So many books, so little time!

Tags

American Girl Magazine, Artful Blogging, Barnes & Noble San Luis Obispo, books, Glitter and Glue, Highlights for Children, How to be a Heroine, San Luis Obispo, The Aviator's Wife

I went a little crazy yesterday at the San Luis Obispo Barnes & Noble bookstore.  I really wasn’t ready to leave the Central Coast and return to Visalia, and I really wanted a bookstore “fix”, so I made a detour.  My intention was to buy a magazine and soak up some atmosphere, but I was captured by my surroundings. Every bookstore has its own personality; the Fresno Barnes & Noble seems cold and a bit pretentious, but SLO’s is as warm and welcome as the town itself.

I found my magazine right away:  the latest issue of Artful Blogging:  Visually Inspiring Online Journals.  If you love blogging, beautiful things, and/or journaling, treat yourself to this quarterly by the good folks at Stampington.  It is pure eye candy!  Then the American Girl Magazine called to me for Lily, and Highlights for Children was right next to it on the shelf for Olivia. (Not only do I feed my own habit, but theirs, too.)

I spent quite a bit of time in the children’s book section, as Lily has been wanting a particular book that the library doesn’t have, but as I couldn’t remember the title I just kept scanning the shelves, hoping it would jump out at me.  No dice.  And I decided against picture books for St. Patrick’s Day…we have bunches already and these weren’t particularly wonderful.

On the way out (right?) I picked up The Aviator’s Wife (about Ann and Charles Lindbergh), How to be a Heroine, or, What I’ve Learned from Reading Too Much, and then Glitter and Glue, a memoir.  They were “Buy 2, Get the 3rd Free”.  It was a moral imperative!

I generally refuse a bag when buying books, but the clerk was fast and the bag was marvelous!  San Luis Obispo County has banned single-use plastic bags; the front of this heavy paper shopping bag has the beginning paragraphs of Tom Sawyer, and on the reverse is Moby Dick.

My wonderful bag of books from Barnes & Noble.

When I got home I discovered that Lily’s Scholastic Books order had arrived, and she and I are now the proud owners of four volumes of The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.  I have had volume two for ages, but didn’t want to read it before The Lost Hero.

I think I’ll settle onto the couch with a cup of tea and read for awhile.  Care to join me?

 

Time to read/write

Tags

books, Louisa May Alcott, reading, writing

There’s no time to write tonight, simply time to read.  So the Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge continues.  I’ll catch up with other things tomorrow.

Sweet dreams, my friends.

Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge

Tags

books, Louisa May Alcott, Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge

Thanks to Tarissa at In the Bookcase, I will be taking on the Louisa May Alcott Reading Challenge this month.  As a little teaser, here is part of my Alcott collection.

Early editions of Louisa’s books.

Some later discoveries — written under a pseudonym.

Tomorrow I’ll decide which ones to re-read for this month’s challenge, and why.  If you would like to join me, head on over to In the Bookcase for more information.

K is for “know”

Tags

A-Z Challenge, books, family, friendship, imagination

Dictionary.com defines “know” as “to perceive or understand as fact or truth”.

Here are a few of the things I know today:

I know I will always have more books than bookcases, and still be wanting more of each.

I know that people are more important than things, and family is most important of all.

I know that the best kind of tired is the tired you earn through satisfying work.

I know that money isn’t everything, but it certainly can smooth life’s path.

I know that love worth having comes without strings attached.

I know that creativity requires a certain amount of messiness (at least, for me it does).

I know that a child’s imagination is her best toy.

I know that good friends help keep me young at heart.

I know that Trigger’s Horse has given me several wonderful imaginary friends, and I am grateful.

I know the best is yet to come.

What do you know today?

Goodnight

Tags

books, family, goodness, granddaughters, happiness, papercrafting

Today has been full of goodness. Full of papercrafting, full of granddaughters, full of good books, full of happiness. Sweet dreams, everyone, and may your days be full, as well.

Grief unexpected

Tags

books, church yard sale, decluttering, grief, Mom, storage

I was doing really well this morning, having gone to my storage place bright and early while it was still cool. My “letting go of books” mood of yesterday had carried over, and I found myself purging English lit texts that I had planned to keep for ever. I was on a roll…boxes and boxes of classic novels and cheap thrill reads were headed to the yard sale pile.

Then I opened an unlabeled box that looked like it was going to be books, but was actually random papers, photos, and scribbles from Mom. I should have just put the lid back on and dealt with it later, but like a moth to a flame I was drawn to a journal I had given her. I flipped it open and started to read, only to be hit with such an incredible wave of grief that it literally knocked me to my knees sobbing. I quite often get teary-eyed reading little notes I find tucked into books or dresser drawers, but they are usually happy tears. This was just flat-out “I want my Mama” wailing, of the sort that I thought I had gotten past, five years later.

Of course, sitting and sobbing wasn’t getting the job done, so eventually I shook myself off, wiped my face, and dug into another box. And I’m happy to report that between the book boxes and the little dressing table that used to be in Georgia’s room, I freed up quite a bit of space in my storage room. Which is a good thing, because the Chinese lacquer chest no longer fits her decorating scheme, so into storage it must go.

Here we are having our typically good time hanging out together with our doll-playing friends.

A happy moment at our doll club birthday party.

All dressed up for a Victorian garden party.

Up until today I was worried that we wouldn’t have enough stuff for a good sale, but all afternoon parishioners showed up with stuff and more stuff. I’m relaxed now, and sure that we will have a successful day. Drop by and see us if you are in the neighborhood!

Day #21: U is for Unusual

Tags

A-Z Challenge, books, elephants, family, giraffes, tree frogs

Merriam-Webster Online defines “unusual” as “Not normal or usual; different or strange in a way that attracts attention”.

I am thinking tonight about unusual things, and a list is forming in my mind. Here are a few of my favorite unusual things:

1) Elephants and giraffes. Long trunks and big ears, long necks and small ears; exotically unusual.
2) Tree frogs. Tiny critters with voices way too big for their bodies.
3) Antique books. In this day of mass production, hand-bound, leather-clad books are miraculously unusual.
4) Lily and Olivia. Incredibly smart and lovely, each in her own unusual way.
5) Chance, our furry family member. He is amazingly loyal, placid, and comfortable in his own fur.
6) Our family. Outstandingly drama-free, loving, caring…generation after generation of care and consideration that shouldn’t be unusual, but seems to be today.

I was shooting for 10 things, but my brain has stopped. So six is enough. Goodnight.

Day #14: N is for Numerous

Tags

A-Z Challenge, books, doll collecting, dolls, family stories, friends, frogs, petticoats, teapots, unicorns, vintage lingerie

Dictionary.com defines “numerous” as “very many; being or existing in great quantity”. Or as my young granddaughter would say, “lots and lots!”

Some fortunate (or possibly boring) people are very focused in their interests and only concentrate on one or two interests or activities. Then there are those of us whose interests are so scattered that “numerous” barely describes the breadth of our activities. I, of course, fall into that latter group.

I am a collector. I happily collect dolls (old, new, expensive, or affordable), and have done so since I was a small girl. My mother, grandmother, aunts, and sister are/were doll collectors, too. I have dolls from my childhood and one very special one that was my mother’s last childhood doll, as well as my daughter’s dolls that haven’t yet been given to her daughters. And I have numerous friends in two doll collecting clubs that add to the joy in my life.

I collect books. Or perhaps they collect me. They surround me with little islands of pleasure and story, carry me away to exotic places, or help me discover hidden treasures. There are books in book cases throughout the house, books stacked under my bed, books on my computer desk, books in my car. And in my rented storage space there are book cases overflowing with books, and boxes and boxes and boxes. I’m working at thinning them out, but it is a slow and torturous process.

I collect frogs…stuffed ones, pewter ones, porcelain ones, magical ones. Also a unicorn or a dragon or two (or perhaps three).

I collect vintage clothing, especially lingerie. Until my last go-round searching for cartons, cases, and hatboxes spread across my storage unit over my past two moves C is for Challenging, I had no idea how many wonderful lacy petticoats, split drawers, and chemises I actually own. The practical voice in my head says I need to cull my collection; the secret hoarder inside says, “No way!”

I collect family stories. They end up in my blog, in my photo albums, told to my children and grandchildren. Family stories connect the generations with each other and with our shared history.

I collect teapots and tea paraphernalia. Once upon a time I dreamed of having a tea room with my mother, and we started gathering teapots, English bone china cups and saucers, and other tea accessories. I’m not sure where that dream is right now.

But most satisfying of all, I collect friends and family. I am so blessed to have dear friends who have become family, and family who are dear friends. I appreciate the bloggers who visit and comment and the friendships we are forming as we share our writing. If what I have heard is true, and friends are the gifts we give ourselves, I have been a very generous giver!

Is there something especially numerous in your life? Comment and share in the fun!

My little corner of the world

Tags

books, NaBloPoMo, writing space

Today was pretty hectic, as I was on the Central Coast for my doll club meeting, and made the 3-hour drive back to Visalia this afternoon.  While I thought and thought as I drove home about what I would post tonight, nothing really “jelled” for me.

So I’m going to go with today’s NaBloPoMo prompt, and share my little corner of the writing world…

When I moved in with my daughter last year, I gave up my huge corner computer desk because it took up WAY too much room.  It was filled with nooks and crannies, all of them jam-packed with papers, photographs, and memorabilia.  If I had brought it into my new bedroom, there would not have been room for my bed!  For the past year my computer has been sitting on a “temporary” 4′ folding table in my bedroom, surrounded by even more heaps and piles of papers, photographs, and memorabilia.  (I keep thinking I will either find a smaller desk for it, or switch from my PC to a laptop, and need even less room.)  Beneath the table are stacks and stacks of books that I am either reading, getting ready to read, or needing to share with a friend.

Offering inspiration are cabinets filled with many of my favorite dolls, and walls covered with an eclectic mixture of photos, stitchery, paintings, and sayings.  My favorite is a little framed piece I call the story of my life, that reads, “I put it where I knew I could find it when I needed it.  Now that I need it, I can’t remember where I put it, but I’m sure it will show up when I’m not looking for it, and then it will be in the way.” I inherited this room from my young granddaughters, so the walls are cotton-candy pink accented with random butterflies and flowers.  The boxes of valuable “stuff” to be sorted, given away, or taken to storage are behind me, so they don’t interfere with my concentration or inspiration (until I get up for my next cup of Mango Ceylon tea, at least).

Someday I will have a bigger space, but for now, this one is cozy and right in the heart of the family I love.

So many books, so little time…

Tags

biblioholic, books, clutter, collections, retirement

“My name is Fawn, and I’m a biblioholic*”.  As some of you know, I have down-sized my living arrangements twice in the past three years — from a 4-bedroom, 3-car garage house with my spouse to a 2-bedroom, 2-car garage apartment by myself to one bedroom in my daughter’s home.  The key to successfully making these moves has been renting a storage space, and then another (bigger) storage space.  Three-fourths of the boxes in my storage units are either books (read “very heavy”) or china (read “very fragile”).  Three-fourths of the furniture in my storage units is bookcases (full to overflowing).  There are books stacked under my bed, under my computer table, and on my bedroom floor. There are books stacked in my Jeep.  The bookcases in the house are full, too.  You get the picture!

For the past couple of weeks I have been working to consolidate both storage units (on two different properties) into one 10 X 25′ unit.  I keep encountering boxes marked “Fawn’s books from hallway”, “Fawn’s books from bedroom”, “children’s books — keep”, “good cookbooks from kitchen” (there are four boxes of those), “good books — mostly quilting”, and so on.  I have an entire library of books on women’s suffrage and women’s health, from the days of the Tulare County Women’s Wellness Organization & Resource Center.  More recently, books on women in the Bible and spirituality have begun collecting me.  And as my mother once observed, I could “go along way towards eliminating clutter in my life by getting rid of all my books about de-cluttering my life.”

As addictions go, ending my dependence upon alcohol many years ago was much easier than letting go of my books — probably because I knew I had to stop before it killed me.  My books probably won’t kill me…unless a stack of boxes falls on me…but I’m finding that they have become a burden, instead of a joy.  These days when I see a new, intriguing book, my first thought is often “I’d like to have this”, but the thought that immediately follows is “I don’t have room for it”.  And as I continue to simplify and refine my life as a retiree and stay-at-home (grand)mom, I am beginning to realize that I don’t want or need to be bogged down by the mental and physical weight of thousands of books, no matter how wonderful they may be.

So I’ve set myself a new task or two, and am asking my readers to witness my promise.  As soon as I complete my storage consolidation (in the next couple of days, hopefully), I am going to tackle those books one box at a time, ruthlessly purging all but the most precious and passing them on to the local chapter of the American Association of University Women.  They can then sell them to fund scholarships for deserving women, and my books can have happy lives with new families.  If I can cut my collection in half, my load (and my spirits) will be lifted enormously!

Watch this space for progress reports!

*biblioholic:  one possessed by the habitual longing to purchase, read, store, admire, and consume books in excess.  (Check out Tom Raabe’s Biblioholism, The Literary Addiction, Fulcrum Publishing, 1991.)