If there is anything that calls upon even the most feckless of us to pause and reflect it is the 25th anniversary party for one’s bookstore. At least that’s what I found. We pour effort into our lives into particular vessels, and some hold the effort more than others.
A community-oriented bookstore is a particularly retentive vessel. It is in the knitting, I think. There are so many strands, friendships with customers, community partnerships, school partners, staff friendships, a cornucopia of joint efforts and gestalt rewards offer so many layers of interwoven meaning to strengthen the innate character of our enterprise which is, after all, sharing books, sharing vessels of meaning.
In 25 years you’ve had plenty of time to talk Russian literature with someone you once picked out board books for. You’ve helped pick out a get well card for a customer and then discover that the card is for someone who has become very dear to you over the years so that you pick one out for her yourself and send it along. It is little wonder that the bookstore captures the effort poured into it so well and so dynamically.

Out of town well-wisher Elizabeth Bluemle wrote to me on the eve of the party to say that  “I hope it fills your heart and soul with the kind of joy that comes from lots of friends in one room who love books, small businesses, and each other.”  I thanked all those who attended accordingly!
Enough of the deep stuff, here are some photos!

First off, thanks to local cake artisan supreme Karlee Markovich for making this fabulous cake!

The party stared off with literary puzzle-solving and snacks. I brought folks up to speed and gave them answer sheets when they came in.

Here are people making their way over to try their hand at “matching the book to the object” and identifying “mystery book” titles from their diabolical clues.

 Mystery solvers ponder deeply. Can you guess what book those black shorts went with?

Then it was time to share the answers with everyone!

 Some people meant business, as Ernie here with a vintage World Book Night DDG t-shirt.

 Store and community favorite author Bill Roorbach was on hand to mark the 25th anniversary edition of his first book, Summers with Juliet. He read passages from whatever page audience members called out. Bold!

And then it was time for the cake. First in line, the cake maker’s son Kevin. Insider trading?!!!