a homestead library

I've never been to a book store I didn't like. Really. Small or large; flea market or thrift store I love combing through the shelves or boxes of books. It's like a dusty hutch of curiosities, old treasures just waiting to be found, taken home and loved. Almost everywhere I travel I find new additions for my collection. I can't help myself. I love books. It's like an addiction and I need a fix.

Most of the books I own were once owned by someone else. Some have notes in the margins, little glimpses into what the previous owner was working on or thinking while reading the book. Sometimes I wonder who they are or what intrigued them about the book. I want to meet them, see what they're like, how they live and how the book affected their life. Did they use it to learn a new skill? Did the works in the passages bring new meaning or inspiration to their lives? Or, did they just read it for fun on a long rainy afternoon?

I want to know.

The books in my library are many and the topics varied. Classic works sit beside the contemporary. Practical farming exist along side politics and nature. It's an eclectic mix that speaks to who I am and where I'm heading. The topics really don't make sense to anyone, but me. They are my likes, my interests, my future and my past, all stored in a carved antique bookcase. And a few boxes on the floor.

They bring me inspiration and galvanize the path I'm on. They give me ideas to try, adventures to look forward to in the future. I revel in reading about people who live the life I am trying to live, doing what some day I'd like to try. I'm especially moved by women who are "doing it" on their own. No man to help with the heavy stuff, no children to commandeer your time, no one, but yourself to rely on. I find strength in their stories and admiration in the challenges they've overcome. I feel more confident by these strangers, whom I've never met.

My bookcase is like a mini travelocity, the place I go when I want to get away. I can slip away, laying by a warm fire, for an entire weekend. I may go to a farm in Idaho or a village in Africa. Or, maybe, as close as my own backyard garden. I crack open my books often and highly recommend any new homesteader build a library of their own. Even if you don't have your land right now, the skills you learn will serve you well when the time comes and you'll be glad you spent the time reading.

It's a fun world out there folks, so dive in and travel someplace new, have an adventure, learn something new. Read. Learn. It's up to you.