Weeding

Quiet start to the month as I wait for a temp assignment. It’s August in Washington. Congress is recessed; people are on holiday. Between interviews, testing, and emails, I’ve been doing some serious weeding. The eye that had the surgery has less inflammation and longer periods when I hardly notice it all. At my last visit, the IOP was 6, which is totally normal.

Weeding

I am seriously weeding my books and contributing them to the sharing space in the laundry room. Last week’s lot went in under 30 minutes. It’s been a revealing look at myself. I’d forgotten about my Somerset Maugham phase; but well remember the Thomas Hardy phase.

It’s also a revealing look at the past. I estimate about 80 percent of my books were purchased in bookstores. Looking at the inventory labels and sales receipts (interesting how many sales receipts I used as bookmarks), only Barnes and Noble and two local shops: Kramer’s and Politics and Prose remain. This is the loss of an experience, of a way of making a consumer choice. With many of these books, I can remember, even without a sales receipt or inventory label, where and when I purchased them. How the impetus to explore and read came not from Amazon reviews and the frustratingly limited look inside but more often than not from the physical act of browsing sparking curiosity leading to reading either the back cover or a chapter and the spontaneous decision to invest not only my money but also my time. There was no waiting for the two-day delivery, but the immediate visceral satisfaction of allowing the pages of my purchase to transport me as soon as I boarded the bus.

Make no mistake; it is not my intention to knock the Amazon experience. I find it gives me a greater option for purchasing used books and it is great purchasing option when you know what you want. There on the screen is not only the price but also the in stock status. In addition, I do remember the bad old days when a non-mass market book required phoning around or even placing an order through a brick and mortar store with the publisher and the subsequent 5 to 10 day or more wait.

None of this disruption has made Toupie happy. The stacks of books in the foyer cut into his play space and he has tired of sniffing them. If there is a successful way to undertake clearing out without making a major temporary mess, I haven’t found it.

I like being on top of the drying rack

Knitting

Meanwhile my knitting continues. I have an Ishbel, a Citron and the Skyp Socks (still) on the needles.

I’ve completed the Bodhisattva class. I take my vows next month. The class was a good in deepening my understanding of the material I’ve studied and confirmed that I am ready to commit to the aspiration.