The Reading Post

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.

Today is a special day in American life. It is the day we honor our war dead, or to paraphrase Lincoln, those who gave the last full measure.

Our youngest daughter spent part of her college years in Europe, and was able to visit the cemetery at Normandy. She conveyed to us that it was a moving experience, to see all those markers, extending for acre upon acre; and to realize that their sacrifice and that of their families made possible the life we live today.

We paused for a moment at 3 pm today. To be silent. To remember. To be grateful.

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." This is a very familiar quote by George Santayana. Victoria Public Library has many books of history, for learning, for teaching, for information.  What are you reading?

There are changes afoot at the Public Library.
The repainting, recarpeting, and renovations are nearly complete.
We hope everyone will visit and look around.
Change isn't always easy, but we hope you like the new look. You may have to look to locate your favorite reading material or the authors you favor, but feel free to ask for help.
What are you reading? We'll help you fill in those empty time periods at home with lots of good reading material.

These are exciting times at VPL.
The carpet is nearly in. Many of the shelves have been rearranged.
We are nearly ready to reopen.
We hope that many of our regular patrons as well as many new patrons will come see what all the excitement is all about.

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.

The thrice-yearly Friends of the Victoria Public Library Used Book Sale is underway this week.
This is the last stopping place for many dearly-loved books. Actually, it may not be the last place, as thousands of these books will find new homes, and perhaps even reappear at later book sales.
What can I see on the tables of books? Almost anything I might be inclined to read--from old textbooks to Reader's Digest Condensed Books.
If you are looking for a bargain, the Friends' Book Sale is the place you want to be. But, hurry, as it will end on Saturday at noon.

I'm a bird person. The only pets I've ever had were birds, and I have no patience with folks who let their pets roam, preying on wild birds.
My favorite wild birds are Cardinals. (That's my favorite baseball team, also, but that is a topic for another post, I guess.)
I spent many hours as a child watching Cardinal families that returned to our backyard in Austin year after year. After we established our own homes, we have always hoped to attract Cardinal families to those backyards as well. We have had a Cardinal couple near our yard for the past 2 or 3 summers, and this year we have a nest.
This looks like a young Cardinal family, and I'm not sure they built their nest in a totally safe place, but it has been great for us as birdwatchers. This nest is in a bush right outside our window, so we can keep a close eye on the developments.
Here's hoping that soon we will have a new family to welcome to the neighborhood.