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.

Theo IS Golden

A friend recently recommended Allen Levi's Theo of Golden to me, saying it was an "Eileen book." By that she meant a book that's a feel-good read that lifts up your spirits and restores your faith in humanity. (A little background: ever since the pandemic I've gravitated toward books with positive themes and stories to help me offset the doom and gloom of current events.)

In a nutshell, the book is about an 86-year old Portuguese man who goes only by the name of "Theo" and stays in the fictional town of Golden, Georgia over the course of a year. On his first visit to the local coffee shop, he spots on the walls charcoal drawings of the town's people drawn by a local artist. There and then, he decides to buy each drawing over time and gift it to its subject.

You're probably thinking what I was thinking--what a dull book. But hear me out. In the "bestowals" of the portraits, which happen on a bench near a town fountain, Theo speaks with and sincerely listens to the recipients talk as they look at their portraits. Most of the time, they open up about themselves to the attentive older gentleman who gives them his time and his interest. In the process, Theo makes friends and becomes a recognizable, well-loved member of the small Southern community.

We get to know about the various people of Golden, but ironically, we know little of Theo who evades sharing too much of himself. Without giving anything away, we do learn about Theo at the end of the book, but the real takeaway is that in today's high-tech world we still have human needs. We have needs to connect with others in person, to be really seen, to be truly heard, to give and to receive kindness. Most importantly, we have a need to give of ourselves, something that no technology can achieve. This is why Theo of Golden has touched me and I suspect so many others so deeply, making it number one on The New York Times bestseller list.

Which book has struck a chord with you? Share with us!

Wishing you great, heartfelt, moving reads from the perch.

Let's Meet at the...Death Cafe??

Death and taxes are two things you can't avoid, and I suspect most of us would prefer discussing the latter over the former. 

In the U.S., the subject of death is taboo unless we have to deal with it once a loved one passes. When that happens, different questions may arise. How do you plan a funeral? Cremation or burial? What do you experience when you die? These are big, uncomfortable, and scary questions about our mortality, and although we may not have all the answers, we can discuss these issues at a death cafe.

So, what the heck is a death cafe? Simply put, a death cafe is a casual meeting open to anyone who wants to talk about various aspects of death in a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental environment. And it's anything but morbid (pardon the pun). It can often be held at actual cafes or, more increasingly, at libraries with snacks and beverages.

It's important to keep in mind that a death cafe is not a grief support group. Sometimes, but not always, professionals in the death care industry (yes, that's what it's called) are present to help answer questions pertaining to their specialties. Included may be morticians, embalmers, death doulas, hospice nurses, cemetery caretakers, and crematorium technicians among others.

What are your thoughts? Would you go to a death cafe if one was held in our library? Share with us!

Wishing you the best from the perch.

Library Love, Part II

A few years back, I wrote a post about Library Love, which included some novels set in or related to libraries. Since then, similar books have been published, and as it's National Library Week, I thought I'd share newer titles that feature libraries in some way:

• The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson (Libby)  On the Nazi-occupied Isle of Jersey, a librarian hides her library's books that threaten the regime and starts a book club offering escapism to the island's residents.
• The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes (Libby)  A WPA editor is sent to Montana where she learns about a woman who, more than a decade earlier, turned a boxcar into a traveling library reaching isolated mining towns.
• Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller (Libby)  A hysterical read about what happens in a small Georgia town when someone replaces the books of a prudish woman's little library with banned books.
• The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson (BT 028.9 PAT)  The interesting stories of real life librarians and booksellers in the U.S. are presented.
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Libby, F QUI)  A great magical realism read in which a young woman finds a literal escape in a special library that allows its users to live in their favorite books. Complete with book dragon.
• The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (F RIC)  A "blue" woman is part of the Pack Horse Library Project, delivering books to people in the remote areas of Appalachia on horseback during the Great Depression.

Don't forget that this week, our library is offering free T-shirts and book bags while supplies last. So stop by, pick up some goodies, and say hello!

Wishing you a Happy National Library Week from the perch.

Image Source: American Library Association