I found this poem at the Poetry Foundation site. 

Last night was like a perfectly
balanced algebra equation. 

We had eaten (a simple, scrumptious
meal of salad, bread and wine) and prayed (for Zimbabwe, for Family Camp this
weekend, for healing, for the neighborhood of the new church, for a struggling
single mom, giving thanks for new babies safely born)  and were sitting in the
solarium on the back of our friends’ house, relaxing, laughing, bantering,
reminiscing.  Jo was home from college, Tim just graduated from high school, the
good father had arrived home  after another day practicing medicine. 

We sat there
enjoying one another. 

Two hummingbirds frequented the feeder, flowers winked at
us, eyes sparkled and danced, and we devoured the visual feast before our eyes. 

Curt and I took turns murmuring our
need to go, but we made no move to leave.  We were settled and at peace. We
lingered, soaking in the goodness of a friendship that spanned many years.  It
was a moment full of grace, full of suspended beauty.  But the glorious melody
of the moment moved forward to the coda, a coda which would bring us to the end of the day. 
Reluctantly, we rose and took our leave.

Outside, daylight was hovering,
peeking over the mountain ridge.  We drove a hundred yards and watched a herd of
50-60 elk move through the tall grass.  They had been crossing the road, but ran
back when we pulled over to watch.  Have you ever seen elk run?
 Their elegance seems impossible with their bulk.  Mama elk
called to their calves; Collin and Curt imitated the calls, but no calves came
running toward us.  We gazed at the groups, multiple parabolas, merging,
dividing, curving, gathering. 

The sweet scent of freshly mown hay wafted from the
adjoining field.  A passing car occasionally interrupted the stillness.  Dusk
descended; distant lights twinkled.  Curt started the car, and we drove home in
companionable silence.  It had been a fine day. 

Maybe I am getting old, but I see
these moments as treasures to cherish. 

It was ordinary prayer group and yet it
was precious.  Our batteries were re-charging, preparing for energy required in
days to come.  We reconnected and agreed that it was very good.  I wanted to
write it down, to keep the memory from dissolving into the air.  I want to
remember this day and to give thanks for it.

* photo from another evening of lingering in York, England

It's been almost a year since I joined PaperBackSwap.  In that year I have culled my bookshelves, mailed out 134 books and made room for the 141 books I have received.   Some people say I'm obsessed with books.

They tell me that I've saved $634.50, based on a used book price of $4.50.  If you buy a used book on Amazon for $0.01 and add $3.99 shipping, you spend at least $4.00.

Here's how it works:  initially you must post ten books which you are willing to make available to other members.  You receive two free book credits.  When someone wants your book, you receive an email, print out a "wrapper" and send the book to them.  You pay postage to send out books, but the books you request are sent to you free. 

What I've learned:

~  Since I don't like wrapping books in 8 x 11, 20 pound copy paper, I've come up with the most frugal substitutes I can find.  I re-use every padded mailer that comes to my house.  I use the large blank newspaper bottoms that come with my son's paper route.  I buy 10 x 13 manila envelopes (and strapping tape) at Costco ; most books fit in sideways and I fold the envelope down to size.

~ Regardless of the name of the club, hardback books are also swapped.  Audio books too. 

~  Books with the same ISBN (International Standard Book Number) can have different covers.  Don't send off a grumpy message to the sender when the cover is not what you expected, ahem...

~  I use my Wish List whenever I read an intriguing book review, have a book recommended, read "best of" lists, read an author interview, etc.  The Wish List is limited to 200 books and my list is full.  When someone posts a book on my Wish List, and I am first in line to receive it (not a daily or even weekly occurrence) PBS sends me an email that the book I wanted is available and held for me for 48 hours.

~  The Reminder List is my spillover from the Wish List.  PBS takes no action on Reminder Lists. When my Wish List goes down, I move a book over from the Reminder List.

~  I don't waste time browsing "books posted today".  My tastes are not what anyone would call "popular".  I use the search engine to look for authors and titles.  Over 2 million books are available. 

~  Patience is a necessary ingredient.  You are given five days to mail the book, using Media Mail, a slower class of mail.  If you need a book in two days, order from Amazon.  Although, I got Rick Steves' Great Britain 2008 book a week before we left on our trip by asking the other member to send it First Class.

~  My small town post office is a mile away.  They all know me by name.  It works well for me to swing by there on the way to get groceries, see my grandson, etc.  There is a Printable Postage option with PBS, but I don't want to pay the extra 43¢.

~  A small sample of books I've scored:

~  Most books have been in pretty good condition.  Some are disappointingly ratty; others have obviously never been read (uncut pages).  The only requirement for books is that they are not ARCs (advance reading copy), written in or highlighted (flyleaf is okay).  You can make conditional requests (no smoking environment) and I have received and sent a few books with light highlighting with the other member's permission.

~  I'm so far out of the mainstream that I'm bone dry.  "1/1" Books on my Wish List (I'm the only one in PBS requesting  this book, the first one to get this book when it enters the system...if that ever happens!):  [3 years later updated news in red]

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want for good stuff to listen to.  There are sermons online (does anyone else like to listen to sermons in their free time?), Librivox for free audio books in the public domain, conference CDs, audio books from the library... 

But!  I discovered a new source and I am delighting in it!  I just drove three hours to pick up my friend at the airport and realized at the last minute that I didn't have an audio book available.  In with my bills to pay was a handbill for Library2Go (an Oregon system) from our library's circulation desk.  Library2Go uses the services of OverDrive.   I include this link because you may be able to find your library within the system.  Click on Find Free Downloads button and search for your library by country or by state. 

Without leaving your home, you can download professionally read audio books for a ten-day checkout period.  If a book isn't available at the moment, you can place a hold on that book, and receive an email when it is available. 

I downloaded The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope, burned it to CDs and have been happily caught up in the drama of Lily Dale and Johnny Eames while driving, deep-cleaning my bedroom, making meals, etc.

It's a wonderful opportunity that is probably available to most of you.

I have a deep-cleaning question for you. 

What do you intend to do with obsolete media? 

I'm speaking, of course, of VHS videos and cassette tapes.   I (uh) am (er) thinking of (clearing throat) pitching, as in throwing away, all the boxes of tapes I have.  (gasp)  A shelf in our closet is occupied with boxes of cassettes: sermons, conferences, homeschooling.  Stuff we listened to once or twice, appreciated it, but doubt we will go back to again.  The medium does make a difference.  All the minimum, we will cull our collection.  Perhaps offer it tapes for free at a garage sale. 

What about you?  What will you do?

I have a confession to make.  I get expensive haircuts.  It kills me to admit it, Miss Frugality who refills water bottles, grinds her own wheat, wraps presents from wallpaper sample books, and washes generic Ziplock bags for reuse.  But there it is. 

For twelve years I paid eight dollars ($5 for husband and sons) for a good haircut from a stylist who loved our family and never raised her rates for us.  It was a sad day when she moved away.  When money was tight, I bought a razor and learned how to give the guys haircuts.  My husband was the first to escape that tyranny; one son still insists I cut his hair. 

I've done the beauty college ($ 9), the no-appointment, leave with a wet head, walk-in shops ($12), the blue-haired, weekly wash-and-set shop for grandmas ($16), and eventually went to a good stylist who waxed eyebrows for free with her $22 haircut.  Then I was given a gift certificate to the most expensive, la-di-dah shop in town.  It was The Best Cut I've ever had.  I went back, on my own volition, naively assuming it wouldn't be too much more than the $22 range. Soo-prahse, soo-prahse!  $35.   Prices have increased, and I now pay $42 for a cut and style.  Never In My Days, would I have believed that I would pay that much for A Haircut. 

My only consolation is that the cut is good for five to six months.  And it is still the best cut I've ever had for my thick, curly mop.

I live in the country.  I know prices can be higher in the city. 

How much do you pay for your haircut?