Saturday, May 2, 2009

Spring housekeeping

Yes, it's that time of the year when we must re-organize, recycle, and refresh our home both inside and outside. We paint, scrub, re-arrange, throw out and throw open our windows to welcome the fresh spring breezes.

When you start going through your bookshelves remember not to throw but to pack up and find places where you can donate your books (old to you) but might be a true blessing to someone else. Find out places that receive these well loved treasures and drop them off or have someone come and pick them up. Books are meant to to shared and passed on.

When you are sorting be sure to tuck away your child's favourite books to keep and of course ones that you love too. There is a huge legacy of caring that is implemented when you keep a "love" library of those sacred books that you go back to and read again and again.

All my children have their own collection of books that are dear to their hearts. When my second daughter got married and moved our of our nest into her own she took all her childhood books with her to one day pass onto her little ones. (I wish she would hurry up and produce that little one for grandma to share her love of reading ).

Sometimes schools, the Salvation Army, Value Village, various garage sales/churches etc. love to accept and recycle books. Also books are desperately needed in Northern Ontario or other countries where the shortage is almost overwhelming. Keep your ear peeled to hear of mission trips that our going out and are in desperate need of books for their communities. I remember when I was teaching, right at the bottom of my street, I stopped to browse through a garage sale and lo' and behold a seasoned teacher who had just retired that June had boxes and boxes of excellent picture books for sale for just 25 cents a piece. I bought most of them and when I returned to my classroom in September I had the most impressive library for my students and felt quite comfortable to give away many of these books to students and teachers alike so they too could enjoy them or use them for their curriculum studies.

Always keep a little box of books at your home too so when you have little ones come to visit they will be there for them to enjoy. Life is about education, books, and sharing stories from your heart. Be on the lookout for ways you can be a blessing as you buy, (a blessing to the retailer, give (a blessing to the receiver) and yourself (you bought the gift that will not be discarded or broken in 10 minutes but will keep on giving). Be book-minded today.

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