Still here!
Just in one of my moods to live my life without feeling I must write about all the details. And working on the 'being excellent thing' with the daily stuff. And too, sometimes we all need breaks from our blogs or voicing details with Real Life friends. Sometimes we just desire to do some major pondering, to keep things to ourselves. For awhile, anyway.
But I will share this: I discovered room for at least 30 more books here at Hobbit Cottage so while considering my new hobby search I thought, "Perhaps I could go on an intensive book search before winter so to find those 30 books. That would make for a spiffy hobby, indeed."
And yet? After counting the books I already own (around 300), I wondered, "Just how many books do I really neeeed? Considering I gave away/sold 6 boxes of books before we moved, these remaining ones must be special to have survived The Great Book Culling of 2011. Shouldn't I just be content with my 300 wonderful books? Shouldn't I just feel grateful for them, especially the ones I desired for many years before I got to buy them?"
I'm thinking I should.
And I'm also remembering how often I've bought books simply because my online friends had large collections of our favorite author(s) and I wanted to keep-up, even if I didn't necessarily enjoy those extra books. (Oh, those subtle motives!)
So no, there won't be a Rabid Book Search Hobby.
Of course, yes, I'll still casually search through stacks of yard sale books (or ones online). Yet I'll keep it all low-key, sane and balanced. Snatch up a book once in awhile, take it home, hold it, page through it, read it, treasure it--or give it away.
I like the sound of that. And I'm thinking God might, too.
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It's a cool, but sparkling, bright day here, the sun is shining through the windows on the sunny side of the house and all is well.
I hope you are experiencing the same.
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"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you." ... Hebrews 13:5
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I think we enjoy books for the same reason...the feel of the pages, the worn covers and pages from previous readers, the smell! I am trying to downsize my load...my shelves are crammed but I have never counted them. I even have a shelf of unread books. I need MORE time!
ReplyDeleteXO,
Jane
Ah books...such a temptation to me that I rarely ever go into a book store and rarely allow myself to look at ones in thrift shops either. I DO HOWEVER, once in awhile, shop a bit on Amazon and depending on the book, often buy ones that I basically get for the shipping. But I am going to have to cull a great deal of what I have too. Also, have not counted mine and they are in every room of the house, except the bathrooms. But what we own, owns us too...and in the future I think space will be in short supply, so one must prioritize. But tis so hard to give away books, some of which have been as friends.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth in NC
I have had to cut back on many books. That is a hard, hard , hard thing to do. Now I am not buying one more till I go through all and read a stack I have of ones i think I can read and pass on. I am trying to realize that if I fall in love with a book it is soooo much harder to part with it later so best to not look hard and bring another one in! :) I have given myself a year from buying after I really really look through the ones I have. I used to think..well I could just get a book I want from the library. Not anymore. Even the classics are not on the shelfs and they tell me even of those there is one in the whole system..and IF it is there still they can get it. So what happens when that one is not returned or too worn out to loan out? It is amazing how many of the new popular authors you can find but no older classic authors. Just when I feel I can give up books they hit me with this! :) I have sought out families that love books and given many to different ones. Also many homeschoolers have wanted certain subjects I can provide. There are no used book stores in our whole area any more. So sad. Needless to say I love books...but can't have all I want and like you must call a limit. I have a friend who uses the library often. Every time she gets out more books than she can read during that time. She gets out ones she loves , or classics to keep them in circulation. Libraries go by the number of times books are lent out to decide what to keep. Daniel Steele has rows and rows !! But again of the older classic authors...only 3 books total for the 5 different authors she asked about. !!! Well that is enough to say but I have decided to keep searching through my stacks and keep only the best of the best. Any additions that I may make someday will have to be thought twice about. Did I say though...I love books! Sarah
ReplyDeleteMy problem, too, Debra! I've been giving away bags and bags of books, but I know I still have too many! So I'll keep working on it. I use the library a lot!
ReplyDelete