Sniffle, Sniffle

I'm keeping the Puffs Plus close by my side! I felt fine up until last night and then it all went downhill from there. Came home from work tonight feeling, well, not so peppy. Chilled in 40 degree weather? That's not like me at all.

Guess it's time to bundle up in a sweater, drink plenty of warm fluids and cozy up with a good read! I dislike being sick......

Open Book

I found it very fitting today that my all-day training session would be held at the Open Book in Minneapolis. Seems like I can't get away from books or literature. My training session today had nothing to do with my job, in fact, I was there for a totally different reason. Sorry, I can't reveal my secret until March!

I will tell you however, the Open Book is amazing. This is a place for someone to come who wants to self publish there literary work or literary artwork. The upstairs area is a great place for conference rooms, and this spiral staircase is worth seeing with it's unique illuminated art panels.

It's hard to believe someone could be so creative with an old book. I believe this was for sale, but didn't see the price tag. There's a lot of work in this piece of art.

So, the only thing I will say about today.......we played with legos to help us understand how accounting works. The yellow column represents assets, the red represents liabilities (debt) and the green represents equity (income). I guess we're never to old to play with legos!

Jump On the Bus

Technology, you better jump on the bus according to David Lee King. In my opinion, he's right! Last year, I attended a workshop that featured David and his main theme was social media and e-content. E-book sales are now beyond doubling, they are on their way to tripling according to national library statistics and amazon eReader sales.

Over the last three weeks, I've been busy purchasing several Kindle touch eReaders, the Kindle Fire, the color Nook and the new iPad 2. I guess you could say I decided to jump on that e-bus and enter the world of eBooks and the land of tablets.

In my job as a librarian, I am now expected to morph into a teacher.....a teacher of technology. In order to become that teacher, I need the proper tools. With all of these new devices, I will now teach myself how to purchase, borrow and transfer eBooks. Beginning in 2012, I (and my library staff) will start teaching our local customers how to use eBooks. Exhausting? Yes. Exciting? You betcha!

Was cataloging new books (hardcovers) today. I was surprised to see the list price has increased to $28-$30.00. Compare that to eBooks averaging around $12.99-$14.99.....who can afford to buy hardcover books?

Don't misunderstand me.....I still love physical books, especially cookbooks, but certain eBooks make sense to me. What do you think?

What Do You Think?

I've been trying to learn this new eBook craze. Last week I helped a gentleman download and transfer a library eBook to his Nook device, and today I finally figured out how to do the same for the Kindle. Two weeks ago Amazon joined forces with our eBook vendor OverDrive and now Kindle owners can download library eBooks for free.....how cool is that? The last few nights I've retired to bed early so I can read my new eBook, "The Happiness Project" on Bike man's Kindle. Never thought I'd like eBooks, but guess what? I like the convenience of buying or selecting an eBook whenever you want. So does this mean I'll see less and less of my library customers? The future of libraries and book stores are changing. What are your feelings about eBooks or E-content?

Extremely Small World

Hey mom, my friend Pete (Police Chief) gave me this book to read a couple days ago, so I decided I would bring it with me while visiting you. He said I should read it because the author bought land in southwest Wisconsin and built a rustic cabin. He said I might recognize the names of the backroads and area trout streams since the cabin is in your parents county. Do you know this author mom?


My mom surprised me by saving ,oh yes we know him. Steve Hopkins came to our house a long time ago and interviewed your father and wrote an article for the Wisconsin State Journal. Steve wanted to write about your dad's long teaching career as a High School Biology teacher.


So mom says, where did you get this book again?


I got it from my from my friend, who bought it at a garage sale in his home town.


I proceeded to open the book up to the title page......librarians always do that, it's a habit of ours!!!


Hey mom.....look, it's signed by the author. As I began to read what the author wrote my.........

mouth dropped open, seriously, wide open!

"For Shirley and Jack - it was a pleasure to make new friends, Steve Hopkins, May 13, 1991"


I screamed, oh my gosh, that's you and dad!!!!!!!

What?

I screamed again.....that's you, JACK AND SHIRLEY!

I can't believe this. What are the chances that someone that I work with, that lives 200 miles north of my parents hometown, would acquire a book at a garage sale that was once owned by my parents?

Mom said hummm, I always wondered what happened to that book!!!

Talk about a small world......how about an extremely small world.

Sometimes life just amazes me. Not sure why this book came back to us 20 years later, but I'm sure there's a heading meaning.

READ

So what are you currently reading? I'm reading "Slow Food Revolution; A New Culture for Eating and Living" by Carlo Petrini.

Can't Have Enough Books

I'm always impressed with people that have their own personal libraries. The more books the better! My friend Jeanne has adult and juvenile books. I think she even has old Nancy Drew books! This photo was just one of her shelving areas in her home.....she has books everywhere. I love it!

On a different note, I'm feverishly trying to get myself back in shape for biking. With the temperatures warming and the dimishing salt on the roads, it won't be long and Bike man and I will be out riding. I'm trying to walk 3-4 miles a day, which will strengthen my legs for cycling. Of course, there's always that few weeks to toughen up the butt area when it comes to the bicycle saddle. I'm so looking forward to biking and the summer months ahead of road miles. It's my little boast for happy living!!!!!

Old Times

I'm really excited for my friend Jeanne. You see, after all her academic accomplishments throughout her life, she recently accomplished a life-long dream.....writing a fictional book about basketball for young girls.

Jeanne Foley (PhD), is a associate professor in the department of math, stats and computer science at the University of Wisconsin - Stout. I met Jeanne shortly after she moved to the community where I work. My new friend was a lover of books and a supporter of my little library! I used to see Jeanne frequently as she stopped by my library to pick up her new stash of recreational reading. Several years ago, Jeanne decided to move and live closer to the university. I really missed her weekly visits.

Well, just recently I received an email from Jeanne letting me know she had just authored a book, especially for young girls interested in the sport of basketball. Since Jeanne coached the women's basketball team at Michigan Tech and Princeton University, she was a natural for writing a novel about the sport. I can't even begin to explain how happy I am for Jeanne and writing her first novel. The best part is, her sister Terry published her sister's book......Peppermint Books.

I met up with Jeanne this afternoon, and she graciously gave me two copies of her new book....one for me and one for the library. It was great to catch up on old times and enjoy a cup of coffee with my friend. I also enjoyed meeting her partner Catherine, and their fury feline friends. I made a new friend today with Mocha! Mocha warmed up to me and enjoyed my lap while we chit chatted. Cats and books....they just go together!

Checkout Jeanne's webpage.

What Do You Think?

What do you think.....this Kindle E-Reader thing?

Does it look like a book?

Does it feel like a book? I don't know.....I have mixed feeling about turning the pages with the 5-way controller button. I'm still scratching my head when it comes to electronic books. I think I might miss the glossy colorful book jackets, and the feel of paper, and the physical touch or the heaviness of a real book. I've always preferred hardcovers verses trade books (soft covers). Well, I guess this is part of my job ya know.....being a techie librarian and all. But hey, I don't have to LOVE it, just learn it!!!!

I Love This Children's Book

As I was checking in books today at the library, I came across this cool book called "Just Like Grandpa" by Harriet Ziefert & illustrated by Erik Brown.

It starts out by telling how the the little boy puts on sweatpants and sneakers.....just like grandpa!

He puts on his jacket and bike gloves.......just like grandpa!

The little boy has a water bottle and a day pack......just like his grandpa!

He puts on a safety vest and a helmet.....just like his grandpa!

The little boy has a bike and a bell.....just like his grandpa!

The little boy is all ready for his bike trip.....just like his grandpa!

I love books like this that promote physical activity, you know, outdoor physical activity. Of course they have to use the grandpa stereotype in the book, but what about grandma? Oh yeah, she in the kitchen baking cookies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Can't Keep a Secret

Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond

I'm getting really excited about something, (Aunt Krissy too). I thought I better leak this exciting news out tonight because tomorrow I will be attending Lucia's funeral and I won't feel all happy and excited. You see, I really don't like to go to funerals, but sometimes you just have to do things you really don't enjoy. I'm just hoping tomorrow we can show Lucia's husband and son some support and talk to many old friends from the past.

So tonight I want to tell my blogger friends that Aunt Krissy and I have decided to drive over the the Twin Cities on Saturday so we can meet Ree Drummond (a.k.a. The Pioneer Woman). Ree will be doing a book signing at the Mall of America since her new cookbook was just published, and now is on the New York Times bestseller list.

The Pioneer Woman's blog has become very popular and is read by hundreds, maybe thousands of people. I've only been reading her blog since the beginning of 2009, but Aunt Krissy has been following the Pioneer Woman for a long time. I love the Pioneer Woman's humor, stories about her family, everyday life living on a cattle ranch, and all her wonderful cowboy recipes.

So, Saturday will be an all day trip to the big city of many lakes, city parks, trails and LOTS of traffic....yes, lots of traffic. Aunt Krissy is just plain excited about Sushi! We plan on lunching at the Sushi bar @ at mall.

There, now I got it out of my system and I feel better.

My New Woolie's!!!

Being that it's still winter and all, I've had time to plan for my upcoming bicycle commute to work. I'm planning on starting back to bicycle commuting in late April when the roads are clear of snow and salt. When I stopped commuting by bike last September, my coldest morning was around 41-42 degrees.... that was my cut off point. Kinda wimpy wasn't I? Well, it wasn't to bad because the sun was still rising earlier in the mornings so the air temperature would increase quickly. I guess the cold morning just mentally took me down! I didn't wrap my feet in Saran wrap so the first 30 minutes were toe numbing, plus the air coming through my helmet was chilly too. Whimp, whimp, whimp...........now as I following blogs of many winter cyclists (up in alaska & harry legge's etc.), I realized I'm a softie when it comes to cycling and cold temperatures. I'll just blame it on my Rynaud's Syndrome!!!

Above you will see a picture of my new wool toe socks we bought....Ted got a pair too. These socks are made by "injinji." That's a fun name to try and pronounce!!! Anyway, I've been wearing them around the house to try and get use to the feeling of toe socks. I'm hoping this will help my cold feet problem. You know, they're really comfortable! I also bought a pair of toe warmers that fit across the front of your bike shoes. I've heard these are good for keeping the tender toes warm during a cold ride.

I realize that started back to bicycle commuting will be chilly in April, so I'm already planning on what cold-weather gear to wear. I'm not too concerned because it's actually only a twelve mile ride each way. Last year I didn't start commuting until the end of May, but this year I'm committed to starting early since my spinning classes have helped me stay in shape over the winter months.

My thoughts right now are on those mountain climbs in Montana. I've seen the pictures & profile of the 7-day Great Divide trip we will be taking in July, so I'm not wasting any time trying to build my endurance. Oh yeah, don't forget about the big rides we'll be doing in a couple months to build up to this trip. Weekends will be cranking out 50-100 mile rides. There's a Century ride coming up in May so I've been told to prepare for that as well.

Maybe I'll set a new theme to my bicycle training...Eat, Pray,Bike. Hey, that could be a spin-off of to a new book. Don't you think???

I Spy.....Compost Pile!

If anyone has little kids around, or if you work at a library like I do, you will know what the "I Spy" books are all about. Kids love those books because on each page, you have to find all these items in the picture. Kids can be entertained for hours with I Spy books. Well, I have a little "I Spy" myself in the above picture. This is a picture of our outdoor compost pile. Hey Aunt Krissy....how do you like those colors????? Ok, here's what you need to find:



oranges ~ grapefruits ~ cauliflower ~ broccoli ~ onions ~ tomato ~ egg shells ~ coffee grounds ~ coffee filters ~ green onions

Now in the summer months, all our vegetables waste goes into our compost tumbler. On the other side of the tumbler is a handle that allows you to turn the barrel round and round to mix everything together. This composter is great and makes beautiful dark, rich compost.

And last, but not least, my goofy cat Annabelle. That's her unique position for cleaning her legs!!!!! One of these day's I'm going to use her plume tail for dusting my house! She'll a little rascal I tell ya.

PS. Spent time this afternoon on my bike trainer working on new spinning drills for my classes. I also downloaded a bunch of music from Chris's files, so I should be able to come up with lots of playlists.

Cookbooks, Cookbooks & More Cookbooks!

Aunt Krissy was talking about her cookbook collection on her blog post tonight, so I decided to show a picture of our cookbook collection. Oops, I forgot about the kitchen shelves, we have cookbooks in the kitchen too....another twenty or so. We love cookbooks. My all-time favorite is the Fannie Farmer cookbook, given to me as a gift from my mother. My mom likes cookbooks too. Krissy is right, church cookbooks have some of the best local recipes, and they are always reasonably priced.

When I got home later tonight, Ted had made a batch of pasties...6 to be exact. If you're not sure what a pasty is, it's a meat and vegetable turnover made from pie dough. Pasties originated from Cornwall, England. The coal miners use to take pasties to work because they were easy to eat. When the Cornishmen migrated to Wisconsin to work in the mines in Southern Wisconsin, their wives brought along the tradition of Cornish pasties. My heritage blood is Cornish!!!

So how does Ted make them, he uses, potatoes, onions, rutabaga, carrots, hamburger and spices. Pasties freeze really well, so most of them go into the freezer for future meals. I make sure I smother my pasties in ketchup!!!

As Julia Child use to say at the end of her cooking show....Bon Appetite!

Going Green? Read a Book!

Ok, I admit, I'm cheating! I had to update our library blog today so I posted a book review about the book "Gorgeously Green" and now I'm using it for my blog post tonight. I'll make this short...I enjoyed reading this book about going green. From the cover you can see the book is geared towards women since it deals with subjects like skin care products, make-up, exercising, body products etc. I especially like the authors chapter on eating fresh and organic fruits and vegetables. If you want to look at the bibliography record click here.



Today was one of those days were I was "stuck" indoors due to my job. I did take a 15 minute break to go get a java at the Internet cafe, but other than that I was stuck indoors. I also had a Library Board meeting tonight so I didn't actually get home until almost 7 pm tonight. I made a quick supper tonight of fresh zucchini, red peppers, cauliflower, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Of course I had to add my spicy red pepper flakes. I topped it off with freshly grated parmesan. Nothing is better than sauted veggies ( and lots of garlic) after a long day at work.