The Reading Post

My favorite "Adult Author Moment" at the Texas Book Festival: Meeting Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday.

Scott Simon is the author of several books, the latest of which is the recently-published Windy City; A Novel of Politics.  He was a featured author at the Texas Book Festival this year, and his program and book signing was a very popular element of the Festival.

Probably the best part of meeting Scott Simon was to watch his interaction with his two small daughters as they tried to wrap their young minds around seein

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918.

Now known as Veterans' Day, Armistice Day began as the celebration of "the war to end all wars" in 1918.

One of the most famous of all poems, and one written during The World War is titled, "In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, M.D.

It is well worth another read.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/flanders.htm

 

Final day of LIVESTRONG Summit

As I pack to take my luggage to the OSU campus, I reflect on the Summit.  I must say that the participants are among the most friendly I have ever met.  The organizational aspects were way up on the list, Texas Library Associaition still rates number one but LIVESTRONG comes in a close second.  Their branding of the event and delegates was by far the best and I really loved the memory stick with the Advocacy handouts.  This is an idea I plan to let TxLA know about.  The final celebration was a major plus and the panel discussion ended the event on a stong educational note.  Then it was off to box lunch, pick up luggage, bus to the airport and going through security yet again. You still knew you were with your LIVESTRONG friends.  We were all still wearing yellow, smiling and talking to all of our new and renewed friends.  Maybe the planes should have been painted yellow on the outside because the certainly were on the inside.  I am back in Victoria uplifted, educated, motivated, and ready to act.

LIVESTRONG Summit

Today we started out with a keynote address from Stephanie Spielmann.  It was very inspirational to hear how her husband took a year off from his pro football career to stay home with her while she went through treatment.  Then it was another very full day of training, ending with a simulation of going door to door to register voters.  Then we were off to the Columbus Zoo for dinner and touring the exhibits.  It was a great zoo and definately a great way to end a educational and fun day.  I hope when I get home I can get some rest.

My bags are packed with plenty of yellow clothes, my nails are done, and I've printed off all the information I've been sent.  So except for this blog entry and the book review I guess I am ready to go.  Finished my reading for the summit -- Light within by Lois M. Romondetta and Deborah Rose Sill and Hair for Mama by Kelly Tinkham.  So I have cried and celebrated.  The next installment will come from Columbus. 

jao

Overheard in an airport recently:
F:  "They just started boarding for Sao Paulo. Where is that?"
M: "It's somewhere in the Caribbean."

If you need to know positively where Sao Paulo  is located, VPL has a number of books in its "Geography" section. Find Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and all those other exotic destination you hear about in airports. Ask a Librarian for help. And happy traveling.

One of the myths of Independence Day is that the Fourth of July is the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. July 2, 1776, is actually the date the signing took place, and two days later, the signers agreed that what they had done was good. So we celebrate that decision.

We celebrate the act of revolution. We celebrate the rights that emerged from our Constitution, written and adopted several years later. We celebrate the ideas of republic and democracy and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. We celebrate the land, and the liberties we love.

In the words of the late, lamented Tim Russert, "What a Country!"

Happy Independence Day!

Another Library Conference is behind us. A quick trip to California and just some random thoughts about conferences.
Why do we go to a library conference?

     To meet and reconnect with the same people each year?
     To gain new information to benefit our library?
     To network with old and new library acquaintances?
     To see all the new library technology and gadgets available?
     To hear the wonderful speakers?

The answer is probably a bit of all of the above. The benefit is new information and new materials for our library.
Drop by our New Materials areas sometime soon.

Fitness doesn't have to be all work and no play.

Running is of course, a great way to achieve a desired fitness level. The Keep Austin Weird 5K is a fun way to exercise some of those fitness skills. Costumes are welcomed, and here are a couple of "angels," complete with wings and haloes, running for fitness and fun.

If you need materials about nutrition, health, fitness and fun, Victoria Public Library can meet those information requirements.

There's nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.  ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

Ah, yes.

Writing is still the most permanent kind of communication. Writing isn't lost when formats change (think BetaMax). Writing involves some thinking beforehand, as opposed to just opening one's mouth and having words flow out. Writing can be the most beautiful kind of communication capturing the rhythm of music and beauty of artworks, but still leaving much to the imagination of the reader.

Writing can also be difficult, as alluded to in the quote from the great sportswriter Red Smith.

Victoria Public Library has many books to help with writing skills. Ask a Librarian for help.

It is now officially summer, although we've had the summer heat for awhile already. It is the season of summer films as well.
We're touring the LA area. We've already visited the John Wayne statue backed by the largest American flag I've ever seen, and have plans for more movie events.  The LA film festival is going on, and of course, there is much to see for those who are aficionados of old films, also. 
I'll keep you updated.
In the meantime, VPL has movie books and biographies of those who starred and played in those movies. There is a travel section, so you can begin planning your trips to faraway places.
Enjoy those trips, whether they are through the medium of books, virtual, or actual.

I went to a movie a couple of weeks ago. A chick flick. . .THE chick flick of the summer. I'm a people person, and enjoy just watching folks interact. This was a people-watching fun house.
Obviously, this was "The Movie We've Been Waiting For." Groups of women, young, old, and intergenerational, all carrying great tubs of popcorn and giant cokes came giggling into the theater. Ready for "The Movie," and all the accompanying hoopla that goes with attending The Movie with a group of buddies.
This movie was doubly interesting because not only did I get to see my four friends who have been off the small screen for several years, but the "plot" actually turns on a book.
****SPOILER****
Just so you won't embarrass yourself. . .there is no book entitled Love Letters of Great Men. Apparently, though, thousands of people have tried to locate it.
Thus, no, I am not reading that nonexistent book. I did enjoy The Movie, though.

Last week was one that seemed to be full of history. There were dates affecting all Americans, from citizenship issues, to commemoration of the death of Robert F. Kennedy, to the anniversary of D-Day.

There was a great deal of talk about RFK because this was a "significant" year - the fortieth anniversary of that horrific event. Those of us who remember that day can probably all still recall the feelings of horror and revulsion that anyone could so callously take another Kennedy from our midst. What would our nation look like today had Bobby Kennedy had the opportunity to continue his quest for the presidency?

And D-Day, June 6, 1944. There was not nearly so much talk, as most of those who took part in that dramatic event have gone to their eternal rest. What would our nation look like today had that invasion, a part of what has been termed "the last 'good' war," not succeeded?

What have we, as Americans, learned from the lessons of history?

Knowledge is power, and knowledge is still available through reading.
From the Victoria Public Library - what are you reading?

On June 2, 1924, Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the U.S.

How ironic is that?

VPL has many books about Native Americans. A couple of those that might be of interest include: First Americans by William H. Goetzmann. Goetzmann was a distinguished Professor of History at The University of Texas and is a respected authority on The American West. Another strikingly beautiful book is The Many Faces of Edward Sherriff Curtis: Portraits and Stories from Native North America.

 

Tonight, I'm watching a couple of the best Western films ever made - "Fort Apache" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." Both were directed by the great John Ford and star John Wayne. Both showcase leadership. One leader is aloof, wrongheaded, alienated from his subordinates, and eventually leads many of his men to their deaths. The other is diametrically opposite. He is involved, caring and cared for, and through his force of personality, and mentorship makes grand officers of those who look to him for leadership. One of those young officers was portrayed by the marvelous character actor, Harry Carey, Jr.

I'm re-reading a wonderful book, a part of which details a good deal about the making of these two films, written by Harry Carey, Jr. For anyone interested in  films, John Ford, John Wayne and Hollywood of the 1940s and 1950s, this is a book you will enjoy from cover to cover.

What am I reading? "From the Wild West of John Ford" is how the book is inscribed to me - Company of Heroes: My Life as an actor in the John Ford Stock Company, by Harry Carey, Jr. You won't find a more entertaining read anywhere.

The Marble Halls of Congress. That is a phrase I've read many times, but gained a significant appreciation for this week.

We've been in Washington DC as private citizens speaking with our congressmen. Walking to and from the office buildings and the Capitol building, I gained a renewed appreciation for the workings of our government. Construction was ongoing everywhere. People from all parts of the nation were swarming around the buildings. Thousands of tourists were visiting the Capitol, their lines snaking through the corridors of the below-ground entrances.

We met people from all walks of life, advocating for all sorts of projects. There were a lot of wheelchairs in the office buildings - rolling through those marble halls, as they and their friends spoke on behalf of research for ALS. More gray heads appeared the day Congress focused on research regarding Alzheimers. Police uniforms were everywhere on National Police Day, and foreign military uniforms were on display as their wearers were given tours by American military uniforms.

And the marble halls also hosted advocates for libraries and the people who utilize those libraries. The halls will remain silent, gray and chill, but I imagine they will continue to view with pleasure the concern and interest of Americans from all over.

I'll be looking through the books on government at VPL this week, just reliving our visit to the Marble Halls of Congress. All in all, a great trip. I hope we made a difference.

I really enjoying flying - for the convenience of arriving at a distant location rather quickly, as well as the marvel of physics involved.

I love the beauty of the tops of clouds, and the patchwork of the earth below, dotted with towns and lakes. I imagine the scenes below as we cruise rapidly through the skies. Farmers busy with their crops and animals continue with their routine, unaware that I am in some way linked with their activity through thought.

I even enjoy the descent into civilization again. Thinking about the tasks ahead. Admiring the architechture of government. Thinking about talking with new acquaintances. Walking along the streets of our nation's capital.

One person among many, hoping to make a difference for America's libraries.

Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization.

It allows deserving families to work toward home ownership and continue to be strong contributors to the economy with their hard work. One of the more recent additions to Habitat Homes has been the opportunity to own a computer, dependent upon the completion of an Internet Safety class. This will allow Habitat homeowners the freedom to access information from their own homes, and to possibly even work from home.

Information available for those new homeowners available at the Victoria Public Library includes gardening, landscaping and decorating information, as well as further computer and Internet information. Just ask a friendly Information Librarian for help.