On Skinny Trees and Books
Usually, I get the biggest, fattest Christmas tree. Not this year. This year, I purposely chose the skinniest tree (though it is tall). The reason?
Space is at a premium.
Just when I thought it was physically impossible to fit anything more--man, beast, or furniture--into this house, my father has decided to move in with me. Permanently. Bringing my mother. And all their stuff. Or rather, an edited version of their stuff.
I already HAVE a lot of stuff. Hence the skinny tree--it enables me to still keep a chair near it in the living room this year while they are here.
My mom intends to bring her "entire" kitchen. There are their couches and dressers and assorted other things. Pictures to hang on the wall. If I disappear, it's because I have been buried alive under a mound of "stuff."
BUT . . . the big crisis is his music collection. Thousands of records--including 78s, and if you have never held a 78, they weigh a ton and can be used as door stoppers. There are 45s. Eight tracks. Cassette tapes. CDs. And tons (and I mean tons) of LPs. All rare stuff he cannot bear to part with. I have offered to build built-ins at the top of the staircase. But this, my friends, is a crisis, because even that is not enough room. "I can't just get rid of the 1000 cassettes of musical history I have. I may be the only person in the whole world with this stuff." (And indeed, in the case of rare air checks, he may be.) We have had our "come to Jesus" meeting. The cassettes have got to go. So now we are down from 1000 cassettes to "maybe 198." (He is that precise.)
But I thought about it. I am trying to be exceedingly patient, and I think it's a good thing I like Buddhism so much. I am trying to be very compassionate. I look around at all my books. And I have to admit, despite my Kindle love, I cannot part with some of them. I give away quite a lot. But I have a few you might as well cremate with me (I would say bury, but I have no intention of being put in a box and lowered in the ground.)
These would be my anniversary edition of The Little Prince; my collector's edition of The Hobbit; all my hardcover Hemingways; my old editions of Little Men and some of my childhood books; all my astronomy books . . .
You see where I am going with this.
So . . . I can't be the only one. What books would you not part with?
13 comments:
You know Phaedra is writing a book on hoarders.
It changes. That I've noted, because every 5 or 10 years or so I go on a purge and there have been some changes, books I'm willing to let go. Generally speaking, the John Sandford, Ross Thomas, Robert B. Parker, Dick Francis and Sue Graftons would stay. Most, but not all of the Stephen Kings would stay. I used to think all the Lawrence Blocks would stay, but now I think just select books (and that's probably true of the Ross Thomases, too). At one point I would have kept all the Blocks and Thomases, and I'm pretty sure some of the Francises would have to go. I'd hang onto the Sandfords and Parkers. Grafton, not sure. I'd have to think about it. Oh hell, why'd you get me started on this?
Have you considered donating your pop's to your local university's music department? Or where your daughter is going to school?
Richmond:
LOL! He's not that bad. :-) But there's definitely a LOT of stuff he doesn't want to let go of. I have stories. :-)
Mark:
I have, actually . . . I love the 78s, as much as I joke about them, but some have just got to go. I am keeping the Django ones, but some of them . . .
It is amazing all the music knowledge he has. He literally is one of the country's foremost experts on the Swing era and corresponds with authors and collectors.
I would totally put two of your books on that list if they hadn't already been ruined by a leak in the plumbing at my old house.
My Harry Potter books. A few bedside books on Tao and Wicca. My Tarot books. A couple copyediting books. (I know. It's weird: they're on my bedside, too.) I have a few signed books from friends.
That's pretty much it. It took me a year to get rid of my books, though, and I had to do it in stages, and only after I put the most important ones on my Kindle.
Natasha:
Aww . . . thanks. :-)
It's funny, but most of my "keepers" are either collector editions, very personally meaningful, or "old." Something about owning older editions is fun for me.
Stuart gave me a leather bound edition of THE TWELVE. It's a beautiful book. My dogeared LOTR and Narnia sets. A set of books a fan sent me as a gift. My Bible. The books my kids wrote in kindergarten.
Ah hell, all of 'em.
One of the things that makes my office the heart of my home, for me, is my wall of books behind me. That would be a bitch.
Do you have a basement? The pictures of Neil Gaiman's awesome library in his basement are very cool. Maybe that's a solution...
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Probably just needs a dehumidifier, carpet, shelves, and a couple of nice chairs. Oh, and for your dad, equipment to listen to his awesome music on! Sorry, Erica, I got to side with your Dad on this one. Music is as sacred as books...
Starbucks:
Man, I am jealous of that hide-out!!!!
No basement. Water table in Richmond is too high. My choices are build up (I have a floored-in attic) or convert the garage (looks like the more optimal choice 'case it's a cheaper option). And I really don't want him to get rid of his stuff. Just wish there was a tad LESS of it. LOL!
Well, I have an open door policy and a comfy chair, so when kids are in the house, they're usually sitting in here with me. :) Not to mention the dog and the husband, who also works at home...
Ooo, you could make him the ultimate Man Cave in the garage. Better to keep our older ones on the ground floor anyway :)
Storage unit ... nuf said :) There are lots in the area fully insulated & protected, you can go get anything at any point you want it, and you only pay month-to-month. Personally, though, I don't have a lot of wiggle room here - ask DH ... from my Leif Garrett break-out album to my first edition Alice in Wonderland - I would sooner part with my toes (pretty sure I would be okay without them :) Tell Walter I will visit the phone company in my current condition if he will do me this one favor :) LOL! xox BB
You should sell the ones he is willing to part with on ebay. You could make some good money.
As for books I could not part with, I don't even have to think. It's my collection of Enid Blyton Famous Five books. I have almost the entire set of original hardbacks and my mother read them as a little girl and then me. I love everything about them - from the way they captivated me as a child, to the texture of the covers and the smell of England that wafts from the pages.
BB:
LOL! He somehow argued for two hours with the AT&T rep in the Philippines, got transferred two times to someone in Pensacola, who basically gave him a 75% discount AND a $100 gift card for his "trouble." I am telling you, the CIA could break people using him. He is relentless.
I have some autographed editions of John G. Neihardt's works from when I had him as a teacher.
I can't claim much distinction there. He taught thousands while he was a Missouri University, but he was an inspiring man. I would hold on to those until the last.
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