Since starting my blog in April, I have received quite a lot of enjoyment from posting, recording some of my thoughts and feelings where others could read them, and expressing myself. After spending a number of years writing regularly in a journal and keeping it all to myself, it was a pleasant contrast to be able to post something and get others' thoughts and opinions.

In fact, I liked it so much that I managed to make 50 posts in less than four months! :] (Let's see how quickly I can get to 100!)

Thank you to all my readers, my followers, and my lurkers. And an extra big thank you to those who commented on my blog!

But since I cannot allow myself to make a separate post just to announce my post count, I will write about my library trip today.

For those of you who live in Brooklyn, the Kings Highway branch of the Brooklyn Public Library has just been reopened this month after being closed for renovations for a few years.

When I was younger, I used to go there regularly with my mother. I remember wishing I could spend hours there and just get lost among all those bookshelves brimming with books. There was nothing I could have liked more at that point. When it closed down, I was obliged to find a different branch within reasonable proximity, but I did not feel as comfortable there, and my library visits became less frequent. And as a result of my yearning for good books to read, I took up the habit of going to actual bookstores or going online and buying what I wanted. (Needless to say, my own personal library has expanded quite considerably over the past few years. In fact, I have two full bookcases in the house, and I am still adding!)

Since today seemed like a nice day for a walk, the skies being gray and overcast, with a pleasant breeze blowing about, I decided to take the opportunity to walk to the library. (And I do not like walking when the alternative is to get a ride, but since that was not an option, walk I did.) I felt the occasional raindrop on my face, and although my mother made sure I took an umbrella with me, I did not bother to use it with so little provocation.

I walked into the library and wandered around for a few minutes, trying to figure out the new layout. The assignment shelves used to be along the wall all the way to the right, but they were no longer anywhere near there. I finally located them -- as you walk into the library, you walk to your left and forward.

There, I proceeded to stand and behold the books with an expression of pure glee, as I noticed that they had all of those books I could not find in the Homecrest branch. I was absolutely delighted by the selection, and kept taking one book after another. At that point, my best friend called me. I shifted my handbag, my umbrella, and about ten books to my left hand in order to hold my phone, which, as you can imagine, was extremely uncomfortable and even somewhat painful. If I had a bit more common sense, I would have sat on one of the cute little wave benches (imagine this, only red and soft) and put my books down on a table, as my best friend suggested, but I continued browsing the shelves, adding even more books to my arms.

At last, after we concluded our conversation and I finished choosing my books, I did take advantage of the benches and the table. At that point, I probably had almost fifteen books. I layed them out on the table and, realizing that it would be impossible to read all of them in the next few weeks, decided I would pick out the ones I could not wait to read and leave the rest for my next visit to the library. I was finally able to narrow it down to nine books. (I don't think my parents want to know how many books I am taking with me.... It might border on insanity -- I don't know. But when your flight to Israel and your flight back to New York add up to nearly twenty-four hours, it is good to be equipped, especially for someone who has no interest in sleeping on a plane.)

Probably the funniest thing that happened in the library was when I was standing by the philosophy shelves. The space between the shelves in front of me and the shelves behind me was pretty narrow. While two people can squeeze past each other, when one person is busy browsing, it's impossible to get through. So I was standing there, looking at titles, and the young girl standing next to me turned her back to me, bent her head to look at the lower shelves, and started backing up... into my space. I don't think she even noticed me, because she seemed pretty preoccupied. Deciding not to say anything to her, I simply moved a few inches away from her so my feet would not be stepped on (especially since she did not exactly have the body of a model, if you know what I mean). And she continued backing up. I moved, and she backed up more, and I got out of her way again, and she backed up, until I was finally pushed out of the aisle altogether. If she had turned around and seen my face at that point, she would probably apologize profusely. But she only noticed me when I tried walking past her to return to where I had been looking at books before she had forced me to back out of the aisle. (She did, indeed, apologize then.)

So that was my library adventure. I also got a new library card, since my old one was apparently outdated, and I discovered the convenience of checking out your books yourself.

There was an older woman standing in front of me, and she asked me if I know how to do it. "This is my first time actually, so I'm not really sure," I replied. The young Jewish man wearing a kippah who was standing near us volunteered to demonstrate, checking out her books for her. She thanked him and left, while I then had the benefit of knowing the basics. So whoever you are, thank you!

I can't wait to go through these books!

And if any of you have something to say in reply to my previous post (on my Israel plans), please do! It would be much appreciated.