"Are we there yet?....Are we there yet?"

It's official.  It is now the time of year we all look forward to; particularly those of us that live in northern climes.  Time to make some summertime family plans.  The summer family vacation may involve hours and hours of driving across country or it could mean undergoing an invasive inspection while trying to board a plane.  These are precious moments (whether it be laughing or crying) that you get to spend together.  Believe it or not, there will come a time in your life when you will think back with nostalgia to the cross country trip(s) that included all the delights of bored children fighting, carsickness due to winding mountain roads, and contant demands (whining) to stop for food or bathroom breaks.

Perhaps your favorite times are those evenings in the backyard spent with a campfire, marshmallows and funny or creepy stories.  There are those people who are fortunate enough to have a permanent vacation spot...the family cabin "up north".  Others may enjoy the summer family camping trip.  Here in Wisconsin, there are several distinct breeds of people who go camping regularly.  The RV people (who often have a permanent spot for the camper) and the "real" campers who use tents (called "roughing it").  Then there are those hardy souls who take an extended family vacation across the country visiting the sights and spending their nights camping.  No matter how you do it, these are the moments that create the stories we share around our winter fires.

 

Some of us have a list of places we would like to visit at a future time in our lives.  One might call it the travel "bucket list".  There are a multitude of outdoor wonders and historical sites in the United States just waiting to be discovered by you.  They may lie across the country or a few miles down the road.  Maybe you want to share your favorite childhood campground or relive a family road trip with the next generation.  Whatever it may be, now is the time to share some lasting moments with the people you care about most.  It's time to hit the road.  (A road trip tip:  if you don't want to listen to the whining and fighting, try bringing along a book on CD for the kids.  It can make the miles fly by.)

Librarian, contrarian, how does your garden grow?



Books can be so versatile

"The only things that grow in my garden are weeds."  In my experience, this is the type of statement made by compliment-seeking, green-thumbed people who have fabulous, thriving gardens.  Now I on the other hand can truly say that weeds seem to prosper at my home.  In fact, the only desirable plants that grow at my house are wild, untended plants.  Wild asparagus and rhubarb (courtesy of the previous owners) are abundant in the otherwise barren wasteland of dried grass that surrounds our home.  Don't get me wrong, we like the idea of having a garden.  However, we lack the skill, knowledge, willing workers and TIME needed to put together a prosperous plot. 

I've always been attracted to the idea of container gardening.  Even though we live outside of town on a space larger than an acre, I haven't been able to muster any desire to do more than invest in a "Topsy-Turvy" tomato planter.  By that I mean, I've thought about getting one and trying it.  (I am a little shy of the "As Seen On TV" products.)  Every summer we have encouraged our daughter (who has actually shown some interest and talent in this area) to plant various vegetable seeds with the understanding that anything she plants is solely under her care.  Her success has been sporadic as it often depends on us reminding her to water and weed her small plot.  Now that she's older, she has started to abscond with all the produce since she's doing all the work. 

I blame my anti-gardening feelings on my mother.  She grew up on a farm in South Dakota.  For many years she attempted to grow a gigantic South Dakota style garden in the back yard of our Washington State home. This would have worked out fine if the plot hadn't been surrounded by enormous pine trees which took up all the nutrients from the soil and blocked the majority of the sporadic sunlight.  (There is also the endless rain factor, even in summer.)  Pulling the weeds from this futile dream of abundance was one of my childhood chores.  One learns to actively resent pulling weeds from a garden that doesn't produce anything in noticeable quantities. 

Some day in the not-too-distant future, I plan to check out some  of the gardening books from our library and follow through on the project.  Until that day, I hope that my wonderful, generous gardening neighbors will continue to share their extra zucchini, tomatoes, melons, and green beans with my family.  People tell me that gardening is rewarding and relaxing.  I guess I'd rather relax with a good book than a big plot of weeds. 



The perfect book for the gardening newbie.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives

The month of May offers many landmark days of remembrance for our country.  May 1st is "Loyalty Day", a day in which we declare our loyalty to our country.  It was first officially observed in 1959 and was a reaction to workers' celebrations being held in communist countries on that day.  May 8th is "V-E Day" (Victory in Europe Day) the offical date of Germany's surrender signaling the beginning of the end of World War II.  The third Saturday in May is known as "Armed Forces Day" (from 1950) when we recognize all the branches of the military.  The day of remembrance that people are most familiar with is Memorial Day (Decoration Day) which honors the fallen and dates back to the end of the Civil War. 

It has been over 65 years since the end of World War II which means that those who have first hand knowledge of that era have dwindled significantly.  Thankfully, many of them wrote down their experiences to share with us.  This was a time like no other in our country and should not be forgotten.  One of the most memorable life stories from that time is that of Louis Zamperini.  He was an Italian boy from the wrong side of the tracks whose older brother helped him to channel his excess energy (street fighting and wild behavior) into long distance running.  He became world famous when he went to the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 and although he did not win a metal, people were amazed by his performance at such a young age.

Louis went on to collegiate track glory until 1941 when he signed up with the United States Air Force.  He was sent to Hawaii as a bombardier on a B-24.  On a search for a lost plane, Zamperini's B-24 went down.  He survived with another crew member only to be captured and tortured by the Japanese.  Unfortunately for Louis, his name was still known throughout the world.  His Japanese captors were thrilled to have a celebrity that they hoped to use to help demoralize American troops.  The Japanese were soon to learn that this would be no easy task.  Laura Hillenbrand has turned Louis Zamperini's life into an exciting armchair adventure for the reader.  This Memorial Day, take a veteran's memoir off the shelf.  Find out what ordinary people will do under extraordinary circumstances.  (You might even call them....heroes.) 
Thank you to all veterans and service members who are courageously serving our country.  We honor you.

Mom's Gift



"So sad"

When I was a little girl, she took care of me.  She fed me.  She washed my clothes.  She made me take baths.  She took time off of work and stayed home with me when I was sick.  She even cleaned my room. 
I'll never forget the time that Mom was spring cleaning behind the beds and found an old apple core.  The sound of my name being shouted echoed through the house and outside to our cul-de-sac.  I came running.  It's foolishness to try to escape THAT tone of voice.  I was told to hold out my hand.  Not knowing what treasure might be awaiting me, I did.  YUCK.  Never has one apple core done so much to change someone's bad habits.  I learned that if I wanted to have a snack in bed on those occasions when I stayed up all night reading, apple cores and other leftovers should be stored under my pillow where I would retreive them in the morning and dispose of them properly.  I dare not attempt this at night because my mother ALWAYS woke up when there was noise at night and I didn't want her to take my book away.

"Oh, is that fiction?"

Mom is a reader.  An avid reader who loses track of time and becomes deaf and blind when she has a book in her hand.  It doesn't even matter WHAT she's reading.  She goes into her "mom is reading now" zone and doesn't resurface for anything except "Dancing With the Stars".  Whenever she plans a visit, I stock up on titles that I think might keep her occupied while the rest of us are frantically running our ordinary lives.  Recently, she gave The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood an "it was interesting" which is probably a three and a half star rating for her.  Michael Oher's I Beat the Odds was given a "his early life is so sad" which is mom-speak for she couldn't put it down.  I am trying to decide whether or not to hand over Two Rings: a story of love and war by Millie Werber to her.  (It's currently at the top of MY reading pile and I won't get it back until she finishes it.)  I would like her to preview Margot Livesey's The Flight of Gemma Hardy for me.  I am a big believer of encouraging others to break out of one's reading comfort zone and she needs to shake that non-fiction addiction.

Mom, thank you for sharing your love of reading with me.  I know that at times you've called it a curse.  It is a treasure that I can share without fear of it ever running out.  This is a gift that grows and expands and is life-long.  It is common gound that we can share even when you are thousands of miles away.  Every time I have a book sharing moment, I think of you.  I am so glad I will always have this part of you to share with others.  Happy Mother's Day, Mom. 

"Interesting"

The Zen of Snoopy

The sun finally made a brief appearance in Manitowoc yesterday and I found myself thinking of one of my favorite childhood characters, Snoopy.  Remember the Snoopy dance?  The dance that all the Peanuts' characters did when things (finally) went their way?  They would throw back their heads, stick their noses in the air, and dance on their toes until the credits stopped rolling.  No character conveyed joy more completely than Snoopy.  If a day could feel like a Snoopy dance, yesterday was that day.

The best Peanuts' adventures (in my humble opinion) featured Snoopy and Woodstock with an occasional cameo by Snoopy's brother Spike.  Despite their inability to talk, or maybe because of it, these characters with their rich fantasy lives epitomized the reality of childhood.  Woodstock and Snoopy's friendship rang true.  They would argue and Woodstock would fly off in his haphazard fashion while Snoopy gave him an unintelligible tongue-lashing while shaking his fist.  Or Woodstock would end up in a scrape, often because of his size, and Snoopy would run to the rescue (after laughing that dirty Snoopy laugh at his predicament).  One always believed that some day Snoopy would get the Red Baron because Snoopy would never give up.  Who of us a child didn't wish that we would go for a walk and find a pet just like Snoopy?  We reveled in the joy of Snoopy and his adventures.

 

I suppose a character like Charlie Brown had to have a dog like Snoopy.  Even as a child, we recognized him as the biggest loser we had never met.  We would not have been able to bear reading his adventures if he hadn't had a dog like Snoopy or a philosophical friend like Linus.  (Kind of like when the Brady Bunch formed a singing group, went on the road, and became THE most embarrassing show to watch.)  Snoopy, Charlie and the gang have managed to stay relevant and relatable despite having lost their creator over twelve years ago.  Spring is the time to stop and smell the flowers, and do the Snoopy dance.  Snoopy would want you to.  Stop by the library and check out The Complete Peanuts (1950-1985).  We might even let you practice the dance.

Rain, rain, go away, come again when it's convenient to me...

Yesterday, we enjoyed our first tornado drill.  Today, we considered putting on our winter coat instead of a lighter jacket.  Looking out the window, one expects to see Mary Poppins sailing by with her umbrella and bottomless carpet bag.  Expect the unexpected, it's spring in Wisconsin. 


Spring calls to mind that it's time to do some cleaning, or maybe CLEARING of unused household items.  It's not just the "rummage sale" or "yard sale" signs that bring it to mind.  Everyone knows that spring is graduation time and you have to get your house in order before you have everyone over.  You may even need to sell some items in order to help with the next step in your child's life...college.  (We have many books that will help your prospective student find ways to secure financial aid if you don't want to sell the farm.)

If you're going to have a family reunion, neighborhood barbecue or any type of gathering or celebration, you will also want to beautify the outside of your home.  You may have a small space to work with so container gardening may be the thing for you.  It may be the first of many projects to share with your family which means you'll need a plan or fresh ideas.  Whatever the case may be, the library has the books to keep you growing and prospering in the great outdoors.  Thanks to our community partners, we also offer programming featuring local businesses like Hartman's Towne and Country Greenhouse which can be very helpful to the beginning gardener.

Checking out books from the library won't make your flowers grow better nor will your home organize itself. It won't make the weather behave itself or keep you from wishing for summer while it rains and rains and rains.  However, it will give you something to do as you anticipate another season of riding your lawn mower listening to Bob Uecker while the KIDS weed the garden. 





Milwaukee - Home of the Brave(s)

I didn't grow up in the 50's or 60's but author Lesley Kagen took me there with Whistling in the Dark.  I didn't grow up in Milwaukee (or even in the Midwest), but I have heard of Samson and now I feel like I've met him.  (Samson is Sally's favorite exhibit at the zoo and she visits him frequently.)  In this book, the author has captured the sights and sounds of a Milwaukee neighborhood and a midwest summer in the city perfectly.  The people you meet in this book seem real.  This is not the Milwaukee of "Happy Days" or "Laverne and Shirley" where everything works out perfectly fine in the end after a heart to heart talk with Mr. Cunningham or "The Fonz".  These people have PROBLEMS and young Sally O'Malley and her sister "Troo" are in the middle of them. 

Samson

Sally made promises to her dying father that she is having trouble keeping.  She promised her dying father that she would look after her little sister.  However, Troo is a wild one and difficult to manage.  There are neighborhood bullies to stand up to, an abusive step-father who has gone on a drinking binge, a mother in the hospital fighting for her life and a teenage sister who is too busy with boys to look after two little girls properly.  As if this wasn't difficult enough, there is a murdering molester on the prowl and Sally's over-active imagination has thrown her (and the reader) completely off the trail of the real killer.

What I enjoyed most about this book is the relationship between Sally and her little sister.  At times, Troo's shocking behavior may lead you to believe that she is the older sister.  The authenticity of the lost little girls (and Sally's point of view) as they struggle to take care of themselves one long hot summer will immerse you in the story.  Similar to Emma Donoghue's Room, this book pulls you into the mind of a child trying to deal with life's unusual situations.  The interactions between the sisters takes me to Lorna Landvik's book, Patty Jane's House of Curl.  Most of all, I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Good Graces.  Perfect reading as we wait for summer and a visit to the City of Festivals.