subdomain

The Library finally has a myspace page! I gave a presentation to the Library Board at one of the board meetings, and they said 'Go ahead! In fact, come back next month so we can see it!' So now I'm just fine tuning and beginning to advertise the fact we have a really nifty looking page. I really like the calendar feature, as well as being able to put up music, video clips, photos, etc. etc. This is 10x better than our regular page (which is a link on the side bar of my blog) and I really hope it will generate interest.

Something else exciting that's happened this week is the cover art for the last Harry Potter book was released! I absolutely love the American version; the British one I'm not so keen on. Both provide great fodder for discussion, though, and if you follow the link to The Leaky Lounge(on the side bar of my blog), you can get in on some interesting theories and predictions. This makes the publication of this book all the closer, and I must admit, I'm getting excited, rather than dreading the end. One snafu I realized, though, is Chip's high school reunion is July 21st...a day I blocked off for reading this last HP! This also complicates what type of programming I'll do at the library as well, as the reunion is in Manitowoc...

And one other thing I've recently discovered is the 50 Book Challenge. Apparently it started on some literary blogs (check out this article) and now people all over the blogging universe are trying it out. I may tote up how many books I've read to see if it's possible (I keep a list of titles and authors, along with the appropriate smiley face for if I liked it or not). I don't know if there are certain rules, like does re-reading count or what size of book is acceptable, but I'm guessing any age can set a goal and do it!

Cover art courtesy of TLC Galleries.

Book recommendation: Rules by Cynthia Lord
Recipe recommendation: Thai Iced Coffee
New product recommendation: Kellogg's All-Bran Crackers

musicale

How did you spend your St. Patrick's Day?
I was Dawn's date to a concert Saturday evening! We saw three bands at Elmbrook church in Waukesha: Aaron Shust, Audio Adrenaline, and MercyMe. AudioA is splitting up pretty soon, so it was especially neat to be able to finally catch them in person, though their part of the show was relatively short. It felt more like a MercyMe gig than anything else. Not that I'm complaining; Bart's voice is amazing.

Before we headed to the church, the four of us (Dawn, Sam, Andy and I) all had pizza at Marty's Pizza, and I must say, it was delicious. They actually have a 5' pizza available...that's as tall as me! *gulp* That's a mighty big pizza...

A special thanks to Dawn for a great evening!

Book recommendation: Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
Recipe recommendation: Lemon straws
Movie recommendation: NOOMA series (great for church youth groups!)

exposition

Chip and I have been busy going to shows lately!

The first weekend in March was the Car Show up in Milwaukee, and we had a chance to go look at all the different small SUVs we've been considering. It was soooo nice to have them all in one place and not have too many sales clerks pressuring you to ask them questions. We were able to sit in all of them and see how they felt, and look at some of the features. We'll be replacing my Saturn, so ultimately, Chip has said it's up to me. So here we are:


Then, this past weekend, we headed up to Madison to Canoecopia to check out kayaks, some of the speakers (about kayaks) and see if we could get any deals. Unfortunately, our plans were a little stymied by the sheer size of this event, and all the sessions we wanted to go to were full, so we headed over to the exhibit hall. We looked at several brands, telling the salespeople that we wanted something mainly for rivers and lakes. I think we've decided: I'm going for the Wilderness Tsunami 140 and Chip's looking to get the LiquidLogic Pisgah. The trick will be to make sure we'll have time to use them! I'm very excited to go exploring rivers around the area.

We've received about 12 business cards from our car salesman...

Book recommendation: Little Red: a Fizzingly Good Yarn by Lynn Roberts
Recipe recommendation: Chicken Pot Pie with Parmesan Biscuit topping
Music recommendation: Hoven Droven (album title: Jumping at the Cedar)

Turdus Migratorius

Spring must be here!

This morning I looked out the back window and saw 15 to 20 robins running, flying and digging around in the yard. It was rather impressive to see 5 or 6 clinging to the same branch, as well as several rooting around in the bushes, looking for food, and flocks chasing each other in flight. The chickadees, juncos and even a woodpecker were especially lively today, too.

I've been throwing food on the ground for the juncos (and some sparrows), and lately a squirrel has been visiting, too...I think he likes the corn that's in the mix I sprinkle out there. This also means the neighbor's dog ventures over to sniff the ground...

Photo from a report for Mr. Lancaster's Environmental Science class.

Book recommendation: The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner
Recipe recommendation: Bird Pie (from Roald Dahl's book The Twits)
Game recommendation: Be My Guest

peaked

Ah, nothing like a head cold to get you down. And it's the kind that lingers, so I feel like I've been sick forever. I did manage to lose my voice for a coupla days, which made life really interesting…

It meant I did a library presentation by croaking and missed a couple of days of work (meaning: tons of email when I finally logged on the computer again). And, unfortunately, Chip and I missed our chance to celebrate Mardi Gras at one of our local restaurants. We've gone for the past few years, and it's been a fun tradition. I'm not sure when I'll kick this, as I have more library stuff coming up later this week...

clipart from school.discovery.com

Book recommendation: When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd (thanks Mom!)
Recipe recommendation: Lemon Anise Biscotti
New product recommendation: Chocolate covered Altoids