Michael Dirda on the 10 Commandments of Book Giving

Came across this recent article from The Washington Post by Michael Dirda on The 10 Commandments of Book Giving which is timely for this time of year (and all year round actually) and thought it worthy of sharing and passing along.

Happy Holidays,

Jill

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Are you a cord-cutter? I am...

While listening to the book "Click" by Bill Tancer on my ipod today I heard a new term, "cord-cutter".

A cord-cutter is someone who gives up the traditional land line in the home and uses a wireless phone exclusively. Apparently the number of cord-cutters increases dramatically every year.

Have to say that when I moved two years ago I became a "cord-cutter". No need for a land line, I just went with using my cell phone for all my "telephone" communication needs.

However the one thing I miss about not having a land line is that I am unable to send and receive faxes. So for a nominal fee I send and receive them via the fax machine at my local public library. A cost effective and green way to do business.

Jill

Because Nice Matters

"Because Nice Matters" is a saying printed on a wood block that my colleague Lisa Leonard Crase, the Children's Librarian at the Mary P. Shelton Public Library, Georgetown Branch kept on her desk.

Lisa passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last Wednesday at the age of 43 leaving two teenagers and a husband who adored and supported her in all she did.

Lisa and I worked on the transfer, installation and unveiling ceremony of a Ulysses S. Grant painting loaned to the Mary P. Shelton Public Library, Georgetown branch of the Brown County Public Library from a private collector in OH when I first started working for the library back in the fall of 2007 and on many more projects in the past year.

Her positive spirit, lack of complaint, ability to adapt to change, and handle patron issues of all kinds with sensitivity will remain with me. She was well loved by hundreds of children, (some now adults) and many patrons that she has served over the 15 years she worked at the Mary P. Shelton Public Library.

My life is richer for having known and worked with Lisa.

Jill

TODAY, Monday October 6th LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE & 5 Friends Video

Dear friends and family, I just received the link to this great video* in an email and wanted to share it with all of you, take action and pass it on to your friends if you feel so inclined!

By the way, I work in a public library; it is one of the places where people can fill out a form to register to vote. We have had a few registrations over the past few weeks, but last Friday and Saturday, we saw a dramatic increase of people coming in and requesting voter registration forms.

My sense that people are registering to vote that haven’t done so in a while or ever, was confirmed when after registering to vote, a gentlemen mentioned as he walked out the door last Friday, that the last election he voted in was when he voted for John F. Kennedy!

Find your voter registration info and more at:

www.maps.google.com/vote

Peace and Blessings,

Jill

*has some swearing in it

My latest favoritist book....Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck

A few months back I came across the book, Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck at my local library. I picked it up, checked it out and brought it home and skimmed through it. It is an easy and quick read full of practical, sensible information.

I don't know about you but I cannot walk down the detergent/cleaning supply aisle in any store without getting a headache or nauseous or both between the perfumes and chemicals.

The good news for me and you is that this book is full of practical, simple, back to basics, more bang for your buck, non-toxic, thorough cleaning information.

For instance on page 151 she talks about how most commercial glass cleaners contain waxes which leave a residue after cleaning.

From my own experience I get so frustrated cleaning windows and mirrors, they always seem to streak, I've tried vinegar and newspapers you name it. I've tried it. However what I didn't know until reading this book is that first you have to remove the waxy residue first, then you can clean with plain vinegar, otherwise you keep smearing the waxy coating, duh!

From the book:
To remove the waxy residue: pour two cups water and a half cup distilled white vinegar into a spray bottle. Add a half teaspoon dish liquid. Spray on the glass surface, wait half a minute, then polish the glass dry with a clean rag. After the waxy buildup has been removed, the glass can be cleaned with plain white vinegar.

And it works...I've done it. and my windows and mirrors are now clean and clear!!

I confess it's been way too long since I've cleaned my shower, so this morning armed with a spray bottle of white vinegar, a box of borax and a scrub brush I went to it (following the information found on page 150 in the section "Removing Soap Scum"). With a little scrubbing after spraying vinegar and dusting borax around the shower and glass doors were sparkling within minutes.

I've had my box of borax for awhile so I don't remember how much it costs probably less than $4 and a gallon of white vinegar is pretty cheap so no need for expensive tile, shower, mold & mildew cleaners.

I'm all for saving money, the environment and energy when it comes to house cleaning so I'm going back to the basics using this book as a guide to rethinking what I use to clean and how I do it. And I'll pick up some additional shelf space with not as many other cleaning products sitting on the shelf.

Stay tuned for me unusual yet practical advice.....

Jill

From the Ground Up

I recently read another true story about a beginning gardener's experience. The book, From the Ground Up; The Story of a First Garden written by Amy Stewart chronicles her garden experience while living in the beach town of Santa Cruz, CA. I loved hearing about her trips to the local nursery (she must have spent a small fortune there) , her worm composting and her new found strength from all the lifting and work she was doing.

And her husband Scott Brown is co-founder and editor of "Fine Books and Collections Magazine" and owns an antiquarian book store, "Eureka Books" in where else but Eureka, California.

Her most recent book is, the New York Times bestselling Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers.

Jimmy Buffett and Swine Not?

I don't consider myself a Parrot Head yet I have enjoyed reading his previous books, "A Salty Piece of Land" and "A Pirate Looks at Fifty"this one seemed geared more toward young adults. It's based on a true story about a pet pig that moves to New York with it's family and lives in a four star hotel but has to remain hidden. The narrators of the story are the pig, "Rumpy"and "Barley" one of the children in the family.

Check out the link to the Today Show interview with Jimmy and Helen Bransford who inspired the book.

Great for younger readers, and anyone who has a pet pig otherwise I recommend reading one of his other books.

Jill