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Saturday, January 23, 2016

"Orbit"

It seems to me that everything large, and everything microscopic, and everything in between acts the same.  Electrons orbit around nuclei, and moons orbit around planets, and planets orbit around suns, and the entire universe is spinning.  This can all make you kind of crazy if you think about it too much, and I don't even do drugs.

A former coworker once told me she was unfriendly and uncooperative when I started my job because she had really wanted her college friend to get the position.  How could I know her friend applied for the job?  How could I know my coworker's misguided loyalties would make my life difficult?  There were invisible orbits of people around me, and all I knew is that I was trying my best with inexplicable obstacles in my path.

Jennie Cramer was my Grandma's mom, Thomas L. Lee was my Grandpa's dad.
I don't know why I started remembering this, but then I couldn't stop thinking about it.  All this time later, I want to yell "I won't do crazy with you!"  This woman is still in the outer orbit of my life.  She puts effort into looking and acting professional.  You'd never know she'd sabotage her own job for the benefit of someone who didn't qualify for mine.

Sometimes we have to accept that there are invisible forces around us, and we may or may not learn what those forces are.  We just have to do our best despite it all.  I'm glad this woman confessed her motivations to me because she illuminated a life lesson that these people walk amongst us.  They look normal, and I don't think knowing her thoughts would've been helpful at the time.  What could I do?  Quit my job so her friend could be rejected again?

Don't judge my lit -- these are my popular light reading when I have a bad day :)
This is the kind of stuff I thought about while consolidating my library this week.  I built a bookcase because I had a vision of the perfect bookcase -- which of course nobody sells ready-made.  I'm not saying it's the best bookcase, but it's the best for my space.

Advertising on the back of the textbook.
I gathered my books from around the house (which are HEAVY by the way) and hauled them upstairs.  Then I had to sort them all, then of course I had to alphabetize them... well okay, I'm my own kind of crazy, but I was a great page when I worked at the Columbus Library, and now I can find any book in a moment, and all of my series are together.

Anyway, I mused about the old coworker and I handled my treasures, which include these old schoolbooks from my ancestors.  I love seeing the signatures of my great grandparents on the fly leaves and the old illustrations...  It takes a long time to shelve books when I have such lovely distractions along the way.

These books aren't in good condition, but I suppose they could be in worse shape.  To put it in perspective, they're from not long after the American Civil War.  You know, like when people were slaves.  That seems long ago to me -- or maybe the flip side of it is that slavery really wasn't long ago at all?  Which puts the idea of crazy coworkers into perspective, doesn't it?

You can see the bindings on the old books at left are gone or falling apart
If anyone knows the best way to store these books, please let me know.  I'd like to prevent further decay.  I'd like to put them in boxes, but not sure if I should wrap them up in something first?

17 comments:

  1. Love the images of old books and your story.

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  2. How deep some people are Linda, your co worker has behaved very oddly indeed......but there's naught as queer as folk as we say here. I LOVE your old books and like you would be so distracted looking at them. How wonderful that they were owned by your ancestors. If you are wrapping them up you must use archival quality materials...I'm sure on line there would be some good advice. They are beautiful. Cool bookcase too xx

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    1. Thanks Jane! I'll keep looking for archiving suggestions, but so far it seems like getting archival paper from the art supply store is the best idea. I also read online to keep the books upright even if they're boxed.

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  3. I'd like to think that your coworker confessed to you because she realized how silly she was? We can't assume to know what motivates others to do the things they do.
    And we learned something new about you! What a great book collection!

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  4. It was an apology of sorts, and I think she had decided that maybe I didn't deserve her anger anymore. I don't she accepted "silly" in her behavior. Maybe "less than ideal"? lol BTW, what's on the white shelves isn't all the books, it's just the light reading :) Perhaps I should admit to having a problem?

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  5. You definitely have some oldies but goodies. I inherited a headboard that dates back to the civil war. I always thought that was interesting too.

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  6. That does sound interesting. I like to see other people's treasures too. You could put that on your blog sometime?

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  7. Pretty book case--pretty books. I envy people, well, I envy women, who do woodwork. Not enough to be mean to them, though, and not enough to want to learn how myself. Its a pity those books have to be stored out of sight,

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  8. I wish I was better at woodworking, but I am pleased with myself to make this bookcase. I thought it's a shame the books are out of sight too, which is why I posted the pics. I wonder how many treasures other people have squirreled away?

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  9. Hi Linda, just stopped by, really a pleasure to see your work and the old books. I always put mine in cardboard boxes and threw moth balls on them. But books need to be read, not moth balled :) hope you are well!

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  10. oh probably the moth balls are bad so don't take my advice!

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    1. Where have you been Andrew?! I miss you story time. Don't worry, I will not take your advice about moth balls :) Well, maybe moth balls would be a great idea?

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  11. You are so right, the world and everything spins around us whether we are aware of it or not. And sometimes those forces - as you say - act directly on us, without our knowing. The best we can do is go on the best we can and keep doing what seems right for us even when we don't know what is hitting us. At least books will always be a positive force, maybe with the exception when you have to carry them upstairs or move them around. I do love those old books of yours. :-)

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    1. Thanks Otto! Now that all the books are upstairs I won't have to lug them around anymore except one at a time as I feel like reading them :)

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  12. Linda, air humidity is key. I kept our home library with us in many countries and in some we had to use humidifiers and in others de-humidifiers. But it is worth it. Our (old) books look okay. If you store them, check regularly. You have some very pretty books. Oh, I suddenly remember that I donated a few old books (18th century) to museums because I assumed they should get professional care and conditions.

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  13. EYE think you're utterly gorgeous. Know why? Everyone's adorable in Seventh-Heaven, silly; this existence finite is but a test of our free-will, dear. Not everyone goes Upstairs. Lemme fill-you-up withe avant-gardeness nessesary TO enter...

    I'm a sower, we plant the Seed; I'm an artist, we write the Word.

    Find-out where we went on our journey far, far away like the synonyMOUSE metaphors which shall creeep stealthily across thy brain bringing U.S. together.

    And see if you cannot 'read-between-the-lines' -or- VERBUM SAT SAPIENTI (Latin: words to the wise): here's summore symbiotically-explosive-coolness done in sardonic satires when we passed-away:

    Here's what the prolific, exquisite GODy sed: 'the more you shall honor Me, the more I shall bless you' -the Infant Jesus of Prague.

    Go git'm, girl. You're incredible.
    See you Upstairs...
    thesuperseedoftime.blogspot.com

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