Shop for books at the VNSA Book Sale.

The 55th Annual VNSA Used Book Sale is being held on February 12th and 13th, 2011, at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona. “VNSA” originally stood for Visiting Nurse Service Auxiliary, who were the original founders of the book sale back in 1957. The name changed but the logo remained the same – “VNSA” now stands for Volunteer Nonprofit Service Association. Doors for the VNSA Book Sale open each day at 8:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. Get there EARLY to get a head start on the books; lines start forming as early as 4:00 a.m. both mornings! People can get into such a frenzy for this book sale that it obliged the organizers of the event to post the policy, “All patrons must walk, not run, when entering the sale and while moving around the building, keeping safety in mind.”

Tens of thousands – perhaps even hundreds of thousands – of used (and some new) books are stacked, lined, and piled up along isles and isles of tables, shelves, and cases, taking up an enormous space inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Books are organized by every topic imaginable, including an area for rare books, and an updated layout map is posted to their official website every January. This is for the exact purpose of helping folks come up with a game plan for getting to the books that they need. Seriously, I’ve stood in line and listened to folks planning as if they were preparing for battle. Watches were synchronized. Maps were drawn out. Veterans of the event told dramatic tales of book sales gone by. It’s fascinating.

Admission is free, though the Arizona State Fairgrounds charges a parking fee. Merchandise payment is accepted in the form of cash, LOCAL checks, Visa, Mastercard, and debit cards showing the Visa or Mastercard logo. Shopping carts are provided for those with a mind towards stocking up, and shipping services are available for out-of-state visitors.

The VNSA book sale supports The Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, The Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County, and The Toby House. Like-new-condition books can sell for PENNIES, many sell for just a buck, and there is a vast variety to hunt through. More likely than not, you will find gems at this book sale that you will not find anywhere else. It’s an unlikely adventure, but it is fun. It’s kind of like a treasure hunt, really.

Be prepared to be canny, though. Like I said, folks line up EARLY (the biggest crowd is on Saturday) and they strategize all year round for this event. Some take the VNSA book sale VERY seriously. Watching and listening to the avid book hunters is a form of entertainment in itself. So go, have fun, find some good reads, and support some excellent causes!

Photo credit: “browsing for books” by Special KRB on Flickr Creative Commons.

Click the image to learn more about the cause.

When you think of a vacation in the English countryside you probably think of cottages and tea and that rapscallion Mr. Darcy.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Then there are those with different ideas.  In just a few days a collection of people from all corners of the world, including a couple of UpTake’s very own (Phil and Ed, respectively, who will be sharing details from their trip upon their return) are doing something that may seem a bit off the beaten path.  Keyword: path.  They are partaking in a six day walking vacation along Hadrian’s Wall (built by the Romans!).  That’s 84 miles along the border with Scotland, which covers the entire width of England.

Now before you ask if they are crazy, please allow me to say that, yes, they are.  However, that has nothing to do with this trip.

The walk is something of a causecation.  Charitcation? Vacarity? It’s a charity vacation, they are traveling to England to help a cause. A damn good one.

The Joseph Salmon Trust is a charity offering financial support to parents who have lost a child. It was founded in memorial of Joseph Salmon who died in his sleep at the age of 3.

I can’t even imagine.

One of the driving forces behind the trust and the subsequent walk(s) — yes, they’ve walked before, is one Dan Hughes, blogger extraordinaire in the aforementioned England. The man’s heart more than makes up for his awkward attempts at humor (kind of like that one).  He’s a great guy and he has championed the cause on behalf of his friends the Salmons.

If you are able to donate anything at all to support the cause please visit their website. All donations go directly into the trust.

It is a far, far better thing that they do.

UpTake on Pie Ranch

My calendar now has every third Saturday of the month blocked out for volunteer farm day, pot luck and barn dance at Pie Ranch. I can get dirt under my finger nails and do-si-so all in one day. Git on yer boots and swing yer partner!!

You may ask yourself, “what exactly is Pie Ranch? What does it all mean?”

I discovered Pie Ranch while driving on Highway 1 south of Pescadero and Pigeon Point and I saw the sign in front of an old barn beckoning me in, “Pie Ranch”.  Hmmm, I imagined fields of pie grazing on lush green grass like free range cattle or chickens. I have a really active imagination! So, I had to satisfy my curiosity and perhaps craving for pie and pulled into the dirt parking lot to find out the answer.

The answer is Pie Ranch is a non-profit educational farm with the mission “to inspire and connect rural and urban people to know the source of their food, and to work together to bring greater health to the food system from seed to table.” Read More »

UpTake on Port Au Prince, Haiti

UpTake for HOPE!

It was 17 days ago that a massive earthquake hit Haiti. This “UpTake” is of a helicopter delivering first aid kits to people camped near the Haitian National Palace. Now more than ever, Haitians are looking up to see the result of everyone worldwide reaching out to make these deliveries possible. In a time of great need, this is when the inert goodness of humanity shines through; we care and we bond together to bring hope to those who need it.

For more information on how you can help, please check out Unicef or The American Red Cross. You can also text “HAITI” to “90999″ to donate $10 to the American Red Cross. This charge will be added to your cell phone bill.

If you are a Starwood Member, you can transfer points to donation dollars! 4,000 points equals $50! Hilton, Marriott and other are also transferring points. Find out how you can help.

This post is part of our blog photo series: Things are Looking Up! If you would like to share one of your “UpTakes”, please submit your photo by using the editor contact link in the sidebar.

Photo courtesy of: United Nations Development Programme