Books and more books

 

When I was a child I only had three books that I could call my own.
My older sister had loads of books. It was assumed that she shared, she did not. I was a very poor reader. 

When I went into Elementary Education I was still a poor reader. It took several years to improve my reading speed and comprehension. The more I read the better I got. SURPRISE! 

Still, by missing those early years of reading I never, properly, learned to spell or understand writing rhythm (cadence). It has come over the years, but it is a slow process. My husband is much the same way. We both are highly educated. We both can read someone else's work and see it, but those qualities allude us in our daily life. 

It was after we married that I began to collect books. So many books. Hundreds of books. My classroom libraries overflowed. I insisted that students read, read, read. Math and reading. Reading and math. Hind site I insisted a bit too much for some children. But I digress. 

 My husband, patiently, moved 50 boxes of books from Flagstaff to Kansas to Delaware. Can you imagine 50 boxes? My daughter has, patiently, accepted about 15 boxes while homeschooling/ supplementing  her children. My son has taken a box or two for his children. That leaves---a lot. And so, I have been going through my books.  

Believe it or not, I have read almost every book on my shelves. There are a few, that I inherited from my Grandfather,  that are beautiful but unread. Otherwise this has been a memory lane journey. The smell, the touch, the remembering where and when I bought it. The thoughts of warmth as books became my friends. 

Books are being divided. Ten boxes of media rate books were sent out on Friday to teachers and young families. Children books, early novels, joyful books, learning books.  My Native American books went to a Navajo friend who is now a school counselor. Those were hard to part with.

Then there are the books that were just fun. Dan Silva, Dan Brown, Jane Quinn. So far about ten boxes have gone to Vietnam Veterans' store. IF the library were open, they would have gone there. 

And still there is more. Ten boxes are packed for our next house.... that should be plenty. Sigh. What to do with the rest of them?