This Mystery

Having heard repeatedly that I need to get back to blogging, even though the book study has gone on hiatus, I am back at the drawing board. Fortunately, something of potential interest to my few readers has presented itself to me, so I pass on the mystery to you.
Sometimes we end up with connections to a person we have never met and will never meet through weird coincidences. I once bought a neat looking old book with a handwritten note in it stating who it belonged to and that she had died by her own hand. Flipping through it later I discovered that a clipping of her obituary was enclosed. A neat bit of history purchased for a few cents at a garage sale. I'm not even certain if the folks I bought it from were themselves connected to the woman. They lived next door to my great uncle in Baton Rouge, but I don't think they're still in his neighborhood, so I guess I will never know.
Of course, it's somewhat silly to say I'll never know. I suppose in this day and age, I choose not to know. The world is open to me. With this woman's obituary, I have an even greater opportunity to investigate her life than ever before.
Years later I purchased a suit of bedroom furniture at a used furniture store, and while moving it, I discovered something in the chest of drawers. We had all of the drawers pulled out and back inside the furniture, I found a certificate for a $25 US savings bond. I've sold the furniture since then, but I put that savings bond somewhere. I would love to try and find who it belongs to. If I remember correctly it was dated in the 60s. Someone might enjoy having that bond given back to them if I could ever find out who it belongs to...
But onto this mystery. Shortly before graduating from Samford, I was in the library looking through the discard books that are free to a good home at Auburn but cost 50 cents at Samford. I picked up a 1962 (first edition) copy of Steinbeck's Travels with Charley. Fresh off my thesis on Steinbeck's East of Eden, I was enamored with this author and I thought I would enjoy having an original print of this book. Truth is, the first time I've opened it was a few days ago. I had just finished James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and wanted a similar type of read. This seemed the logical choice.
Aside from the fact that I am thoroughly enjoying the book, I also unfolded a new mystery when I opened my copy of the book. In both the front and back cover, someone has handwritten the name Quimby in blue ink. This by itslef wouldn't be all that interesting, but inside was a postcard to a Mrs. W. E. Quimby of Blueberry Lane in Birmingham, AL. I know just where that is. The postcard is from the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History in Canada and is postmarked 1963. It's from someone named Buff.
Maybe some day I'll trace this mystery and find out who these people are. Today I'm just using it to tell a story and take up space on my blog...