Having recently turned to a new, and seemingly significant age [60], I decided to take a day for inspiration, which usually means a book sale. So I went to booksalefinder.com, but of course there was nothing because, you know, Covid and all. I did a search for used book stores and came up with Atlanta Vintage Books, which was about a 45 minute drive away, so I decided to make a day of it, assuming their clientele were smart enough to wear masks, which not surprisingly, they were.

Atlanta Vintage Books is exactly what a used book store should be. There was a maze of small rooms with quirky overstuffed chairs and books organized by genre, but the best part was the basement, which held a glorious collection of old magazines, “dangerous” publications, and fabulous ephemera.

I was there for 4 hours, and could reasonably have stayed much longer if I’d had the foresight to pack a lunch. Among the treasures I bought were some old science magazines, personal correspondence, and some books.

I am particularly taken by these two magazines and their delightful depictions of what my life was supposed to be here in 2020; a far cry from the reality of Covid and almost a year of “hunkering down” which is doing terrible things to my posture. I should be tooling around the moon in that charming tractor ball or lounging in the gray and red space station where every room has a view. Alas, it is not to be.

However, a day spent recharging the creative batteries has done me good, and I’m ready to get back at it.