Madame Librarian....Marian

Do you remember the movie...The Music Man? Well there is this scene in the library where the Music Man declares his love to Marian, the librarian. Well, I have only seen the movie once, but I have to tell you, anytime I come to work at the library, that song comes to my head and I hum it. I thought I would get over it but it has been 4 months and it still kicks in when I get here. But I have to say I am surprised at what you can do at your local library and the programs they offer.

For example, at my library, you can take Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Digital Photography and Computer Basics classes.....for free!!! And you can take them as often as you like.

There is an online database for family heritage that has records from way back when. And if your family came via Ellis Island and they signed in, you can get a copy of the page of where they signed in....all for free. Need information about a company? Check out Reference USA in our database and you can get their financials, home office information, gross income etc. What if you want some stock information? Check out ValueLine, we have a paid subscription to it so you don't have to pay. There is this series of books that you heard about and you can't remember the name or author of any of the books...check out Novelist and you can type in the plot line and it will give you a list of books that meet that description. Narrow your search to books in a series and wahla....you found what you are looking for.

Our Young Adults have a whole area to themselves. 12 computers dedicated to them and a reference librarian if they need help searching for information. The teachers can email her before the projects are given out so that she can be prepared for their questions. They also have an anime club, the traveling pants club, they make Christmas cards, eat chocolate from a chocolate fountain ( not all the time) and play Runescape all day long.

We have study rooms that you can reserve for up to 4 people at a time for up to two hours. Some tutors rent our rooms all evening (under the students names) and run their tutor business from here. We have meeting rooms that fit 150+ people and it can be reserved all day and for free!!

Did you know you can check ebooks via the library and audiobooks? It's true. I know Iknow...I didn't know it either until I started working here.

Let me encourage you to check out your local library, you will be amazed at what you can do there.

VHS vs Beta

For those who are old enough...and you know who you are, remember when VCR's first came out? Those big bulky top loading machines that were going to change how we watched TV? Remember, the debate over which was better--Beta or VHS. To say the least, VHS won and all those mislead Beta people had to convert. Well at least until DVD came along.

Well I feel mislead. Some time ago I discovered Photobucket. I loved it. Even purchased more storage but as months went by....all I see are people with Flickr. For months, I have stood my ground and refused to view any Flickr sites but I soon discovered, everyone I knew that wanted to share pics were using it. And now I am trying to set up a slideshow on my blog and guess what? Flickr interface works but not the Photobucket. So, here I stand....defeated. I broke down and opened a Flickr site....now if I can only get it to show the pictures that I want to show.

2007 Christmas ornaments

I love Christmas!! Sometimes it is cooler in Houston, other times, well it is just less humid. but I love all the colors and how somehow the air feels with joy and giving. Since my little girl, Gabby, was in my tummy, we have bought an ornament each year. This is one of my favorites. We got this one when she was two and this is the first one she picked out. Which is just awesome because I love Mickey and Minnie. But as much as I love this one, I now have another favorite because of the story it tells.

You see, a few years ago, as a single mom, I bought a real inexpensive fake tree. I know...I know...you are asking why? I don't know why but I did. In any case, this year I really wanted a real tree but my husband did not want to go buy one. And the truth be known, we didn't even put up our Christmas decorations until December 21st. So as we are pulling out the fake tree, that I have to fill with garland because it is so lean, I notice a funky smell. We stored it in the garage and it really smelled musty. I continue to complain about the smell and when my husband goes to the grocery store for a midnight run, I ask him to bring home a Pine smelling candle to help with the odor. After searching high and low at the store, the only thing he found was a car freshner, ironically shaped as a Christmas tree....come on...we have all seen them. Knowing that I really wanted a pine tree smell, he brings home the car freshner and hangs it on the tree. And by the way, it does not smell anything like a pine tree....just chemicals. Well we have a huge two story foyer and family game room, where my scrap room resides, is upstairs. And only God knows why, but that smell travels straight up to my scrap area.

But despite the horrid smell, I leave the car freshner on the tree. Why? Because it is a symbol of how much my husband loves me and what means he will do to make me happy. So the Christmas ornament for my husband and me for 2007? A car freshner, and I wouldn't change it for the world.