Still packing again.

Right now I have only culled nine books. That's probably out of a grand total of... definitely over five hundred, I'd say, by rough estimate. Including the Algers. Those damn Algers.

But I'm looking at my other useless books: Bright Ideas for Entertaining by Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott, 1905; Etiquette Problems in Pictures by Lillian Eichler, 1924; Medical Compend For Commanders of Naval Vessels published by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Under the Authority of the Secretary of the Navy, 1944; all those textbooks on The Body's Needs, Emergencies, Foods for Home and School, Davison's Health Lessons--how could I not just move them across town one more time, when some of them have already gone from Seattle to Bard to Portland to NYC to Syracuse to NYC to Portland, and all of them have gone at least from NYC to Portland? (I don't buy nearly as many useless books as I used to, I just have a hard time parting with the ones I already own.)

So I pick up Phunology; A Collection of Tried and Proved Plans for Play, Fellowship, and Profit, by E.O. Harbin, MCMXXIII, thinking maybe I can get rid of this one at least--but I open at random to the second page of a section entitled "Open Air Bible Dramatic Evening." The subheadings are "Bible Plays" and "Games." Under "Games" E.O. Harbin suggests, "If desired and practical a few games could be played."

1. Bible Characters.--Pin names of Bible characters on the backs of the guests. They must discover whom they represent by the remarks that others make to and about them. As soon as a player discovers his identity he reports to the committee and receives some award.


I am not getting rid of Phunology. Instead, I am looking forward to playing Bible Characters at my next shindig. My new housemates might be slightly taken aback, but then they might just join in the fun!