Bloomsday Books
We Buy and Sell Rare and Used Books

Last weekend, Tom and I held our annual mid-summer party to celebrate our anniversary (which coincides with Canada Day) and Independence Day and Bastille Day and Tom's birthday. This year's party included a backyard showing of South Pacific, thanks to our great friend Steve Simpson and his dad Max, who's been a staple of the bookstore lo these many years.

We included the mandatory singing of La Marseillaise, using the scene from Casablanca for our inspiration. Tom leads the chorus wearing his genuine French kepi, we hand out the lyrics so everyone can sing along. By about the third or fourth time, we've got a rousing noise going. Vive le France!

The day included swimming, the now famous water rugby game and the annual showing of Rendezvous -- the eight-minute cinema verite high-speed expedition through the streets of Paris. After the tikis were lit, the crowd settled into chairs around the pool.

That's when it hit me. The event had nothing -- and everything -- to do with Bloomsday. As I looked across the assemby of friends, I realize how so many of them became friends through the bookstore. First as browsers, then as customers, sometime or regular barflies, but ultimately people with whom we love to spend our time, people we care about, people who care about us.

It's all about connecting and participating. It's going to be different in the online world, but it's even more important. So, we'll reach out ... and count on you to do so, too. Thanks again to all who have supported Bloomsday Books in our 14 years as an open shop, and to all who've helped us in so many ways, and to all who will continue to use Bloomsday for books, fun and fellowship.