Booking It!

 I've been working and haven't seen either of the grands the whole weekend.  Both of them have been to the County Fair and today Kenz was at a carnival at her school for a good part of the afternoon.



One of the pictures from my son's facebook page.

 I just called Kenzie. How was your weekend, sweetheart?  Great Nana, I love you, have to go. I'm hanging up. I knew she was tired and probably involved in a TV program  or a book, relaxing and kicking back. I love that her life is taking on so many new dimensions and I love that we are very close. One of things that we l-o-v-e to do together is go to the used book library sales.

I hope I am not creating a monster. This past week we went to the fill your bag for five dollar sale. Kenz got two bags of books (filled to the top). I got one bag. I watched, actually admired and rejoiced in Kenzie's enthusiasm as she flipped through Adolescent Fiction scanning titles to call her own. (Hey that's me!)


Bringing home the goodies, looking at our piles, like dumping out the Halloween Candy ...only better!


There wasn't much that was recognizable. No Harry Potter or Wimpy Kids, but there were plenty that looked delicious. I knew Kenz was addicted when she stuffed in more books than she had room for. I am not sad to say that her bookcase at home is full to capacity. I plan to get her another one soon. These treasures must be displayed.

Oh dear! In the age of Kindles and Ipads and free library downloads is this kind of collecting wise? Is it necessary? Yes I say. Yes it is. Real books are wonderful. Pages are wonderful. You never know when you will pick a book off the shelf, one that has been waiting for you to give it some thought or read it!

Books are the best decor. Collecting books though, does present some problems, like where do all these books live.

These things are on my mind because my husband and I plan to downsize soon. Do I get a three bedroom place (and work more shifts) so my books have a room of their own? Or... do I put them in my bedroom or the living room? Don't know. For decades they have lived in the playroom, and the closets and the dressers. In a smaller space, they might consume us. So I have reasoned, reasonably. I will take them to the used book store where they can live. If I need to visit they will always welcome me. Or maybe.. I will have a sale and sell them all ... I have hundreds. I will keep only my favs... I have tried to thin the ranks.  I did 'discard' some, but the Trader Joe bagful did not make a dent.

I know that it will be moving that will move me. I know that packing will dictate what stays and what goes. I am kind of nuts to have saved my Nursing Textbooks and my high school yearbooks and my even some of my children's workbooks. These won't be hard to let go of... or will they? I hope I am not one of those hoarders like on the program. But maybe I am.  Did I mention my children's book collection---awe inspiring.  Several months ago I moved all the chapter books over to Kenzie's house (with her help) but I still have my Pinkalicious series and If You Give a Mouse A Cookie series and all the Curious Georges..



Little Bro loves books. Is that a space on the top shelf? No, they are all on the floor. Moving them around is a fun activity. Browsing the stacks without leaving home.

  
 I have. I have....

 Here's a quote I read this weekend. It wasn't signed and it went something  like this. 

As we get older we have to give up having and be content with being. It helps to realize that we are not here forever if as we age, we detach from the need to have all these things

I'm done writing this blog entry, but  truthfully...in my soul, I have not budged on getting rid of any books. That's OK.They are patient. They will sit and wait for me. They will be there. They will even say good-bye.

Oh, maybe I'll go look for that book I know have somewhere. It's called Clearing Your Space. If I don't find it I have several like it.... Getting Organized, Downsizing...... yeah, yeah, yeah... sure.