and all the other little shops on Brownville's Main Street. It's SPRING again!

12/14/08: We have tucked our little shop in for the Winter and it will hibernate until Spring. Harry Andersen of Gallery 119 lives downstairs and will keep an eye on it -- and DeeAnn will be in from time to time to dust and vacuum. We hired Kevin Krause to join our Brownville staff. He'll help with the care of the sleeping shop and will be on hand when it awakens in the Spring. Mark your calendars on Sunday, April 5th -- our Springback to Outfitters' Row event!

12/5/08: Our Open House was lots of fun. Thanks to DeeAnn, our Brownville staffer, for keeping the cookie trays filled. We put on some Bluegrass Christmas music and had a great time.

11/21/08: Our Holiday Open House is this Saturday & Sunday from 11am-4pm each day. Yesterday, I fussed around in the shop, finishing the decorating. I went to The Lyceum in the afternoon for a piece of pie to go. (In the winter, they are not open for dinner on Thursday nights, so we've made this arrangement.) Anita & Barbara were putting pine boughs on the outdoor columns. Bob & Pat Chitwood were decorating the fireplace mantle. It's beautiful.

11/13/08: Next weekend is our Outfitters' Row Holiday Open House! In preparation, I'm shuffling books around, adding new stock and cracking open the tubs of holiday decor. It's sort of a Hobby Lobby explosion in here at the moment but I have faith that this little shop will emerge beautifully.
 
Come join us next weekend (11/22 & 11/23) for a cup of cider, a snickerdoodle (or two) and relaxing time browsing books. For the holidays, pick out one of your favorite books and tuck one of our gift certificates inside. People love that sort of thing!

11/5/08: Today, I'm turning my attention to planning the Wine, Writers & Song Festival which will be held April 24-26, 2009. The schedule is really shaping up and it'll be a fun weekend of readings, discussions, music, food & wine. Thanks to everybody who has been helping put this together. I'll write more about the details as we get further along. 

10/31/08: Since LPS is on Fall Break, Isabel came to Brownville with me this week. We walked to the river after closing up shop yesterday. She likes to throw rocks into the water--really, who doesn't?! On the way back to the apartment, we collected Sycamore leaves the size of dinner plates. 

Today, she is dressed in her Halloween costume (Renaissance Queen, NOT Princess). She took a bag of Hershey Kisses and handed them out to the shop owners on the row. Of course, she came back with more treats than she left with. These soft-hearted folks can't resist a kid in costume. Merrill, at the broom maker's shop, gave her four little snickers bars. I think it's completely fair that Mom gets one of those!

10/11/2008: Wow! There are soldiers on horseback right outside my window. Shots being fired, the Confederacy is on the run. There are 4 painters with easels outside the shop, painting The Mill across the street. The horse-drawn Brownville Trolley just passed by my front door. It's a busy little town this morning!

10/10/2008: Someone read my 9/11 entry about my trip to Ireland and cracked, "Guinness?! You'll have more like a 'charming Irish TILT'!" Well, true. Moderation is key. Many thanks to Jan McMullen for filling in for me here at Chapter Two. Dad and I had a great time. Yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone. For some reason, I pictured a big boulder on the ground somewhere. In reality, you have to climb the crumbling, winding stairs to the very top of Blarney Castle to get to lie down on your back, and with the help of a brusk Irishman, scootch out over open air to kiss one of the rocks in the archway several stories above the ground. My thought on the plane to Ireland was, "Gross. I don't want to put my lips on something millions of other people have kissed." And yet, after the long climb, it seemed like a mistake not to make the most of the experience and just do it. So I did, and I now enjoy the benefits of eloquence  -- which I shall bestow upon all the gentle readers of this blog!

The group of painters here for "Paint Brownville Autumn" spent today on the banks of the Missouri. Several came in this afternoon, glowing. They will spend tomorrow painting on Main Street. As part of the Old Time Autumn Festival, there will be Civil War Re-enactments around Brownville. I made a Civil War display that includes a leather-bound copy of The Killer Angels, Civil War diaries & Civil War novels. We also have Joe Smith's book signing tomorrow afternoon.  He is the author of My Life & Times as Harve Bodine, about a character who moved to SE Kansas just before the Civil War broke out. 

Tonight, the band that played for our Summer Street Party (Sum Guise - just great) is playing at Whiskey Run Creek Winery. I'll head over there around 6:30 for some music and wine --  just a glass or two, no tilting!

9/25/2008: It's Thursday before Flea Market. Katherine arrived this afternoon wearing a vintage A Novel Idea Bookstore T-shirt and a ball cap, ready to work. She just toted in three boxes of books, adding to the boxes I brought this morning. The weather is beautiful down here today. If it holds, we'll have great crowds this weekend.

Since Kat and I are expecting to work late, we decided we'd better get some to-go pie from The Lyceum. She just came back with coconut cream (mine) and pumpkin (hers). She is now busy shelving new books into the History section while I dither about on this blog. Best go help, lest I test her vast patience.

9/11/2008:  As I'm driving to Brownville, I'm always reminded why I make this trip.  The colors of southeast Nebraska are beautiful -- particularly at this time of year. Look at all that goldenrod. I brought 11 boxes of books with me today, 4 for the shop and 7 for the upcoming Flea Market. Sadly, I'm going to miss Fall Flea Market this year. I'm going on a trip to Ireland with my Dad. (I'm determined to drink lots of Guinness and come back with a charming Irish lilt!) Katherine will be in my place, even hosting the shop-owners for our traditional pot-luck Saturday evening. I'll make sure to stock the fridge with Guinness in the hope that I'll stay in her good graces!

The Flea Market boxes are full of spiral-bound cookbooks containing recipes from Methodist Church Women and the like. Some scoff -- but those who do probably haven't had any good home cooking. Those in the know will rightfully swear that nobody makes better pie.

The Shop boxes are full of art books -- Diego Rivera & Frida Kahlo, Leonardo DaVinci, Kandinsky, Hungarian Folk Art...as well as quilting/crafts -- knitting ponchos, crocheting blankets, etc. I'm also going to make new displays of Railroading books and Fairy Tale books. Opening these boxes is like receiving birthday presents.

There are still tree frogs perching on my door frame outside. I've learned to watch for them after having one fall into my hair when I opened the door last week. Today, they're well-behaved and I don't mind them. Harry, the artist next door, calls them my "princes".

8/29/08:  This year's Village Theater season has ended and we've packed away our Drama section until our troupe of actors returns next year. (Thanks, guys, for a great set of shows.  I particularly enjoyed "House on the Cliff!")

We just added three shelves to our Cooking section, lots of new kids' books and a signed first edition of Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants.  Autumn in Brownville is lovely.  Last week, after the shop closed, I took a nice walk to The Lyceum for a glass of wine, quiche and a salad.  Delightful!

Our Humble Beginnings

∆09/06/2006: Coming here always makes me feel like I'm on vacation. Brownville is 15 miles from Indian Cave State Park and shares its beauty. There's no traffic. No litter. Wild phlox is blooming right outside my shop door.

The "shop", at the moment, is a big room with four big windows and the ugliest carpet I've ever seen. Since there is no bathroom, I'm working on a way to put one in. Larry is a kind plumber from Auburn (10 miles away). We'll see what he can do.
 
There is "autumn joy" sedum growing in a landscaped area by the street. Must be 200 butterflies on it this evening. And, lo! A cat on the front step. She comes inside, makes herself comfortable. Little tortoise-shell girl. I've taken to calling her "Nutbucket".

I bought a bottle of water from Darlene at the counter of the old brick mill across the street. It's a health-food store that's been in business for 54 years. Sesame snacks. This place will come in handy.
 
Nutbucket watches me put up some sample paint colors. Offers no opinion. The electricity isn't on yet and it's getting dark. We'll see what it looks like when I come back in a couple of days.
 
∆09/07/2006: Went to The Lyceum for a piece of peach pie and a cup of coffee. Both were great-- and the bill was under $4.00. Kudos to Deb for great food and service. I spent a little time pondering whether or not I should have chosen the coconut cream pie. (Don't mock. The great philosophers would consider this question, if they saw these pies.)

Came down to meet Larry (plumber), who was nice enough come over on his lunch hour to work out the problem of our little bathroom. He shook his head a few times when he saw the maneuvering the job will require but he's willing to do it.
 
I've decided I like the darker green for the wall color but need to try another color for the floor. "Royal Court" isn't doing it for me. I'm going to give "Voodoo" a shot. (Let's play "What the heck?!" You try to imagine what color those are closest to in crayola terms. I'll tell you next time I blog.)

Stopped in to Mary's Emporium, one of the shops in Outfitter's Row. Watched Mary do some beading. Then headed up the street to Tom Palmerton's gallery of paintings and bronze sculptures, where I was greeted by Frosty-the-dog. I think we'll fit in with these characters.
 
∆09/17/06: Took Corey (13) and Isabel (4) to Brownville today. Unfortunately, left the camera at home or you'd see my very determined preschooler on her red Radio Flyer tricycle, pedaling up and down the sidewalk in front of the row shops. "I can do it, Mama. I can DO it!" (For those of you who don't speak 4 year-old, that means, "Get off me, Mom. I can pedal this thing to the moon. Take your hand off the handle!")
 
We had lunch at The Lyceum. Ham and broccoli quiche for me, baked potato soup for Corey, peanut butter and jelly for the little one, who said, "Pleeeeeeeeeeze?" Later, we walked/triked to the shop, where we put a bit of "Voodoo"-colored paint on the floor. (Dark, dark purple. Who wins "What the heck?!") Izzy rode the trike around the empty shop. Corey pressed her ear to the floor and reported she could hear the downstairs neighbor's TV. I used the drill and detached all the lattice.
 
Sara and Mary Ann came by to visit. Sara has a stylish shop up the row called "Handmade Modern", which sells local products like soap and candles. She also makes the most beautiful wedding invitations I've ever seen. Mary Ann is a painter with a row-shop gallery. On our way back to The Lyceum, Corey and I saw her working on a piece. Iz had insisted on riding her trike and doing it HERSELF, so she was lagging behind. She got to Mary Ann's gallery just as Corey and I were passing Mary's Emporium, a few doors up. Izzy stopped her trike to talk to Mary Ann through the gallery doorway for awhile. Then she pedaled on, shouting, "Hey, MOM! SHE's painting a BIRD!"
 
At The Lyceum, we had dessert. Isabel had double-chocolate cake. Corey had chocolate pie. I had apple pie a la mode (made with locally grown apples) and ended up giving all the ice cream to the kids. They used good table manners and asked nicely. They really know how to get me...
 
Back in the car, Iz was dismayed over the loss of her marker. Corey rolled her eyes and fished around in her purse for her i-pod. Being on the highway, I told Isabel we'd stop in Auburn to look for the marker. "All-burt?" She chuckled. "Auburn." "Ah-burt?" More chuckling. Sometimes, she just messes with me. "Auburn." "OH...~~Ahhh~~BURN!" Uh-huh. We stopped. We found the marker. We got back on the road. I'll be back in Brownville later this week!
 
∆09/22/06: I came to Brownville a couple of days ago to work on the shop. Jane offered to let me stay at her house but I declined, having lots to do and little time. So I've been a hobo of sorts, sleeping on the floor. It's like camping. Except that there's no fire-- or canopy of stars. And there are paint fumes. So, really, I guess it's not much like camping except for the sleeping bag.
 
I've been a remodeling whirlwind. The carpet backing had disintegrated into piles of fine (probably toxic) dust that I had to shovel/sweep/vacuum after removing the carpet. It was a nasty job. Completing that gave me a huge sense of satisfaction. Then, I steamed off the wallpaper border. (Renting a steamer cost me $90. Kind of a kick in the pants. Still, well-spent. Again, the sense of satisfaction...) Then, spackling and painting the walls. And another coat of wall paint. And a thick coat of oil-based floor paint. And, voila! It's a whole new room and I'm high on the paint fumes and slurring my words. 

Dumb experience: I had power in the shop but the overhead lights didn't work. I had two 100-watt bulbs and a clamp lamp, just in case. Put a bulb in the clamp lamp, clamped it to the aluminum ladder. It promptly fell off and the bulb broke. I repeated the process and broke the other bulb, which left me, if not in the dark, definitely in the dim. I drove to Auburn in the rain and bought supplies from Mary at Lynch's Hardware and Gifts. She was really nice about the whole thing and didn't make fun of me at all. (You all can feel free to follow her example.)
 
Good experience: My car radio, which had been broken for a few days, decided to fix itself on the way to Lynch's Hardware and Gifts, which I consider the Universe's consolation for my broken bulbs. I can now play my Gordon Lightfoot tape. Over and over, as it's stuck in the cassette player. Still, it's an improvement over complete silence. Yes it is. Gordon Lightfoot and driving through southeast Nebraska just go together. Those of you who don't know that already should just shut up and give it a try. (Spoken like one who just spent two days sleeping on a hard floor...)

Anyway, I worked hard and made some new Brownville friends. The people here are just great. Also, I found out that Nutbucket's real name is "Miss Kitty". Apparently, she lives across the street at the Brownville Mill but is used to spending lots of time in our space. Welcome, Miss Kitty! More later...
 
∆09/24/06: Corey, Isabel and I went to Brownville to the "World's (Almost) Largest Flea Market", an event I'd heard about but hadn't attended until today. Wow. There were hundreds of people selling everything: ironworks, wind chimes, quilts, books, Turkish scarves, antique furniture, baseball cards, jewelry, sweaters from Ecuador, and much more. I was amazed.

We parked on the west side of downtown and walked the length down to the row shops. We peeked into the new bookshop to check the floor paint, which looks nice. On the way, we saw lots of our new friends-- Deb, Mary Ann, Sonja, Sara, Becky, Bob. Lots of enthusiastic greetings. People were having fun.
 
The kids and I stopped at the winery on our way back to the car. We ordered a basket of cheese and crackers and sat on the deck overlooking the waterfall. We drank water, as they are both under aged and I was the designated driver. Later, Isabel and I played a game of hide and seek on the lawn by the fish pond. Considering the fact that there's only one big tree in that particular area, the game lacked challenge. Really, it was a game of "run around and wear out the little kid". She slept all the way home to Lincoln. I win!

 ∆10/09/06: What a whirlwind! So much to do, so little time. One side of my garage is filling up with stuff for Chapter Two. I have mixed emotions every time I drive the car in next to it. On the one hand, it's great to have these things at the ready. On the other hand, it all represents work to be done. However, I managed to find a beautiful Arts and Crafts stained glass window and it's securely atop the pile of shelving and furniture. Looking at that makes me purely happy.

My friend, Peggy, and I ventured to Brownville today with a car load of essential bookstore accessories - mainly, a refrigerator and microwave. I allowed myself to buy a slightly larger than dorm-sized refrigerator by thinking that I could serve cheese at a poetry reading. (You're guaranteed a selection of cheese at the first reading we host. I must prove that this was a choice and not just rationalization.)

We also brought in the sink and vanity cabinet for the bathroom. The "bathroom" is now a few lines of masking tape on the floor. This is progress. There is a clear plan. There is a faucet. Walls will come. Actual plumbing will come. I just know it!

∆10/11/06: Real booksellers eat quiche. I stopped in for a quick lunch at The Lyceum Cafe. Mmmmm... tomato and feta. It still blows my mind that a beautiful lunch like this costs only $6.95. Unreal.
 
Met Larry (the plumber) at Chapter Two to talk about the little bathroom. He was complimentary about the new paint, which made me feel good. AND he says that he'll start work on Monday afternoon, which is great news. He'll even call Tom (the electrician) to install the bathroom light and put up my ceiling fans. Now we're picking up steam!
 
I continue to search antique stores for the perfect cabinet to go against the back wall. On the drive back to Lincoln today, I visited the big red barn with the "ANTIQUES" sign. (When I was a kid, we used to travel the same highway to Lincoln. My mom would play the alphabet game with me and the big red barn was always my source of the "Q".) The small sign on the barn door directed me to the house, where I met a young grey tabby cat. I rang the bell and a nice lady opened up the antiques barn for me. Secretaries, china hutches, display cases, chairs and scores of old wooden radios - but my perfect cabinet was not there. I think it will be found when it is ready to be found. Ah, elusive cabinet...your coyness makes me want you all the more...

∆10/16/06: I spent Sunday afternoon prowling antique stores. I walked past row after seemingly endless row of booths full of antique toys and dishes. Normally, I would have been interested but I was on a mission. As it turned out, it was a bust. But stay tuned, fans.
 
Yesterday, we did some training with the new Chapter Two staff. We are fortunate to be working with local ladies Barbara Bond and DeeAnn Davis. They came to Lincoln and spent some time learning about the way we do business. They are smart, energetic, helpful people and they will do well.
 
Perhaps even more encouraging was today's trip to Connor's Architectural Antiques on 9th Street. Connor's is a labyrinth of fixtures and lamps, antique cars and fireplace mantles, stained glass windows and old doors. I ventured upstairs to explore and LO! There, almost hidden behind stacks of chairs and miscellany was my cabinet. Five and a half feet wide and made of oak with shelves behind leaded glass doors, it has a counter with drawers underneath. Ta da. I went back downstairs to inquire. With every step, I tried to convince myself that it was probably out of my price range and that it would be okay to let it go. When the proprietor finished with her customer, I asked about the cabinet. My jaw dropped when she told me the price. It was much lower than I had planned to spend. She told me that it had been a built-in, therefore the sides were not finished. I don't care. I L-O-V-E LOVE it. It will be delivered on Saturday. I'll take a photo for this blog when it is. In the meantime, I'll be basking in my mirth.
 
∆10/23/06: My mother is my hero. On Friday, she came to Lincoln and helped me load up my garageful of shelving. We filled her pickup. The tailgate wouldn't close and we tied some boards across it so we wouldn't lose the shelving on the highway. (We have actually lost shelving on the highway before. In fact, if you look closely at the shelving in the literature section of our Lincoln shop, you'll find one bookcase with a corner that was rubbed off when it fell off the trailer. We dragged it for a quarter mile before we noticed the problem. Lesson learned. Secure the load well.) Anyway, we then filled the back of my Explorer (affectionately known as Clifford the Big Red Truck) with the rest of the shelving, etc. We drove to Brownville and unloaded in the dark. Thankfully, it didn't rain. But even if it had rained, I know Mom would have helped me - and that's why she's my hero.

Some of my weekend was spent painting baseboards and attempting to spackle the ceiling. Let me admit right now that I'm not the best spackler in the world. I try. I think I'm getting better at it but I still can't do it without swearing a few times, which is one reason I prefer to spackle alone. The message in this paragraph is that you shouldn't have high expectations for my ceiling.
 
Larry (plumber) got lots of work done on the bathroom last week. We have pipes and walls. I'm really happy with the angled wall-- it lets in more light from the back window. Tom (electrician) was installing ceiling fans today. (Spackle? What spackle? Wow, look at that ceiling fan!)

The bulk of the weekend was spent putting shelves together with the help of my sweetheart, Jon. Jon says that he's happy to sacrifice his back for the great literary cause that is A Novel Idea Bookstore. I take this as a true measure of devotion. We managed to get all the cases done and Sid Connor brought the new cabinet in on Saturday night. The cabinet fills the space nicely and we now have a better sense of how the shop will look when finished. Nice!
 
∆10/29/06: Yesterday was a good work day in Brownville. (I'm sorry to have forgotten the camera!) Peggy, DeeAnn and I painted the ceiling and the new bathroom. We don't have unfinished-looking space anymore. I'm planning to finish up a couple small remodeling projects and move in furniture next week. I'll be sure to bring the camera with me so you can have a look!
 
∆11/03/06: Wow-- November already. How did that happen? Spent yesterday in B-town with my friend, Steve, who helped me bring some of the furniture. We now have a library table and desk. Hurrah!

Merle Henkenius is a writer and photographer-- one of those remarkable people that I know because he comes to the Lincoln store. (Meeting folks like this is a HUGE benefit of my job.) Anyway, he has been photographing the Neligh Mill over a period of many years. Last week, we sat together at The Coffee House downtown, sifting through black and white photographs of millstones and old tools. It was the highlight of my week. The pictures present utilitarian objects of rural life in a way that resonates with the energy of the lives touched by those things. Poignant and beautiful. I'm hoping to have several on the walls of the new shop by the opening date - but printing, matting, framing takes time. I may have to add them little by little.
 
Leaving Lincoln at 0'dark-thirty tomorrow morning to meet with Tom (electrician). Peggy, bless her heart, has promised to accompany me. Jon, bless his heart, has promised to join us later and help put up the crown molding.
 
∆11/08/06: Kirsten and I brought 30 boxes of books into Chapter Two today. Nebraska Authors/History, Native Americana, Western Americana, Art, Cooking, Quilting/Crafts and Hunting/Fishing. It's starting to look like a bookstore!

Peggy and I are heading to B-town on Friday with another truckload of books. Keep watching, book fans!
 
∆11/15/06: Time flies when you're working hard. I've been to Brownville several times with truckloads of books/fixtures/ furniture. To my great fortune, I had the pleasure of traveling with some fantastic book ladies. Peggy helped sort the Children's Books, Kirsten worked on the Hunting & Fishing section (among many others) and Katherine did wonders with the Fiction section.

We're getting ready for the Grand Opening this Sunday from 11am-4pm. Deb from The Lyceum Cafe is making little apple pies and mini pumpkin muffins for us. We'll have hot apple cider to go with these goodies. C'mon down and join us!
 
Sincere thanks go to Larry (the plumber), Tom (the electrician), Jon, Peggy, Kirsten, Katherine, Steve, Mom & Dad, Barbara, DeeAnn, Deb, Sara, Sonia, Mary, Mary Ann, Harry, Jane & Randel, Harold & Darlene, my staff at the Lincoln shop - and all of the people in Brownville who have made us feel so welcome. See you on Sunday!
 
∆11/20/06: The Grand Opening was fantastic. We had a steady crowd of happy book-lovers all day. Over 150 people came to visit. Thanks to all of you who came to celebrate with us. We consider the day a smashing success!

We will be closed for Thanksgiving Day (11/23) and "Leftover Friday" (11/24). We'll be open the following Saturday and Sunday. We'll have lots of fresh stock, filling in the shop after the Grand Opening blitz.
 
If you haven't visited Brownville yet or missed yesterday's party, be sure to mark your calendars for the Christmas Tour and Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, December 3. Historic homes and buildings all decked out for the holidays, little shops offering unique gifts, great food at The Lyceum Cafe...don't miss it!

Side note: I haven't yet met the man who rides his horse up Main Street everyday. I just love it that he does that, though.
 
∆11/29/06: Last weekend, we had our first couple of regular business days. We now have a working credit card machine (yay!) and we're getting our routine down. We had good business last weekend - lots of people from Wyoming and Kansas City.
 
I'll continue to work in Brownville during these early days while DeeAnn and Barbara become comfortable in the shop. We really lucked out in terms of staffing Chapter Two. DeeAnn and Barbara are fantastic.

Thanks go to Corey, who spent Sunday in Brownville with me. She helped clean and price some new gardening books - good training for a future career in book selling? ;)
 
GIFT CERTIFICATES are available and they can be used at the Lincoln store as well as at Chapter Two. Oh...holiday options!
 
And...we've taken to referring to the Lincoln store as our "flagship store". That just tickles me.
 
∆12/02/06: Brownville is lit up for the holidays. There is garland on the walkway railing and luminaries on the trails through the arboretum. At Chapter Two, Barbara and I struggled with our icicle lights until we decided the string was just not going to respond to threats or reason. I went to Pamida in Auburn and bought beautiful garland lights. (Let that be a lesson to all those other reticent icicle lights out there.)
 
And, good news worthy of doing the "jig of mirth" - one of the spaces underneath Outfitter's Row has become available. We've been hoping for a space to make a little apartment, a place to stay during busy Brownville weeks and festivals. So, I went with Jan McMullan to check it out. There were tables piled with magic books and magazines, tiny velvet bags, over sized gold keys, miscellaneous cases, and large playing cards. I asked Jan. "Oh...," she said, "Art was a magician." "Wow - a real magician?!" I couldn't believe it. "Well...," she said, "he was a minister but he was a magician on the side." (And you thought that water-into-wine thing was a good trick. Watch carefully...is THIS your card?!)
 
∆12/20/06: Last week, I met the broom maker. For those of you unaware of Brownville's shop o' brooms, it's tiny brick building on Main Street. Merrill Johnson wears a railroad cap and spends his days creating kitchen brooms, sweepers, dusters, birdbath scrubbers and the like. He has a map of the United States on the wall that is covered with pins noting where his brooms have gone. 3 to Alaska, believe it or not. (I bought a birdbath scrubber as a stocking stuffer. A pin for Pawnee City!)
 
This weekend, we'll close for the winter. Hibernating until spring. Come see us in April. We'll be happy, well-rested and full of good books!
 
Happy holidays to all of you. Special thanks to all the local folks who have made us feel so welcome.