Moving our books

Since we decided to downsize to the small family cottage in Old Filey ,Colin and and I have been sorting our books. We did the first sort in November, and removed all the novels that we knew we could easily get out of Filey Library if we wanted to re-read them. So the first 5 boxes went to charity shops .  Next came the first editions, my Lindsey Davis's, my Donna Leon's and Leo Walmsley's,  we gave those to my Cheshire Sister  as well as all the very old Family books with inscriptions that would only mean something to us. That sorted another couple of boxes. Since Christmas, as the next phase of serious thought began ,we have removed all the books from the cottage, this time about 100 large biographies, and books about London. Years of considered Holiday reading for the discerning guest, left quietly ;also detective novels, Margaret Drabble's hints of Filey novels and light classics that would only take a week to read, HE Bates to Jane Austen, and the quirky books Colin thought visitors might enjoy : Perfume, The Necropolis Railway, The day they kidnapped Queen Victoria, and A history of Madame Tussauds. My offerings were always  less esoteric 'Fossils of the Yorkshire Coast' and Roget's Thesaurus (for restful  Crosswords).

The First charity shop had to turn us away with yesterday's offerings. They simply couldn't cope with any more of our books! Colin didnt really want to push the Sholley (my aged parent left it with us) too far around Filey incase folk thought he had joined the Geriatrica. But the upside of this is that we both realise just how good a Sholley is. I shall use one as soon as I need one , but wear sunglasses. My children already avoid being seen with me in the street as they are embarrassed by my wicker basket on wheels.

Back to the mighty tomes.
Today , we did the second sort of the Kiaora Library. I am simply amazed that I managed to put ' Silver marks of the world' and all four novels of Graham Taylor's novels into a Charity Shop box. More still that daughter no 1 who is moving into our house says she will keep all my books from school on Literacy , Numeracy and all points History, Geography, pond life and Science.
 Just 16 shelves to go now. 3 of Poetry, and 2 of Christianity, 2 Classics,and 5 Plants and Animals, 4 of Pevsners , Maps and  all our Pelicans and Black Penguins. We can't stop now, we feel ruthless, and liberated, most of the time. The sooner Sue Ryder and St Catherine take possession of our offerings the more likely we are to carry on being sensible with the rest.
 Anyone want 12 boxes of my fathers 35mm slides of our garden in Sutton on Hull and our holidays from 1958 until 67 ?
H/T to Simon Lewin at All things considered for this

Things to do, places to go..

The Security light outside the back door, below our window ,has been going on and off relentlessly in the gale  and so I have been up for hours. We have never really worked out what triggers it, frogs , rats, branches or lurkers. I am however enjoying watching the dawn and having a catch up. I have already wiped round the kitchen (sort of) and put a load in the washing machine and looked thro all the Tweets to the Parish Twitter, @FileyParish and my own @margaretkiaora.

I have not been on the PC much  since getting my new toy. Since #cnmac I have just about assimilated the stuff I learned. I have therefore put the Parish on Facebook following the advice from famous blogging Bishop. Consequently I spend time looking at Facebook and Twitter on my new Smartphone, which it certainly is, all sync-ed and clever, I keep the Parish Website as up to date as I can, and have really neglected my first love .  The honeymoon with the new toy is over now, as I heard Parish Secretary say of hers -They're quite addictive aren't they?

I am back to being me with words now, the touchpad keyboard is fantastic on my toy, but it is not solid and homely like this one, I am not able to sit and drink tea next to me , putting it up and down on my Echium Mat from the Chelsea Physic Garden , or leave the words and come back to them when I've fed the cat , answered the phone or powdered my nose. This feels right. I can say more . 

So the news is this-daughter is buying our house when  she sells hers , and we are moving to our cottage  round the corner, hopefully by April. Spouse has promised to carry on being a Fileygardener here, as the cottage has only a yard. I am getting rid of EVERYTHING to good homes. 

For the last few weeks I have been making almost daily trips to the great Charity Shops of Filey with all my clutter,and hundreds of novels. All the paperbacks have gone. Not the well loved favourites of course, and out of print Arthur Upfields. Anne Tyler has gone, Carol Shields has gone, Agatha Christie has gone along with Georgette Heyer and PD James. My first Editions are going round the family. Leo Walmsley went first. Donna Leon is about to move from Venice, via Filey  to Sutton on Hull.  My First Day Covers have gone to the Christian Bookshop , who sells them, and my Victorian Doll to the Salvation Army Shop. 

Furniture anybody? Will find placements for all I am sure.  It is so FREEING. So If anyone wants my grandmothers Edwardian  Dressing Table it will be free to a good home in the Spring. I must have somewhere to keep the national collection of Bridget Jones' p's till then .

Clues

I have read detective stories all my  novel life. I started  with  Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, and seamlessly into Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer and all points past Arthur Upfield to Henning Mankell and Donna Leon.

Marian my brass cleaning partner at St Os also is an avid reader and has given me a list of authors to try, including Alan Rustage and Mark Billingham and Veronica Healey. I will try them all. I don't like too much blood and gore or sex, so only just cope with Wallender, so Peter Robinson is out for me and Stieg Larsson will never be even tried . Filey Library has a huge section of  Crime novels. 

Ive just finished  The Help by Kathryn Stockett, not a crime novel, but so very good I shan't be able to read anything other than  a bit of light Crime for a few days until I have processed all its themes and implications. My sister says it is soon a film, so am glad to have read it first. Does the Cover picture tell you what the book is about, does it give any clues?

And what about these my faithful reader? Have you known me long enough to know what these are? Where are they going and what part do they play in my exciting life?