Today is the day I begin picking up and dusting each of the 3320 books in my library. I had hoped to start last week, but until today, I was still coming to terms with a) Daughter C’s insistence on decorating for Christmas– looked very nice, I was still finding things that needed to be put away and 2) she and her husband’s leaving the Farm, and their returning the many books they had borrowed from me that needed to be put away!

But here I am! Beginning with my Treasure Chest. I know it looks something of a mess– I’ll tidy up as I go along. In my Treasure Chest are all of the books I have that belonged to Aunt Margaret (DOB 1907, I think)– except of course, The Dictionary of Standard Facts which is on my desk. There are many that belonged to Dad. I’m ashamed to say that the one book that I borrowed from Mom and have no intension of ever returning, Swiss Pictures Drawn with Pen and Pencil New Edition ( Rev. S. Manning, Edward Whymper, illus, The Religious Tract Society, London, 1891), is tucked safely away on the bottom shelf along with Mr. Big Food’s Grandmother’s autobiographical family stories, the pamphlet written by Miss M and her schoolmates after the big flood, and unframed photographs of Kat as she prepared to marry.

Of course, after its long journey to San Diego and back, Durant’s The Tragedy of Russia is in the Treasure Chest. Interesting, my 1868 leather bound Rubáiyát is not. Too much sun falls on the Treasure Chest in the winter. Winter Sunshine, however, is.

So let’s get to it, shall we?