A Note from our Gift Basket Winner

We received the following letter from our gift basket winner, Kevin Trammel, and wanted to share it with our readers here:

To The Bookery, on their 30^th Anniversary, and Winning the Gift-Basket Raffle

I went to The Bookery with my wife on Friday, September 6, to meet Nancy Dunk and to be given the gift-basket for having won the raffle which was held last Saturday, August 31, to celebrate the bookstore's 30th Anniversary.  I've seen Nancy many times during my visits to the store, but this was the first time I've had a conversation with her.  While Darin took some photos, Nancy shared with me briefly some of her wisdom about what it takes to start a store and the dedication and resolve that's necessary to get past the initial challenges and keep a store thriving for 30 years.  I was quite impressed with this.  Though it doesn't represent the same level of attainment, I did temporarily have a window cleaning business in Seattle, and I have several friends who have or have had their own business, and these experiences have helped me be able to appreciate the laudable attainment of keeping a business going for 30 years.  Especially one involving books during the encroachment of the electronic era.

The gift basket that Nancy gave me was such a treat.  My wife and I unwrapped it when we returned home and smiled and laughed over the items that it contained, and the thoughtfulness that had gone into the selection.  I probably shouldn't admit this, but my favorite item was the small wooden box in the shape of a die, containing five smaller dice.  I love it!  There was also a nice bottle of wine, a nifty guidebook for regional hikes, some lovely olive oil, a aromatic herbal seasoning mixture, and sundries.  It was quite fun to delve into it.  I understand that there are many fellow patrons of The Bookery who very much wanted to win this generous gift.  I'm as surprised to have won it as some may be disappointed not to. Hopefully, this little note and effort to share some of the unexpected glory of winning the prize will help compensate to some degree.

The occasion of the 30^th Anniversary of The Bookery is just a great opportunity to be thankful that there are still brick and mortar bookshops in the world and that we are all fortunate enough to have one of them in our neighborhood.  As I'm sure most patrons of used bookstores feel, the enjoyment of books for me is not only in what they provide as something to read and reflect upon, but also because they are a tactile, tangible article with color, art, texture and fragrance.  There’s unique value in having a book to take on a hike in the mountains, or to quietly enjoy in a comfy chair by the fireside, or, when the power is out, to have something to read out loud with a friend by candle light.

Thanks again for the gift basket to Nancy and Celia, and to the rest of the folks who help make The Bookery the fine bookshop that it is.