Friday 24 July 2009

bookish

This summer we've had plenty of gray days. Today was different in that it rained - a misty rain that didn't falter - not a boom of thunder to be heard at all, no slowing or stopping (even briefly) just this long soft wetting that went on and on.

We were inside, trying to feign thrilledness (is too a word) over two-weeks-ago library books (and just how many times is a Mom required to read the same book over again, anyway? Whatever that number, I think I reached my quota today.) and sprawled over the living room when C shot to his feet and said 'The library bus just went by!'

Several pairs of eyes begged. 'Can we go?'

Not everyone has a library bus. But my community is just rural enough (and has the right amount of older people in it) that we can choose between driving to the big library in town or hopping on the (can't-miss-it) bus.



This was Rosey's first time, and she was a bit hesitant until we swung open the big door and went up the few stairs and she could see the shelves of books, could see the bench seats and the smiling people sitting behind the checkout desk.

Cass was thrilled to show her where the childrens' books were, and I wandered off to peruse the longer books, chatting with the librarians about the town school (the perennial question - will they try to close it again?!? My feeling: Not for awhile.) and when I looked back they were sitting together, heads bowed over a book, Cass reading aloud, R nodding and turning the pages and grinning at some of the illustrations.

An armful of books later, we were back out into the rain, cheerier than before. With a whole bunch of new adventures to fall into before bedtime.

14 comments:

Judy Haley (CoffeeJitters.Net) said...

I have always wanted to see a real live library bus :)

Loth said...

Ah, that warm and fuzzy feeling again! And believe it or not, I live in the city but we have library buses here too.

Unknown said...

That is so cool. The job I was offered last October, that the neurologist shot down? Library Bus driver. The bus is all kinds of awesome.

Patty said...

thank you for reviving old memories. i loved our book mobile as a kid, would come to our school ever so often

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous bus!!

witchypoo said...

I have fond memories of the library bus! And? Don't the kids want to swim in the rain? I loved rain swimming. You were already wet, so what's the deal?

thatgirlblogs said...

wish we had one - mainly because the volunteers at our local library are cranky.

we had a bookmobile that came to the elementary school when I was a kid -- I remember being sooo excited.

Stomper Girl said...

Your library bus has about a thousand times more charm than our dreggy regional library!

Meggie said...

What a lovely post! I used to love taking my children to the local Library, & we would choose our books together. Then go home, & enjoy them together... except mine were always, well,,, mine!!

mamatulip said...

That is TOTALLY cool.

petite gourmand said...

That's awesome.
I wish we had a library bus here in our neighborhood.
Then again- we live oh...about a 4 minute walk from our local library- but still, that bus rocks.

sorry to hear about all the rain- same situation here in T.O.

Debbie Rodgers said...

Beautiful post! I could see the rain (well, maybe because it was the same weather here).
I love books and, strangely enough, I love buses and I've never had the opportunity to be on a library bus. (sigh)

Chantal said...

We recently went to a "truck show" for kids and they had a mobile library there. The boys had no idea what to make of it. D was slightly disappointed when I told him it wouldn't come to us because we live in town. One day we will have to figure out where the bus is and drive out to meet it. :)

MaryP said...

Oh, you've brought back long-forgotten memories! My native village received a library as a Centennial Year project (1967), but before that -- I'd totally lost this memory until RIGHT NOW -- we had a library bus. It came around once every two weeks (I think), and I remember lining up outside, my arms full of last visit's books, thrilled to bits at the thought of the wonders inside. I couldn't have been more than five or six.

Lovely. Thank you! I'm delighted to know such things still exist.

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