8 sept

i have a house!!! it is built in 1909, 2 bdr with wooden flooring, lovely curved ceilings, and the quaintest kitchen you have ever seen with a ceramic sink and funny wooden units- pure wood, not plywood. The bath is nice too, with a tub! and old fixtures! We have a nice front yard, and a small back yard (shared) and very beautiful. the front yard has topiary and HUGE yellow roses- fragrant!

The apartment is major news, but am very happy for several other reasons. was feeling a little dumb for the last few days, but today feel more a part of things. I learnt how to use the phone booths, managed to sort out my change (very confusing- the five cent coins are larger that the quarters), found a drugstore (it was closed, but now I can be clean and contact lensed), and best of all, found the loveliest bookstore. It is called Twice Told Tales and sells second hand books for 2-7$. Spent an hour there today just being there and going through the books. Was so happy to find a Pico Iyer that I actually stood there a couple of minutes just holding the book. The store is all brown and green with wooden shelves and hand lettered signs. And they have two Very Large, Very Identical, Very Orange and Very FAT cats. i think I will be there pretty often. And I found a hardware store. Of such things are life's victories made.