Fortune Cookies Gone Awry

When oldest child was in Kindergarten, his wonderful teacher threw a Halloween Party.  Every child was sent home with a requested good for the party.

Halloween Day, the parents were invited to the school.  The kids dressed in costumes and marched around the fields for their Halloween Parade.  The parents then went inside and we helped set up a party while the teacher read stories to the kids.

One parent had brought in fortune cookies, and she quickly opened the box and set out one cookie beside each child's plate.

The kids were enchanted with the party, and having a great time.  Parents were talking in corners, getting to know each other while others ran around snapping pictures.

One of the kids opened his fortune cookie and took the paper over to the teacher for her to read out loud.  We watched her open the cookie, and then we watched, shocked, as all of the color drained out of her face.

"Quick, grab the cookies" she hissed at her aide, who had scurried over to see what was going on.

As the aide ran around grabbing cookies from the kids, the mother who had brought the cookies ran to get the box out of the trash, and the fortune that had been embedded in the cookie began to make it's rounds through the parents who gasped, turned red, and tried not to guffaw at the absurdity of the situation.

Turns out that the cookies the mother had grabbed were sexually explicit fortunes with details.  Wow, the details. 

I tell you, you just can't make this stuff up!

This and That... but mostly THIS

More changes...

I was a stay at home mom for years.  I knew that when my kids graduated from high school and flew the nest, I needed a plan to keep me busy and my mind active.  I sat down and made a plan.  I wanted to pursue my dream career.  I wanted to be a librarian.  I had worked in a library in college, and I loved every single minute of it.  When the kids were in elementary school, I volunteered in the school library media center, and I knew that this was what I wanted to do.  The media teacher let me experience what it meant to be a school library media specialist, and I became a substitute teacher so that I could gain that experience.  I took a part time job in my local public library, and got more experience working in the library world, and I knew that I wanted to be a librarian.

I sat down and made a ten year plan.  We're looking back to 2005 here.  I planned out how to get a Masters Degree in Library and Information Science while raising kids - and figured out how to do so without breaking the bank while we were saving to send the kids through college.  After much research, I found the online Master's program at Drexel.  It had everything I was looking for, and it was certified by the American Library Association - meaning that the degree would be recognized anywhere in the United States.

Unexpected things happened along the way.  We moved.  I lost a job.  I had to take a year off of my studies when my Dad got very sick and eventually passed away.  But I never lost sight of my final goal.  When the economy began to loosen up, I began substitute teaching in order to gain more experience.  My goal at that time was to become a School Library Media Specialist. (SLMS)

Well, that goal never quite came to fruition - I did a lot of stints as a SLMS over the course of five years of subbing, but I never was offered a job.  So, after I graduated from Drexel, I began searching for a library job that was outside of the school system.

I had one job - part time - no benefits - in an Academic Library.  I earned the startling sum of $200/week for 20 hours worth of work for a position that required an MLS.

I found another job last year.  Again, part time, with no benefits, but this one paid me significantly more than the last.  It was in a public library - and I do adore public libraries!  You can't put a value on what their services add to the community.

Through it all, I've loved every single minute of my job - even when I was working for ridiculously low pay, I still loved what I was doing.

Earlier this week, I got an offer to move up to a full time librarian position!  I get to stay in my wonderful little public library, and work with the best team of people I have ever had the honor of working with!

It is my dream job!  And It only took 12 years from the time I sat and wrote down exactly how I was going to make this happen. 

I'll keep the blog up as much as I can - but it's going to be less.  Over the past year, I've written less and less.  I will post at least once a week.  I'm hoping I can post twice a week.  I will definitely be posting on Mondays.  I'm going to shoot for another day during the week, but I can't promise which day during the week the post will be going up. 

I would like to thank everyone who takes the time to check in with me over the years I've kept the blog up and running.  Believe it or not, having a place to write down my thoughts has been a sanity saver more than once!


Peace!

Have You Ever Wondered?

Who cuts the pope's hair?

Does he use another priest?  Is it his valet?  Or does he just go down the street from the Vatican and have a local barber give him a trim?

Why college food is so much better now?

Back in my day, you ate what they put on your tray that day, and that was your choice.  I knew students who had been in the Army who thought our food was horrible.  Now, colleges are vying for honors as fine dining establishments.  When the hell did this change?  Why didn't it change when I was in school?

State Fairs.. Just how much fried food can we eat?

And how do people think up these things to fry?  Fried Oreos?  Fried PB and J?  Fried Pop Tarts?  It's probably a good thing I can't eat gluten.  Heaven knows I'd weigh 500 pounds if I could eat every fried wonder they have on hand.

Apple Season

Just how many varieties of apples can be found within an hour's drive of your house?  And why do those apples taste so darn good when cooked with cinnamon and brown sugar?

Why does the hair around your face turn grey first?

This and That

Notice: This Post Contains Affiliate Links

 Eclipse

The eclipse of the century is over.  We've got 7 years until the next eclipse in the United States.  Were you in the path of totality?  We were well outside the path of totality, with about 80% coverage here in Maryland.  I made a pinhole viewer and a pinhole projector to see the eclipse, and we were able to watch the eclipse through the viewers and on the reflection off the hood of the car, as well as through the shadows of the leaves on the trees.  It was a fun afternoon for a science geek!

I punched several holes into my pinhole viewer and look!  Many little eclipse shadows!

I love this!  The light coming through the leaves of the trees made mini-eclipses!

We also made a pinhole projector out of a tube of wrapping paper.  Here, you can see the eclipse at it's totality in Maryland in the shadow on the envelopes.  We really, really enjoyed playing with the shadows!  The light was really dim here during our totality.  We never got totally dark, the birds kept singing, but the light was very odd.

The OTHER Eclipse
No, people were not amused when I put this up in our workroom along with our pile of lost sunglasses over the weekend....

Another Overdose
The 23 year old who lives around the corner from us died of a drug overdose over the weekend.  Even one more is too many more.  I've lost count this year.  My oldest son's graduating class has been decimated.  6 years after graduation, 300 kids total, we've lost almost 30 of them to drug overdoses.  That's 10%.  That's just in our tiny little community.  I can't imagine what this looks like on a national level.  We are losing the next generation!  What can we do to keep our kids safe?  What are we missing?  What do we need to change to help these kids? 



On my Nightstand

Sherman Alexie is the well known author of several books including "The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian".  I'm reading his most recent release right now.  I am not certain what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't the stark look at the life of a Native American growing up on the reservation with alcoholic parents.  It's a painful look deep into the heart of a man and a people who have been systematically stripped of their cultural heritage and their hope.   Anyone who has grown up with a parent who struggled with addiction can relate to his tale.  As he relates his own story of growing up and coming of age in this very difficult environment, you see the true strength of the man, and the depth of the love that holds him firmly in this world.

Reading this book right on the heels of Undefeated, the Jim Thorpe story has definitely made me think about the plight of our Indians - how they have been treated them in the past, and how we continue to treat them in this so called "enlightened" time.  I've had a thought provoking couple of weeks of reading. 

Solar Eclipse 2017

If I had any doubt about the amount of insanity surrounding the eclipse this weekend, it was erased when I was cursed out yesterday because our library is not handing out eclipse glasses until today.

So, if you don't have a set of eclipse glasses, but would still like to view the eclipse, there are a few things you can do.

1) Make a pinhole viewer.
Directions here: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/build-a-solar-eclipse-viewer/

2) Make a pinhole projector.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/dont-have-eclipse-glasses-make-a-pinhole-projector-to-view-the-great-american-eclipse/70002363


3) Watch the NASA live stream.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream


We didn't buy eclipse glasses.  I didn't want to fork over the money for them, and I really didn't want to stand in line.  We have a pinhole viewer, and a flat pinhole projector that I made from 2 pieces of white poster board. We will also be watching the NASA live stream.

But most important - we will be together!  I always enjoy watching people.  I will be going outside, walking around in the twilight in the middle of the day and watching the people around me.  The last partial eclipse I paid attention to was when I was in college, back in the 80's.  I remember walking around campus in the weird twilight, watching the street lights turn on, and then back off again!

I am headed out to watch with some friends this afternoon.  I'll be posting pictures below as my day goes on!  Whatever you choose to do, please view safely!

Updates:

Line outside of the library for eclipse glasses:

Look!  It's the image on the bottom of my pinhole viewer!  1:30, EST. You can see the shadow beginning to cross the sun!

Sure, I'm Going to Exercise More...

Enjoy this Throw Back Thursday post!  I originally posted this on Dec. 30, 2015.

Exercising, making it a priority, and enjoying it has become a priority.  I've been working hard on getting exercise since I was dismissed from Physical Therapy- whether it be walking, going to a yoga class, or stopping by the Y and swimming a few laps.

Sadly, all of that Physical Therapy went to my head.  I feel like I'm capable of doing anything now.
 
Until earlier this week.

Baltimore has had exceptionally warm weather this month.  We've been treated to early summer temperatures that have made this the most enjoyable Christmas weather I've ever experienced.  You know, this weather has led me to make some very questionable decisions.

Case in Point:

I decided I was going to run.  Every once in a while, I get this urge to "run for my health".  I don't know where it comes from, nor why I feel the need to do this.  Maybe it's some weird form of torture I enjoy.  Maybe it's the glorious weather?  Who knows?

I strapped on my shoes, pulled my hair up in a ponytail and attempted to run.  I had mapped out a 1 mile route from my house.  I figured I might be able to do a slow jog through about half of it.

I seriously overestimated how much I could do.

The good news is:  I made it down to the end of my street.

The bad news is:  I live 3 houses from the end of the street.

By the time I got to the stop sign, I was huffing and chuffing for breath as if I had just run a marathon, not the reality of having slowly jogged 0.1 of a mile.  (You read that right, ONE TENTH of a mile.)

When I pulled up at the end of the street and started walking, one of my neighbors drove by, rolled down her window and cheerfully shouted "Great day for a run!  You look wiped!  How far did you run today, 5 miles?"

Sadly, I didn't have the breath to answer her, so I mustered some half hearted attempt at a smile, and gave her a thumbs up.

Yeah, I do this for my health.  Sure.  There's nothing healthier than running a tenth of a mile and wondering if I've managed to run enough to justify a Dairy Queen run.

Canaday's Book Barn

Nestled deep in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania around Carlisle is a lovely little 200 year old barn filled with books.  It's a wonderful, beautiful used book store that covers the main floor of the barn and the loft of the barn.  There are books of great age in the store, as well as relatively modern releases.  Sadly, business has not been good for the Canaday's lately and they are going to close the store.  But not before they sell off their inventory.  This is very good news for you!  If you live in the Mid-Atlantic region, and can set a day aside to drive to Carlisle, the trip is well worth your time. In this picture, we see the main floor of the barn from the top of the loft.  I really enjoyed the wide variety of genres, titles, and years that this collection encompasses. I don't know how much longer the barn will be open - so this would be the year to head up there and find a unique book in one of the most unique stores you've ever seen.  In the pictures below, you can see a few more glimpses of the interior.  It is a nifty little book store, isn't it?

Store Web Site: http://www.canadaysbookbarn.com/

Call before coming to verify that they are open!