In my heart, I am a book person.
And one of my guilty pleasures is very. old. books.
Remember a few months ago when I wrote about Nancy Shea’s ‘The Army Wife’?
Well, in the last few pages of her book, was a list of references including a few memoirs written by Military Spouses of their adventures during the late 1800s. And after scouring Amazon and Etsy, I discovered quite a few books written both in first person and third person about this unique time in the United States’ Westward expansion.
Yeah – yeah. I’m a nerd.
But honestly – Did you know “Libbie” Custer (wife of General George Armstrong Custer) wrote several books about their adventures in the west? Could you imagine moving around the great plains in a tent?
What about attempting to move and set up house where your belongings are carried in a covered wagon?
In the process of ordering books, I ended up with two copies of “Glittering Misery” written by Mrs. Patricia Y. Stallard. Written in 1972, it is one of the first comprehensive works to describe and share the life of military dependents through journals, interviews, and rare photographs.
So because I love my readers, I have decided to share my extra copy with one of you!
“Us nerds we gots to stick together man!”
To Enter
Please leave me a comment with why you would like to win this book and what your plans are for this weekend! Feel free to share on FB, Twitter, G+, Pony Express, or Signal fire to let your friends know they can leave a comment and win YOU the perfect gift. (What are good friends for right?)
A winner will be selected via Random.org on Sunday evening 6pm Mountain Time (that’s El Paso time too ya’ll!) and your book will be mailed to you on Monday. This post will be updated with the winner’s information.
Good Luck!
Note: This giveaway is sponsored by me, and my love of very. old. books. We like to read books and were a little too clicker happy while shopping on Amazon. Also – Amazon had nothing to do with this. They have no idea who Household 6 Diva is. Okey Dokey? Roger that. Household6 over and out.
8/12 Update: And the winner is…. Commenter #15, Ms Louellen Lawson!!! Please email me at household6diva@gmail.com with your address so I can mail you your new book! 
August 10, 2012 at 9:45 am
I would love to read this book. I really enjoy these biographies. I have another one for you… Land of Enchantment by Marian Russell. It’s about an army wife who lived up north from you in NM. I found it just before I moved here and it was fun to read about what this area was like early in American history and from a military wife perspective too!
Kristi recently posted..Deployment: Super Busy vs Dull Routine
August 10, 2012 at 9:49 am
Oh girl, I love old books too! I’d love to win this book and then get to dive into it!! My plans for this weekend are cleaning (I know exciting), Chad and the big boys are going to mow a lawn that they’ve been hired to mow for the summer and fall, and if it doesn’t rain, I’m going to take the family to a local park and take some pictures (that’s if it doesn’t rain and they get back at a decent hour). Sunday after church a friend is coming to stay here and watch our oldest 4 kids, while Chad, Olivia, and I drive up to Ramstein for Chad to have a procedure done to kill the nerve in his back that was damaged from the bolt and rod that was in his back after his accident.
Christy recently posted..Johnson update
August 10, 2012 at 10:10 am
I’d love to win that book! I live out on a ranch in Northern CA that has been in the family since 1947, western things have always appealed to me! I find older books so interesting to and the county I live in was a big part of the gold rush. This weekend I’m actually going to Family Day where my husband does his reserve duty. After him spending the last 3yrs of our marriage in Germany and being Active Duty while I’ve been here in CA with my parents it’s amazing and a little nerve wracking to have him home now and for us to be able to go to an event together! The reserves are really working out nicely for us
Marie Lester recently posted..Payday Perspective
August 10, 2012 at 10:19 am
I LOVE LOVE LOVE old books I know it sounds crazy but I love the sound of closing the book that criso snap once I have read it. I get so excited when I find old cook books, old history books and ARMY books ( yes even old FM’s from days gone bye) I once found a book called The 30th Infantry Division in WWII at a thrift store. I was in a hurry & bought it.Once I got it home it was then to relized that the book was once Arthur A Kraft’s & he was a mortar man just like my own husband and he won the Bronze Star. In the book he wrote all of this along with the page number he was on. Maybe that is why I love old books so, to see what fingers have written or what was underlined. I love finding old clippings , notes and book marks. When I read about your fab find The Army Wife I was on and still am on a mission to find one for myself. I have to say every once in a blue moon you find an old cook book from and army wife and it is then I am in heaven…lol Ps There is a book that was written in 2001 called At Freedoms Table -More Thank 200 Years of Receipes & Remberances from Military Wives . I got it at the Ft Benning PX. I know it is not old but you would love it. It is by Caroyln Quick Tillery. Thanks for being a Book Nerd with me:)
August 10, 2012 at 10:29 am
Ohhh I adore old books…well all books. I got a degree in English solely so I could read my way through college
. My husband and I dream of expanding our “library” enough to have a whole room full of books, floor to ceiling books! We already have an entire section of military books (mostly his) and Army wife books (all mine; I had to learn the ropes somehow!)
This weekend we’re painting some rooms in our new house as we continue to settle into life in Germany then taking a day trip to Würzberg!
August 10, 2012 at 10:30 am
I would love to win this book because I also have an affinity for old books, and being a military spouse it sparks my intrigue knowing that Military wives were sharing there stories in that day and age, and it makes me want to read their stories as a way of connecting with the women who came before me, and to see what kind of lessons I could learn from them.
Kylie recently posted..Etsy
August 10, 2012 at 11:08 am
I don’t have a wordy way of saying I would just like it so I can read it, lol…
Our weekend, we will be scouting out a campground in which to camp sometime in the next few weeks, as a last hurrah of summer activities.
Tara
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August 10, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Super cool!! I’d love to read it because I got my degree in History, specifically 19th Century America, and I love anything about the West. Seriously, I’m drooling over this book!
Weekend plans? Spending time with the husband and baby, of course!
August 12, 2012 at 10:18 pm
For sure these books are interesting to read since these talk about the military spouse life. Encouraging points of view will be able to get from these books.
Lane Howke recently posted..Low Male Libido: What Happens when your husband has lost his passion for sex
August 10, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Well that’s the neatest thing I have ever heard of! This is one thing I never thought to search out…books written by military wives from long gone past. This sounds right up my alley.
Weekend? Trying to get those last few pictures up (the big ones) and a set of curtains before hopefully enjoying a mountain hike before the afternoon rains come!
Life Lessons of a Military Wife recently posted..Do you know about this H.E.A.R.T.Math Resilience Training?
August 10, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Would love the to win, although my hubby might disagree since we are also in the process of unpacking and this would distract me from that task I guess
Thanks for sharing the books, will have to check them out regardless…talk about some perspective of how much easier we really have it in the modern world!
Mindy recently posted..Stuff and More stuff
August 10, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Oh, man, I am a sucker for books too!! I think a quarter of our weight allowance is taken up by our books alone… But I am a total nerd too, I find the Army wife history fascinating! I think this was spurred on by a visit to Ft. Laramie as a teenager (it is seriously SO cool, definitely worth a visit if you’re even remotely close to Wyoming). As for this weekend, we have family in town so we’re taking a trip up to White Sands.
Thanks for sharing with us fellow nerds!
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August 10, 2012 at 2:52 pm
I started my collection when I found a dusty copy of the Army Woman’s Handbook from 1942. Between my husband, who collects the old military handbooks and myself we have a few treasures. At least we think so! My mother in law has written one you would enjoy, Members of the Regiment, if you can find a used copy. It’s a textbook and costs a small fortune otherwise! But it’s along the same lines, wives on the frontier.
I thoroughly enjoy your blog and hope you enjoy El Paso! My dad was stationed there in the 80′s and right after Desert Storm. It’s not the same place it was then but my sisters and I loved it when we lived there!
August 10, 2012 at 5:19 pm
This is awesome! I have read all the newer military spouse books, but it never even occurred to me to look up the older ones! This would be great reading. I’m going to have to try to find some of those now.
Kara recently posted..Back to School Already!!
August 10, 2012 at 10:03 pm
I love books! True stories are my favorite and when I can relate to them, even in the smallest way, it makes them even better. This is the 1st weekend in MONTHS that my husband and I have had absolutely nothing on the schedule and we’re so excited to do NOTHING all weekend. Our most exciting plans are to watch some Olympics and maybe a movie or 2!
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August 11, 2012 at 5:36 am
I would love the book because I enjoy studying history. I enjoy books. Old books, my husband and I helped our daughter ( then @16 yrs old) dumpster dive for very old books that were being thrown out. We missed the owner’s call saying he was gonna throw them out if we didn’t want them…..he went ahead and threw them out, that evening it rained, the next day we were dumpster diving to salvage what we could…it was hot outside. When we moved she transported every book. Today we are going to a surprise birthday party, tomorrow-church and possibly the Indiana State Fair!
louellen lawson recently posted..Dragonfly
August 11, 2012 at 8:56 am
I love reading books—and win it or not I plan to get some of these. I teach high school and I am also going to go visit the history teachers to see if they have anything like this. For my weekend, mostly it is all the normal stuff—laundry, sweep, mop, etc. Again—welcome to Texas—I am about 5 hours away—Texas is a big place.
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August 11, 2012 at 3:08 pm
I’d love it! I’m an unabashed history lover and an avid reader. As for my weekend plans? I’m sorting, organizing and prepping to PCS to Fort Sill in a few weeks. Eek! I’d better get offline and back to work!
August 11, 2012 at 9:12 pm
I love books … and history! This looks right up my alley!!!
This weekend ~ it’s all family time!! It’s the first full weekend since my hubby returned from deployment!!!!
August 12, 2012 at 9:37 am
How fun- we love anything history & this would be fun addition to our library. I had planned on sorting and organizing the office/school room but it’s so stinking hot we’re heading to the beach instead. Love your new profile pic!!
August 14, 2012 at 8:19 am
I love reading historical book so I will definitely like to read this The Army wife. For sure I can get many valuable information on this book.
Shantelle Broze recently posted..Tips to Whiter Teeth and a Brighter Smile
August 15, 2012 at 5:34 am
My cousin loves to read books and I saw this book on her mini-library. One of these days I will borrow this book. It seems very interesting book to read.
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