RUNNING WITH THE BUFFALOES * HIGH ON ARRIVAL * SEWING

Running With the Buffaloes - by Cris Lear: Sounds like a historical novel set in the old west, doesn't it? But what it really is, is the story of the University of Colorado 1996 Men's Cross Country team. It's a diary documenting their coach, their training schedule, and their lives as individual runners and as a team. It's a first hand look at what it takes to run competitively at the collegiate level. The UC Buffaloes are a group of boys becoming men....who run....and run....and run some more. After reading this book, you'll think of running as an extreme sport. It's just the person out there running. No special equipment except for shoes. Any weather, any terrain, long distances and varied pace and timing. It was a dramatic year for this team, and this is a great read on many many levels.

High on Arrival by Mackenzie Phillips: I love to read about a life, and this was no exception. Mackenzie has experienced life in all its excesses, and she leaves no truth untold, no matter how amazing or painful the telling can be. She's a survivor of every bad thing that could happen to a person. It's the story of a famous actress, and addict, a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, wife and mother. She is amazingly truthful, and it's truly amazing that she is here to tell it. I couldn't put this down, and a few days later, am still processing all I read.

On a personal note, last week I continued to chat about how I wanted to have a driveway sale this fall. Except it was already November, and the weather was getting colder, and any sale will be better in the spring, and I was making all kinds of excuses. Then I mentioned it to my neighbor Kelly, who said she'd bring some stuff over if I had it. Now someone else was depending on me. The weather forecast last Saturday was for a beautiful day, and there were a few advertised garage sales in our immediate area, including a conducted estate sale down the street. It turns out that the Winnetka Modernism Show was that day, too. So I put up my green and pink signs, moved my stuff from inside the house to the driveway outside the front door, and Kelly filled in the holes in my available merchandise by bringing over a table of toys and a table of clothes. As in previous sales, "If I put the stuff out there, they will come" .....And buy. And they did! I moved less than 20 things back in the house. You never know what you'll find at my sale. Except that you'll always find it priced to sell, it's always clean, whether new or old, there are always a few things marked "free" throughout the sale, and I'm always here to cheerfully tell you that I don't want to take anything back in the house after the sale. (which is my way of saying MAKE AN OFFER! I'll say yes!) A watercolor painting that I've been moving around our lives for years sold first thing. $25.00. An old Chenille cutter bedspread went to the Deerfield High School stage for a 1930s play $10.00. Heavy books about curtains, cooking and gardening went to many places for $2.00 each until the end of the sale when the last 5 gardening books were picked up for $5.00. They were still pulling into the driveway after I'd brought the few things that were left inside, and a lovely neighbor whom I'd never met bought two of my little gold lamps. It was a win/win day for all. I hope there are some good sales this weekend. The weather is supposed to be sunny and beautiful once again.