There are few things in this world that have inspired a desire in me to accumulate.  It used to be shoes, then pictures...now books. 

Never in my life have I cared one hoot about garage sales.  I detested them. Actually, I still do--except occassionally someone will have books.  You dig and dig, or spy the "one" upon a table.  Palms sweat and you try to pretend you're not THAT interested. 

Recently I attended a neighbors garage sale.  She had been a 2nd grade teacher before having her baby and staying home in hopes of homeschooling.  I bit my tongue as I plowed through the treasure trove of classic children's books she was "throwing" away.  After introducing myself and exchanging phone numbers, I rest assured knowing that she may borrow any of her old books, if she homeschools!

Then there are the library book sales.  There my mind races: "Thank God for people who collect Disney books." And Pokemon!!  People collect this stuff!  Of course, this just means more for of the "good stuff" for me!   The sad conclusion, though:  most people don't know what a really good book is.  A furthering of the condition of our public school education.

As I've grown in my "new" education--in other words, having completed Kindergarten and First grade!--I'm beginning to learn who the best authors are, and what "classic" really means.  Thanks to Truthquest History, books like Jan Bloom's "Who Should We Then Read", Gladys Hunt's "Honey for a Child's Heart", and more, my appreciation for a good book is boundless and endless.

Anyone newly venturing into home education must go through this excruciated re-training of the mind, if they wish for their children's minds to be filled with more than a pile of mushy goo.  This isn't always easy, but gladly it is a journey that is lifelong. 

The disbelief and disgust comes when we go through our old shelves to purge the remembrances of our "former" selves. 

So I'm definately in the accumulation mode.  Trying to find a nice balance between insane buying and never picking up another book.  I won't tell you the number of bookcases, but I will tell you I can put those Office Depot suckers together in a flash!!!

And guess what?  We READ our books!  That is where the joy comes in!  They have been arranged so that we can find anything easily and son has a shelf that I will periodically go through and refill with books in his reading level.  He always knows where to find something to read and he now discards them in a basket for me to make note of and re-shelve.  This, to me is the same as preparing a reading list for him, but easier. 

In the hope that upon my departure from this earth, my efforts will not be in vain (and end up in a garage sale), labeling these books has begun to have a certain appeal.   So, I'm in the process of creating a book plate to adhere to every book we read or loan.  Here's the rough draft:

The book you are about to read was specially selected by

your loving mother, who desires more than food,

that you, her precious gifts from the Lord,

have a love for really good books.

Sometimes this may mean they are old...

Sometimes this may mean they are ugly looking.

The titles may sometimes seem a bit strange,

but the words enclosed will stir great imaginings,

cause tremendous feeling, teach incredible history,

and tell stories beyond your wildest dreams.

Though no book is to ever be as revered,

or held in your heart as the Bible is,

still there are great wonders in this very volume that you hold.

If you are a borrower, enoy the journey,

but remember to return to home, the map of your quest.

Consider these things, a gift from your mother,

in the care and keeping of this tome.