Peaceful Daily Blog

Book Swapping

I've recently emerged from a month-long affair with my latest obsession: book swapping. Let's just say that, as of late, I've spent an inordinate amount of time culling dozens of unwanted books from my shelves, wrapping them carefully in old paper bags, then sending them to book swappers throughout the country; in return, I've received carefully wrapped, wanted books sent to me from other book swappers.

Words cannot adequately describe my love for book swapping and my giddiness is infectious--people all around me are joining in the swapping fun, and I sincerely and whole-heartedly delight in the details of their latest acquisitions. And the packages, the packages! Who doesn't love receiving packages in the mail? A free package? A package containing books? It's like Christmas or Hannukah all over again, minus the holiday hassle.

Ready to jump on the book swapping band wagon? Here's how it works: go to PaperBackSwap.com and set up a free account, then post any number of books that you are willing to swap with other members (if you post 10 or more books you get 2 free credits). As soon as someone requests a book from you and then receives said book, you earn one credit. This credit can be used, in turn, to request another book from another member. You pay shipping when you send a book (rarely over $2.77, thank you Media Rate) and you pay nothing when you receive a book. And there are many, many, paperbacks, hardcovers, and audiobooks to choose from--well over 4 million in fact. Don't see the book that you want? Simply put it on your wish list and don't be surprised if you get that book--I've received nearly a third of my wish list books. 

You can take it a step further (which I did, naturally) and join CDSwap and DVDSwap. With the latter site, I posted 1o DVDs and mailed 9 of them within 48 hours of posting. Not being one for DVD ownership, I will transfer those 9 credits to PaperBackSwap and use them to request more books. Oh, and another exciting feature: you can request a book and have it sent as a gift to someone else complete with gift note--now how wonderful is that? A gently used book is my trademark gift, and to send one for free while ridding myself of an unwanted book is beyond my wildest dreams...at least the wildest dreams of a penny-pinching bibliophile.

Now whenever I immerse myself in a new research topic--be it raising backyard chickens, constructing a living fence, or dyeing with mushrooms--I check PaperBackSwap first and maybe, just maybe, I will have a slew of books piled on my doorstep within a week, maybe two. 

It's green, it's cheap, and it's about that most fun a frugal bibliophile can have in one place.

Peace,

Annie

Happy Mother's Day

Before becoming a mother I had a hundred theories on how to bring up children. Now I have seven children and only one theory: Love them, especially when they least deserve to be loved.
-- Kate Samperi

Love to all the mothers out there: Doggie Moms, new Moms, old Moms, Wonderful Aunts, Grandmothers, etc..  The world is more beautiful for the love you share.

Namaste,

Krissy

On Mothers and Mothering

Shortly after giving birth to my first child, I had two life-affirming experiences. Firstly, I experienced a profound depth of gratitude for all that mothers do for their children. Prior to becoming a mother myself, I had absolutely NO idea how much work a child was, and the fact that my mother did every bit of this work for me (as well as for my four siblings) filled me with such deep, deep gratitude that I actually called her up during a particularly intense exhaustion-slash-hormone-induced new mama stupor and tearfully thanked her again and again and again. This immense sense of gratitude has since extended far beyond my mother to include all mothers everywhere and throughout time--a gratitude that fills me with a profound sense of connectedness and kinship to each of these beloved mamas.

Secondly, I experienced for the first time the depth of love my mom feels for me, as I feel that very depth of love for my children. I was and still am awed by this love, and marvel at the spaciousness of the human heart whence children reside within it. For me, being both a receiver and giver of such sweet heaps of boundless love is, without question, the single greatest gift of Motherhood. 

And speaking of sweet heaps of boundless love, check out this touching interview between a mother and her son, a 12-year old boy with Asperger's Syndrome (click on the image):

  

Happy Mother's Day!

Peace,

Annie