Brome Lake Books

sunny, beautiful day - awaiting the next dumping (of snow) temps minus 7

Lovely day, while it lasts. To the left is a photo we took last week after having breakfast in Knowlton. Such a beautiful village.

I'm sitting here eating homemade madeleines and sipping cafe au lait, having just read your thoughtful comments from yesterday's blog on Fenn. Loved them all. And I think we feel much the same way. Don't want to stop progress - but desperately want the printed book to remain. Our experience was similar to some of yours...we have a nook, and my husband in particular loved it - used it all the time. We're taking it on vacation. But after a few months he's mostly back to books.

I just hope enough publishers and bookstores can hold on until everything finds an even keel again. So that ebooks have a place, are a handy and wonderful tool. But I don't want to confuse a colleague with a husband.

And to the Fenn woman (and wonderful aunt) who lost her job last week - many, many thoughts go out to you and your family. What you said in your comment was personal and powerful - and not at all angry or bitter. Just sad. Am hoping you find a job you love soon.

And, speaking of wonderful independent publishers and booksellers, I wanted to really introduce you to Danny and Lucy. They run the bookstore in Knowlton - Brome Lake Books. Many of you have bought signed books from them, as well as bookplates and the famous Vive Gamache mugs. Their store is on the edge of Mill Pond - and is everything a bookstore should be, as you can see. And you couldn't find finer people than Danny and Lucy. And their three young sons. And their golden, Jessie (who happens to be Trudy's mother!)

I wanted you to be able to put faces to the names, since I mention them quite often, and many of you have spoken to them. If you'd like to get in touch with danny and lucy, you can email them at: blb@b2b2c.ca

the other two photos above are of Danny, with Michael and Jessie. And then Danny, Lucy and Jessie. In their store, of course.

In my opinion, they're heroes - as are all people who work with books - and press them into young hands. And old hands. And my hands. Sometimes heroes need help too.

To digress, the scrumptous madeleines I'm devouring were made by Dom. he and mike have come to the guest cottage for the weekend. They arrived yesterday, knocked on our door, and handed us a 'Dom's Dozen' of the warm sponge cookies (made with lemon and orange). A Don's Dozen, Mike explained, is 11. Someone ate one.

My God, are they good! Michael couldn't resist and fell on them as soon as the guys had returned to the cottage.

We're heading over there for dinner tonight. We visited Mike and Dom in London - when Mike was working with the Guardian - but now they're back and we have so much to get caught up on. Dom's cooking!

Might blog tomorrow from Burlington, VT. We're heading there tomorrow because our flight to NYC then on to Saint Lucia is 6am Monday. So we'll get to Burlington, have lunch, watch the Super Bowl. Drag ourselves out of bed at 4am...and be swimming in the caribbean mid afternoon. (actually, more likely snoozing - but at least it'll be warm).

Pat and Tony and their puppies are coming by tomorrow morning, to help us shove luggage into the beetle, then they'll stay here to house-sit - and shovel snow!

Oh, wow - Dom and Mike just dropped by with another batch of fresh madeleines. We might never leave. Might not fit through the door!

But hope you packed your sun screen - we're off to Saint Lucia!