Is it an alien invasion?

Yes, I've spent a little bit too much time on the internet today.  Now we know why I felt I needed to cut back on social media.

Anywho, if you're a Doctor Who fan at all, you'll enjoy this article that I found online today about the opening of a new Super Wal-Mart.
 
(The link is the text for Super Wal-Mart above- sorry, I'm having a hard time making it stand out.)

Sorry they didn't have a direct link I could post!

Man sets gas station on fire trying to kill spider

Some people will go to any lengths to get rid of a spider...

This Tickled Me!

At work, I'm checking to verify that all of our electronic subscriptions are working. Are the links active, etc,

I ran across a combination that just tickled me.  The title "Canadian Entomologist" is available through EBSCO's Food Science database.

Random Pictures

I've posted pictures, but it's been a while since I've done a random batch of stuff!

Sunflower Fields.  They're starting to droop, but they're still gorgeous!

Disney marketing is out in force.  (I crack myself up!)

A gorgeous fall bouquet in the church office.

My newest treasure!  I found this wonderful water cup this past week!

Daughter should have waited to buy the string lights for her dorm room - she could have used these!

I bought these to bling out my beautiful ankle brace.  At least I've got style!

So, this past weekend, hubby and I went exploring the apple orchards in Central Maryland.  We ranged through Carroll and Frederick Counties, picking up a half bushel of apples and other various goodies wherever we stopped.  We now have 10 pounds of bell peppers and garlic, a half bushel of peaches, more bushels of apples than I care to count, little mini pumpkin gourds,  10 pounds of onions, 4 pounds of sweet potatoes, a pound of tiny little new potatoes, 5 pounds of all purpose potatoes (the bag is a mix of many different types of mid-size potatoes), goat cheese, a gluten free apple pie, 3 pounds of broccoli, and mums.  The total cost of our massive haul came out under $100.  Now, the challenge is on to eat all of this yummy goodness before it goes bad! 

Catoctin Mountain Orchard.

Need a pumpkin?  These gorgeous beauties were under $10 each.

After our first stop.  I think we might need help.

The picnic area at Cunningham Falls State Park.

Some of the apples!  I've scattered them around the house in bowls and on trays.

And the cute little pumpkin gourds!

Book Review: Annie Sullivan and the Trials of Helen Keller

This post contains affiliate links.

 Most of us have heard the story of Helen Keller.  Born in the late 1th century, the young girl lost her hearing and her vision before she was 2 years old.  Trapped in a dark world that she didn't understand, Helen was a terror to everyone around her.  Unable to communicate with anyone, she would lash out in anger and frustration with everyone.

Enter Annie Sullivan.  As a young girl, Annie had lived in a poor house before getting the help she needed at the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston.  Eventually, Annie had the surgery she needed to restore her vision enough for her to read, write, and function as a seeing person would.

Trained in the ways of teaching young people with no sight or hearing to communicate with others, Annie was hired to work with Helen.

This book explores the relationship between Helen and Annie, and the hard, difficult work that went on in order to get Helen to understand how to communicate with other people.  

In fabulous fashion, the author and illustrator take the reader through the early lives of Helen and Annie, switching seamlessly from past to present through the medium of a graphic novel.

I learned much about Annie Sullivan, and the methods she used to work with Helen.  It is a fascinating look at the methods that were used at a time when children regularly lost their hearing and sight to sickness and fevers - a problem that we don't comprehend in our modern society with our fabulous drugs and the miracle of modern medicine.  While I am not certain that I agree with the methods, I do see where they were effective when nobody knew what else to do.

Fascinating book.  It was a fairly quick read, which was good, because the book was a page turner, and impossible to put down until the end.

Book Review: Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook

This post contains affiliate links.  Any purchases made through this link will be added to our remodel the hallway bathroom fund.  Thank you!

One of my favorite mystery series is the series of Goldy Bear Mysteries written by Diane Mott Davidson.  I love the way the books are written.  What I have always enjoyed are the recipes contained within the books.  These recipes were written and developed by Diane herself.  She has said during interviews that she developed them all  tried them out on her own family - some with great success, and some were spectacular failures.

Goldy Bear herself is a caterer.  She was a victim of domestic violence, who divorced her abusive husband and struck out on her own as a caterer.  Goldy was a spunky gal who first got involved in the mystery business when a murder during one of her catered parties threatened to shut down her business. Through the course of the books, we are introduced to Goldy, her son Arch, her best friend Marla, and the man who slowly teaches her that she can trust and believe in love once again.

I admit, that in addition to enjoying the books, I also enjoyed the recipes.  After finishing a book, I would make many of the recipes that were in the books.  Each recipe tied into the mystery and were a part of the plot of the book.   A group of us even had a Goldy's Kitchen Dinner a few years back.  We made the entire meal from recipes gleaned from her books.  Wow, that was an awesome meal!

Diane's book The Whole Enchilada was the last book that she will write in the Goldy series.  I will miss Goldy and her family.  I want to know where Arch goes to college, when Julian opens his own restaurant, and when Tom becomes the Captain of the Police Force.  Mostly, I can't wait to see Marla become elected Mayor of the City of Denver.  I do understand and respect that she is finished writing the books, I will miss the story of their family.

But then - this gem was released earlier this week.  It's the cook book from Goldy's Kitchen!  Almost every recipe from her 17 books are included, and she's tossed in some new recipes that are her own family favorite recipes.  Interspersed between the recipes are tales from Diane's life.  Commentary about the books, stories about her family, friends, cooking, and stories about how she got into writing books in the first place.


While I have not yet begun to cook my way through the cookbook, I have read all of the text that she filled in between the recipes.  I loved hearing her writing voice again!  She is a talented writer, and she shines so bright when she writes about her passions.




I will be cooking my way through this wonderful book.  From beginning to end, I plan on hitting up every single recipe.  (OK, I'll be subbing in GF flour so I don't get sick, and I'll adjust cooking times accordingly so I don't turn anything into a piece of charcoal.)

I've already got my recipe for this weekend marked.  We are going to start with Tom's Layered Mexican Dip on Sunday afternoon during the football game. I might have to be very careful with my ankle, but I can still pull together something fun and yummy!

Doctor's Trip

So I went to see an orthopedic surgeon yesterday.  My ankle has given out on my 4 times since April.

Why? 

Well... it turns out that I've torn a ligament in my ankle.  The ligament that supports my ankle.

Hoo Boy, what fun. 

I'm looking at 6 weeks of Physical Therapy, with a re-evaluation the first week in November.

What a way to celebrate an empty nest.  *sigh*

Shutterfly Deals

This post contains affiliate links.  By using the code in this link, you are supporting this blog, and will be added to the "Remodel the Hallway Bathroom" fund.  Thank you!  

If you've been following me for any length of time, you know that I love Shutterfly.  I love their services, and I love their products.  I am an avid scrapbooker, and Shutterfly delivers a quality product that I can count on to meet my high standards.  This weekend, Shutterfly, is offering a way too good to pass by deal!

It's fall, and Christmas is coming.  I've been trying to catch up on scrapbooks for a couple of those years when things were crazy busy when the kids were in high school.. I know I'll be taking advantage of this sale this weekend!

	Shutterfly - 40% off sitewide with promo code SHARE40 at checkout
When:	9/24-9/30
Promo Code:	SHARE40
Your Link:	http://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=297631&m=12808&u=1027099
Terms:	Offer expires September 30, 2015 (11:59 P.M. PT). Offer is good for 40% off qualifying merchandise orders through shutterfly.com, our mobile-friendly site or Shutterfly apps. Taxes, shipping and handling will apply. Not valid on TripPix, personalized postage stamps, prepaid plans, gift certificates, Videograms, cards sent using mailing services, prior purchases and orders place for in-store pick up. Cannot be redeemed for cash or combined with other offers or credits. Not valid for resale.

New York City Central Library

My phone is quickly losing memory space.  In an attempt to keep my 4 year old phone hanging in for a little bit longer, I've been clearing out the pictures.  I have stored some on Shutterfly.  I was attempting to upload many of them to Flickr, but the app quit working (not enough memory) so I had to stop.  So, before I delete the pictures from my phone, I want to share them here...

Last spring, when daughter was looking at colleges, we looked at a few that were on her list in New York City.  While we were there, we filled a long time dream of mine - to see the New York Central Library, and hang out with the stone lions.  (Would this be a bucket list item?  It's not on the official list, but it has been something I've wanted to do for a long time.)

It turns out that the stone lions are huge, and difficult to get next to.  I don't know why I thought they would be small?  They are gorgeous, and I love the fact that they guard the entrance to the grand library.  (It is just down the street from Grand Central Station!)

I believe that most of the collection of this library is housed across the street in the very modern, very sleek library branch that I didn't visit and didn't take pictures of.  It would have ruined my architectural rapture of the old library building!   I think much of the library has turned over to administrative office for the library system, BUT, the public is allowed to roam through the gorgeous public spaces and the reading room is still open.  OMG - let me say that the right way - OH MY GOD!! That reading room is gorgeous!

Isn't he magnificent?

Look at this gorgeous marble staircase.  It reminds me of the architecture in the U.S. Capital Building.

The ceiling.  Seriously, where do you find public libraries like this today?

The reading room.

Look at those gorgeous windows with all of that natural light.

I think I need a lamp like this....

The view from inside the front doors to the outside.

THIS is an Information Desk!  It looks a little imposing and formidable, doesn't it?  The trend in public libraries has been to go towards more "approachable" information desks.  But still.... it's a fabulous desk, isn't it?

The Instagram version of the reference collection in the reading room.  ONE library that has not ditched their physical reference collection!  ONE!!!

Librarian Rant #1

Who controls the information? 

Think about it.  Books used to be the go to source for everything.  Want to fix a pipe?  Go to the library, check out a book on plumbing, and read the directions and fix the pipe.  Want to know the circumstances surrounding the War of 1812?  Go to the library and check out a book.  By the physical act of reading a book, you were able to find the information of the ages at your fingertips.  Everything you could ever want to know was right there.  By buying and owning a book, you had the information at your fingertips to come back to whenever you wanted.  It became a personal reference.  Everybody had access to this information.  Go back 30 years, and almost every family had a set of encyclopedias on their shelves - a set of reference books that covered all kinds of information about the history of the world, science, and everything in between.

20 years ago, more people had started to shift to digital information, but it came in the form of CD's.  We had a CD copy of the World Book Encyclopedia that we relied heavily upon for years.  Many of our documents and family records were transferred over to CD's at the time.

Fast forward to today.  How many people still own a hard cover set of encyclopedias?  How many people still have bookshelves, even?  We've come to depend upon the internet for most everything.  Want to fix a pipe?  Find a YouTube video that shows you how, step by step.  Want to know the circumstances surrounding the War of 1812?  Search for information on the internet, and you are good to go.  If you're serious about finding reliable, valid information,  you'll go through the online portal at your local public library and access their online copy of the encyclopedias.

Family documents, pictures, and more are now all stored on the "cloud" - some mysterious server that you can log into from a distant location on any device and access from anywhere.

But, ask yourself this:  who truly controls this information?

People have gotten rid of their books and home reference collections at an alarming rate.  As libraries have gone digital, they have ditched their hardback reference collections.  Have you been in a library recently?  Have you checked out the size of their reference collection?  I was working in libraries 10 years ago, and I remember when we began weeding the in house reference collection as more digital references were added.  The entire second floor of that library used to be reference collection.  Over the course of the last 10 years, the reference collection has shrunk down to 6 sets of shelves on the second floor, next to the information desk.

The vast majority of our information is online. 

For the sake of argument, let's say that the internet is down, and you have a pipe that breaks and needs to be fixed.  Do you know what you're doing?  Do you have a physical book that shows you how to fix the pipe?  Or are you going to have to turn off all the water into the house in order to keep the house from flooding?  What will you do then - sit around with no water until the internet comes back up?

What if the power goes out?  And you decide to read a book by candlelight... oh wait... all of your books are on an electronic device.  That will keep you going for a few hours, but what will you do if the power on your device runs out before your power comes back on? 

And then there's "the cloud".  Your information is safely stored on the cloud.  Or is it?  What if the server goes down?  What then happens to your information?  Where are your pictures?  Are they still around, or are they gone forever?  Banking statements?  Do you have a hard copy, or are they all stored on the bank's servers?

You laugh at me....  go ahead, it's okay.  I'm a librarian.  I work in the information world.  We know the number of cyber attacks that happen on our information grid every single day - and it's a phenomenal number.  One of these days, someone is going to succeed on a massive scale, and our internet is going to go down for days and information will be lost forever.  And then what?

Librarians sit and talk about the potential loss of information when we get thoughtful.  There is just so much information that is now solely available online.  If online access goes down, then what?  How will we get this information back?  Libraries are no longer the repository of all print information.  Even the Federal Government has moved much information online - but the Library of Congress and the National Archives hold hard copies of many of these documents.  Not many other places still hold these documents, though.

And still, librarians sit and fret.  So much information has been moved online, into "the cloud".  Physical access to information is harder and harder to find.  Average people are getting rid of their books at an alarming rate, figuring that information will always be available.  Hundreds of years of stored information, most of it being moved online for "easier access".
 
Ask yourself this:  What happens if the internet goes down?  What happens if one of the thousands upon thousands of attacks upon our computer systems succeed, and hundreds of thousands of pieces of information are lost forever?

The loss of information from the Library at Alexandria will pale in comparison.

My New Life Philosophy

I've had an interesting weekend.  On Friday, I was to have lunch with a friend.  We set a meeting time
at noon.  I sat and I waited.  And I waited.  45 minutes after I showed up, she finally came rambling in.  I had already eaten lunch, and was debating leaving when she walked in.  No apologies were made just a statement: I was running late.  You know, that lack of respect for my time, and for me, bothers me a lot.  My time is worth something.  Consideration asks that if you know you consistently run late, then go ahead and set a later meeting time.  I bust my behind to get where you are on time - and you can't be bothered to be there within a few minutes of our agreed upon time?  Or even to text me and let me know you're running late?

I met up with another friend on Saturday while running errands.  In our brief, 30 minute sit down at Panera, she spent the entire time telling me how much better her kids are than mine, and how my kids could be doing better than they are, and then began passing along some "tidbits" about how other kids that went to school with our kids are failing or struggling.  I mumbled something along the lines of "what a shame" and then told her I had to leave.

And on Sunday.  I received an e-mail from an acquaintance, telling me how everything I was doing with the Prayer Shawl ministry at church was wrong.  Keep in mind, I took over this ministry when this acquaintance had to stop because of her life circumstances.  Since I've taken it over, I haven't done much to shake things up, but I recently sent out an e-mail requesting that lap blankets be made big enough to cover up people's "business" when they sit down in a chair while wearing a hospital gown.  I also asked that actual shawls be made large enough to keep people warm, and not just cover their shoulders.  This led to a 10 paragraph e-mail last night, telling me how wrong I was, how I was overstepping my bounds, and how thoughtless I am being, blah, blah, blah.

Monday at lunch, I opened my Facebook account, and there, at the top of my page, was this gem that was posted by Anita Renfroe.  I believe that I will be adopting this as my new life philosophy. 

I'll deal with my own unique situations in my own unique way.  In the meantime, I am going to reevaluate some things about my life and myself.

Book Review - Amelia Peabody Mysteries

Elizabeth Peters is the pen name of Barbara Mertz.  Barbara wrote under many names, but her Amelia Peabody mysteries are by far my favorite.

Set in the late 19th century and early 20th century, our heroine, Amelia finds herself confined by the strictures imposed upon women - no careers, no formal education, and no expectations beyond bearing children and taking care of husbands.  As a result, Amelia has reached an age of spinsterhood - living at home and taking care of her aging father.

When her father dies and leaves her with an unexpectedly large fortune, Amelia finds herself able to do the unthinkable - travel and think for herself.  She begins her journey in that most marvelous of all places, Egypt.  At this particular time in history, tombs of ancient Egyptian kings were being unearthed, and the knowledge of the ancient world was growing on a yearly basis.

While traveling, Amelia's path crosses with people who change her life forever, Evelyn Barton-Forbes, Walter Emerson, and Ramses Emerson. Amelia overcomes the obstacles to women being seen as equal to men, and finally finds her intellectual equal and the love of her life.

The course of the series follows Amelia and her family through time and archaeological expeditions in Egypt.  Crime, mystery, and thievery follows them at every turn, but unexpected friends are found along the way who help them and those that they love through troubled times.

As the children grow into adults, their voices are also heard in the stories, as they narrate happenings from their own viewpoint, which adds a rich level of depth to the stories.

If you've never read an Amelia Peabody book, you are in for a treat.  Get yourself over to the nearest library and check out a copy of one of her books and be prepared to enjoy every minute! 

Author's Web Site: http://www.ameliapeabody.com/

You Know You're Having a Bad Week When...

Do you remember when I fell back in April?  Banged the daylights out of my knee?  It slowed me down for most of the summer.  I rolled that ankle 3 more times before June, but it hasn't happened since then, so I thought I was free and clear.

Well.... when we were in Georgia last week dropping daughter off, I rolled my ankle once again while walking on some cobblestones.  I put off going to the doctor, but finally, the pain was enough that I felt I had to go into the doctor.

I went in.  And yes, my knee is a mess.  But, my ankle is a bigger mess.

Long story short, I've seen not only my regular nurse practitioner, I've also seen an orthopedic surgeon.  I've had X-Rays, and an MRI.  I've been told to keep my ankle wrapped, and I've been told to keep it elevated.  And oh, yeah - that knee is going to be a problem, too.  But, since it's the ankle that keeps rolling out from under me, it's the ankle that is the priority.

They think I've torn ligaments and/or tendons in my ankle that never completely healed.

So, I sit and wait.  I'll hear back from the orthopedic surgeon next week.  What is next?  PT or surgery?  Only time will tell.

I'm really hoping for PT, but I'll do whatever it takes to get my ankle steady and sturdy.

If you've got some time, I'd appreciate some positive thoughts and prayers sent my way!

Fall Chores

As we approach the middle of September, we begin the season of fall.  We have some chores that we always do at this time of year to help make our house all snug and cozy for the fall.

Outside the House:

The last lawn mowing of the season is quickly approaching us.  Once we decide that we are done mowing for the year, we will take the battery out for the season.

Move the rakes onto the front porch.

Move the snow shovels closer to the front of the shed.

Order a cord of wood to be delivered.

Shut off the outside water spigots, drain the hoses, and put them away for the winter.

Clean out the gutters.

Cut back the bushes under the windows one last time.

Put away the summer furniture cushions, move under cover.

Cut back the dead perennials.

Caulk the windows.


Inside the House:

Change the filters on the air handlers.

Put away the summer furniture cushions, move under cover.

Change the batteries in the smoke detector.

Get the curtains cleaned.

Put away the summer decorations.


Getting the car ready for fall/winter:

Check the fluid levels.

Get the oil changed.

Make sure all lights are working - headlights, tail lights, and turn signals.

Check the pressure in the tires. 

Add a blanket and a seasonal change of clothes to the trunk.

Remembering Patrick

A year ago yesterday, our friend Patrick died.  He was 19 years old.

A young man, full of life, and full of energy.  He was a student at WPI and fell off of the top story of a parking garage.  While we don't know exactly what happened, the police believe that he was standing on the edge of the wall, taking pictures when he lost his balance and fell to his death.

His mother posted a picture of that beautiful boy yesterday.  It was taken minutes before his death.  He was happy and smiling, and the picture exuded his love of life.

Patrick, you are missed more than you will ever know.

Book Review: Fire and Ice: Soot, Solidarity, and Survival on the Roof of the World

Fire and Ice: Soot, Solidarity, and Survival on the Roof of the World.

You know, I have a child who has been doing research on particulate matter and its effect on climate change for a couple of years now.  The more he tells me about this, the more I want to know.  This book takes a look at the direct cause and effect of climate change.  The nice thing is that we're not looking at climate change as "everything since 1970 is causing the polar ice caps to melt".  The author is looking at the big picture, as in "How everything since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution has worked together to change our environment, slowly and surely, everything has changed.

By focusing on the change of one tiny village - one village that was on the edge of a glacier 20 years ago and is now in the middle of a barren wasteland - the author forces the reader to examine the impact that coal and oil powered combustion - soot - has had upon the lives of a village that had been unchanged for thousands of years.

Nobody wants to face the thought that we might have forever altered the climate of our planet.  Nobody wants to admit that maybe, just maybe, we might be quickly approaching a point where we can do nothing to change what has been done before us.

It is easy to claim that climate change- or global warming - or whatever you choose to call it - is merely a myth dreamed up by liberals in order to get money.

But what if they're right?

Are you willing to have your thoughts challenged?  Are you ready to read a well researched book argue with an author, and maybe have a few of your views changed?

I enjoyed the book.  I argued with the author.  I am very concerned about what is going on in our world, and I hope - desperately hope - that this is all mumbo jumbo science, with no basis in fact or reality.

In the meantime, I've begun researching cleaner burning cars to replace our Civic, and I've begun searching for a cleaner burning wood stove that will cut back on the amount of soot and other various crap that is released into the air every time we use wood to heat.  Not that I am admitting anything one way or another, mind you, but.... what if they're right?

Move In Day #3

With a 12 hour drive down to Georgia staring us in the face, we woke up last Wednesday morning at 5 am, hoping to beat the traffic around Washington DC.  We had packed everything the night before, and we were on our way south by 5:30 in the morning.  Traffic was heavy, but it was still moving along at that time of the morning. 

We crossed the Potomac River at 6:30.  In the picture on the right, you can see the cranes working on new construction at National Harbor, just as the sun is beginning to peek over the horizon.  In spite of the very early hour, the crews were already at work, and the cranes were moving things around as we passed by.  We were hoping to make it down to my Mom's house a little after 7.  She lives south of Washington and north of Richmond, and we were hoping to have some breakfast with her while we waited out the Richmond morning traffic.

We stopped at a couple of Starbucks for caffeination on the way down.  Don't you love the bike racks out front?  I love how Starbucks goes about finding ways to support artists and keep them in business.  You and I see a cute sculpture.  A working artist sees this as a commission that will go towards paying the rent, and will keep them in business.  It's funny weird when you think of it that way, isn't it?    

Finally, we arrived in Georgia.  I love the tree lined streets here, and the moss covered trees.  I wouldn't want to live here, mind you.  The humidity is freaking horrible, and I would melt.  Literally.  Since the humidity is so high, there is no place for your sweat to go.  It just stays on you.  The day we got down there, the temperature was over 90, and so was the humidity.  Oh yeah, now I remember why there's a demarcation line that I will NEVER move south of - the North/South Carolina border!  Did I mention the bugs?  The south has some pretty serious bugs.  They don't get killed off by the frosts down there.  Another reason I live in Maryland.  It's nice to be reminded of these things once in a while!

We moved daughter into her dorm.  These dorms were originally an old motel, and they have been converted into college dorm rooms.  So, if you think of an old motel filled with 2 double beds and room to walk around, and then take out the motel furniture, you've actually got a pretty spacious room!  When we walked into the room, husband and I were pacing it out.  We both lived in the old dorms at Virginia Tech, and my dorm room,  fronting the drillfield was smaller than his.  Even so, her room, shared with one other person is the same size as 4 of the dorm rooms in my old building.  Am I jealous?  Ummm.... yes..    The hallways are hallways - nothing exciting going on there.  Since every room has it's own bathroom, every floor is coed by room.  Very different experience from when we went to school!  Girls dorms and boys dorms back then!  Not even co-ed by floor!  The picture below shows the area around her drafting table and dresser.  There's room for a really big area rug on the floor - and her bed is on the other side of the room.

Funny story here - when we were moving daughter in,
we noticed a young man trying to shove a wheeled cart into one of the doors, even though there was stuff hanging out of the right side of the cart, he kept pushing and pushing the cart into the door and it kept bouncing back.  I looked at husband and muttered "Art School NOT Engineering School".  We assume that young man is not going into sculpture or architecture....

Lastly, this tower of books in the book store really caught my eye.  All of these books are withdrawn library books from the local public library.  They are old volumes of U.S. Laws.  I know that these were added to the online collection at the Law Library of Congress not all that long ago.  I'm just really glad to know that the books still exist, and that they are being treated as the works of art that they are.  The information contained inside of them is still valuable - and in this installation, it might not be immediately accessible, but it is available.  (Librarian rant.  I'll expand upon this at some future point.)

Husband and I left on Saturday afternoon and began the long drive home.  We stopped on the road Saturday night and then got home on yesterday afternoon in time to watch the Ravens lose.


Her classes start today!  Here's hoping to a fantastic semester for her and all of the class of 2019 - wherever they may be!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig!

Daughter is nestled, all snug in her dorm room.  Her classes begin tomorrow morning.  Hubby and I arrived home earlier this afternoon.

We're tired from the drive, and the house is very quiet, but it's good to know some things never change.  I opened up the e-mail this afternoon, and there's a long list of stuff that she needs but forgot, and can I please ship it to her?

Good to know she still needs us!  The items are being gathered, and will be shipped out in a couple of days.

I'll post pictures later!

Seattle Library

I'm going through pictures on the phone, deleting old pictures to make room for new pictures when I came across these pictures from Seattle's Central Library. (I know, MORE library pictures!  Hooray!!).

This is the amphitheater on the main floor - if you look carefully, you can see the chairs on each tier of the library. Author talks & special programs take place here. 

A look through the stacks to the escalators that rise through the center of the building. 

Gorgeous windows allow a lot of natural light to enter the building. 

Fiction, tucked under the big windows. 

Information desk. 

Special Collections!  It's a complete set of H. G. Wells 

Reading Room. Gorgeous!

I love that the Dewey numbers for each section is on the floor. 

The children's section. 

Multi-Media Collage in the lobby.

One More Move In....

Posts are going to be few and far between this week... We're moving daughter into college this week.  This involves a 12 hour drive south for us.  Yeah, tomorrow is a travel day.  All Day.

We are leaving at 5 am in hopes of beating the traffic around Washington, and then we'll be stopping North of Richmond to have breakfast with friends while we wait out Richmond's morning rush hour.

Lots of excitement, activity, and nerves are flowing everywhere!

I'll post more later in the week!

Whose Line - Song Style: Bill Nye the Science Guy

Bill's got moves! 

National Book Festival

Today, we went to the National Book Festival in Washington.  Over 120 authors spoke, in rooms throughout the convention center, and there were book signings lined up - oh, the book signings.  All of those authors, lined up 20 at a time in one part of the convention center, with long lines of people waiting for their turn to get a few, brief moments with the author of their choice.

In the main hall, the books were on display everywhere.  There was a bookstore in the back, every author who was presenting a talk or signing books this day had books that they have written for sale.  Every where you looked, there were books, books, and activities related to books.  Story times and book activities were literally everywhere you looked.  My favorite area was set up by Wells Fargo, and they had little stuffed horses set out for the kids to sit on during story times.

The cute little story time horses.

Every state had a table.  And every single table was full of information about that state, and had displays of the books or authors from each state.  The state by state displays were packed full of people... everywhere....

Iowa

New Mexico

Indiana was touting their John Greene connection....

Hester Betts was signing packets of Freedom Seeds to tie into her book Seeds of Freedom.

Little Free Library - These are a thing all over the country.  Leave a book, take a book.