According to the commercials I can find the love of my life at eHarmony, increase my bust size at Victoria’s Secret, lengthen my eyelashes with Maybelline, freshen my breath with Scope, but what am I to do with those chin hairs? You may also know them as “cheap hairs”. Women of a certain age know exactly what I am talking about. Younger women and men may just be disgusted. There are several methods available for removing chin hair:
1. Using tweezers – finding a really good pair of tweezers and finding good lighting are the only problems. If your vision is impaired, there is an increased danger of tweezer injury. Try explaining that in the Emergency Room!

2. Shaving – it is rumored that dermatologists recommend this method. Slap on the shaving cream, have a good laugh, and try not to cut yourself. Anyone remember styptic pencils?

3. Nair makes a hair removal product that is designed to be extra gentle for use on the face. If you follow
the instructions and you are younger than thirty you’ll probably be all right. Even if you do not have sensitive skin, this product may burn your skin, requiring you to stay at home for several days to avoid scaring small children…or so I’ve been told!

4. Electrolysis is another method of hair removal and all I know about it is that it is permanent, I think, and pricey, perhaps. Surely someone out there has a funny electrolysis story

5. Waxing removes hair and causes pain similar to that of childbirth. The only story I have about waxing is not printable. Waxing is best for eyebrows.
Well I certainly feel better having this subject out in the open. I fully expect to wake up one morning and have a full beard. Also I think I am just one wart away from being the next Nanny McPhee. Till then, in the immortal words of The Police, don’t stand so close to me.
One more beauty tip: If you have cats who sleep on your bed it is best not to apply lip moisturizer before pulling up the covers. The cat hair takes to the air, is magnetically attracted to the moisturizer, and leaves one with furry lips. Isn’t that a picture?!  
Lest you think, even for a moment, that chin hair or cat hair is a big concern, IT IS NOT! It is only one of those things that provide comic relief and a temporary distraction from real concerns and worries. In the words of Mark Twain, “The human race has only one really effective weapon,  and that is laughter.”

I spend about fours hours a week looking at book-related emails that I receive automatically, some on a daily basis. I do this because I am crazy about books and I do it because I want to find books for you that you might love. I am always hoping to find that hidden treasure, that book that will change your life. While you may not always find books from the “best-sellers” lists in our newsletter, I do hope you will find a treasure or two.
Judy Cummings

A brand new start, a brand new year and at the outset, full of promise and resolve. Of course I had to look it up in the dictionary – resolve: v. make up one’s mind; decide firmly. You may resolve to do any number of things in the new year and your resolve will be strong at the start. I think the trick is to keep that resolve going for an entire year. But if you look at it from that angle it may seem overwhelming. So let’s resolve to do the best we can at whatever task is at hand and remember that we are not perfect, only tryingto be better.

Now, on to the randomness! Sometimes mornings are not a good way to start the day. If you are familiar with cats you know that they occasionally have hair balls. That distinctive sound will tell you to be on the alert for said hair ball. If you don’t hear the sound you are at a distinct disadvantage. I missed the warning sound and stepped in it. Since it was in the shadow of my desk, I didn’t even see it until it was too late. Stuck to the bottom of my shoes, I tracked it all over. Finally, realizing this, I stopped, cleaned the soles of my shoes and cleaned the carpet. But wait, there’s more! Not only did I step in it, I also rolled my desk chair through it. Cleaning the carpet is easy. Cleaning the rolling wheels of a desk chair is not something I would recommend. I am thankful I had shoes on, even though they had DEEP grooves. There surely are better ways to spend a perfectly good morning…

A parting shot: I saw a commercial that said ” Are you bothered by underarm stubble?” The pitch was for a new and improved antiperspirant. If underarm stubble is the biggest problem you have, please contact me immediately. The moral of the story: read more, watch fewer commercials.

And then there is the matter of the Snuggie, advertised as a blanket with arms, or to paraphrase Larry the Cable Guy, for people who don’t know how to use a blanket. Need I say more?

Happy New Year!

Judy Cummings

A brand new start, a brand new year and at the outset, full of promise and resolve. Of course I had to look it up in the dictionary – resolve: v. make up one’s mind; decide firmly. You may resolve to do any number of things in the new year and your resolve will be strong at the start. I think the trick is to keep that resolve going for an entire year. But if you look at it from that angle it may seem overwhelming. So let’s resolve to do the best we can at whatever task is at hand and remember that we are not perfect, only trying to be better.

Now, on to the randomness! Sometimes mornings are not a good way to start the day. If you are familiar with cats you know that they occasionally have hair balls. That distinctive sound will tell you to be on the alert for said hair ball. If you don’t hear the sound you are at a distinct disadvantage. I missed the warning sound and stepped in it. Since it was in the shadow of my desk, I didn’t even see it until it was too late. Stuck to the bottom of my shoes, I tracked it all over. Finally, realizing this, I stopped, cleaned the soles of my shoes and cleaned the carpet. But wait, there’s more! Not only did I step in it, I also rolled my desk chair through it. Cleaning the carpet is easy. Cleaning the rolling wheels of a desk chair is not something I would recommend. I am thankful I had shoes on, even though they had DEEP grooves. There surely are better ways to spend a perfectly good morning…

A parting shot: I saw a commercial that said ” Are you bothered by underarm stubble?” The pitch was for a new and improved antiperspirant. If underarm stubble is the biggest problem you have, please contact me immediately. The moral of the story: read more, watch fewer commercials.

And then there is the matter of the Snuggie, advertised as a blanket with arms, or to paraphrase Larry the Cable Guy, for people who don’t know how to use a blanket. Need I say more?

Happy New Year!

Judy Cummings

With Christmas drawing near, I will try to keep this newsletter short so that perhaps you will have time to read part or most of it. Thank you for your continued support of our little bookstore and the newsletter.

I know you will wonder if I have gone completely over the edge, and while that is always a distinct possibility, something got me thinking about smells and memories. The smells that I love – freshly ironed clothes, a box of crayons, coffee, chocolate, paper (especially book paper), baby powder, and the list goes on. In Northern Michigan the smell of pines suggests several things: a walk in the woods and Christmas. Even the seasons have their own distinct smell although I am at a loss to describe them correctly. Another distinctively Northern Michigan smell is that of freshly picked morels. Nothing else smells quite like them. The smell of manure reminds me of my Grandmother’s farm and the smell of fresh ironing meant my Mother was home.

From howstuffworks.com comes this information on smell: “A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people’s moods and even affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain’s lymbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it’s sometimes called the emotional brain, smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously.” That explains why when I smell onions and celery sauteing I can see my Mother stuffing the turkey, the sound of Macy’s Parade in the background; cousins sitting at the kids’ table; all the food and all the adults around the big table. It is so pleasant to visit that time and that place again. I can tell you the color of the bowl the dressing was in and the color of the dishes the homemade sherbet was served in. Smell and memory – who knew?

Enjoy all the sights, sounds, and smells of the season. May they bring to mind happy memories.

Wishing you Peaceful, Happy Holidays!

Judy Cummings