Shaking Off Winter

Hello, Sunshine!  After so many weeks of gray, damp, chilly days, you finally made your way to the Inland Northwest.  Thanks to you, it's starting to look and feel like spring around here.  The forsythias are blooming, the trees are budding, and it's warm enough to take a leisurely walk outside.  At long last, it's time to emerge from hibernation and shake off winter.  But how should we do that?  Here are some ideas:

• Let's first start by going outside.  You've been cooped up inside all winter long, so now's the time to get out and enjoy nature again.  Take a walk around your neighborhood or the park, breathe in that fresh air, and enjoy those blue skies.  I don't know about you, but it sure does my spirit good.

• Get out and get moving.  That bike hasn't been ridden since at least the fall.  Time to dust it off, hop on, and start peddling.  The destination doesn't matter; it's the journey that counts.  Take a ride by yourself or with a friend.  The important thing is to just go.

• Get down and dirty, and by that I'm talking about gardening.  Kneel down on the ground and get your hands in the potting soil.  Start planting those annuals and perennials.  Not only does gardening add to the curb appeal of your house, it also gives you some good exercise in the fresh air.

• What would spring be without a little spring cleaning?  Get out the cleaning materials and get to it.  Dust the furniture and mop those floors (don't forget all those dust bunnies under the bed!).  Your house will look neat and you'll breathe and feel a lot better.

• And of course, read something uplifting.  There are plenty of fresh new books on our shelves this spring.  Why not come to the library, check them out, and spend some time with them on your favorite bench or at an outdoor cafe.  They're just waiting for a spring fling with you!

What ideas do you have for shaking off winter?  Share them with us!

Sending happy spring wishes to you from the perch.

Without Libraries

In honor of  National Library Week, I could be cliché and talk about all the good things libraries do.  But I won't.  Instead, I'm going to talk about all the things you would have to do if libraries didn't exist.

Without libraries, you would have to buy books from a bookstore. That would average about $8-16 a paperback and $16-25 a hardcover.  If you're buying a specialty book, you can even pay close to $100 a book or even more.

Without libraries, you would have to buy or rent DVDs from a store.  You could also pay $50-100 or more to watch movies on Cable or a satellite service.

Without libraries, you would have to pay to attend classes to learn things like knitting or crocheting.  You wouldn't have fun and informative programs to attend for free, and you wouldn't have interesting book talks in which to take part.

Without libraries, you would have a difficult time finding someone to proctor your test free of charge for the college class you're taking.  If your kids need someone to proctor a test outside of school, they would have a difficult time as well.

Without libraries, your kids would hang out after school on the street and possibly do things they shouldn't be doing.  They wouldn't have a safe, welcoming place to be.  Not to mention they wouldn't have a place where they could get homework help for free.

Without libraries, you would need your own computer to find things on the Internet.  That means buying your own computer, paying for the Internet, and doing your own computer maintenance.  And if you need to print, that involves buying your own printer and toner.

I could go on, but hopefully, you get the point.  Without libraries, you would be paying a lot of money for different things that you want or need to do.  Libraries provide a lot of goods and services that many take for granted but would sorely miss.  Show your library some love today.

Wishing you a Happy National Library Week from the perch.