Project Little Library. Fini!

The little library room is complete.

well, sorta.

I had planned on putting a small writing desk in there, but I think the room is just too small for it, but I'm still thinking.  And eventually there will be a new area rug in there - but not till later.

I was going to use some of the same pictures I had hanging in there when it was a guest room, but that fell by the wayside when I ran across a tube of old posters I had put away years ago.  Some of them hung in my office when we were working at Georgia Tech, so they're pretty old (and look it, I'm afraid), but I love them.  It was like running across old friends.

Especially this one -

 

My Hero!

Eloise is who I wanted to be when I was a little girl, and I still just love her to pieces.

 

It just wouldn't do for me to have a library and not have Eloise in attendance, so she hides behind the door so she can pop out and shout BOO! and scare folks when they come in.

Anyhoooo - - -

Here's what it looks like -

 

My little dream room.

'Course, this only covers books written by authors A through some of G.

The rest of the alphabet meanders throughout the house.

And that's okay, 'cause . . . .

Harley says, "Time for a break, Mom!"

and I say, "I Agree!!"

Time for a progress report while I kick back and have a nice fresh hot cup of coffee and a little visit with Harley.  He's feeling a bit neglected.

Here's what the little library room is looking like right now.

Still a mess!!!

But - all the bookcases have been filled.

I haven't put any "pretties" around yet, just the books.  I have started bringing in a few pieces of pottery that might decide to live in here, but we'll just have to see as things progress.

We got almost through the G's, but had to pick back up with them again in the little sitting room around the corner.

The two top shelves are biographies, then the rest of the G's, and some H's.

And that's when Harley insisted it was time for him to take a little walk, and for me to take a break.

After these shelves are filled, I'll move over to here -

The books you see in the back of that cabinet are old sports books that were my Dad's.  And some art books - and a few books still be sorted. 

I'm going to put novels in front of these - maybe two rows deep.

Then up the stairs we go into the sunroom. 

It was a mess the last time we were there.

And guess what!

It still is!

 

Lordy, Lordy. My Mother would die if she knew I had invited people in with the house this big a mess. Don't tell, O.K.?!

But, for now - - -

oh well.

Time for a break.

I was in bad need of coffee and Harley was in bad need of skritches on his belly.

And maybe we're both due a little walk while there's still a little snow on the ground. It's a gorgeous day in these mountains!

and slowly it goes . . . .

So.

I have all the A's, B's and C's shelved - Yay!!!!!

(except for those that might have been over-looked the first time around the house pulling books.  I've already found more than a few while pulling the D's and E's).

These pictures may look a lot like yesterday's pix, but you'll notice there are finally some books on some shelves. A good thing!

While a few more have made their way in to replace them . . . . 

Once the bookcases have been filled, I can start the fun process of decorating a little.  Yippee Skippy!

 

In the meantime, I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the destruction I'm leaving in my wake.

oy.

What a mess, huh?

Obviously, the little room I'm now referring to as "The Little Library" is not going to hold all the books, so a lot of those I'm moving out of the sunroom will eventually end up right back.  But.  This time they'll be alphabetically organized and from now on I should have a better chance of putting my hands on that one particular book I "need" right this minute.  (I know you know exactly what I mean).  Then I will be oh so happy I did this.

I have to keep reminding myself of that in the meantime.

This is not an easy thing to live with if you're a person who likes things in their place.

But as one of my former bosses at Georgia Tech, Dr. Robert Loewy, used to say "Kaye Alan, you can only eat the elephant one bite at a time."

true.

true.

In the meantime, I think I'll feel better if I'm allowed just one little bitty scream, if you don't mind - - - 

The Little Library Progress Report

One major hurdle handled - Hooray!!!!

All the stuff that was stored (for lack of a better word) under the bed has found a new home.  Everything has been nicely organized into pretty canvas file boxes and placed in the new storage cabinet.  (I love being organized!).

The bookcases have all been put together, put in place and anchored to the walls.

And the first round of books has started making its way into the room to be shelved.

And I just feel sure when I wake up tomorrow morning all the "A thru C" authors will be on the shelves.

It could happen!

You may have already seen this little video at Facebook.  Mr. & Mrs.Sean Ohlenkamp are the parties responsible and this was shot at Type bookstore in Toronto.  If you haven't already seen it - do watch - you're going to love it.  Promise!

More Progress on "The Little Library" AND on "The Book"

source: goreydetails.net

and that's the philosophy that led me into this project.

And I still stand by it.

It's impossible to explain to anyone who doesn't already feel this way - but to those of us who feel comforted by books, it's hard to imagine a life without them.  And most of us don't even want to imagine it, truth be told.

So.

Progress!


It's beginning to shape up and look more like a little library.

Donald has finished putting the bookcases together.

Next comes shifting and sliding and moving them to where they're going to live and then anchoring them to the walls.

Yippee!!

One little sidestep took place during all this.

Remember that pile of "stuff" that was under the bed?  I've been frettin' about all that.  But I found this cupboard, which Donald put together and we've put it in "The Little Library."  The first thing I'm planning on doing (once it's been anchored) is putting the stuff that was under the bed in here.  Cross your fingers that at least most of it fits!

Then I get to start putting all the books in order and getting them on the shelves.  They won't all go in this room, of course, but at least now (maybe) there will be enough room to have them fairly nicely shelved through the house and not in the mess they are now.

source: http://www.facebook.com/Trying God's Patience

AND - - -

While Donald was busy doing all this hard stuff in The Little Library, I was busy writing. 

I'm now, I think, moving into the final third of "The Book."  After not writing a single word all week, there was apparently a lot of stuff making its way into my head and storing itself in my brain, 'cause the words just came pouring out.  And I'm still loving the story, still loving the characters.  Not loving all the words, but for now they're working, at least.  And this is, after all, just the first draft - but a first draft that I keep tinkering with.  I can't seem to just write straight through without going back and tinkering.  But I do feel as though I'm moving forward.  And that's a good thing.  Right?!

source:  http://www.facebook.com/Trying God's Patience

A Story About A Guy And Some Shelves

I met Donald in 1984.

We had just started dating when he came to my apartment one evening to watch a Braves game with me.

I was a huge baseball fan - he was not.

While we were watching the game I noticed he seemed more interested in the hanging shelves on the wall surrounding the TV and I thought, "oh, goodie, he's interested in the books."

After awhile he said, "who hung your shelves?"

I, very proudly, said, "I did."

and he nodded.

We watched the game a little longer, and then he said, "Did you use a level?"

I looked at him like he's lost his mind.

"A level?  Why would I have a level?"

"Well, 'cause you like to hang stuff."

"No, I don't really like to hang stuff, but I just do it 'cause I want it done."

"So.  What do you use to make sure your shelves are level and stuff won't fall off them?"

I grinned.

Mistakenly thinking he was applauding my handiness, I walked across the room to where I had a pottery Tic-Tac-Toe game sitting on a table.  I picked up one of the pottery "O's" and handed it to him.

"I used this."

He just looked at it and held it for the longest time before he finally looked at me and said "This.  You used this as a level?"

Still grinning and still proud as punch, I said, "Yes!  Pretty smart of me, huh?"

"Kaye, this little ball is not round."

"Yes, it is too round."

By now he was laughing and NOT trying to hide it.  "It's not round enough to act as a level.  Actually, it's pretty flat in some places."

Me, being me, snatched the little ball and put it back where it belonged.

"I think the shelves look great.  I love them. AND, I'm pretty damned proud of myself for hanging them all by myself."

"I'm pretty impressed that you did that too."

He shook his head and said, "But Kaye, those shelves are crooked as hell."

I was crushed!

"They are not."

"Yes.  They are.  But if you're happy with them, that's what counts.  So.  What did you hang them with?"

"Toggle bolts."

He nodded.  "Do you have a lot of tools?  Other than a level - I know you don't have a level."

"I have a hammer and I have a screwdriver.  My dad gave them to me."

He nodded.  "What else?"

I think I looked at him like he was nuts here.  "That's all.  What else do I need?"

"Just one screwdriver?"

"Yes."  (I probably said this pretty sharply).

By now he was up looking more closely at the shelves and he did exactly what I was praying he would not do.

He picked up the one book I was hoping he would not pick up.

It was one next to the bracket I had had particular trouble putting up.

He wasn't looking at the book, he was looking at the hole surrounding the bracket.

"Wow.  That's a pretty big hole."

"The toggle thing didn't want to go in."

He nodded.

"I really had to fight to get it to go."

He nodded.

"What did you finally do?"

I cringed.

"I used a spoon."

"A spoon."

"Mm hmm.  And don't think I'm so dumb I don't know you're making fun of me here.  I don't want to talk about this any more.  I'm sure you would have done a better job."

"I am not making fun of you.  I'm just - - -  admiring your creativity.  And, like I said, I'm pretty impressed that you did all this all on your own.  Really.  But I'll help you the next time."

And, unbelievably, by now I was actually laughing.  Because, yes, the shelves were crooked as hell.  Even I could see that.  And yes, some of those holes were awfully big.  So - somehow, while my feelings could have been hurt, the man made me laugh.  And made me realize how good it felt to laugh with someone.  At myself.  Someone I liked lots.  

And sure enough  -  several months later we decided to move in together (very long story for another day), and he did hang shelves for me.  A lot of shelves.

We moved again and he hung shelves.

We moved again and he hung shelves and put together bookcases.

We moved to Boone in 1996 and he did it all again.

And now he's putting together more bookcases.

When I offer to help, he always says, "I'll holler when I need you."

And he does, always, holler when he needs me, but it's never when he's working on shelves.

And, he's still making me laugh.

even at myself.

Moving Right Along - - - update on "The Little Library"

I'm happy to report that "The Little Library" is coming right along!


Yay!!!!!


The painting is all done and Donald is in the process of putting the bookcases together.

Source:  http://www.facebook.com/Trying-Gods-Patience/

The man is a saint.

I can't even begin to remember how many bookshelves he's built me over all the years we've been together. Or how many bookcases he's put together.

It's just one more way he's made my world a happier place to be.

source:  http://www.facebook.com/Trying-Gods-Patience/

More pictures to come - stay tuned!

That little home project . . . . Part 1

So.

You know we're working on a little home project.

Converting the little guest room into a little home library.

Some of you asked for before and after pictures.

I'm an idiot!

I love before and after pictures and can't believe I didn't think to do this all on my own!

I was sure I had pictures of the guest room, and I know I must since I take pictures all the time - of anything - of everything!  But I'm not able to come up with one.

So we'll start an "IN PROGRESS" blog about the library with some pictures I took today (I have a love/hate relationship with the timer on my camera).

The bed is down and now lives in our storage building.

All the stuff that was stored under the bed is now scattered here there and yonder with final resting place(s) yet to be determined.  (It was all under the bed for a reason, you see).

The bookcases we ordered have been delivered and are still packaged and cluttering up another room.

So far, I've put primer on the walls, and I've painted the ceiling.

Today is "Paint The Walls" day - Hooray!!

And pretty soon (Hooray!), we'll put the bookcases together (well, that would be Donald), and arrange them in the new little library (Whoopee!!!!!!).

And then, we'll start taking all the books off all the shelves and bookcases throughout the house (that would be me), DUSTING them, sorting them, and putting them back on shelves and bookcases throughout the house (because the little library isn't going to hold all of them) alphabetically rather than the oh so haphazardly manner in which they're now shelved.  (My librarian friends would die).

And I'm excited!   'Cause then I get to decorate the room, which is something I love to do.

It's going to be wonderful and I am going to adore it!

More later, but right now I have to get back to my painting.  This project is interfering badly with my time at the gym!!!  And my reading time!  And my writing time!  EEK!

Don't be messin' with a woman on a mission!

A little home project . . . .

You know how home projects always start out sounding fairly simple?

Well, okay - right off the bat - we do know that they're not going to be simple.

But, I think human nature allows us to simplify the project somewhat in our brains.  Otherwise none of us would even consider taking on another home project ever.

Donald and I are just getting into doing something I've wanted my entire life.

A library.

My very own little personal library.

And because Donald is one of the good guys - maybe King of The Good Guys, he's agreed that this is something we should do.  (We won't even talk about how many years its taken me to convince him).


To say I'm over the moon is about right.

And it all sounded so . . .      simple.

Take down the bed and move it to the storage building out back.  Paint the walls.  Move in some bookcases.  Voilà!  Library!

Right?!

Right!!

Then would come the hard part - unshelving all the books that are haphazardly arranged on bookcases and hanging shelves in every room in the house, putting them in alphabetical order by author's name and reshelving them (AFTER giving them a really really good dusting).

So.

The bed's been taken down and the first hitch in the plan comes when faced with all this "stuff" stored under the bed.  A bed which Donald put up on risers to make it high enough to use for really good storage.

Shoes.

A lot of shoes on a wonderful little thing he designed and built.  Clear shoe boxes fit on a shelf that I can roll out from under the bed.  Perfect!  But now - where will the shoes go?  hmmmmm . . . .

Christmas wrappings.

Other various and sundry things that don't bear talking about.

Do they go out to the storage building?  Well - not my shoes.  I mean, I may be retired and not wear nice shoes every day, but still . . . .

Temporary measures needed.  Shoes thrown into bags and carried upstairs and dumped in the floor in the sunroom.  Other "stuff" - same thing.  More other "stuff" - to the storage building.  All things to be reconsidered once the bookcases are all in place.  Perhaps one bookcase will be replaced by a storage cabinet . . . .

So now I need to go scrub down the walls. Then Donald is going to patch the holes left from things that were hanging on the walls.

Next step - I get to paint the room.  It's a small room . . . . .  no problem!  Right?!  Right!!

In the meantime, I'm going to be repeating my new mantra to myself every morning for awhile - - -

And, of course, keeping my eye on the prize at the end of all this.

The library I've wanted my entire life.

Y'all - life is good.

And worth a little hard work to finally get one of your dreams.