If you asked me my idea of a perfect day or afternoon spent by myself, I would give you this description. I love to curl up under a soft warm blanket on my full size green couch. I have a good book in one hand, and cup of steaming hot tea in another. A candle might be burning in the other room giving off a pleasing scent. Just thinking about it makes me want to run to my place of safety and feel the comfort it gives.
I don't have many opportunities to do this in the summer, and it's one of the things I look forward to when colder weather hits. It's hard to cover yourself up when it's 100 degrees outside, and my house just doesn't have that cozy feel to it in the summer.
Needless to say, that time is almost upon us, and I can't wait to have my reading nook back. I've already had a few cups of tea this fall, and I look forward to the many days of doing this ahead.
I don't know if your library has a sale similar to this, but I hold my library in great esteem because of it. Ariel is a girl after my own heart and dreams of this sale too. We've made it a tradition to have this as a girl date each time. She always has money saved and is able to have the satisfaction of purchasing her books all by herself.
This time Ariel paid 13 cents per book, and mine cost 23 cents per book. Can you believe that? 23 cents per book!
God is good, and this I'm certain is a blessing directly from Him for me. I love it!
One of my favorite things to do is share all our books with you. If you ever want to borrow from me, please don't hesitate to ask.
The kids section this time was actually twice as large as it normally is, and we had much fewer people there to shop. The newspaper printed the wrong time so those of us dedicated folks who do this every time were the only shoppers there. It made it much easier to look around, and didn't feel as crowded as it normally does.
Ariel was excited this time that she found so many Babysitter's Club books. I read these when I was her age, so I can understand her joy. She found a huge stack of them. An interesting fact about the top book in this picture, the cover is incorrect. The book is about a mystery at the zoo, but the cover isn't even about the babysitter's club! Pretty weird!
Ariel always manages to find some Nancy Drew books. I think she gets her love of a good mystery from me.
I believe Ariel is a little too old for the Ramona books, but she didn't agree me with. I understand how it's hard to grow up and let go of those things you loved when you were little. Ramona was a favorite of mine too!
And some random books she found... Ariel was most excited about the book Coyote Autumn. I'm not sure what the story is behind that. I'm guessing one of her teachers read it to the class.
I thought it was especially sweet when I came upon this book she chose. Middle school has been on her mind for weeks now, and sometimes it's all she ever talks about. On one hand she doesn't want to let go of younger things, but then on the other hand she can't wait to grow up. I've tried to answer as many middle school questions as I can, but technically I didn't attend middle school and experience it the same way she will. I was home schooled during my middle school years.
Now on to my books ... I always end up finding a few that now have movies based on them. Last time I tried a book like this that Oprah had suggested, I ended up needing to throw it away after a few chapters. I hope these three will be good books. There is so much immorality in the world that I don't need to fill my mind with more of it.
I was so excited about this find! Just a couple weeks ago my pastor was recommending 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. He's mentioned it many times over the years, and I've always wanted to pick up a copy. At the sale I was really pleased to find The 8th Habit and wondered if it was just as good as the 7 Habits. I was getting ready to leave the sale with Ariel and I told her I wanted to walk down this one aisle just one more time. It was then I found the 7 Habits book. I was ecstatic! I was already on the lookout for the book that day and I actually found it.
The Case for Christ is another book I've always wanted to read but never got around to. The other book, Second Guessing God, just spoke to me for some reason. I've never heard of it, but I felt like I should grab it anyways. I'll probably read it myself, but I actually felt like I should pick it up for someone else. I don't know who they are, but I'm sure someday I'll know.
I'm going to need to find The Postcard before I can read The Crossroad. It's a two part series that I read several years ago. I remember I really enjoyed it.
I'm pretty certain I've read all of these John Grisham books at one time, but I couldn't tell you what they're about. That's the great thing about me. I can read a book, love it, and then totally forget the story. That may not sound like a great thing to you, but I can go back and read practically any story and it's all new to me. Normally the only thing that sticks with me is either the good, bad, or bored feeling.
I'm sure I've said this in past Treasure Trove blog posts, but I really enjoy Mary Higgins Clark. She is a secular author, and writes very clean books. You might come across a little bit of swearing in her stories, but never any sexual content. She always writes mysteries, mostly murder. I think when there are so many unknown things in life where we don't know what the right answer is, or we don't have solutions, it's really nice to pick up a book and get closure every time.
Don Quixote ... ever since we had a girl movie night and watched Man of La Mancha, I've wanted to find a copy of this book. I found the story to be so moving.
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star"
That was the end of the books I got at this library book sale. But I also wanted to share a God story with you.
A couple weeks ago, the library had a different sale at the Expocenter. It was the same weekend I was going to be visiting my sister in Colorado Springs for her birthday. I was so torn up about not being able to shop for my beloved books. I decided to go to the presale where you purchase the books individually for $2 a book, rather than the $5 a bag which would be happening while I was gone.
It was the morning I was leaving, and I had packing still to do, plus a soccer game of Gabe's to attend. The sale started at 9am, and I only gave myself 30 minutes to browse the books. There were two specific books I was looking for, The Remnant, and Her Daughter's Dream. I had the entire Left Behind series, minus the one book, The Remnant.
The second book I wanted was the most important one to me. At the last bag day sale I found book number one, Her Mother's Hope. Number two had just come out a year ago this time. I knew it would be in the library sale soon, probably that very sale. I've already read both books, which made me want them all the more. They are very good. Francine Rivers is my favorite author.
I had received birthday money and was still contemplating what to buy with it. I really wanted to get Her Daughter's Dream, however at Lifeway the hardback copy is $25. That seems really pricey when I bought the first book, Her Mother's Hope, for only 20 cents at the last sale. I went to Lifeway 3 times in 1 week. I could not make up my mind. I really wanted the book. But every time I would go to the store, I kept reminding myself that the bag day sale would be in a couple weeks. Couldn't I be patient enough and wait?
It was torture, but I decided I could. One time I almost gave in and bought the paperback for only $12. It was on sale! But paperback wouldn't match my hardback book number one, and those types of things are very important to me. Especially when it's something I really love.
I waited.
I got to the sale a few minutes early and had to wait in line. I knew the sale would be huge as the library makes around $100,000 at this particular sale. I was praying I'd be able to drag myself away if I couldn't find it in 30 minutes. Sometimes when I'm shopping for books or movies I could spend an hour easily just reading all the covers.
When I finally got inside, I saw that this sale was organized. Normally, all the books are in random order filling all the tables. The first table I saw was Spirituality. I wasn't sure if this was the same as Inspirational their normal Christian label for books, but I thought I would take a chance.
The first table I looked at, in the first 10 books on the table, there sat both of my books. BOTH OF MY BOOKS. I couldn't believe it! I knew I didn't really have time for the sale, but I made time in my schedule. I had my purchase and was outside within 4 minutes. No one else was done that fast.
I was so happy I couldn't stop smiling. I looked for those two books at the sale I went to this past weekend, wondering if I could have waited. But they weren't there. Neither one of them. I know God set them aside just for me. It may seem like a little thing to you, but it was a BIG God thing to me. God cares about me. He cares that I wanted those two books, and I wanted them to be in hardback. He gave me exactly what I desired.
I serve a great big God!
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