Wanted: A little help from my friends- (lost library in fire)

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Recently my daughter and I had a house fire. We just about lost all of our possesions but we do still have each other. We are carrying on but we lost ALL our books.

Now I realize that I'm asking a lot from you but please, if you have ANY homesteading books,mags, or whatever that you could donate it would be so much appreciated. My daughter is 15 and is just as devistated as I about our lost library.

I am very happy to say that she has taken after me when it comes to loving the land and the way we live. Please, I can assure you that they will go to a great home. We really don't have much money right now but I will pay the postage or whatever for them.

I feel very strange about asking this of you as this is really the first time I've ever had to ask for help. Thank you all in advance and anything you can do would be great! Nothing is too small. Sue

-- Sue Hege (rainbowacres1@yahoo.com), August 19, 2001

Answers

Response to Wanted: A little help from my friends-

Yes, I do have some books for you. I'll be moving in the next two weeks or so, and I've got lots of things I won't have room for in the new place. Can you use cooking magazines as well? I really hate to give these up, because they're so valuable when they're new, but when I'm looking for a recipe it just takes too much time to pore through so many mags, and the end result is that I never refer to them once I've forgotten what's in them. Yes, I've got homesteading books as well, and I'd love to see everything go to a good home. Please e-mail me an address where I can send them.

-- Leslie A. (lesliea@home.com), August 19, 2001.

I recommend shipping any books at the USPS book rate. It is pretty reasonable compared to other methods. Technically magazines would be Bound Printed Matter, but in a box with books who is going to question it.

For recipes or reference articles, consider going with a scanner on your PC. Create folders or separate diskettes for category groups.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 19, 2001.


Sue - where are you at? I have old Countryside magazines that I would be happy to send to you. And Backwood Homes magazines also. You probably need to organize what people are sending to you so you don't end up with tons of magazines that are all alike and you have to find homes for them! Is there anything else you need that we can help you with?

-- Dianne (willow@config.com), August 19, 2001.

Ken,

What a great idea! Scanning in recipes then putting them into various folders is perfect for all of us. I actually remember learning about directories and subdirectories in DOS (yes, I'm that old) with recipes being the example used. A recipe directory with three sub-directories for meat, chicken and fish then sub-directories in each of those for various categories, etc. The only difference from then to now is we call them 'Folders' today.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), August 19, 2001.


Sue,

Please email me where you and your daughter live - we may be able to help.

-- Phil in KS (pemccoy@yahoo.com), August 19, 2001.



Special interest areas? Please send me an address via e-mail. I am certain I have some CS issues.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), August 19, 2001.

I would love to send some Magazines too. I'm glad you asked: We would never know. E-mail me your address. I'll pay for the postage. That is so wonderful your daughter is folloeing after you and loving the land. Your just the type of people I'm looking for to share my magazines.

-- Jo (farmerjo@kvalley.com), August 19, 2001.

e-mail me your address and such.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), August 19, 2001.

The new "media mail" option at the usps is slow but you can mail a good bit of stuff for a few bucks.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), August 19, 2001.

We too lost everything in a house fire. It burn't right down to the ground just last year. We lost 30 years of countryside and 15 years of small farmers journal. It breaks my heart all the old homesteding books we had that are out of print things like John semore's books, and ten acres enough. We had two copies of Jerry Belanger's Dairy goats the modern way, and two copies of country women. Could anyone E-mail us goat recipes like soap and cheese. And also small building plans, milk stands sheds nest boxes.etc We were prepared for Y2K just by being us we have a large garden and just about every traditional homestead animal most of our success due to reading countryside. We are not now though don't even have an ax or chainsaw as all our tools went up too! We've got five kids and no money to replace so we are struggling not fun at all insure your contents!! Believe it or not biggest not fun is cooking from scratch with no recipes.

-- Sheryl R. Clifton (BryrPatch35@aol.com), August 19, 2001.


I can't thank you all enough for this. Bless you all.

If I should get doubles of any books,magazines or other items, I will be sending them on to Sheryl. I understand your pain so much. People stand back and say" oh, how terrible they must be heartbroken" when they see a home on fire but no ones knows how it is to lose everything you have pack-ratted for your entire life. It leaves a very empty feeling. I believe that there is a reason for everything that happens on this earth be it good or bad. We still have our animals and barn but as Sheryl stated, don't have too many tools and stuff. I am amazed at the amount of people who have responded to help. Thank you all so much. I also thank you all for showing my daughter that there are people out there that still care about each other. I think the idea about putting things on disk is great! I will be doing that in the future. Oh, by the way, PLEASE insure your belongings. I did not because I did not have the money at the time, how dumb that was!!! Be safe not sorry, Sue

-- Sue (rainbowacres1@yahoo.com), August 19, 2001.


Send me your address and you'll have a surprise in your mail box! DW

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), August 19, 2001.

I can't help you directly but ... phone nearby libraries, explain your situation, and ask when they're having their next surplus book sale, and if there's any way you could find out in advance what will be available. At the worst, they're a source of inexpensive books, but you might get luckier than that. You might try local high-schools too: often they have old textbooks which they no longer use, but which are classics that may well suit homeschooling. Don't forget St Vincent de Paul or Salvation Army or Goodwill or whatever stores too - you can often find bits and pieces at ridiculously low prices - by no means everything you need, but some real value in some things - including handtools and furniture as well as books.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), August 20, 2001.

Sue,

So sorry about your fire. Are there other items you need. We know you lost your library, what other items did you lose?

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), August 20, 2001.


Forgot. I need your address. I have a 17 year old. What size is your daughter?

Cordy

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), August 20, 2001.



Hi, I have emailed several of you personally and again thank you. You've asked what else we lost besides the books, well, basically everything that was in our house was either burned or water logged beyond use. So we have pretty much had to start over from scratch. We have had alot of help from the local churches and salvation army. A close friend is letting us put a trailer on some of her land so we can get it together again, as my daughter says. We will try to replace things like canning supplies, my vita mixer( I won't live long without that!), and just the misc. stuff that you don't miss until it is not there. Thanks again for the help and bless one and all! Sue

-- Sue (rainbowacres1@yahoo.com), August 22, 2001.

I mailed your box today...media mail...I don't think it's too fast but wanted you to know it's on the way. Enjoy!!

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), September 01, 2001.

Sue: Can you send me your address too? I don't know that we have homesteading books but we have A LOT of books and I'm sure we can find a few to send your way. Does your daughter like animals/horses?

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), September 01, 2001.

Hi All! I just wanted to send an update on us. We now have a small trailer that was put on a friends lot for us. Brenda has started a new school and been doing fine. We recieved several packages from many of you and again, thank you. We are starting to move on but it is hard. I'll try to keep you posted of what is happening with us. I do have a question: Has anybody been diagnosed with A.D.D. in their adulthood? Not while you were a child but when you were older. I'd like to talk with anyone that fits the question. Thank you all, Sue

-- sue (rainbowacres1@yahoo.com), September 02, 2001.

Just wondered if you ever received my box?

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), October 02, 2001.

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