libraries

Minimalism: 5 Books

/ rachelgoes262 / 3 Comments

Books can be a contentious topic. There are people who guard their personal libraries fiercely and say that is the one area of their life they will not downsize. I understand that. I felt that way about my CD collection. We all have one area that we won’t touch when it comes to minimalism. That Is okay. Everyone does minimalism differently. 

For me, I was able to downsize my book collection to 5 books. Some of you may consider that extreme, but here are some of my reasons for choosing five books.

When I moved, I used boxes from the local liquor store. If you go by the liquor store in the morning, they put boxes outside for people to take that have been emptied from restocking their shelves. For me personally, empty wine boxes are the perfect size for moving. They are easy for me to carry, and you can fill them up without having them be too heavy to move.

I filled wine boxes with books for moving and the weight was just right to carry. Anyone who has moved can attest to how quickly a box of books can get heavy. While the number of books people enjoy in their personal library varies, I’m sure that everyone will agree that no one likes moving books. They get heavy fast.

For me, downsizing to 5 books is a perfect number because I can fit 5 books in a small boat and tote. I don’t have to worry about packing up boxes of books to move. All I must do is pick up my boat and tote, put the strap on my shoulder and off I go. My collection is curated to ease portability.

How did I decide on five books? For many people, books are like potato chips – there are so many that we like, it’s hard to choose just a few.

For starters, I am a big fan of libraries. I love being able to borrow a book, read it, and then return it for someone else to enjoy. I do not necessarily need to keep every book I read. For many books I read, once is enough. The book can move on to bring someone else enjoyment.

If there is a book that I particularly enjoy so much that I have checked it out of the library to read twice, then it meets my criteria to purchase. If I’ve gotten it out of the library more than once, then it needs to be in my personal library. If you check the same book out of the library multiple times, it’s probably one you should own.

Of all the books I own that meet the “twice out of the library” criteria, how did I decide which ones deserved a permanent place in my set of five? I looked at how many times I have re-read the book once I own it.

If I have re-read the book three or more times, then it earns a spot in my personal curated collection. Really, if you’ve read a book three or more times, you must really enjoy it. Those novels are the keepers.

Books I have gotten rid of have been donated to either Little Free Libraries or library book sales. They can bring someone else joy. I do purchase “new” books. Books I cannot find at the library, I purchase used from a site called Thriftbooks. You can get used books on Thriftbooks for $5 or less. They are in great shape. Purchases often support libraries, as some books are library discards. I typically place an order for 5-10 books at Christmas. 

Once I have read a book, I will donate it. If I decide it is a book I may want to re-read, then I keep it. In this way, books flow in and out of my life. 

My current book collection of 5 books is not a fixed set. Some books come into your life for a season. If there is a book that has particularly resonated with me that I have read more than three times, then I will look at the collection of 5 to decide if I need to add a book and if a book has fallen out of the season of my life. 

It is possible for a book in my collection of 5 to leave. Different books speak to us at different points in life. 

The next time I move, it will be very easy to move the books. I won’t have to worry about wine boxes full of books and how heavy they are to carry. My personal book collection fits in a boat and tote that easily goes on my shoulder, leaving my hands free to carry other things. 

While 5 books may seem extreme to some, it works for me. I get plenty of exposure to books through the library. I do a Thriftbooks order every year for Christmas. I am not in want of reading material, nor am I bored with re-reading the same things. 

What criteria do you have for establishing a favorite book? How many times have you re-read your favorites? 

Isolation Log: Covid Date 1.a.20

/ rachelgoes262 / Leave a comment

IMG_0981

Jude watching James Bond with me during covid isolation

A car alarm pierces the silence of the night. Everyone has been off the streets and in their house for hours. In fact, many vehicles have been parked all day. When I look out the window to see why the car alarm has been going off for 12 minutes, I see two kids next to the vehicle in question. They are head-banging and jumping up and down. 

They have been out of school for less than a week and this is how they decide to have fun. I have already gone to bed for the night. I have to work in the morning. This was an unpleasant way to be woken from sleep.

It has been a very long year this week.

All of my health providers called to cancel my appointments this week. I cannot see the neurologist, the physical therapist, or my masseuse. Even my hair salon is closed. My back-up plan for when my hair drives me wild is to shave my head. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I’ll keep you updated on whether that ends up happening or not.

The only physician who not only wanted to see me this week but actually insisted on seeing me was the primary doctor. I could not figure out why. No one else wants to see me, claiming I am “high risk.” I do not understand why.

When I did go to see the primary doctor, she sat me down for almost an hour to talk to me and now I understand why no one else wants to see me and I am so “high risk.”

Apparently, the MS is in my spine. Your spinal cord controls breathing. I am high risk for any illness. Even a cold will make me more sick than the average person. Covid would be lethal for me. I was told to stop going to the grocery store and the pharmacy – those are high risk areas for me. The doctor helped me to come up with a plan that will hopefully keep me stocked with food and medication to be completely isolated during this time.

I am encouraged to be outside in fresh air as much as possible. I need to keep running so that I can keep moving, especially since I no longer have access to either physical therapy or massage to help me.

I go to work and I come home. That is it.

The libraries are all closed. This past Tuesday we had our last book club. I checked out 14 items from the library (books and DVDs) that I am allowed to keep until May 1 while the libraries are closed. I came home with an entire reusable bag of library items – my version of “tp hoarding.”

Of all the stupid things, I cried Tuesday night after the library closed for an indefinite period of time. The library is my lifeline. I always have something checked out of the library. I constantly inter-library loan. I know the librarians at 6 area libraries all by name and they know me. Libraries were a safe place for me during the times in my life when I was homeless. They are a safe place to take a nap. 

Yes, I have enough books and DVDs in my house to keep me occupied. It’s just the idea that the libraries are closed. It breaks my heart. I guess this is an example of a first-world problem.

I am very grateful that people have been calling and checking on me to be sure I am okay. I am okay for now. But there will come a time in the next few weeks when I will need to have help. It is very hard for me to ask for help. 

I tend to be isolated to a degree in life to begin with due to my severe food allergies. The interactions I enjoyed by going to the gym, the library, and the coffee shop are now gone. 

Back and forth from work to home and nothing else. 

I will keep you updated as the isolation continues. Of course, I had to choose a Star Trek reference for my posts. This is covid date 1.a.20, meaning week 1, day a of this week (first blog post of the week) and year 2020. 

This will get worse before it gets better. But we are all in this together. Be safe and healthy.