When we moved everything from the shop on North Main, we pulled items that would help bring John’s meeting space to our house, and this corner became the place. Here are his books, his first typewriter which he bought when he was in the army. He spent his whole paycheck on it and so he couldn’t go out with his friends but had to stay home and learn how to type.
Here, too are books, some by writers he admires: Mark Twain, GK Chesterton, (his photo is there, too.), and, of course, The Bible, several versions, plus study guides and commentaries, and the small Pieta statue which he bought in Rome after his army tour had ended. There is a winter photo of Shullsburg WI where his family lived. It was given to him by one of his cousins.
On the top shelf: the stainless steel “jgc” letters given to him by Annie; a small evergreen, which is the hero of our signature title, The First Forest. Right now, it has unlit colored lights, but the lights are plugged in during the Christmas season. For John, they have to be colored lights to be Christmas lights. Also on the top shelf are the Spanish edition and the Chinese edition of The First Forest. The winter scene painting is one I picked up when I was attending auctions and scouting estate sales and thrift stores for my shop, Just A Second. The painting reminded me of a scene on the pages of The First Forest. Also there sits the mug with the large snowball on it that John was given after one of his school programs. Added for winter are more snow balls and some frosted pine cones. Hiding behind the books is a globe. I added that because the shelf needed another item with some height, and a globe is always appropriate, since John’s school programs took him to the other side of the world
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