Reading was such a large part of my life when I was growing up. I used to haunt the used book stores of my youth and would walk the four miles to save the price of a bus ride because that quarter would buy me an extra book. One of my favorites was Bob's Used Bookstore. It was kitty corner to S.A.I.T. in Calgary and you had to go down the stairs into this dingy little store without any windows but I loved it. Bob would always play opera so you had to be able endure listening to hours of it because that was how long I would be there. He also had these comfortable couches and chairs all over the shop where you could sit and peruse these treasures at your leisure. All the classics were there, and I can remember his showing me this one first edition Anne of Green Gables. I can honestly say that I was not very impressed at the time because of the price. When you are fourteen, you are more concerned with quantity and I could buy a lot more books for a lot less. Bob knew my taste in books and he would save the books by Lucy Maud Montgomery for me to show me on my next visit. I looked forward to my Saturday visits and preferred that dark little store to all the well lit book stores that surrounded it. I never failed to leave without at least one treasure tome in my possession. I wish that I had the foresight to buy that first edition of Anne of Green Gables. . . I have never lost that love for Montgomery's works and now that my children are grown I feel that I can indulge my passion once again.
When we moved from Calgary to Rimbey, I was able to track down a drug store in Red Deer that would send me all the L.M. Montgomery books I needed to finish my collection. Every month, I would phone and find out what they had or they would order what I wanted. Ahh. Life was good.
Just recently, I found a first edition of "The Blue Castle" tucked away in a box of books that had been dropped off at the Credit Union. I only paid a dollar for it, but to me it is priceless. It has also inspired me to search out more treasures.