A couple of years ago, I came across an interesting piece during one of my retro treasure hunts that made its way home with me. It was originally an item I came across, snapped a quick picture of, and moved on. For reasons inexplicable to me, I felt a strange urge to go back and take a closer look at this small crafted leather notebook. I immediately put a hold on my treasure hunt, and made my way back across the store to take a gander at it.
For some strange reason.. I found myself deeply enthralled with this crafty Latvian notebook, and felt compelled to go back and take a closer look at it. What was written inside piqued my interest even more.
A note on the inside cover reads:
To: Mrs. Dohra Fuehrer
Merry Christmas
From:
Latvian Ladies and Pastor
12-24-1973
This item seems to have hardly been used, apart from nine pages missing from the note pad. I love finding quirky and unique items like this, because they really get my mind working. What era is depicted on the front of this book? What were the "Latvian Ladies".. a Latvian Lutheran ladies club perhaps? What significance does the image on the back of the notebook cover hold?
This notebook was obviously nicely taken care of for the better part of 40 years, which means it may have been a cherished gift. It then brings questions to mind like when, how, and why did it part ways with its owner?
Items like books, Bibles, and old antiques that have been personalized in this manner always tend to catch my interest. It adds another dimension to their uniqueness, not to mention an air of humanity. I guess this book is so intriguing to me, because of the mystery surrounding it. I've already begun scouring the web for images similar to the ones imprinted on these leather covers, so as to learn more about them. I've also read some history on Latvia and am still trying to figure out exactly who and what the "Latvian Ladies" were.
So in the end, a 40 year old leather notebook ended up getting me to take time out of my busy life, to learn about an entirely different culture and church that I'm not familiar with. So much of life is about imagining, growing, and learning new things, and buying this little book for a couple of bucks.. has helped me to do a little more of all those things. It was definitely the best two bucks I've spent in a long time!