Do you collect anything?

Aw, that's sweet.  My books are also on a set of shelves that my DH built.

Ours can't sink because our house is built on a concrete pad.  We did put a box of books in our shop though, and termites got to them.  Termites are a big problem here, but I don't collect them.  LOL.

 My downstairs is an bit of an Library of sorts...long time ago I bought an special series of books, supposedly all the literary "masterpeices" throughout all time, one book is eclusive of historical documents of legislation, like the Magna Carta, and the US Constituion, bu tit also has poetry, famous aughtors, the King James bible, the Koran, the writings of Buddah and confuous, stores like Pilgrim's Progress, tale of an thousands nights, it's an 25 plus volumes set. I am aways referencing from it at times, espically in the Myths and tales of long ago.

My furniture downstairs is an "legacy" from my maternal grandfather...so is the huge wall unit bookcase...so is the two matching end tables and coffee table. I bought an dining room set one time to match it also, long gone now from abuse over the years. It still sells in the $800 range, but alas, my in-laws and local neighbors and so called "freinds" were not kind to my stuff...I'm lucky to have what little I have now.  As my father said to me..you can't take it to heaven with ya' you know. Never did apease me much to hear that either. I can understand what the public houses on display must put up with at times. I cherish the things I aquired the hard way..by working for them.  

You have a pretty active household, though Shirley.  I have a few pieces of furniture that I "try" to keep from getting dinged, nicked, stained, etc.  But it's just about impossible I think, unless you cover it with plastic and forbid anyone to use it.  I grew up down the street from a family who did just that.  The kids all had to sit on the floor to watch TV. lol

It's the only way to preserve furniture in a houseful of young n's.  lol