A Book Break

As part of a new and improved budgeting system, our family has been avoiding some of our most favorite places. Specifically, bookstores. This past weekend, however, we spend some time in Wichita and among our “treats” was a trip to Borders Bookstore.

The kids were thrilled. In fact, I was feeling a little envious at the freedom they felt to jump up and down in the parking lot and cheer about going to the bookstore. It’s the way I felt, inside.

I think watching the kids shop for books was almost enough to feed my hunger. They dove right in, the oldest reading back cover summaries to the other two and providing commentary, as needed. Perhaps I should have taken her browsing with me, as well.

I avoided fiction though there are at least a dozen new books that I would be thrilled to own. As head of this new and improved budgeting system, I can’t avoid the little voice that tells me “It’ll be available at the library,” and “What are the chances you will want to read it more than once, anyway?”

I thought I was looking for more of a reference book. I spent most of my hour standing in front of the writing guides and books about grammar. In the end I left empty-handed. Good for the budget, but perhaps hard on the soul.

As it turned out, hubby was no more successful than I was. The next day we headed for Barnes & Noble. Kiddo #1 was still cheering, even knowing that she had made her allotted purchase the day before. I ended up with the most current issue of Glimmer Train. Hubby opted for a set of Pimsleur Arabic tapes.

All felt right with the world.