Last week I set out four sacks of clothing for the Rescue Mission truck to pick up from the front of my house. When I finished walking the dog around the block, three of the four bags were gone. Someone had seen what they needed, apparently, and rescued themselves.

You might have read how religious I am about clearing out what I no longer need. And by no longer need I mean no longer use. Not everyone shares my creed. Not even my husband and daughter. Many people think they need things they don’t use. I don’t quibble with anyone’s thinking. It’s nearly always different than mine. I just felt bad last week for Rescue Mission, and specifically for the truck driver, who made his appointed rounds hither and yon only to end up in front of my house, confronted with my apparent stinginess.

Because of an unfolding of unusual events, I find myself with an uncharacteristically large inventory of new books under my desk – books that I thought I would use in a place that I ended up not going. Even though I wrote these books I didn’t get them for free. An author is a customer of her publisher the same way any reader is. I bought these books from either the publisher or from Amazon, which offers the lowest price on the street. So now I have these big boxes by my desk and you can imagine how I feel about big boxes of things I don’t need.

I hear from people who can’t afford to buy a book, or don’t want to, and then wait for the library to stock and lend, or to receive a gift. And so, in light of last week’s rescue, I’m putting these books on the street. For this week only, or until my supply is depleted, I will offer brand new single copies of either Hand Wash Cold or Momma Zen for $6 each plus $3 shipping (domestic only). In anyone’s book, that is a steal.

And even though I’m losing on the deal, I can’t find a need for what I don’t use.

You may only purchase these in single quantities, 1 of each title per customer, for delivery to domestic addresses only, by media mail, the cheapest and slowest USPS service for books. I will affix my signature, but not a personal inscription. If you place your order after my supply has been sold, your money will be refunded. If you order for an international delivery, your money will be refunded. The expense would be too high for me to pay.

Some of you could feel lucky about this. As if you found something. Some of you could feel unlucky. As if you lost something. Perhaps you just bought a book or two and paid more. See if you happen to fall into that kind of useless comparative thinking: lucky, unlucky; lost, found; more, less; good, bad. Be generous with yourself and with others. Take what you can use. Leave what you can’t. Rescue one and rescue all.

Sorry, all of my half-price copies are now sold out. You may still purchase signed copies on my Books page.

I like the photo I used above because sometimes when we see a tag like this, even on a brand new purchase or gift, we feel as if we’ve been robbed!

The Practice of Everyday Life, weekend retreat in Colorado Sept. 16-18
The Plunge in Pittsburgh, one-day retreat right where you think it will be, Oct. 1

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