The paper mountain

St Bruno
Yesterday's weather: mild, mixed, warm

Such excitement. Our IKEA delivery expected after mid-October and ordered in June arrived yesterday. All the 18 packages were off-loaded into the garage where they are still sitting this morning. The lorry arrived at exactly the same time as our lunch guests so we have delayed unpacking until today.

The first job will be to put together the two glass fronted bookcases which will mean unloading the many book cases we have already and selecting the 'specials' to go in the new ones. Apart from the obvious curse-ridden air that is normal when putting together flat packs, there will be other emotions in the air today, mostly nostalgia from finding old friends amongst the books. We have for many years collected pre-WW2 guide books to France and it will be difficult not to flick through them delicately admiring the writing, maps and photographs. There are many books of writings on France and the French dating throughout the 20th century which I can't bear to part with. Favourite authors and auto-biographies that I know I will read again one day - when I have the time. Add to this the piles of reference books, DIY references in French and English, home decorating, storage, knitting projects, sewing projects, gardening books and so the list goes on.

There will be a lot of regret too as we decide which books have to go. We can't possibly keep all the books we have and many will be packaged up to be taken back to the UK where we will pass them on to friends and family and any left over will go to charity shops or to be sold on Amazon on our behalf.

Then I will discover the dozens of books that I've just not got round to reading yet. Lots of auto-biographies, history books and still more novels. We can't possibly part with those, yet.

And of course the main reason for the cull is to lessen the guilt when I buy another pile of books from Amazon or Waterstones or charity shops when we make a trip back to the UK later this year. But I haven't told Jon that yet.

Ooops. I think I just did!