Christie in the coffee shop

At Coffee 'n Cream, the new coffee shop in Lakeside, Christie joined me this morning. We didn't know each other, but have a mutual friend, Vicki, in common. She's been coming to Lakeside for years. Christie is a farmer--she does the books and payroll for her husband who does the rolled-up sleeves type work with their two adult sons. She has a cat names Gracie (it's only by Grace that she has one) and loves to read.

This morning she brought along "Joy and Strength" by Mary Wilder Tileston, a compilation of inspiration thoughts first in print over 100 years ago. She also had a title in the Lamplighter Rare Collector's Series, "Ishmael" by E.D.E.N. Southworth. Mrs. Southworth was a prolific 19th century writer, and I think I recall seeing Ishmael among my grandmother's books. Ishmael is available at Project Gutenberg, but due to the denser prose of that era, I'd recommend the old fashioned, curl-up-in-a-chair method. Mrs. Southworth, abandoned by her husband and left with children to support, earned a living writing about brave, gutsy Thelma-and-Louise type women, and her titles end up in women's studies courses as well as Christian reading lists.