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Friday, July 18, 2008

The Worst Blogger In The World





Ok, confession time.


I feel like the worst blogger in the world! And I am struggling with doing anything about it.


I know I should be posting all these great updates, complete with pictures, since I have left you all hanging for so long. I also have some posts I have promised others privately to write (a post on what we are doing for school this year and a post on balance). And then there's just those great moments in life that beg to be blogged about that I am letting slip by without even trying to capture them.


But the truth is, my house is overwhelming me right now. I have unpacking on the brain. I am tired of living in boxes, boxes, and more boxes-- as we were living among them for several weeks before we moved and I am just tired of looking at them! I want the contents unpacked, categorized, and organized. I want to reach for something and know 1) where it is and 2) that I actually have a place for it.


Yesterday I spent the whole day unpacking books. (Interspersed with making and cleaning up meals, washing and folding clothes, and various other household duties.) But mostly, I unpacked and shelved books, books, and more books. The picture at the top of this post is my six year old standing in front of a whole lot of boxes. The significance of the photo is that every single box in that photo is filled with books!


Clearly, we have a problem.


To make things worse, in our old house we had lots of built-in shelving. My books were happy on their shelves, categorized by subject and always waiting on more friends to join them. It didn't matter if I necessarily read them all. I just felt good buying them because one thing we didn't lack for in that house was a place to put our many books. I could feed my addiction without worrying about what to do with all the books.


Not so in this new house. There are NO built-ins. The previous owner did leave us several bookshelves in the bonus room, which I have now claimed for all my homeschool materials and for the kids' books. But I have several boxes of books left and I am rapidly running out of shelf space. This has caused great amounts of panic to rise up within me. (And yes, I have been weeding out as I go. I actually boxed up two boxes of books to donate to the library or Goodwill.)


To make matters worse, I have 4 boxes of books still in my room that are just my personal books-- with no bookshelf and really nowhere to put a bookshelf in my room! Again with the panic feelings.


I keep telling my husband that, once the books are all happily nestled in their places on shelves, I will feel much better about life. Much more capable. Prepared. I don't know why having my books accessible to me helps with that but it does. This only proves something you have probably been suspecting for quite some time. I am a geek. And there's no pill, no treatment, no round of drugs, no therapy that will change that. Believe me, if there was, my husband would have already tried it. But he loves me-- books and all! (The truth is, he has just as much of a book-loving problem as I do. That's how we knew we were meant for each other! Ok, it wasn't the only way but that's not what we're talking about right now.)

And so, today I will tackle the books once again. I am praying that a shelving miracle will occur that is to the level of the feeding of the five thousand or Elijah and the widow and the oil that never ran out. Just as I go to put a book on the shelf, a place for it will miraculously open up! The shelving space will appear limited, yet expand without explanation!


And if worse comes to worse, I suppose I could get rid of more books. But boy does that sound like parting with dear friends. See? I told you I was a geek!
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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, yes, I hear you. I purged last year, giving away some books I'd had for years, and now I regret it. Best wishes in your miracle-seeking!

Bonita said...

Don't worry about what you "have" to do here on the blog. We'll all still be here when the dust settles. Just do what you need to do for your own sanity. I'm amazed at all that you've done in the past few weeks, actually months, actually this whole year, or maybe even your lifetime!

I'm sure God can give you a creative idea about the books too. Far as I know, nobody ever died stressing out over where to put their books. One other thought- God did lead you to this house and He did know it had fewer bookshelves...hmmm...

Debra said...

That title is not true. You have done a great job of blogging, especially when you were going through selling your house and moving. Wow, I was quite impressed that you kept it up.
If you purge a book or two I would be interested..:)
So glad your back on MB, missed your post alot!
hope you got my email :)
Praying you are efficient today in getting those books in their right spot.
Have a great weekend.
Debra

Ariel Allison Lawhon said...

Sadly, I must disagree. The title of world's worst blogger goes to me. It has been many moons since I put fingers to keyboard in effort to write something witty and interesting. Instead I posted a picture of my son picking his nose - with both fingers. Yeah, I'm creative!

Great to meet you this weekend!

Amy Wyatt said...

Marybeth,
Sadly Greg and I share your book addiction. We still have about 15 boxes of books in the garage that we have no shelves for in our house and I can't bear to part with them. I've already donated about 6 boxes to Spencer's library and to Goodwill. The worse is when there is a book I know I own and I go looking for it to discover it must be in one of the boxes still in the garage. One day, I will have enough shelves to put all the books on... but until then, I keep buying them. We also have passed this trait on to Spencer. When he starts a series like Encyclopedia Brown or Magic Tree House he thinks he has to have every book in the series. I guess that's a good thing that he loves books as much as us though. I hope you get everything unpacked and settled in soon. I've missed reading your updates.

Marla Taviano said...

Books are cool. :)

Jenni said...

I don't think you need fewer books. You simply need more bookshelves, and quick!

In any case, don't worry about the blog! Moving is stressful enough; take your time settling in...we'll still be here when you come back!

Anonymous said...

I have the book addiction as well. I cannot imagine not having books around. I should start heading to the library, it would be less expensive! It has been passed on to my daughter as well. We need to build some shelves or something. What Amy said about needing/wanting all the books in a series is so true! Thanks for posting. I know it must be a crazy time right now.

erin said...

From one bibliophile to another...when we moved three years ago, I filled half of a large enclosed trailer with just books. There was too much weight on the hitch and we had to unpack it all. My normally patient hubby was not happy!

Giving away books is such a hard thing. I'm sure you'll find a place for them soon. I have baskets of them all over my house where I don't have enough shelves.

Laurie Ann said...

You are *so* not the worst blogger in the world! The blogging will take care of itself when you've finished the household issues.

From one fellow bibliophile to another, I can honestly say I feel your pain. My husband believes to this day that he shouldn't have taken me with him when I sent 12 boxes of books to Gateway (like Goodwill). I cried as the men unloaded them off the truck. Shed tears. Over books. Wept, I tell you! I felt like I was giving away my best friends. I have two huge bookshelves from Walmart that are still filled with books, and still, I cried. It's been a year ago, though, and I survived. I think he even took me out for Japanese food that night.

Joining you in prayer for a shelving miracle...

Anonymous said...

Oh how I can relate!! I swear I have more boxes of books that we do clothes every time we move...and we are a family of 7. I have never lived anywhere that I've had enough bookshelves. I have to rotate them and it breaks my heart to put some away. They are indeed like dear friends.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad I'm in such good company! :) I love books! I was president of the Bibliomaniacs club in high school- not kidding. Talk about being a geek! The only solution I can come up with to keep all of my books is to buy a seperate home for all of my books and visit them on a regular basis. But I think this has been done before...my husband calls it a library. Sigh. I'm standing in agreement with you for a shelving miracle..and one for me too!

Dana

Kay Martin said...

Loved your workshop at She Speaks. You are so young...or look so young to have accomplished so much.

YOur post got me because of my love of books. In every move my family knew when Mom has books housed she will be our Mom!!!

Writers would naturally love books...right?

Hope all smooths out and you can enjoy your new home!!!

Kay Martin said...

I sense part of your aim on this blog is to show us your life (struggles and victories) pursuing God's best. Your great needs in your new home necessitate priority shifting. Thanks for reminding me to "press the pause button" on some things while I'm renovating my house.

You may actually be my favority blogger today. I've had my blog up a notch on the priority list and my blog is not as valuable to my life as my need for order in this home.

You always give me a need encouragement lift. May God grace you and yours with joy, peace and fulfillment.