Who Should Pay for Public Libraries?

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I don't think it's any secret that I'm a huge proponent of libraries.

I would never be able to pay for my voracious reading appetite if there was no public library (hard copy books are almost $30!) Yes, I could buy books to download to my Kindle, although not free either (and occasionally I do), but there are a few reasons I don't:

• I'm a traditionalist. I like the feel of a book in my hands.
• 99% of my reading is done before bed. I found it awkward to hold my Kindle while laying in bed.
• Also, looking a computer screen before bed is not supposed to be good for you and I sometimes felt that it made me more awake than more sleepy (which is what reading a "traditional" book usually does.)
• There are fewer e-books available and often I'd have to wait much longer to get one than a hard copy.

(In full disclosure, I should say I've NEVER listened to an audiobook. I know, I know- I'm a dinosaur.

I digress.

A few years ago I ran into this article in the Boston Globe asking if towns/municipalities should fund public libraries.

I think some great arguments are made on the YES side (the side I'm on.)

Some of the points on the NO side I would challenge:

• Now, digital media and the Internet have dramatically expanded access at significantly less cost to the individuals who utilize them.
• Yes, digital media and Internet have dramatically expanded access- no argument there.
• However, there are still plenty of people in the United States that can't afford Internet in their home. The librarian on the NO side is from Boxford, MA, which is a relatively wealthy town (Wikipedia tells me it's 10th in Massachusetts in terms of per capita income.) I think it's a bit short-sighted to think that everyone can just go out & get Internet.

• Attempting to remain relevant, municipal libraries are adding other entertainment, often duplicating local cafés, nonprofit clubs, and community centers, with the costs being picked up by taxpayers. Is it wise — or fair — to require taxpayers to fund an approach that uses the library label to secure public monies to replicate entrepreneurial ventures?
• Yes, libraries are evolving beyond just a building that houses books. However, libraries have always provided programming- this is nothing new. So, just because the type of programming is changing (with the times), is that a reason to pull the plug?

So, which side of the argument are you on?

January 2019 In Pictures

Here are some pictures from January of this year that I haven't shared on social media.

January 2nd: Pulling into the driveway after work & seeing the Christmas tree lit. Peaceful & serene!

January 6th: I am in Florida visiting my parents & trying to do a selfie with one of the greyhounds. (Admittedly I can't tell if this is Jules or Zapper!)

January 7th: Visiting Melba (Moore) & Buck (Rogers in the 21st Century.) This is Buck's belly!

Hi Buck!

Hi Melba!

January 10th: Still in Florida. Going through "old" stuff.

I mean whatever. I don't think I was a difficult child...

January 19th: I got this gorgeous Vera Bradley pocketbook for Christmas. I love the maroon!

January 20th: I'm married to the Abominable Snowman.

January 25th: I think I have a bone spur. I'm not a podiatrist, but I play one on my blog.

January 26th: I discovered The Avengers on some weird on-demand channel. I can't even find it now...

Follow Your Nose - It Always Knows!

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Those from my era (born in the 70's or prior) will remember this Froot Loops commercial. Toucan Sam was a wise dude -- "Follow Your Nose, It Always Knows!"

This is my tagline.

I have a VERY sensitive smeller.

There's actually a diagnosis for this- hyperosmia! See definition here from the Society of Sensory Professionals (and yes, that's a really society!)

Since John & I have been together, that has become more evident (mostly because he constantly reminds me of the fact.)

I smell something. He can't.

I smell something. He smells nothing.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. (for years)

UNTIL JUST RECENTLY.

Our house borders a state forest so we have a "wilderness" vibe to our property and thus we see the wildlife that comes along with it- squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and MICE.

We've noticed during the winter weather that the mice like to find a warm comfy place to stay, i.e., our basement, especially the unfinished side.

John tried basically every variety of trap out there and none of them were wildly successful.

So, one day we were visiting our niece in Maine and our brother-in-law came over to visit and mentioned how he had similar wildlife issues and made a homemade trap with a bucket of water and a "ramp." He put peanut butter along the inside of the bucket, wildlife climbed the ramp, went for the peanut butter and CURTAINS! ::glug glug glug:::

John decided to try this at our house. He used a gable vent as the ramp.

This was working really well. They were dropping like flies. Drowning like mice. You get the idea.

We figured we were good and had exterminated the majority of the rodent inhabitants. A few weeks/months went by.

Then, out of the blue, I went into the basement to get a drink and said to John, "I smell something."

And you guessed it, he said, "I don't smell anything."

I said "Just check the bucket. Humor me."

BINGO.

He said (and I quote), "I will never doubt your sense of smell again."

I'm sorry, what was that? Repeat that? (And yes, he repeated it.)

So, whenever I say I smell something now I do not get pushback.

I'm a certified super smeller.

Don't doubt the cartoon Toucan!

Looking Ahead

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2019 is almost here- less than 48 hours away!

As a lot of other people do, I always reflect on what I want to do better or more of in the upcoming year. At the ripe old age of 46, I know that I won't achieve all of my goals. If I can achieve a small percentage and maybe partially complete some others, I will be satisfied.

Here goes:

1) Pull this blog off of life support and get it breathing again. That sounds familiar, doesn't it? I've said it frequently in the past. I've meant it at the time I said it, but it never came to fruition. So...let's try again, shall we? I won't try to set a goal like, "blog at least once a week" because I know I won't do it. How about we go with blog more than 2018? (I wrote SIX blog posts in 2018 [including this one]). SAD! I love writing. I need to be more intentional about my free time. (Translation- less time sitting on Facebook & Instagram.)

2) Share what I read. I list my books read with a letter rating in the right column of this blog. I keep track on Goodreads. I occasionally share via Instagram or Facebook. I've had people message me on Facebook or email asking for reading recommendations, so why not share on a wider/more consistent basis? In 2019, for each book I finish reading, I will post on Instagram & Facebook with a photo of the book, the name/author, a snippet of what the book is about, my letter rating, and a snippet review. Because I want to speak the "kids" language, I will be creating/using a hashtag for this project- #katiereads2019 (Brilliant, right?) Hopefully this will give followers exposure to books they might not otherwise get and they might give recommendations back.

3) Lose the 10 lbs I lost in 2018 but gained back. Yeah, not much to say here. I need to suck it up buttercup and do it. I'm back on the Couch to 5K program (week 2, day 1 completed earlier today.) I use the 5K Runner app and it's great. Eating is really where the problem lies. Holidays and eating healthy are just not a good match. But, as they say in Weight Watchers, there's always tomorrow.

4) Spend time doing calligraphy and lettering. I have collected a few books about calligraphy and lettering and want to actually sit down and open them up and use them. I also have some Tombow Dual Brush Pens/Markers that I bought a while ago to go with the books. I need to dust them off and spend a 1/2 hour on a weekend just doing that.

5) Do what I like. Like what I do. 

See you in 2019! Happy New Year!

Showing My Age

John and I went to the movies yesterday to see A Star Is Born.

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I honestly didn't know much about the movie, but had an idea of the general premise (I knew that this was a remake- come to find out one of many remakes over the years) and I thought, "If it has Bradley Cooper, it must be good." (I loved Silver Linings Playbook - probably one in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.)

The movie starts.

About 10ish minutes into it, I start thinking, "Wow, this no-name actress that's playing Ally is FABULOUS! She has a great voice and she's playing the inexperienced/scared soon-to-be starlet so well."

Not long after, Ally's father enters a scene.

Immediately I say to John, "Is that Andrew Dice Clay?"

Two hours later (yes, really), when the credits come up I realized that...

WAIT FOR IT...

Lady Gaga played Ally.

::mic drop::

So...I have no problem identifying Andrew Dice Clay, but don't have a clue about Lady Gaga.

Excuse me while I crawl back into my 80's/90's hole and don't come back out.

P.S. The movie was AMAZING!!! See it!

All Good Five Day Holiday Weekends Must Come to an End

The five day holiday weekend is like a unicorn- does it really exist?

YES- it does- I'm living proof! The company I work for gives us two days off for the 4th of July holiday. This year, we had Wednesday (the 4th) off and then Thursday. I figured going in for one day after having two days off would be torturous, so I took Friday off, thus the five days holiday weekend!

Wednesday, July 4th

As it was to be in the 90's and we don't have central air conditioning, we figured it would be best to be inside and somewhere cool.

After getting a deal on Groupon for AMC Theatres (a $26 gift card for $13), we made the decision to head to the movies.

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The pickings were somewhat slim, but since we both liked the original Incredibles, we decided to give Incredibles 2 a shot. (It's probably more accurate to say that this was more my choice than John's....see note re: napping.)

It was good, but as with most sequels, not as good as the first one. The character of Edna is my absolute favorite and she only played a very small part in this film. Oh well. John got a decent nap during the movie...lol.

John had found a restaurant for us to try, but it being the 4th, it was closed, as were the next few we drove by. We ended up at MaryAnn's Diner in Salem, NH.

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The inside was decorated with fun 50's diner/TV/movie decor. The food was OK. I originally wanted a lobster roll but they were out so opted for fried clams, instead. They were good but the batter was different- I can't put my finger exactly on how. John got fried chicken and waffles and again said it was OK, but he'd get something different next time.

Since we'd both slept poorly the night before due to loud air conditioner, we ended up heading to bed early. However, this happened first. (Wait for it...- no hostility there, right?)

Thursday, July 5th

We decided to head to the beach on Day 2.

It actually wasn't nearly as crowded as we thought it might be AND the water temperature was 67 degrees! That's as good as it gets here for the ocean in New England. I actually went in...up to my waist.

Did I mention that John & I are having a house built on the beach? Slow but steady, it's coming along. (Yeah, right.)

Here we are. Don't we look happy??? We are in our happy place (with my eyes pretty much closed, of course.)

Here are a few more. Check out the seagull with the crab in its mouth! (I wish I could've gotten closer.)

No trip to the beach (or at least Hampton Beach) is complete without fried dough! We trudged down the beach to Blink's Fry Doe (yes, that's how they spell it).

I get mine with cinnamon and sugar. You?

Friday, July 6th

Not sure I've ever mentioned how John & I met, but it was at a non-profit organization in Boston. I was still in college and was doing an internship there. John did the newsletter and graphic design for the agency. He asked me to proof a brochure he wrote and I corrected his spelling of the word millennium and the rest is history. But, I digress...

While we were both at the organization, we made some great friends with our co-workers. One of those is our friend Phyllis. Phyllis is great to just sit and talk with. She lives in Brookline, so we ended up visiting with her at her place and then having lunch at the Golden Temple just down the street. It was good Chinese food, but even better company!

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Saturday, July 7th

We did grocery shopping on Saturday morning (see reality starting to creep back in???) and then drove down to Cohasset, on the South Shore of Massachusetts to visit with an have dinner with another former colleague- Maureen, and her husband Joe.

We had a pleasant pre-dinner drink with snacks on their deck (it was gorgeous out!) and then got the tour of the shoreline in Cohasset (with some amazing houses) and then headed to Bia Bistro in Cohasset.

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It was great food, drink & company! I had a blood orange margarita which was delicious! Our dinners were also great- salmon for me.

Sunday, July 8th

A shopping day all by myself!!

First stop TJ Maxx, where yes, I did get the max for the minimum! (Pardon the craptastic lighting in the pictures.)

I got this cute magenta colored Life is Good t-shirt:

A grayish blue pair of shorts (I told someone recently that shorts shopping is worse than bathing suit shopping!)

A workout shirt for Pilates. Another grayish blue item. This is the back:

And my favorite! (The picture does NOTHING. It's much better on!) It's a Lucky Brand top and  Jones NY capris. The blue/terracotta combo is ah-mazing.

I then headed to Burlington Coat Factory and got zippo. I hit another TJ Maxx (because you can never visit too few TJ Maxx's in one day), but didn't find anything there, either.

Next was Off Broadway Shoes (struck out there). I walked next door to Nordstrom Rack and got John a pair of Nike shorts and drooled over the Tory Burch & Coach shoes.

Kohl's was next. I had to return something and I ended up getting some towels, well they're actually bath "sheets." Since John is 6'4", he prefers a larger towel. I got Chaps towels that were on sale, plus I had a 20% off coupon, plus $5 in rewards!

I hit Macy's for some makeup and then went to Shaw's, as my co-worker told me they had the "good" flavors of PopCorners.

Eek...they had these! (They're delicious!)

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In case you can't tell, I had a GREAT five day holiday weekend. I'm glad I got to spend so much time with John and that we agree on activities that make both of us happy. I'm glad we got to visit with friends that we don't see that frequently. I'm glad I got to have some alone time shopping.

Now, can we just stop time and put off Monday morning coming????

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

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This is going to be about as random a selection of questions, comments, concerns that you'll see. However, it's my blog and I'll be random if I want to, random if I want to... (that's as far as I can take the song- did you even KNOW I was referencing a song?)

Questions?

1. Do most Catholic churches still have morning mass every weekday?

After 18+ years of working at the same place, I feel the need to veer from my usual driving route to the office. So, of late, my route takes me by a Catholic church. This church is in a community of about 14,000 people and about 35 miles north of Boston. I'm stunned when I drive by on a weekday morning, as it actually looks like there's mass going on. 

Why am I stunned you ask? Well, when I was young, I remember that it was commonplace for the Catholic churches I knew of to have a morning weekday mass EVERY weekday. However, we've had many churches close in this area and I thought that there was sometimes just one mass PER WEEK. What about in your area? Just wondering... (I'm no longer a practicing Catholic, I just wonder about odd things...)

2. (This is a two-parter) Have you seen Netflix's The Staircase? If no, move on to the next section. If yes, do you think that Michael Peterson is guilty?

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Let me preface my comments by saying I've only seen three episodes so far. Similar to Making a Murderer, I have gone back forth on Peterson's guilt/innocence. I'm sure I'll change my mind a gazillion more times before I'm done watching it, but wow. 

Just wow. 

So many oddities so far.

Comments?

1. People that use email ought to go through "reply all" training before they're let loose in the wild.

(And before you read this, just remember that I'm putting in writing what some of you are thinking...o_O)

This comment is directed at two camps of people- those that use it incorrectly and those that don't use it.

Here's a tip: if you get an email that has gone out to the ENTIRE company, DO NOT (I repeat DO NOT) reply all. Hypothetically, let's say an email goes out an entire company reminding them to RSVP for an upcoming function. DO NOT reply all saying you RSVP'd. DO NOT reply all asking if there will be sporting equipment to use at the function. Just don't. 799 people do not need to know your personal business. (Can you tell I feel strongly about this one?)

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Here's my second tip: If you send an email to say five people because you want to share something with all of them and one of those five replies all and maybe says, "Wow...that's really cool. How did you come across this?" The original sender should NOT just reply to the person asking the question. The other four people may have the same question and want to see the answer. Also, if the original sender only replies to the person asking the question, he/she will end up maintaining multiple email strings about the same topic.

OK. Stepping off my reply all soapbox now. 

2. I miss blogging.

I know, I know. I'm the only one that can fix that. I need to be better about making time for things I enjoy. 

This blog has been alive (although sometimes on life support) for 10 years and I'm proud of that. I will try to make the time. 

Concerns?

Even though "concerns" is plural there will be only one concern...and it's a big one.

1. The growing lack of compassion for other people.

That might not make sense, but I don't really know how else to say it. 

There are so many levels to this. I feel like we're in a "me, me, me" culture. 

This is going to be a written dump of ideas/thoughts/feelings, so bear with me.

So many kids spend a large amount of time sitting behind a video game or social media. Get out. Interact with other human beings. Realize that there are all kinds of people around you and they all have something to offer. You will become a much more well-rounded adult if you do this.

Check yourself before you open your mouth. The most recent example of this is Corey Lewandowski, a political lobbyist and commentator saying "womp womp" while Zac Petkanas, former senior Democratic National Committee adviser was telling the story of a 10-year old with Down syndrome being taken from her mother and put in a cage after crossing the border illegally. If you haven't heard the story, you can read about it here.

Lewandowski claims the comment was directed towards Petkanas and had nothing to do with the fact that the child in the story had Down syndrome.

Here's the thing. Either way? It's wrong. It's wrong to mock people with disabilities. If in fact the comment was directed at Petkanas, it's wrong. Still. You're a grown man on national TV using a phrase that tweens use. He may as well have stuck his tongue out.

Grow up.

Think beyond yourself.

Introspection. Get some.

P.S. For those that may think that this is anti-Republican/Trump, it's bigger than that. However, the fact that an adviser/lobbyist/whatever his title is that works closely with the President of the United States is conducting himself like this and is allowed to continue? Shame on today's society. Republican, Democrat, or Independent, if you have a microphone in front of you, you have an obligation.