If a wildfire comes roaring up to your doorstep, and you have time to grab a box of cherished possessions, what do you take? That's a question our neighbors out East End Road had to consider recently. Most of what we have is just stuff, things easily replaced. Holy Affluenza, we probably have too much stuff anyway.

What matters, though? Those family photographs? Your grandmother's wedding quilt? Grandpa's World War I medals? Old love letters? Art? In the Betster's life, it's books. How to choose? Oh yeah, I'd grab the 1882 copy of John Murdoch's "Ethnological Results of the Pt. Barrow Expedition." And then? Oh, so many books.

Only, you know how in Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" where to keep an oppressive government from burning books, people would commit books to memory? Books live forever in our reading of them. It's not the collection itself that matters, but the experience of being with books. Stuff matters for creating knowledge and creating memories. Otherwise, hey, it's just stuff.

So get away from your possessions and venture forth into the world. Create nice experiences. Go read a book, or, of course, how about trying out some of these Best Bets:

BEST BOOK LOVERS HEAVEN: It's official. The Homer City Council has accepted the bid for the new Homer Library. At 6 p.m. Monday, library supporters get out the golden shovels and break ground at the Hazel Avenue site of the new library, so swing by and cheer on the start of a long-time dream. The budget is going to be tight, though. You can help support the library at on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., with a fund-raiser dinner and auction at the Homestead Restaurant. Tickets are $100 each.

BEST SO LONG BET: Ah, the memories of the Division of Motor Vehicle office. Those old copies of Field and Stream. The cute safety posters. The terror of your first driving test. For 16 years, Victoria Wilson served Homer at DMV. She retired this year. At 6 p.m. Saturday at Homer High School, her friends hold a potluck dinner and dance honoring her service — and a roast to tell some funny Victoria stories.

BEST GREENING OUT ALL OVER: Plant a tree with Arbor Week events starting 10 a.m. Saturday with an Arbor Day tree sale at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. During Homer Community Park Day on Saturday, free spruce trees will be given out from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

BEST PEACEMAKERS BET: Thirty years after the end of the Vietnam War, soldiers from both sides come together in Homer for peace and reconciliation. The weekend long event starts tonight at 5 p.m. with opening ceremonies at the Homer Council on the Arts.

BEST GRAND SLAM BET: Hey, the Betster hasn't seen such awesome baseball games since the Red Sox came back to win the pennant last spring. The undefeated Homer High Mariners take on the undefeated Palmer Moose for the first home game of the season in a double-header at noon and 3 p.m. at Homer High School.