in support of play- and reading corners

I've always been obsessed with books and reading.

As a child I spent many a night hiding under the blanket with a pocket light and my collection of Enyd Blyton novels.

As a student, I spent a blissful vacation with my (equally afflicted) friend Birgitta meandering across the beautiful English and Cornish countryside, always on the lookout for second hand bookstores, to find hidden treasures, and cozy tea houses and country pubs to sit and read them in.

Later I introduced my darling husband to the joys of literature and for quite a while our favorite hangout on a Friday evening was the coffee shop of the local Borders bookstore in Cary, North Carolina.

Unfortunately, for the past years, this hobby has been severely limited by our move to Utrecht (where bookstores and coffee shops aren't usually open in the evening, and pubs used to be very crowded and smoky), and the birth of our children (who don't usually leave me the time to read when they're awake).

But I have found a remedy: There are really nice coffee shops in local garden centers, often with play areas to keep the little ones entertained for a bit while mommy is browsing through the magazines (often ending up buying rather more plants and garden ornaments than I had intended).

Thus to encourage and support this excellent institution, I am now collecting magazines and toys we no longer need, and regularly deposit them at coffeehouses, garden centers, doctor's waiting rooms, etc.