Not Catering to Public Opinion

     Bryan advised me to regularly write posts using the words, "all those other psycho homeschoolers."
     After three months of chaos, yesterday we put hundreds of books back on the shelves.  The walls behind them are now a wonderfully warm yellow.  The trim is white.  I keep the bathroom door shut so I don't see the work there is left to be done.  I'm ready for a little beauty and a lot of order.
     My basic goal in home organization is to be able to find most things, most of the time.  I'm not quite up to being able to put my hand on anything in my house in thirty seconds.  When my kids are looking for Meet George Washington I like to find it with other American history books.  If we can't find it, I tell them to choose another book (yes, I have a relaxed educational philosophy).  When I feel mad thinking about an area,  I tackle it, throw out the junk, line up the books and breathe a sigh of relief.  I need a workable, livable home.
     Yesterday I laughingly asked Bryan if I should organize our books by subject and alphabetically by author, "like all those other psycho homeschoolers."  He wisely advised me that if I did, I'd have to make four kids keep it that way.  Then coming back upstairs with another load of books he told me to use those words regularly in my blog.  He was joking, but I think I will.  It's nothing personal against psycho homeschoolers, I'd probably love to know them, and maybe I envy them.  But sometimes people seem a wee bit carried away.  For now, I'm happy with my system (when it works).
    Someday I might change my mind.  Someday I might be convicted about my lack of homekeeping skills.  Then I'll change my ways.  I'll organize our fiction library by author's last name.  We'll use the Dewey Decimal system and make labels for the spines of the books.  Or, better yet, I'll use the Library of Congress system; my kids will have an advantage in college.  I'll write an authoritative post advising everyone else to do the same.  A homeschool magazine will come calling and I'll write articles on organizing your home library.  Someday I'll be an expert, I'm only lacking a little conviction.