All that You Can't Leave Behind

After giving it some more thought, there are a lot of pluses to squeezing every penny.  The more I think about it, the prouder I am that pretty much everything I own fit into my father's van/my little Kia (with the sad exception of my robin's egg blue colander, which I mourn to this day).  I always hated having clutter, and it's nice knowing that if I had to abandon this northern adventure of mine, it wouldn't be impossible to move again.  Not that I'm eager to do that, mind you.

The only thing this doesn't apply to is books.  They are my biggest weakness, my Achilles' heel (or lower back after lifting boxes of the stupid things).  But I guess everyone is entitled to one guilty pleasure in life.  I certainly understand the appeal of a Kindle/Nook, but I just can't get excited about downloading my books instead of hunting for them in library sales and dusty back rooms in used book shops.  I have a number of amazing finds that I am extremely proud of.  My boyfriend found the entire Cleric Quintet by R.A. Salvatore for $1.  I had been eagerly searching for a copy of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman for some time, and I found a hardcover copy in perfect condition for $3.  

One of my favorites is a copy of The More than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide, in leather, which my father found at a flea market for a few dollars.  That book more than any other represents my love of physical books, so much so that it found its way into my high school senior portraits (no, not linking to that or posting it; you can't make me).  Just a short while ago, I was waxing poetic about my few most treasured possessions, and this book made it onto the list.  I can't imagine feeling that way about an electronic written piece.  That's like getting emotional over an email.

I digress; other than books, I'm happy to curb my spending and just appreciate what I have.  So if anyone is feeling giftish this holiday season, maybe you wouldn't mind donating some money to charity in your giftee's honor rather than cramming another questionable holiday sweater into the back of their closet.