You all know how hard I have been working trying to declutter our cottage over the past two years? I am getting there slowly but surely, but there is one area with which I struggle and that area is (and this will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me in real life) the book area. We have so many books…too many books. I have asked myself if one can have too many books and the bibliophile in me yells a resounding ‘Noooooo’, the home school mum in me shrieks an ear-piercing ‘Nooooo’, and the bog standard Claire in me whimpers ‘No, surely not….’ But the (mature) Christian in me points out that if God intended me to have this many books he also would have provided me with the storage space to keep them in. Alas, we have come to the end of wall space on which to build any more book shelves, or at least if we did it would make our cramped surroundings even more cramped. We have book shelves everywhere that is practical-
The living room:
The hallway:
The upstairs loo and hallway:
Bedrooms:
and we also have some where we don’t want any: the dining room for example (this is where we would one day like to build a door from our bedroom so we can fill in the door which leads through the new little girls’ bedroom):
Thing is I really want to get rid of some, but how? I find it really hard. Books are like old friends, precious and dear to me. They have seen me through the tough times whilst growing up and the happier times married to Gary. Each books tells not only the story written within but also the personal story of when I bought it, why I bought it, the times I read it either to myself or the children. They are full of my memories and are what made my younger childhood at home bearable.
I am not sentimental about anything bar photos and books. The photos get put on my blog which only takes up cyber space whilst the books take pride of place in my home. Thing is, if any more books move in we will have to move out!
I have been thinking how I might use them to bless others. I realise taking them to the charity shop blesses the people who buy them at the reduced price and also blesses the charity their money will go to support. I am always happy to do that with everything bar books. Books are more personal to me. Sooo, with Gary’s support, I will be choosing a book a day for the next wee while and adding it to a temporary page at the top of my blog (see page titled Books) Each day a new one will be put up. If you live in the UK and this or any other book would be a blessing to you then please feel free to email me. There is no limit and it will be on a first come first served basis. I will pay postage and packing. I will post them at the post office every Saturday and any unwanted books will go to the charity shop on the same day. This means the cache will be empty by Saturday afternoon and I will begin again, filling it on Monday. I will not be taking requests or orders! I will basically be making my way through a book-case at a time and offering what I come up with on that shelf. This will continue until I have enough room to build a door way! Most of the books will be curriculum or home school related in some way or will be books the younger ones have grown out of.
Unfortunately I am unable to post to any other countries due to postage costs rising steeply as soon as any ocean is involved. I wish we could afford to send them all around the world but we really can’t (sorry).
I hope this will bless a few of my readers in some small way.
Edited to add – I’ll be starting on Monday.