BOOKCASES

Bookcase in Living Room, the music area

Another habit that was established early on, in our family, was having your own bookcase. I can not remember when I did not have my own bookcase, I always had one growing up, to keep all my very own books in. With my children, that is what they received as their going to kindergarten gift. So they could keep all their own personal books together and start their own library collection. This year we have two new kindergarten boys in the family, BenJoe and Thaddeus. Some of the grandchildren have their own bookcases now.

BenJoe, the Arizona Kindergarten boy, when he was very young!

Thaddeus, the Virginia Kindergarten boy, when he was even younger !!

In my bedroom right now, there are four bookcases. My husband has a small one next to his chair, but the rest are for mce. I walked around my home and counted bookcases. Since I am becoming an empty nester and only have one or two children still at home, the bookcases are dwindling. The older children have taken them when they have moved on and out. But, back to mce, in my home right now, there are 11 bookcases downstairs and 4 upstairs. I have been going through the books and deciding if they are books that I love or not, if they should be kept or not. So far, most have been keepers, but I am working on it. Many, many books. And the more you sort, the bigger the pile of must re-reads. It is hard to say good-bye to a book. They are good friends.

A bookcase in the library. Mainly how-to books and old favorites.

Another bookcase in the library room.

These are some Memory Books.

The white sets, closest to the wall, on the top three shelves,

are the three youngest children's sets of eight.

Then we have the Memory Books. I have dedicated two full size bookcases to them, and another to the books that accompany them, the life stories, biographies, young woman path, scout paths and on and on and on. When the older children are settled and stable, they have taken their beginning set of eight. But the master sets just keep growing. These books will never be sorted out. They are all keepers. I am just trying to re-work my system for the 283rd time, to be more viable for the long haul. I have written another how-to, involving the grands and how to track without going crazy. We shall see! The dear husband and children have been so supportive through the years, it is quite the family project. But it all starts with a BOOKCASE