Black Friday and Libraries

I apologize to my many readers for not posting for a while.  Even we perch librarians take some time off (mentally, if not physically) to rest and re-energize, not to mention enjoy a little turkey on Thanksgiving (okay, I admit it--I'm a cannibal for eating one of my feathered friends!).  Speaking of the holiday, I hope you've all had a good one followed by murder and mayhem at the mall.

Maybe it's because I was never much of a shopper (blame it on the countless hours I spent as a kid with my mother in "the room," a.k.a. the fitting room, watching her try on outfit after outfit), but I could never quite understand the big to-do about Black Friday.  Now, I'm all about getting a good deal and saving a little cash just like the person next to me, but getting up alarmingly early or not going to bed to get a deal?  Fighting hordes of people to get 1 of 5 items in stock?  Getting pepper sprayed by customers trying to beat out others to an Xbox?  Tell me I'm missing out on all the fun.

It seems I'm not the only librarian or library staff member who looks at Black Friday with a skeptical eye.  Other libraries across the U.S. have developed their own Black Friday marketing strategies.  The Newman Regional Library District in Illinois advertised the following, "To be available to the residents of the library district, the library will be open today if you need a change from shopping."  Doesn't that just warm your heart and relieve your tired footsies?  The Willmar Public Library in Minnesota came up with the idea of having a special storytime for children while their parents went shopping.  Wow--those kids don't realize how lucky they are to avoid "the room."  Some libraries, like the Spokane County Library District in Washington, offered a quieter shopping alternative to the mall for bibliophiles by holding book sales.

So during this holiday season, I will unabashedly advertise the library as your own little sanctuary away from the maddening crowds, away from the hyper kids, away from the humbugs at work.  Think of the library as your own quiet workshop with smiling worker elves ready to fulfill your (literary) wishes.  We'll even pass around cookies that you so generously donate (and we happily accept donations!).

May you all have a wonderful holiday season full of peace and quiet moments for reading!

Yours truly, awaiting cookie donations on the perch.

It's That Time of Year

I shudder to say it, but this perch librarian is getting one year older at the end of the week.  Yes, you guessed it.  The b-day is looming on the horizon.  And I'm bracing for whatever is going to happen (and other than some quiet me-time for a massage, I have no idea who'll be phoning me out of the blue to disrupt my peace).  I'm with Scaredy Squirrel, a rodent popular with the library staff here, when it comes to that scary day of the year.

With that infamous day lurking ever closer, I've been giving some thought to the institution of birthdays in general.  Why is it when we're kids we love birthdays, even look forward to them?  We want the attention (not to mention the presents) that go along with this day that's supposed to be our special day.  We even take pride in being one year older because that means we're one year further away from the baby years; we're one year wiser, matured and improved (so we think).

How do we go, then, from loving our birthdays to cringing at the thought of them?  There are some people who apparently even hate their birthdays.  I suppose for me the downward slump started at my 16th birthday, which I spent at a convent.  Yes, you read that right.  Maybe I wasn't forced onto the road for Holy Orders, but who wants to spend her Sweet Sixteen with her parents at a holiday bazaar looking at Christmas ceramics?

Since that time I've had a love-hate relationship with my birthday: I love it when people remember me, but being a quiet, reserved person, I hate being the center of attention.

In case you're wondering, we have those in pagan times to thank for the celebration of the birthday.  During the pre-Christian era, people were noisy and happy around the honored person to ward off evil spirits.  Other traditions, such as cake, presents, and the birthday song that few people can sing in tune were added and evolved over the centuries.

I'm trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation, even looking up websites on how to enjoy the dreaded day.  If all else fails, I'll just simply duck behind my desk and keep out of sight, hoping people will pass me by.

Seeking sanctuary on the perch.

Driving In a Winter Wonderland?

If any of you were on the same wavelength as me last Saturday, you were surprised by the little (and I stress little) taste of snow we had in the Spokane area.  Technically, we're still in fall, but tell that to Mother Nature who often blurs the lines between seasons, especially here in the Northwest.  I have to admit that I was in denial that we might actually get some of the white stuff before Thanksgiving, which is why I was without a scraper/brush in my car to sweep the snow off my roof and windows when I went out to help a friend arrange things in her new place.

Winter can be a wonderland, but not when you have to go out driving in the snow unprepared.  So, to help us get back into the groove of winter, I thought I'd offer links to some useful websites:

• What to Have in Your Car During the Winter
• Winter Emergency Kits for Vehicles
• WSDOT Ice and Snow Driving Tips
• 10 Tips for Winter Driving
• AAA Winter Driving Tips
• The Weather Channel Driving Safety Tips

Let's hope we're going to have a good winter this year (hey, I'm trying to stay positive), but if we don't, let's take care out there and drive safely.  As for me, I'll be watching the weather outside while keeping warm and toasty on my perch with a cup of hot chocolate!

Keeping my weather eye open on the perch.

Holiday Cooking and Cookbooks

The holiday season must be here since it seems like every other post I'm writing has something to do with the holidays.  And what's a big part of the holidays?  Eating!  And what comes before eating?  Cooking!  And what often helps in cooking? An app???

A couple of days ago The New York Times published an article asking "Are Cookbooks Obsolete?" That article really got me thinking about holiday cooking and cooking in general.  Which family doesn't have recipes, either painstakingly written by hand or typed on an old typewriter, that have been passed down through generations to recreate beloved culinary delights?  Nowadays, more and more people are getting their recipes off their iPads.

Back in August I blogged about e-readers and technology.  I discussed how I was for technology but wasn't completely sold on some of it.  That basically sums up how I feel about the iPad or other technologies replacing the traditional cookbook.

Now, I will confess that I'm a lazy cook.  I cook more out of necessity than out of a real love and desire to make edible works of art; I much prefer enjoying the end result rather than the means taken to get to it.  I'm also not the most organized cook, but then who can be organized when you have a miniscule kitchen with just part of one counter to prep on?  It's hard enough for me to keep my print recipes clean and in good condition; I'm imagining the hassle of trying to keep an electronic device clean from food splattering on it.  And let's not forget those devices and apps are still rather pricey and out of the financial reach of many.

Then again, if you can afford the price tag, it's convenient to be able to watch videos of each part of the recipe, to actually see in motion how the recipe is done rather than try to figure it out from still pictures. I'm a visual person, and I'm more likely to try a new recipe if I've seen how it's done on a cooking show rather than from a cookbook without photos.

In my opinion, I don't think print cookbooks are going the way of the dinosaur just yet.  If my library is any example, cookbooks are among the more popular checkouts.  Sure, technology will keep progressing and recipes will be brought into the digital age more and more, but in one format or another, won't there always be room for grandma's apple pie?

Getting "rumbly in my tumbly" on the perch.

Thanksgiving Season!

If you went to the mall or even the grocery store lately, you would think that Christmas is the next holiday around the corner with all the decorations and sales that seem to start earlier with each passing year.

We at the library, however, have not forgotten there is still one major holiday between now and Christmas--Thanksgiving!  So, you won't find any Christmas decorations, books, or movies out on display yet.  Maybe Tom Turkey isn't as popular as Santa Claus, but there are still plenty of things to get you into the Thanksgiving spirit to gather together with loved ones over the river and through the wood.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving books for children is Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano.  It's the story about a turkey who knows what's waiting for him, and to avoid a not-so-pleasant fate, he disguises himself as other animals on the farm to have a happy and unexpected ending.

For adults who are into mysteries, Isis Crawford's A Catered Thanksgiving is sure to provide a mini feast.  Two sisters who run a catering business need to convince a family that they're not responsible for a turkey that exploded and killed a relative.  Each member of the family has secrets, and the real murderer has yet to be discovered.  As a usual bonus in her books, Crawford includes some recipes that go along with her story.

Where movies are concerned, it's hard to imagine (at least for me) a movie that's more Thanksgiving-like than A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  Snoopy always steals the show, but this time he does it by serving up toast and popcorn for an impromptu Thanksgiving meal at Charlie Brown's house to which Peppermint Patty invites herself and others.

And let us not forget those Thanksgiving diehard fans who want to get to the real roots of the holiday.  For the real history of this uniquely American celebration, check out the following websites: The 1621 Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving History, and Plimoth Plantation.

Remember--when you're besieged by all the glitz of twinkling lights, mistletoe, and reindeer in the stores, the simple turkey, pumpkins, and cranberries come first!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Season!

Whistling the Peanuts' theme song on the perch.

Forefathers' Eve

I promise this will be the last post remotely related to Halloween/All Saints' Day/All Souls' Day (at least for this year).  Some of you may be aware of this day for different reasons: it's Tuesday, it's the first day of November, it's All Saints' Day, it's El Dia de Los Muertos.  For me, because of my Polish heritage, it's Forefathers' Eve or Zaduszki (pronounced zah-DOOSH-key), which roughly translates into "For the Souls."

This day is a national holiday in Poland--schools, banks, and businesses are closed.  People from near and far make pilgrimages to cemeteries to say prayers, place flowers, and light candles on the graves of their relatives.  Similar to the Irish Samhain, it's rooted in Slavic pagan beliefs but was incorporated into the holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

Often, the preparations for Zaduszki can happen days in advance: flower arrangements are ordered and the graves are washed.  This is done out of respect to the deceased and to keep their memory alive.  For Poles, the cemetery is not where it all ends; it's a part of life.  And loved ones are never really gone; their spirits are always with us and a part of everyday consciousness, especially on this day when the world of the dead is thought to be able to interact with that of the living.  Polish graves are meticulously tended; the only times you'll see a neglected grave in a Polish cemetery is when the family line has died out and no one is left to care for it.

The holiday is a solemn but beautiful one.  Once night falls, the numerous candles on the graves light the cemeteries brightly, and even though it's the middle of fall, the cemeteries are warm places due to all the flickering flames.

No matter your ethnicity and no matter the day, take the time every so now and then to remember those who are no longer here.  You'll be glad you did.

Thinking warm thoughts on the perch.