Dippin’ Books
Tue., December 23, 11:27 AM
Dippin’ books (or dip-in books) are those that you don’t read straight through. Rather, you open them up – anywhere – and read a little. Just as you don’t really start them, you don’t really finish them either, because you’ll find something you like and read it over – and over. Collections of short stories or essays or humor are such good dippin’ books that they often end up in the bathroom…
I’ve got a couple of new books that fit into this category. One of them is Heloïse Around the House, a collections of household hints. This one is in alphabetical order for easy reference. Yeah, it’s a little expensive for what it is, but I wanted to see an updated Heloïse book. She’s left out some of my old favorites from her mother’s books, but she’s added some interesting ones. How many uses do you know for white correction fluid? Or, how about using cardboard egg cartons, drier lint, and old candle wax to make fireplace starters?
Basically, Heloïse – mother or daughter – is the same thing. It’s not the ideas themselves as much the mental stimulation. Just of little bit of “get out of the box,” “use your brain,” “save your energy.”
This one came with a companion booklet about using peanut butter. I haven’t even looked into that one yet, but I bet it will be fun.
I expect to be dipping into From These Ashes for a long time to come. This is the complete collected short SF of Frederic Brown. I mentioned Frederic Brown when I wrote about “The Waveries”, one of my favorite science fiction stories of all time. Not all of these SF stories are science fiction in the strictest sense; some are fantasy. Sometimes SF means “speculative fiction,” especially when the story defies precise definition.
The stories are printed in chronological order, starting in 1940. Many of them have been printed in other collections, because Brown was a terrific writer. But some of these are completely new to me, and I’m reading them – or trying to – from the viewpoint of when they were first written. Is Uncle Sam (the U.S. icon) stronger than the demon of fire? That was a powerful story for the beginning of World War II.
My Middle Daughter order this book as a Hanukkah present for me, but she gave it to me as soon as it arrived. She knows I don’t care about holiday gifts, even though I brought some to her house on the Second Night. She also knew I would love the book, so why wait?
My oldest daughter, of course, had to give me something early as well; she’s not called Unstable for no reason. She got a nasty shock yesterday. She knew it was her birthday (would I forget a birthday?), but was totally unprepared for a card that said “Happy 34.” Next thing you know, she’ll be finished with her “early thirties.”
Grateful for:
- Diaryland friends. I never expected to receive holiday greetings – real paper cards – from people I only know on line. [Warm glow – which is not the same as hot flashes!]
- Waterless hand sanitizers. I keep a little bottle in my pocket, where it will be warm despite the cool office temperature. I used to put my hands under hot water, but the hot water heater will probably not be fixed. (The men don’t wash their hands?) I do run the water for a long time and drizzle some over the soap – hint, hint. At least I don’t have to supply my own towels and t.p., as I did elsewhere.
