A Day Inside, Organizing Books
Spending time with my precious collection.
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Not many people would write about the time spent organizing bookshelves. In fact, if I began to talk enthusiastically about an afternoon spent carrying books from one room of the house to another, people would likely not understand my excitement, be bored, or suggest that maybe I invite Marie Kondo over for a cup of coffee so that I could swap tips with the best in obsessive tidying (though Kondo would likely not approve of my expansive book collection).
Far beyond only taking pleasure in reading, books and their presence in my home have become a true pastime for me. A selection of cookbooks chosen for their beauty more than their recipes graces the top of the buffet in my kitchen. Every year at Christmas, I purchase the latest Pulitzer, Printz, Newbery, and Caldecott winners in hardcover to add to my collection. I think about where to best display, and how to group books by genre, series, or author, or location in the house.
The polar vortex blew into Chicagoland on Tuesday evening, bringing temperatures of -50F with windchill. I knew by Tuesday afternoon that the elementary school would be closed for the next two days, and that my daycare would also be closed.
Even though weekends bring hours of everyone being in the house together, usually the days are broken up by something. Errands on Saturday, church on Sunday, or a kid birthday or playdate. The idea of being stuck inside for two entire days with no escape was enough to make me feel squirrelly.
My husband and I both work from home, so on Day 1 we plotted passing the kids back and forth between meetings and other work responsibilities. I continued working late into the evening, after everyone was asleep, trying to catch up from the day.
By the time I woke up on Day 2, I was exhausted. I am fortunate that a flexible work environment means that I don’t have to work, so while my husband attempted to put in a “normal” day, I took it easy. Purged the kids’ play area in the basement, removing an entire large black garbage bag of stuff that they later did not even notice was gone. Put laundry away. And while the toddler napped in the afternoon, I began rearranging some of my bookshelves.
