memory lane

Last week-end we went to Iowa which we do a couple times a year to reaffirm we are city folks through and through. Well, actually we go to visit an elderly cousin of my Dad's who is now in a nursing home. When we were kids, our family went every summer and stayed a week on the farm he owned. My sisters and I loved going. It started with the 6 hour journey. We would get up super early and drive an hour and stop for breakfast at some small no-name diner. Then we'd drive some more making pit stops at little roadside rest areas. Around 3pm we'd check into a motel for the night. (did you go back to check if you read correctly that our destination was 6 hours away? - our family would have made great pioneers since we covered about as much mileage a day as they did long ago in covered wagons) We always stayed in a motel - a mom and pop type of course - that had a pool. Not one of us could swim a stroke but we would never stay in a place without one. We'd check in and then dash into our bathing suits and happily bob around in the pool like the happy little cork family till dinnertime.

On the second day we'd arrive at the farm. The four of us girls would run around like the place would disappear from under our noses if we didn't try to experience everything in the first hour there. We'd pump water from the well, we fed chickens who were not interested and ran from the dried corn we flung at them. We patted the smelly pigs in their pens and always wanted to help bring the cows in from the pasture at the end of the day along with the interchangeable collie always named Duke. During the week we'd go fishing in the farm pond and screamed if we caught anything - a mixture of excitement and city girl fear of snaring a living creature on a hook. John, our farmer cousin, let me drive the tractor once and I promptly got one of the big wheels stuck in a ditch. It took hours and a neighboring farm's tractor to pull it out. One of the most vivid memories I have is of my great aunt killing chickens in the yard by grabbing ones, whose misfortune was to be nearby, and chop off their heads with an ax. My sisters and I sat on the fence watching and would cheer as the decapitated bird would flap around a bit before falling over. I can't imagine what a psychiatrist would have to say about that.

It was sad to see John this week-end with his walker but his welcoming smile is just as big as when we were kids. We shared old stories and laughed a lot. The farm is sold now but we walked around it anyway. The big vegetable garden is gone, no farm animals anymore and the house is falling down around itself, but it was all still so familiar....one of those memories that linger with a hint of it all happening just a moment before instead of 50 years earlier.

for sale

Having a garage sale should coincide with having your head examined. It's always more work than you expect and parting with stuff that has been hanging around the house for decades is traumatic, although I must admit, in a liberating sort of way. Do I keep the punch bowl and cups that I cannot ever remember using - but then what if I suddenly need it for a punch loving crowd I'm forced to entertain? How about the stack of brand new bandannas that I once thought would make darling dinner napkins. For what - a hoe down? I also discovered I owned more purses than Imelda had shoes.

For several days I collected things from all around the house finding items I'm not even sure were ever ours, put an ad in the newspaper, and made a few signs. The day of the sale, I was up early and hauled things out, displaying them as attractively as one could in a driveway on up-ended boxes and old card tables. And then buyers came. They came in all shapes and sizes and with decidedly different styles of shopping. Some glanced around hurriedly and left without a word as if I was wasting their time. Hey, no one asked you to come - well okay, I guess my ad did. Others came and asked questions like, "do you have any watches?" Me - "uh, no" - "are you sure, cuz that's what I'm looking for today" Me -"sorry, no watches". That prompted a look as if I was deliberately withholding the very watch he was looking for just out of spite. One thing in the sale was a pair of lamps - brand new, I might add - that were marked - "PAIR of lamps $15". All day I was asked if EACH lamp was $15. I always referred to the sign but it never seemed to register. I wonder if they are equally confused when buying a PAIR of shoes. The lamps did sell but not before one lady asked if I would take $4 for the pair. She asked in a way that implied my lamps were so awful, she was doing me a favor by taking them away before neighbors would start talking behind my back about how hideous they were. I politely declined her offer thinking I would rather throw them both down on the driveway and stomp them to bits before letting HER buy them for even a $100 EACH!

And so went the day. The weather was beautiful and I did have a good book to read and a full pot of coffee to enjoy while sitting outside. The sale was a success if success is measured by what is left - which is nothing. No, everything didn't sell, but some cash was made and better still the leftovers were driven to Goodwill where other shoppers can sneer or rejoice over them - without me.

Watching the Olympics

I am not an athlete. Anyone who knows me will agree with that. It's not that I haven't tried. I took swimming lessons as a child - but I can't swim. I'm what's known as a sinker - I once had to be pulled from the bottom of a pool with a big pole. Softball's not my thing either - I automatically close my eyes when a ball is thrown at me. Seems a logical response to me. In high school our gym class used the trampoline but that didn't work too well as I had to remove my glasses. Virtually blind and unable to see the edge, the last thing I wanted to do was jump up in the air. Golf takes hours - I really don't like to be outside that long. And tennis? Hmm...it's that tricky hand/eye coordination thing that stood in my way. But tonight watching the Olympics I thought maybe gymnastics was something I should have pursued. I can run. I can jump. Those uneven bars might have been a challenge but with practice, who knows. Then it dawned on me. The biggest obstacle (literally) to a future in gymnastics are my ears. Every girl on every team I watched had a ponytail. Is this a prerequisite? Let's check the rules because there is no way I could present my ears in public. But I will keep watching the Olympics and that can sometimes be as hard as the doing. I root for everyone regardless of country. I cheer when they excel and cry when they fall. Yes, I hope the Americans do well but everyone there right now worked hard, sacrificed much, and has such great looking ears.

#10 - Finish Line

Guess this has not been any kind of race. And thank goodness since I am just now finishing up Gail Borden Learns 2.0. Since I always visit the library's Good Reads blog, this first item was a no-brainer. I love when Tish posts - and I indeed tried to help "refresh her palate" by making some suggestions. Friends of mine will tell you that the books I generally read do not have happy-go-lucky type plot lines. The endings may leave you hanging as well. Guess that mirrors life unlike the pap of romance novels with their predictable She-loves-wants-him-he-loves-another-big-dramatic-scene-or-two-they-end-up-together. I subscribed to Good Reads as well - love to know what folks read - you can tell a lot about a person and sometimes it's delightful to find out that the pollyannas may read dark and sinister novels and the grumps have light, inspirational books on their nightstands - altho in that case you can surmise they may not be absorbing much of the material.

Asked my question at AskAway Illinois - what exactly is a rogue nation? simply one who ignores the UN and their decisions? I was answered promptly by Jen who gave me several definitions she found and we went back and forth awhile before we both agreed the term is highly subjective and not necessarily always used correctly. It was a pleasant experience and I hope this site is used often. Saw some great library photos at Flickr and on YouTube listened to Joan's booktalks and I especially enjoyed listening to some of the Veteran's History Project.

Besides learning how to manuever my way around the cyber world where I had not ventured before, I found out that GBPL is way more hip than I thought. It's great to be using sites like YouTube, feedreaders, blogs, Flickr, etc. to reach everyone in our community. If only Hillary Clinton had been as wise. Suggestions for additional platforms the library could implement? From me? I learned a lot but let's don't talk crazy.

Let's be social

In gentler times, you and I would linger over tea and discuss the merits of great literature. Today, we make a list of what we're reading and post it for the world - or at least for your GoodReads friends - to see. Yes, I can review the books I list and star them. So can you. And you can leave me a comment which I can read and then comment back to you. It could take us a year to finish "discussing" one book.
I do like the feature at GoodReads where I can keep an inventory of the books I want to read. But I've always done this - on paper - and that has served me well for many, many years. And before you snicker at that antiquated method, do know that I pay bills online versus check writing/mailing. Some things do work better with the newest technology. But some things, you will have to agree, work better the old fashioned way. Take making a doctor's appointment. Back in the day, it worked this way: "The doctor wants to see you in about 6 weeks" - the receptionist turns the pages in her big book and offers me different days and times because she can see the "big picture" at a glance. By computer it works this way: "Let's see, 6 weeks from now it's May 12th (type type type) - how about 9:30am?" I reply, sorry, I work that day. (Type, type, type) She suggests May 14th at 2pm. Sorry, that's my tap dance lesson. We ping and pong until finally we find a mutually acceptable time. Progress? Definitely not.

Social media networking at the library? Maybe a GBPL version of GoodReads for kids? good read-aloud lists for teachers? tips on XBox games for teens? Hmmm...I'll come up with more. Check out my GoodReads too - I am Kathryn in South Elgin or use my gailborden.info address. Leave a comment, I'll get back to you.

wiked wiki

#8 on the list of Gail Borden Learns - Wiki's. Overhearing a conversation, my granddaughter asked if I meant Wooki. I told her, no, wiki - like Wikipedia. She then asked if that was like an encyclopedia. Smartypants! (runs in the family)

So I did my wiki thing and added a book (The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage by Daniel Mark Epstein, 2008) to the Tapestry of Freedom wiki and visited a few suggested wikis. Library Success began with a warning update: because of vandalism, email comfirmation is now required - cannot add or edit until you register - then you will be sent a link to confirm your address - a loose translation of their actual verbage. This is the biggest "con" of wikis. You have a nice thing going and the general public steps in and watch out.....giraffes are native to Venezuela....Justin Timberlake is an ordained priest....you can only contract polio in Ohio. Hey, this is fun! Wikis do provide another avenue of information - if you can trust the information you are getting. And involving the public in our library wiki is a plus as well.

So will I use wikis? Probably not. There are just so many information websites that I can visit and find what I need to know and rely on for their accuracy. And would I ever be tempted to alter a site with fraudulent information? No. But I did miss my chance to make up my own "story of freedom" which might have become a best seller.

Pod/Vod/Nod-ing off

Okay, more experiences with GB Learns...and if I can stay awake, I will describe both. I listened to a podcast on Uncontrolled Vocabulary...chose one at random - Cranky People Make Good Audio. The topic was how Ask.com has announced layoffs due to a change in focus for their website and one person earmarked to go is a librarian they had on staff. So for the next 27 minutes - which I will never get back by the way - I listened to 4 people who have too much time on their hands debate how this affects "horizontal searching" (We did that in the 60's - looking up something in a volume of the encyclopedia while lying across your bed) I didn't learn much else from the podcast, oh, except - blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It was reminiscent of bad talk radio that I often had to endure while riding in the family car as a child. Or even worse - major league baseball on the radio. Who came up with that idea - baseball on tv isn't boring enough, let's just talk about it? Now before I am chastised for dissing America's past time - and who decided that! - I must tell you I have some fondness for the game. My sisters and I went to more than a few White Sox games with my Dad as kids - surely prompted by my Mother who wanted a quiet afternoon to herself. It was great, we ate all afternoon and ran up and down the bleachers and came home with stomaches and horrifying sunburns. We could never tell you the score or even if the game was actually played, but oh what fun! It'd be even more fun to go now - I could drink a few beers in the middle of the day with no judgments.

I faired better at YouTube...watched a promotional video by a Merrillville, IN librarian - she was perky and informative and not annoying. Which is quite a feat since perky often equals annoying. With the right person, GBPL could do this sort of ad. Maybe someone dressed as Gail Borden himself. He could be standing in our new cafe - when it opens - drinking a glass of milk -okay, you don't drink condensed milk for which he is noted but props are always a good idea and we really don't know what the man drank. I did see a few library videos that were purely fun - look at www.youtube.com/kimhuston - she does one with shelving to music that's amusing.

Clearly, I am a print person. I love books and paper and school supplies like folders and index cards. I love mail. I read newspapers - on paper - and magazines, and I get every known major catalog. I do love email too, Amazon.com, and banking online. It's my generation - we have a foot in each camp, choosing the best of both worlds and so far that's working for me.

bookmarks vs bookmarking

Are you ever standing in line at Borders or Barnes and Nobles waiting to pay and notice racks of bookmarks? Often they are made of leather, have initials or famous quotes on them, or perhaps rhinestones and tassles. Who buys those? And who uses them? A scrap of paper works just as well and you can also use it to jot down a note to yourself. Of course I promptly lose that note but maybe you're more careful. I imagine someone must buy them or the store wouldn't stock them. Perhaps on Christmas Eve you realize great, great Auntie Dolores is not deceased after all and is coming to dinner with the family. So you run to the bookstore, grab a bookmark with an embossed D on it and hope doddering old Auntie Dolores believes you spent weeks shopping for such a personal gift. Once I did buy a package of bookmark pens -flat as pancakes that can hang on a page. I was all excited till I realized that I still needed that scrap of paper if I was going to use that flat pen while reading my book.

All the above to get to the my latest task - Social Bookmarking. I found librarybytes.com and added it to the Gail Borden Learns bookmarks in del.icio.us. I used the description "news about libraries and new technologies" and the tag gailbordenlearns. Did find useful stuff all over - 100 Free Library 2.0 Webinars and Tutorials...but also some scary photos of young adult librarians posing in costumes and with books to entice teens to join their summer reading program. (Is this behavior taught in library school?) Lots of libraries sharing program ideas is great and is what would bring me back to learn more.

ick

Today I made a Facebook page - the 5th in the list of tasks I am completing. This was my least favorite so far...I dislike intensely putting out any personal info into the public domain. My shredder works overtime at home to protect me from throwing away even the slightest bit of paper that might have my name on it. Yes, for this task, I could be anonymous - and was I ever. I denied access to anyone who was not on my friends' list. So right now only Johnny Depp can access my Facebook page. I figured that was safe, he's probably not actively searching a way to contact me so I needn't worry. Of course if he did, I would have some things to say. Like, you are cute and sexy, Johnny, but you always look like you need to take a shower - and wash that hair while you're at it, please?

I browsed the site but I shall not return to Facebook if I can help it and I hope reports of people spending tons of time there are exaggerated. When asked how libraries can connect with patrons using Facebook - I'm sure you meant customers :) -I have no idea. Maybe encourage them to come out from behind their computers and BE WITH PEOPLE? The photo I uploaded for my Facebook page is one of antiquated recording equipment. It was on my camera from a museum tour that I was on with my husband and friends - and that would be, hmmmm....real friends.

My musicians!

My musicians!
Originally uploaded by kgregoline

Well, photo sharing is a little more complicated than the last few GB Learns tasks.....certainly took more than 15 minutes. But you can't argue with success since here it is! You may see more photos of Nora as time goes by. She is a cutie and smart - reading already - and always has a plan of action for her day. She is currently taking violin lessons and karate classes. That sums Nora up - she has many interests and talents. Yep, this is a purely Grandma type post. My sisters are Grandmas too and we all agree having grandkids is a whole new ballgame. Is it an appreciation of how fast time passed with our own children? When Nora spends the week-end with us, she sleeps with me and Grandpa uses the guest room. Almost every time she has awakened in the night and we talk sometimes for an hour before she drifts off to sleep again. Last time we talked about friendship - in her little lifetime she already knows what makes a good friend and how to be one. We've discussed God and death and super heroes. I've learned a lot.

I am IM

Being an AOL user for many years, I instant message all the time - most often to my younger daughter. Sometimes I think she likes this form of communication with me the best because she is secretly im'ing several other people at the same time. Efficient use of her time or easiest way to cross off "call Mom" on her to do list?
The worst people to im are those who are slow typers. I im'd a friend once and her husband was on the computer and he replied "hi" to my message....I continued on and then finally the reply, "this is Ed" I chatted and asked where his wife was, added some cheery comments and nothing...nothing...so I logged off and seriously considered calling 911 or a filing a missing persons report. He later accused me of "hanging up" on him but hey, it's called instant messaging for a reason so I had to move on.

I im'd two libraries - the Hackley Public Library in MI - supposedly someone was online but no one ever answered me - maybe Ed is working there now? But I had better luck at the Livermore Public Library in CA. I was promptly answered. I asked approximately how many im reference questions do they receive in a day. She said around three after she averaged the month of May so far. The most in one day was 10. I asked if she felt their patrons were aware of this feature on their website and she said it is well publicized. I think im'ing for answers to quick reference questions is great. It would be great for a lot of businesses to offer this too - just think of the time we'd save not pressing one for this and three for that and never getting to a human even after playing their evil little games.

we pause this blog.....

RSS - had not a clue till I continued on with Gail Borden Learns.....but now that I am onboard - I like it! Signed up for Google Reader and then subscribed to the New York Times Book Reviews - and had to almost immediately toggle over to GBPL website to reserve/request book titles...sorry to whomever will get my numerous requests to purchase. Also subscribed to the Chicago Tribune Home section - home projects here I come or at least file away...and a blog I read - Haynorfamily.blogspot.com - my younger daughter's best friend who recently had a baby and is refreshingly honest about new motherhood - I keep telling her to save her posts to someday publish as a book. Her contest - Guess What Ava Threw Up On Today? - was priceless. My daughter's blog that turned into a book was recently translated into Russian and Portugese. So now I own the UK hardcover, the UK paperback, the US paperback, and now the paperback in Russian. Her editor keeps bugging her to write a sequel. Do our children live our fantasies? I played piano because my Mother always wished she did...I dreamed of being an author and my daughter is. Perhaps it's true - our children are better versions of ourselves.

prayer

Did that scare you? Is this going to be a religious rant or a call to pray? Have you stopped reading this yet? It certainly scares off those callers who ask me to donate to their cause - from the police guilds to pennies for orphans or whoever is asking for money. Stop them mid pitch and say, "I can't offer you a monetary donation but I will pray for your cause" - be sure to affect a southern accent - somehow it makes you sound more sincere. They stop in their tracks and thank you and hang up. A few might say - any small amount of money would help. But stick to your guns and offer to pray right then and there with them - believe me, they can't wait to get off the line. Or be indignant and insist your prayers are as valuable as dollars. (completely off the subject - another way to get them to cross you off their call list...."Paul, (Paula) come home, all is forgiven, you don't have to keep calling like this" - they usually protest once or twice, they are not Paul (Paula) they are from blah-blah organization. But continue to forgive them and urge them to return home. You won't hear from them again)

Prayer confuses even the pray-ers, like me. My Mother had lots of sayings about prayer. "You don't how to pray until you have children" - this certainly covers the first time your kid drives a car on their own. She also said you really shouldn't pray for anything but the health and safety of your family. A favorite phrase - "little lives, Lord, little lives" meaning be happy with what you have - what? What about the big life I've been promised? - as a selfish teenager I wanted to ask that. Okay, not promised but certainly entitled to. Now the prospect of "little lives" for me and my husband is wonderful....each other, our home which we love, our children and their spouses we love as our own, and the light of our lives - our granddaughter. Who needs fame, or millions...we have it all.

My Mother will be quoted here often. She was a homemaker and dedicated her life to her family. But she was smart, well read, witty, and taught her daughters to stand up for themselves. She had a circle of strong women friends who relied on each other - perhaps the best lesson I learned from her. She's been gone 10 years and almost everyday I still think of her.

getting started

I have always learned best in increments...break down the info and go step by step. Especially directions. If I have to stop and ask for directions...I listen to the first 3 - turn left at the stoplight, go 3 miles and turn right at the high school, go 5 more miles and you'll see a clown statue..... and....that's where I stop listening. I would have stopped listening just hearing "clown statue" but even with more normal landmarks, I would be at overload. After all, I can always stop again (near the clown statue) and ask for more directions. So setting up this blog worked for me....clear steps I could follow and voila! I'm here.

And what will be here? Hmmm....good question. When the long time partner of Gore Vidal was dying, Vidal asked him if he wanted to talk, "No," his friend replied, "there's too much to say." I always have a lot to say but here I will only write quotes that touched me and I have squirreled away either in my brain or on paper. Some are my thoughts - those moments when it hits you - I get this! and that can be good or sad or just simply true. I'll say right here that I will identify the author of any quote that I can...others I have heard here and there with no one attributing ownership. If it's mine - I will tell you that too. Only quotes you ask? No, not me...I have a lot yet to say.