Happiness Through Acquisition (or, Maazel Tov!)

One of the great blessings/curses in my life is the discard store for our city's public library. It's five minutes drive from my house, and is open Thursday through Sunday, making it the perfect "We've finished the week's lessons, let's go book-shopping!" destination. And all children's books, no matter what, are 50 cents each. And it's free air conditioning (today's high will be 103), in comfy chairs, reading books--they don't even mind if you bring your book from home!--while the children lounge on the giant stuffed panther in the children's area, reading away. Friday afternoon at three, you know where to find me.

And occasionally they have real finds. Last Friday, I lucked into four 2-CD sets of operas for one measly dollar each: La Fanciulla Del West (with Placido Domingo), Cavalleria Rusticana (Maria Callas), Die Fledermaus (Kiri Te Kanawa), and--I could hardly believe this--the original CD of Maazel's Porgy and Bess. Which last is on the stereo right now, in all its glorious sound, while Wee Girl works her way through The Littles and Middle Girl does air pressure experiments in the kitchen. A little homeschooling picture postcard are we (or would be if I would get off the computer and go do something worthy).