From One Book Lover To Another

We have these delightful friends, Tim and Barbara, that are missionaries in Ireland.  They are home right now, for at least a year, while he works on his Master's degree.  The only sad part is they will be in Louisville, KY for this, so we won't see them at church weekly, but hey, it's about a 9 hour drive!

We invited their family to dinner the other evening, so that we could squeeze in a visit before they head to Kentucky, and it worked out for the older kids to go to their weekly Ultimate Frisbee game.

Barbara brought me a hostess gift.  If you love books you're going to be jealous.

 She also brought me an Irish tea towel, Dark Orange Marmalade, a wee silver spoon, and some Irish tea.  She knows me well!

 It was given as a prize to a Thomas Rushford for proficiency in English on May 8, 1879.

 The first book is Silent Tom.  It also says An American Prize Tale.  This is a link to what I could find out about the book.  Another link said it was a Temperance book from 1875.

 Now we are going to have to make scones.

She also brought me this book.

Written by Kathleen M. Macleod, Barbara thought I might like it because it takes place in Scotland.

I'm very blessed in my friends, am I not?

Do you collect books?  Do you read old books?