Mind "Fall"

Does fall go by too quickly for you? It always seems to do so for me. First you see the leaves looking drier while the weather is still hot. Then several trees begin to show an early blush. Before you know it, colors are everywhere until sometime near the end of October the wind picks up, the temps drop, and POOF! The trees are wooden skeletons.

This fall, I've tried to be especially mindful, which is not without effort. It's so easy to get caught up in going work, shuttling kids to sports practice, and taking care of the house, among other responsibilities. We all seem to be too busy these days, and that's why it's even more important to be in the moment and appreciate the little things. Thankfully, we can do this in just 5 or 10 minutes.

Enjoy that warm cup of tea or spiced cider. Focus on the crisp, sweet taste of the apple you're eating. Take a walk outside during your break to breathe the cool air, and pay attention to the trees and their colors in the sunlight. How have they changed since yesterday? Since last week? As I drive to and from work each day, I concentrate not only on my driving but also on the scenery I'm passing and how it's transitioning.

Fall, like mindfulness, is about slowing down. Give yourself permission to let your mind and body be right here, right now. Take a look at these articles to help you get the most out of the season:

• "Fall into Mindfulness: 8 Intentional Activities to Elevate Your Autumn"
• "Have a Mindful Autumn: Slow Down and Enjoy the Small Things"
• "Using Fall Activities to Practice Mindfulness"

Don't forget that the library has a number of books on mindfulness and meditation if you would like to go further (not to mention DVDs, board games, puzzles, and other items to help you decompress).

What fall activities do you enjoy? Share with us!

Wishing you a wonderful season from the perch.

Japanese Healing Fiction

A newer subgenre of feel-good books is Japanese healing fiction, which focuses on characters who are often lonely or grieving and looking to heal their souls. Cats, cafes, bookshops, libraries, and a little magic also play a big part in these books.

Over the past few years, I've read and enjoyed a number of books that are Japanese healing fiction. I've found them to be soothing, relaxing, and uplifting, especially during difficult times. The following examples can be obtained through our library as ebooks on Libby (ask us about free registration):

• What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama  I'm a sucker for books that feature a library or librarian, and this one has a librarian with the magic of recommending books to people needing change in their lives.
• The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa  A heartwarming read about the bond between a stray cat and the young man who adopts him. Told from the perspective of Nana, the cat, he travels with Satoru around Japan for reasons that are yet unknown.
• The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura  A magical bookshop, with a young owner and her calico cat, appears only when cherry blossoms bloom and serves to help those who are grieving move on with their lives.
• We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida  A special clinic for the soul in Kyoto prescribes cats rather than medications for their patients to guide them through their issues. 
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi  In Tokyo there is a special cafe where people can travel back in time to relive a specific moment, but in order to return to the present, they must drink their cup of coffee before it gets cold.

These books go well with the cozy, fall reading season. Read one of these or find others on Libby through dodmwrlibraries.org. Of course, if you prefer books in print, you can always stop by the library to check out some Japanese healing fiction (and say hi to your friendly perch librarian).

Which healing or feel-good reads do you recommend? Share with us!

Wishing you good, comfy fall books from the perch.

25 Years

For me and for so many who are old enough to remember that fateful Tuesday morning in September 2001, we will not forget where we where, what we were doing, or how we were feeling after terrorists took control of four American planes bound for the West Coast. Although it feels like it happened yesterday, I have to remind myself that roughly one-third of the U.S. population were either too young to remember that day or weren't yet born.

I was then living in Fairborn, Ohio, getting ready to teach another year at Ohio State. I got up that morning, turned on the TV, and the first thing I saw was fire at the top of a Twin Tower (we New Yorkers referred to World Trade Center 1 and 2 as the "Twin Towers" or simply the "Towers"). I wondered how firefighters were going to put out the fire so high up in the building. Then I heard something about planes flying into the Towers, then about another flying into the Pentagon, then yet another that was hijacked and still flying before crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. I was completely stunned as I watched one Tower, then the other, collapse on live TV.

On that September 11, we didn't know that there were a total of four planes. We didn't know where or how we would be attacked next. The days that followed were tense, quiet, and solemn. Living just a stone's throw away from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, it was eerily silent; for the first time in history American air space was completely closed. There was light traffic on roads that were normally busy. In grocery stores, a sense of dread hung heavily in the air, and people were stocking up on canned goods, trying to prepare for whatever came in the days ahead.

Things that have now become a normal part of our lives weren't normal in the aftermath. Searching and screening people before being admitted to concerts and sporting events. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the TSA with its agents in airports carefully screening bags, having us take off and X-ray our shoes, swabbing our hands for explosives, and sometimes patting us down. The Patriot Act expanding the powers of law enforcement to monitor phone calls and emails without a court order; detain immigrants for an indefinite time; and search homes and businesses (including libraries) without consent or even our knowledge. Over time, we have accepted giving up our privacy and some of our freedoms in the name of security.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 may have occurred 25 years ago, but we live with the repercussions of that day in a brave new world.

Remembering all those who perished 25 years ago and their families as well as those who have died from exposure to toxic WTC ash and rubble from the perch.

Learn more about September 11, 2001 from the following websites:

• 9/11 Memorial and Museum
• George W. Bush Library
• History.com
• Seventh Moment of Silence

The Elderly: Lemons Do Give Life

Perhaps I think about the elderly more these days because my parents have reached that point when society considers them "elderly." They're both retired and have different health issues that often come with older age. Although they don't look the same as they did years ago and they can no longer do some things they once did, to me they are still my parents, and I can see past the outer facade to the people who loved and raised me. 

Unfortunately, in the U.S. and other western cultures that put more value on youth, so many look at the elderly and see only the facade--people who have become more of a burden rather than a contributor to society, people who need our help and care. This is why I'm so glad that Anna Johnston, an up-and-coming Australian writer, came out with her second book (which I recommend) about the elderly and the nursing home experience.

When Lemons Give You Life addresses the importance of treating our elderly (whether family or not) with dignity and respect, and how the little things, like good food, make such a difference mentally as well as physically. Griff, the main character who is a Michelin-starred chef, feels alive when he cooks and sees the impact food (like a homemade lemon tart) can have on others, especially those considered hopeless cases in a nursing home. The book shows that beyond age, Alzheimer's, blindness, sexual orientation, and other conditions, we all are human and have a need to be truly seen. We have a need for love and connection with others.

My co-worker recently told me that she and her teenaged daughter "adopted" a nonagenarian woman in a local assisted living facility who has no visitors (her children don't live nearby). Once a week they visit her for about an hour just to say hello, talk, and keep her company; they've noticed how the spirits of their "adoptee" have picked up since they started visiting. If you don't have elderly parents or relatives to help, consider the example of my co-worker and "adopt" your own elderly person--it can be someone in a nursing home, a hospital, or a neighbor. It will mean the world to them (and to you as well). Treat the elderly the way you would want to be treated, because one day, if you are fortunate, you will also become elderly.

Wishing you warm human connections and good reads from the perch.

Books and Their Healing Power

The Spokane Fires are like nothing the area has seen in recent memory. Eastern Washington well knows that August (and even early summer) is wildfire season, when everything outdoors is extremely dry, the temps are high, and the winds blow strong. However, to have tens of thousands of people evacuated from urban areas and over 900 structures (at the time of this writing) burned down to the ground are beyond comprehension.

A number of families in the area (including those connected to our base and library) have lost homes and everything. Needless to say, they are going through various emotions--disbelief, shock, sadness, anger, grief, insecurity, and fear, among others. This is where books can help.

Besides monetary and material assistance, mental and emotional help is just as important. Books can serve as an escape, a way to rest your mind during difficult times. Traveling to fictional or historical worlds in books can provide a much needed break and time to de-stress, even if it's only for ten or fifteen minutes.

Sometimes, reading about others going through similar experiences can make us feel less alone and give us courage. Reading books about the 1918 flu pandemic, such as Thomas Mullen's The Last Town on Earth, during the COVID shutdown gave me some comfort knowing that others went through the same things a century earlier.

No matter what you're experiencing, do not discount the power of books and their ability to heal. Books can help us survive and get through tough times. Stop by the library and check some out. And keep in mind that you can also check out digital books online through Libby/Overdrive.

Wishing everyone to stay safe and well from the perch.

Photo: Matt Friedman, CNN

Revolutionary Reflections

Hard to believe that our country is at the ripe age of 250 years old. Sure, compared to countries in Europe and Asia that go back hundreds or even thousands of years, America remains a toddler, but it's seen a thing or two in its history. Perhaps some of us have taken a moment to reflect on our nation, where it's been and where it's going. Speaking for myself, I've been reminiscing about the area where I was born and raised--New York's Hudson Valley--and its connections to the American Revolution.

As a kid growing up without the internet in the 1980s, a lot of local information about the Revolution came from family and teachers. Kings Ferry Road in Montrose, less than a mile from where I lived, dates back to the early 1700s and actually did lead to the King's Ferry, a strategic Hudson River crossing that went between Stony Point and Verplanck's Point (present-day Verplanck, known as "The Point" to locals and its residents as "Pointers"). Speaking of Verplanck's Point, George Washington was there on more than one occasion, including when he presented medals to the captors of British spy Major André (who was in cahoots with a traitor named Benedict Arnold).

For one 5th grade school trip I walked up Anthony's Nose (a mountain on the eastern side of the Hudson where the Bear Mountain Bridge is located), named after American Revolutionary General "Mad Anthony" Wayne. Another school trip took me to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where I heard stories about the Great Chain of 1778 that stretched across the Hudson and prevented British ships from going up the river and further into the continent (I even saw links of the actual chain on display). 

Naturally, one of my favorite local stories was about a Hessian mercenary (the British hired about 30,000 Hessian soldiers to fight the Americans) who got his head blown off by a cannon during the Battle of White Plains in 1776. His body was buried in an unmarked grave in the cemetery of the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow and (you probably guessed it) became the inspiration for the Headless Horseman in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

There are many more things to say about the American Revolution in the Hudson Valley; I just addressed those things that are near and dear to me. Of course, anyone interested can look even further.

Wishing America a Happy 250th and many more from the perch.

Image Source: hmdb.org

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Summer Reading is for EVERYONE!

Our Summer Reading Program is just about to start, so here I am to give you my annual spiel on why kids, teens, and adults (in other words, EVERYONE) should do it and READ. 

Kids and Teens

• Prevent the summer slide  Reading helps retain and even advance skills.
• Build vocabulary  Exposure to new words while reading expands language capabilities.
• Critical thinking  Reading promotes thinking and analytical skills.
• Break from screens  Unplugging is healthy for kids and teens, too.
• Develop a love of reading and learning  Reading unassigned books on whatever is appealing is FUN!

Adults

• Cognitive health  Boosts brain power, memory, and thinking abilities.
• Social and emotional intelligence  Step into someone else's shoes and empathize with their experiences.
• Improve focus  With so much time spent moving from one thing to another on screens, reading helps concentration.
• Self-improvement  Reading teaches people of all ages new and interesting things.
• Reduce stress  Books can mentally transport readers away from everyday concerns and is FUN!

Bottom line--reading (and the Summer Reading Program) is for everyone no matter your age. And it makes no difference what you read, as long as you're reading what you like and have FUN!!!

Which books do you plan to read this summer? Share with us!

Wishing you a fun summer filled with reading from the perch.