Prioritise Joy

Exploring Sydney & Collecting Books Along the Way

Heya,

Greetings from Sydney. Today’s message is just a shortie along with some impressions from the last several days and a few links for your attention.

Thanks for being here,

xBec

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No. Buying. Books.

This is something that the hubby and I say to each other every time we travel.

Sadly or luckily, depending on your take on reading and or enjoying the purchase of reading material, we seem to always ignore ourselves. We love bookstores and even if we go into one just to “pass some time” and plan on holding fast to our no buying mantra, one of us will break (usually me). Yesterday we made it out of the shop with only four - pretty good for us.

When we moved from the US to AU we’d already been together for 26 years and had accumulated a pretty big combined library. I’d been in a book club for about ten years by then which is always a good excuse to “buy the book”.

Our combined library was not hugely huge but we had a lot of books. Before we moved I culled and culled and culled and culled. Some things were easy to say goodbye to (the hubby’s nursing school medical textbooks) and some were painful. I actually can’t remember any of those painful ones but remember the discomfort of feeling I was abandoning my past self and being disloyal in some weird way.

Since that other side of the world shift we’ve moved three more times, downsizing as we went. Our latest abode is literally a cabin with two smallish bedrooms - read zippo space for either a big ole bookcase or to hide books away in closets. (Yes we have a garage but we also live in a place with enough rain that mould becomes a problem in an uninsulated steel garage, not to mention the geckos and mice)

Where am I going with this?

We keep buying books even though ostensively we don’t have anywhere to put them because we love books and we love to read books. The buying and the reading brings us joy, it really is as simple as that.

Today’s Question

What do you do that makes no sense practically but makes huge sense emotionally?

Whatever that is, do more of it. Whatever lights you up is a worthy pursuit and if you’re so inclined, let me know what that is:

the latest stash

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Sydney Sites

I’m getting my fill up of the big city.

Making lemonade out of a medical trip lemon. Nothing too serious - just a trip to the specialist for the hubby. Originally I wasn’t going to come but something else in my schedule was canceled so I felt like I could give myself permission to tag along.

We always have fun when we travel together.

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For Your Information / For Your Attention

People are loving this podcast episode, maybe you will too.

We saw Hadestown last night (highly recommended). Did you know being an audience member is good for your health? Here’s a post I wrote after one of our previous trips to Sydney🤩

Be vibrant and I’ll catch you next week!

xBec