Simply Balisha

Simply Balisha

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

My Treasures....My Books

Here I am with all my garden chores done for the year. I'm starting to "live" inside again. Oh, I'll be out....to the pool, to the grocery, Dr. appts, lunch with friends, and many other activities, but later on these activities will depend on the weather.

I sat for a while this afternoon....looking at some of my books. Books are a treasure to me. I still order new ones..many are used books. I love to open an old, worn book and see the markings and underlining...maybe some special words that a person has written. A little note stuck in between pages...or a leaf or flower pressed and crumbling. Books with post it notes are from more recent times.

It has always been hard for me to write in a book. I know how much I love reading books with notes in the margins, but I just simply couldn't do it. I guess that my upbringing had something to do with it. I had so few books and my parents couldn't really afford to buy very many. I was told to take special care of them....so they could be passed down to a younger cousin.

I remember the first day the encyclopedia set came into the house. I was so excited. We didn't get the World Book...like I wanted, but the Funk and Wagnall's set. The World Book came into the house later on, when my younger brother needed them. He was 13 yrs. younger and my parents were in a better financial situation at that time. The Funk and Wagnall's did just fine for me...

Now days, I realize that my books are my books. Someday they will be passed down to my two kids. I take good care of them still, but now...I write some things in the margins, underline meaningful things, stick a post it note on certain pages. I have a special flower or two pressed in some.

The other night I looked in a Catholic Woman's Bible that I hadn't looked at for a while, and found a note written there about my son Tim. Several Masses were said for him after he passed away. I looked up a favorite verse from the book of Timothy to put on thank you cards for the Masses. It took me back to that time, and made me remember. Someday, someone else will open that Bible and see my note about him. I hope that they get that same feeling that I did.

So, as winter comes, I will sit in my chair and pick up a book or two, and underline and leave some notes...if I want. After all....they are my books...for now anyway.

Balisha

16 comments:

  1. I too have a love of books. I have a copy of Gone with the Wind that someone had given my Grandmother. (not a first edition but an early one) with a note to my Grandmother, hoping her cold would soon be Gone with the Wind.

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  2. My books are precious to me too, and my current blog post is about 4 books I bought recently. Your note in your Bible about Tim is very meaningful and that will be a good family heirloom one day.

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  3. Balisha,

    I have so missed your posts, in fact I'm going to go back and read some that I've missed. I haven't finished cleaning up the garden and I'm not looking forward to the solitary winters I usually have, I'm not much of a people person and a little on the shy side to join any sort of group or club, so I have to be content with that fact and work with it.

    I love books as well. Non fiction books I now offer to family and friend once I've finished, some I donate, I simply don't have the room. I keep all reference books, very old books and gifted ones. . I was also taught to respect books. I never folded a page over to keep my place, we used bookmarks. We kept them pristine. As I got older and became interested in fictional books that inspired me, I did keep notes in the margins and marked pages. These are books I still treasure.

    I think it's lovely that you have the Woman's Bible with your written thoughts and feelings about the time you had with Tim. It must be a great comfort to you, to write and later re-read. Some can never look back..I know that's true with my husband and his first wife who passed away from cancer. Each of us deal with pain in different ways. I think I would be very much like you.

    Sending warm thoughts your way as we head into winter. I've heard it won't be as cold as last year. Fingers crossed! :)

    Jane xx

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    1. I hope that your hand has improved....infections aren't fun. Hopefully your surgeries will be over in time for Christmas decorating...which I know you love to do.
      I never turned the corners either in my books. I have several bookmarks that people have given me...a favorite one...from my grand daughter the year she made bookmarks for everyone for their Christmas gift. I love simple gifts like that.

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  4. What a lovely post Balisha! Books, books, books. We have LOTS of them. When I read books, that are mine, I underline, etc. things that mean something to me. I like to be able to go back into a book and see things that touched my heart without having to look for them through the myriad of words again. I am reading a book right now that has me gripped. It is by Rich Joyner and called 'The Final Quest'. I found this book and another one by the same author, next to 'Josephus', in a small stack of books next to where my dear husband used to sit. He loved to read too.

    Enjoy your time of hibernation, in your lovely home ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Special memories of your husband sitting in his chair reading these books. Take care.

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  5. Balisha, I smile when I read your comments as we are so much alike.
    But a differance
    in my later years
    I write in my books all the time, date and underline.
    My Jamie, said at one time that she could not borrow my books
    as they seemed like reading my diary :)
    Like you
    I never did this growing up...

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    1. I put things in the margins now....so that I can look back and find things...like Lorraine said.

      I have found books that have personal inscriptions to a loved one and wonder how they could let this book go out of the family.

      Love what Jamie said.

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  6. Like you, I was raised not to mark in books and when I saw my husband, Pat, highlighting his books..I was sort of shocked by it. Now I see Howard doing the same with his books but he does it with dark purple..and it sort of makes it difficult for anyone else to ever read the book with ease. I asked about this..and he said.."They are my books...and when I buy them it's not to pass them on so I write and mark what I need to." and I finally am comfortable with marking in my own books.
    .I use a highlighter when I want to be able to go back and read something with ease. And like you, I feel that these books I sometimes read over and over again, are mine. I no longer have to return them to a library and they are not my school textbooks..and I have not borrowed them..which I wouldn't do anyway. So...:) I too mark in mine too.

    Your part about Tim struck my heart.. but I was pleased you found something of him. I don't think our pain will ever leave us, but the clock is ticking and I miss Sandy terribly. Sandy gave me three little hearts in graduating sizes..with " I" " Love" "You" a word on each heart...they stack but they are laid out on the little shelf of my computer...I'm hanging on. This was not supposed to happen but it did.. I 'm glad now that I am as old as I am. I love life..but I can let go now.
    My love to you, Balisha

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    1. Hugs to you too, Mona....We are in a special group of women..."Mom's who lost a child." You know how I felt more than anyone. Love you back...Balisha

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  7. My books are one of my greatest treasures, too. I have my own little mini library. I just can't write in books or fold pages either! I take very good care of my books. I love your shared memory about your son, Tim. {{hugs}}

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    1. I have a mini library. I gave so many books away when I married Joe, but now I am collecting more. I have changed my taste in books now that I am older.

      It just goes against my grain to mark a book, but I'm easier with it as I age.
      Hugs to you Melanie....You know how I felt when I saw that writing about Tim....You lost a son and have helped me so much.

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  8. Meeting you for the first time after seeing you at Lorraine's.....Fittingly, I read first this about books! Most of mine are second hand and I DO mark them up. I'm coming to a stage in life where I rather imagine I shall have to part with some. I don't know how I can bear it!

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    1. Welcome Rebecca,
      I visited your blog for just a few minutes and found it to be a delight. I think we might be blog friends...who have much in common. Please visit again and I will do the same.
      Balisha

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  9. The first time I saw a book page wreath or craft I was amazed....need I say more, lol

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