When the Mercantile was just beginning its construction phase (back in the digging in the mud phase) I attended an auction at a school in Ewing, Missouri, which was being closed down. In addition to the card catalog (now used to display merchandise, see below) and the swings from the playground (still to be installed) I found the door to the school library. Laying on its side and leaning against an exterior wall, the door was like a forgotten step-child. I paid $1.00 and walked away with my prize.
Prize? You bet. My late father-in-law, Clyde Kessner was a character of the first order. Along with a plethora of maxims, adages and bromides, Clyde announced his departure to the bathroom with a rustle of a newspaper and the comment "well, I'm heading to the library." Thus, the
Clyde Kessner Memorial Bathroom came into being.
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| Danae and Kristen snap the chalk lines. |
Clyde's granddaughter (Kurt's niece) Danae Howell has been working here at the Milkweed Mercantile all summer. When I told her about wanting to add a wall of books to the downstairs bathroom/library she got a huge smile on her face and went to work.
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| The finished "library." |
Danae added a few of our favorite eco books (
Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk,
A Reasonable Life by Ferenc Mate,
The Humanure Handbook by Joe Jenkins) and made up a few (
Baloo's Guide to Happiness,
Queen Alline's Guide to Life, and
Exploitation or Education: the Life of a Wexer). She also added Work Exchanger Robby's (aka Dr. Bob) doctoral thesis, and a list of the 2011 Work Exchangers.
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| Homage to Baloo |
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| Dr. Bob's Thesis |
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| Our 2011 Work Exchangers |
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Come visit our library soon!
PS Here is the card catalog, put to use as our "apothecary."
