Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ms. Wise & Ms. Otherwise LOVE the Library

Didya miss me? We've been crazy busy and had sick people around here, so I have been slacking with my posting! I've been attempting to keep up with everything else. Today, however, I took two munchkins and got out of the house for a little bit. It was really quite nice to just take a few moments to do something enjoyable.

I am so lucky because I have access to lots of libraries within 1/2 hour of my house. We have big libraries, small libraries and in between sized libraries. We frequent the small one closest to our house the most often. But there are things I like about each of the different libraries we have around.

Here's the way Princess, Peanut and I like to do things at the library. Usually we have a book or two in mind that we want to get. We go find those first. Then we peruse the fiction shelves for something that just leaps out and says, "I am it! Take me!"

Next, it is on to the nonfiction section where we think about what we have been studying in science, history, etc. As we ramble around the aisles, we try to spot titles that have something to do with anything we have recently learned. When we find such a treasure, we exclaim excitedly (in hushed tones, of course). This time, we found a couple of books about Troy and the Trojan War. We picked up a couple of dvd's and videos to accompany our science projects. Unfortunately we didn't spot any "Popular Mechanics for Kids" dvd's which the kids really like.

As we were meandering along, {actually it was more toward gallivanting than meandering since we were late picking up Nan, but I like the word meander, so I used it.} Anywho... As we were meandering along, my eye gravitated toward the books pictured below. I had been intending to read "The Well-Trained Mind" and haven't gotten around to it yet, so I thought--why not!

What else have I been reading lately? I just polished off "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. {Okay, someone refresh my memory. Am I supposed to use italics, quotes or something else when writing the title of a book?? I always forget that, even though I have taught it more than once!} The Hiding Place is such an amazing book. If you haven't read it, I highly, highly, highly recommend it! It reads like a novel, but teaches profound principles and truths. The story is of a woman and her family who hid Jews during WWII. She wound up in a concentration camp, yet she and here sister were able to find miracles and goodness around them. This book is a great pick-me-up for faith and gives you wonderful new ideas of how to find more gratitude in your life. Now I am in the middle of reading the sequel "Tramp for the Lord". I've read both before, but they are worth reading over and over.

I seem to always be in the middle of many books at once. That way, there's always something that I am in the mood for when I get time to read. I read abundantly using little snippets of time. I am a book nut--I am genetically inclined to be so. My parents have bookcases overloaded with books. I have noticed the same trend in at least some of my sibling's homes. And then there's my home. I have more bookcases than bedrooms. Here's a random sampling from my shelves:

Several classics that become beloved, start with these that are easier to read.
Little Golden Books, Go Dog Go! And many more! (Incidentally, you must read Go Dog Go! with a decidely Brittish accent for the reading to be at its most enticing.)

There you have it. My trip to the library refreshed and rejuvenated me. Snapping silly pictures of my books helped me reminisce. Mmmmm! Aaaaah! Feels good. :)

Now, it is your turn. Tell me, what are you reading? What is your favorite way to visit the library? How many bookcases do you have? Which book must YOU read with a foreign accent?

7 comments:

Mom of 5 Boys said...

Currently, I'm reading the Book of Mormon (nightstand for reading in the morning), Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (in the bathroom), August by Gerard Woodward (nightstand, morning reading), Unlocking the Powers of Faith by Garth Allred (nightstand, morning reading), The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O'Rourke (in my purse), The Change Your Life Challenge by Brook Noel (at my desk), Overcoming Depression by Richard Mower (in the car), and Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry (an ebook on my computer). Yes, all at once, although obviously not at the exact same time.

And I do have more bookcases than bedrooms.

CompleteLee Blogger said...

LOL!! I do believe you are "worse" than I am!

Mom of 5 Boys said...

That's because I'm your older sister. I learned the habit first. My goal is to read 180 books this year. I track them on Shelfari. I'm at 19 or 20 at the moment (since 1/1/09).

The best part is, I'm raising a bunch of kids who are crazy readers too. :)

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love the library as well, and I am soooooo excited that a brand new one is opening within walking distance of our house. I have waited for this day for 8.5 years.

I am currently reading many magazines donated to me by a friend. The one I have on top is "Clean Eating" and I have several "Experience Life" magazines, both of which are about healthy eating, which I am all about.

My son told us yesterday at the dinner table that his friends make fun of him because his family only makes him eat "healthy, organic" food and no junk food. Well, we told him there were much worse things that people could make fun of him about, blah, blah, blah.

We only have one bookcase in our house as we don't have much furniture anyway, and the one bookcase is my son's closet, chockful of all kinds of books and magazines. No, wait. I have one bookcase in my home office that contains both my mother's old Nancy Drew books and my not-so-old Nancy Drew books. I have many, many, many books in boxes, but until my husband can build us some furniture, I really don't have anywhere to put them. He currently has all his woodworking books in a stack on the floor in the hallway next to his computer!!

Jennifer v.

Laurie said...

I LOVE books!! I'm obsessed with them. Seriously. Other women buy shoes and purses. I buy books.

Let's see... We have six and a half bookcases. (One's only 3 shelves.) And even then, I have books sitting on the floor, waiting for a spot.

We like to visit the library with a huge bag, and then I let the girls have at it in the children's section. We just pull books until we hit 25, then we figure out at home if we like them.

I'm the same, with reading a ton of books at once!! My main one right now is Little Women. I had never read it before, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm surprised that I've had a hard time getting into it!

Rachel said...

We have a lot of books, but I'm always wanting more. Our libraries are rather far away, so I try to have on hand anything that we might need without warning, and plan our weekly trips. We have way more bookshelves than bedrooms! And my best friend has roughly 3xs as many as I do!

CompleteLee Blogger said...

This is sooooo awesome! I love it that so many of you are such book junkies!