Nancy, I think we're kindred souls. I did drawings in the margins of our encyclopedias. I also colored clothes on most of the people in the illustrations in the Great Artists volume. (It was winter and they all looked cold.)

I've already determined that I'm seriously older than you are, Nancy, but having been raised by parents who grew up during the Depression (the other one) when there weren't all that many books in most people's houses and the ones they did have had been passed down from previous generations, I would never have dreamed of writing in a book. I don't actually know whether or not my kids wrote in theirs. Hmm.

I was in college before I wrote in a book and that was a used textbook that someone had written in before me.

No, wait...I do remember my mother writing in the margins of her Bible during the sermon, but that was "special" and, apparently, only she knew what was worthy of notation. I knew I'd better not get caught trying it.

Believe me, Eve, I soon learned the error of my ways. Now, I wouldn't even think of writing in the margins or dogearing my books.

But at 6? I thought adding a little more color was an appropriate way to show my love.

Do you follow your mother's example now?

Nancy, for the most parts, I read fiction so I don't make notes although I do dogear. I have notes in cookbooks and nutrition/health-related books and absolutley in my gardening books. And, by the way, I am so excited by Susan Reimer's new Gardening blog that I can barely contain myself, NOT that I want to wander off-topic, Dave.

Eve, are you going to go all Sandboxy on us?
I'm glad you're excited about the new gardening blog. Each week, Susan and her crew will highlight gardening books; we'll excerpt her posts here on Sundays.
p.p.s. I think the secret reason Nancy is so enamored of her new Kindle2 is that she can write in the margins with a clear conscience.

What a brilliant way to recycle/reuse! Thanks for the link, I'll be checking out the pre-made journals before I raid my kids' bookshelves :)