All things sweet and lovely

A few recent updates and happy moments.

I'm still cutting up books and making boards for this summer's Walk & Reads.  This is a board from After Squidnight, which is one of the best picture books ever.

Robert got me a lovely box of Easter chocolates that are already gone (even though I groused about how they were too pretty to eat).  They were the ever-so-fancy Christopher Elbows and a nice surprise.  

We've been having such beautiful weather!  After work most days the girls accompany me to the tennis backboard and after I play for a bit, we go for a walk. Josie and Margo now see my tennis bag and get super excited, which is kind of a funny association.  

This is Josie patiently waiting for me to put my sneakers on.

I've been doing book boxes for Izzy and Harper, another niece of mine.  Each month I pick out books and a small gift to go along with the books.  It's been expensive but so much fun.  Harper and I have been reading together over the phone and it's one of the best things ever.  March was a fun month because I pre-ordered the latest book in a series Izzy loves and it arrived! I also found a pouch with a picture of the first book on ebay. I may have put some Easter candy in it ; ).  Finding books for Harper is definitely giving me a better understanding of early chapter books.  It's surprising, but I have developed strong opinions about a few of the series.  I will never be able to recommend them the same way!

Each day there's always a moment for the dogs to tuck in close with me.  I have a good time sending pictures to Robert and asking him to guess the dog.  

This sweet girl is obviously Josie who is the cuddliest and best dog to have on the couch when I'm cold.

And probably the most exciting thing that's happened is that Izzy's braces came off!!!

Look how pretty her teeth are! She has been at her current placement for almost a year now and we are still seeing her every chance we get and talking to her every day.  She is doing really well in both her therapy and school.  

surprises

Josie is usually the one who fetches the ball and actually brings it back. There's no limit to her enthusiasm. She's a proper, burrito-shaped lady who doesn't drool. It helps that she does not have curtains for lips. Margo is our mopey gal who does not play fetch but drools any time she is receiving love. 

The tables turned today. Margo actually brought a toy back for me seven times. Sure, she had to give the toy the what for before bringing it back each time, sometimes taking so long, I would start to doze off just as she dropped the toy at my feet.

And while completely entranced by a local gaggle of geese, Josie completely lost control and started drooling like a fountain.

It's just more proof that, no matter who we think we are, there is lots of room for surprises. 

walking the line

If you look at the picture of my goldens in the last post you can kind of see what project I'm currently working on for the library. I am in the process of working on signs for a Poetry Walk we will be putting on at two different parks in April in celebration of Poetry Month.   

We will have eighteen signs featuring 36 poems from local winners of our library's writing contests in addition to poems from teens who have been published in our literary magazine, elementia. I am making the riders, which is the bottom portion of the sign (see a below PV Post picture from our Walk and Read from last year). Each rider has the park and library logo plus artwork from previous elementia issues. 

Once I'm done making the riders for the Poetry Walk, I will be able to dive into making story boards for this summer's Walk & Read events. We will be at different parks throughout the county every single week from May-September. Out of all the projects I've been a part of since the pandemic, Walk and Read has been the most fun.

One of my favorite things about being a children's librarian is how much creativity it entails. So much creativity. I was sad when I started working from home because I got so much joy from making displays, bulletin boards, and program ideas with my coworkers. One of the best examples, one I'll always remember, is when I made a snowman a couple years ago. One of my coworkers said, "I think he needs some arms." Next thing I know she's out the door and racing to the small patch of woods behind our library branch. She came back a little while later with some twigs for the arms. 

I'm totally, without a doubt, an introvert. However, at the library there is always someone who takes one of my ideas and raises it to the next level. Oftentimes, these kind of idea-swapping interactions are done in passing as someone is on their way to the back to grab tea or more library cards for the front desk. Though draining for an introvert, I was more than happy to work in a building packed with people because we were all so passionate about the library. 

When I started working from home last March, I spun my wheels for a while, continuing to work on all my "normal" projects - fall storytime (which we plan way out), displays (my last one was doing a Dewey search and find, which never happened), and other in-branch things. I didn't know of any other path to take, so I continued on the same one, even as our buildings temporarily closed and in-person programming and interactions became a distant memory. I eventually became more and more involved with virtual programming and telephone reference, but I still clung to my old work to-do list, which involved choosing five things to work on that day, and if I didn't finish something it went back on the list. I realized that even though I wasn't on the desk, doing things from the old list in addition to things from the new list was too much. Five really is a magical number when it comes to to-do lists. Ten is not a good number. The day I abandoned my old list and fashioned a new kind of work list was both crushing and liberating. I simply didn't have the capacity to focus on the future when we all returned to our buildings while simultaneously scrambling to both learn the virtual world and provide the best patron service possible in the virtual world I was (and still am) learning. 

I still have my old work to-do list and am now realizing I will not only need to slowly reintegrate it back into my current work time, I will also have to remember how we did everything prior to the pandemic and think about how each thing fits into this new world we live in. It's a lot to take in, and I find myself looking at my current to-do list and wondering how I'm going to squeeze everything in. There is so much we did at my branch that I am eager to resurrect, but there are so many things I've learned in the past year that I want to carry forward. For example, I relied on a slideshow on a large tv for my in-person storytimes. It helped everyone see the lyrics, but I found myself relying on it as well. For my virtual storytimes, I somehow memorized everything and didn't rely on any kind of script. If I couldn't memorize something for a virtual storytime in two days of practice, I tossed it. And I really want to do this for in-person storytimes. I want to have a more organic approach. Storytime is only one of many things I've been thinking about.

There are also new people working at my branch who I do not know, some I've never met. I've developed relationships with people throughout my system of fourteen branches, and the people I work with now on a day-to-day basis are not people from my branch. Prior to the pandemic, I saw people from other branches at monthly meetings and sometimes not even that much. I've wondered, how do I maintain these connections when we go back to our branches, and how do I fit in with my new team? My old team?

I've been pondering this enormous change while still enjoying every moment I have with my dogs. I'm grateful I have the time to ponder all the questions I have and that I'm not doing it alone. At the beginning of the pandemic I was part of a library branch full of people who were going through this in their own individual ways. We were alone together. Over the past year I have developed connections and friendships with coworkers from thirteen other branches. Our virtual world, though frustrating and strange, has dissolved barriers and distance between branches. As an introvert who strongly values collaboration, I can't think of a more collaborative and creative time in my professional life than this past year. I can't help but wonder if there is a way to walk the line between these two worlds.

I will miss my dogs following me through the house as I hop from one work project to the next. But I'm also jazzed up about the day I return to the library and sit in that cherished spot at the children's desk. I will gladly hop up for any princess book request I get. No matter how many times I get asked to find princess books that day. I will happily stroll through the shelves, plucking princess books from here and there while kids trail behind like ducklings, and I will be thrilled to be back.

Which smushy golden is on the couch with me?

I am still mostly working from home, but it looks like I will be back in the building more at the end of April. Though I have greatly missed interactions with patrons and collaborating with my coworkers, I am also going to miss hanging out with my smushy, sweet goldens. Prior to the pandemic, the dogs were not allowed anywhere near my office. They are still not allowed in my office. Dog hair plus art isn't the best combination.

We have, however, reached a compromise. 

I put a dog bed right outside my office months ago so we can still be close when I need to work in my office. They know the rule and haven't crossed the invisible line. In the mornings they pad up the stairs behind me like little ducklings and immediately go right for their bed (sometimes they stop for a toy from the toy box on the way). Margo often slides off the bed as she naps and will tuck herself as close to the doorway as she can get. Her lips (Robert calls them curtains for her mouth) have travelled past the line, but I can't fault her. Her lips have a mind of their own. I did try putting two beds outside my office but they only ever used one, even on the hottest days.

I have also been working on Robert's couch some, which allows them to snuggle in close. I've started texting Robert close-up pictures of their faces and asking him if he can guess which dog is on the couch with me. As long as Margo's lips don't make it into the picture, it's a tough game.

It's so tough I can't even remember which dog this is.

milky tea

 Have you ever noticed how milky tea does this really pretty thing if you walk away and forget to drink it?

Favorite February Reads Part 2

Here and Now by Julia Denos and illustrated by E.B. Goodale (Picture Book) 

Unlike a lot of books that initially confuse me, I was more than happy to read Here and Now several times. The illustrations play with perspective in such a topsy-turvy, soft, and tender way - the giant, almost endless bed where stories and cuddly animals go on forever, feet swinging just above the chaos of stars cut from paper colored with crayons, and an upside-down ant home on the other side of the planet. Like the illustrations, the words are easy to get lost in. I've been unable to think about anything other than cloud bellies for hours now. This is a beautiful book, one that may flummox you, but it's also a book that provides space for kids and adults to think about the exact moment they're living in and how they are connected to everything - from the tiniest ant to the world spinning in the universe. Here and Now will comfort and nourish your senses, and like the author's note says, give you a space for "real-time meditation."

Mandala Stones by Natasha Alexander (Adult Nonfiction)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 is looking like it's going to be a crafty year! I picked up this book because I'm hoping to leave some happiness around my neighborhood during my walks and needed some inspiration. Mandala Stones is that and so much more! The mandalas in this book are gorgeous! I completely got lost in the patterns and even added a few to my embroidery ideas folder. Though the mandalas look super hard to paint, the instructions are clear and there's an excellent page listing all of her painting and dotting tools.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune (Adult Fiction) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is only February, but I have just read my favorite book of 2021. Nothing is going to top The House in the Cerulean Sea. Why? Well, besides the fact that it's the most imaginative adult novel I've encountered, it is also an ode to belonging, empathy, acceptance, and caring for one another. 

Linus has no idea what he's missing in life. He is a caseworker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth (DICOMY), which is an organization that's supposed to be looking out for the children's best interests, but they are mostly just stirring up fear and prejudice. Linus doesn't know this. He is just doing his job to the best of his abilities and, unlike others in the organization, he really is looking out for the children when he makes his recommendations for whether an orphanage should close or remain open. 

He is chosen for a top-secret, month-long assignment to check on an orphanage with children DICOMY considers more dangerous than other magical youth. Linus doesn't encounter any danger though. What he discovers is home. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea is just as heartwarming as it sounds. There's also the hope of a possible romance between Linus and Arthur, the person who takes care of the kids, but I'm not sure romance is the right word. I think 'soul connection' is much more fitting (cheesy but appropriate I think). There were several times I found myself holding my breath while reading this. I was ready to punch the lights out of anyone who threatened the children's innocence or happiness in any way. Initially I felt very snarly towards Linus, who was so uptight, I was worried he was going to unintentionally do or say something to the children that would hurt them. Linus was also blind to all the beauty and love around him, which was infuriating at times. But he did start to grow on me! 

The characters were, without a doubt, my favorite part of this novel. I saw myself in each of them. I especially connected with Lucy and Sal, who are two of the children under Arthur's care. I think Klune is hoping his readers will do this - see ourselves in each character - and I believe, just like all the hidden and beautiful messages veining this book like gold, that this is Klune's real-life message for empathy, acceptance, and belonging. There are beautiful and empowering messages everywhere and we can all use who we are to be those messages. Bravo, Klune. Also, thank you Klune for keeping Linus round. Some of us are plump and round and we are beautiful that way and do not need to become a different shape to find happiness. Another message! So many beautiful messages! 

I'll leave you with a quote. I think I highlighted nearly every Lucy moment, but here's my favorite: "'...You said it yourself: Lucy wasn't who you expected him to be, which means you already had decided in your head what he was. How can we fight prejudice if we do nothing to change it? If we allow it to fester, what's the point?'"

Favorite February Reads

February was a short month, but that doesn't mean I read any less. 😀This will be a double post.

Small Blue and the Deep Dark Night by Jon Davis (Picture Book)

 

 

This isn't your typical "scared of the dark" picture book. Small Blue, a bunny, keeps seeing terrifying things in the dark, such as goblins. Big Brown, a bear, encourages Small Blue to question what he's seeing. "How do you know it wasn't a delightful doggies' Saturday-night unicycle convention?" Big Brown's observations about what he sees in the dark are absurd, laugh-your-butt-off hilarious, and a ingenious way of showing how perspective can completely change a situation. Small Blue starts to think like Big Brown, and by the end of the book his perspective changes and he's thinking about the dark in a whole new way. The language is so descriptive it can easily conjure all the strange things lurking in the dark without any illustrations, but the whimsical illustrations also stand on their own. The snuggly picture of Small Blue and Big Brown at the end will make you feel all sorts of cozy and is beautiful enough to hang on a wall.

Teatime around the World by Denyse Waissbluth (Nonfiction Picture Book)

 

 

I learned so much from this short but fascinating exploration of a few tea rituals around the globe. Trying pink chai is my new mission in life. I was also fascinated by teh tarik or "pulled tea," which I looked up on YouTube, and highly recommend you do so as well. The wording and layout of the longer description of the ritual paired with the shorter, rhyming component of the book's overall message about the many ways tea can be enjoyed are a bit clunky together, but if read in two different passes, are just fine. The good news is you'll want to read this again and again and think about all the glorious tea in the world! The illustrations are also a delight - simple, bright, and soft - and will definitely have you reaching for the tea kettle.

Would They Love a Lion? by Kady MacDonald Denton (Picture Book)

 

 

This is an older book I just hadn't seen before. It's a great reminder that there is always treasure to be found in a library, even when you think you've read nearly everything and seen it all. It's about Anna, a girl who dreams she's a bird, but when she wakes up she is no longer a bird. Thankfully Anna's imagination doesn't give up on the dream. Thanks to a blanket (that's also the endpapers *be still my beating heart*), she becomes a bird and other animals as she goes about her day. The blanket is exchanged for a giant sweater from her mom's laundry basket at some point during this journey because Anna doesn't see it as a sweater. She sees it as a way to become a rabbit and then a lion. Anna eventually settles down for a nap (as a lion of course) surrounded by her family. Though the story is adorable and a great nod to the importance of play and imagination, my favorite thing about the book are the illustrations of each blanket/sweater animal. They are equal parts how Anna imagines herself to be and how her family sees her as she changes from animal to animal. I've tried but cannot wrap my mind around how the illustrator does this. The only way I can imagine her being able to execute this is by living it and becoming Anna's character. And the thought of a grown-up illustrator pretending to be different blanket/sweater animals brings me so much joy. It's possible she also has a child who did this, and that's also pretty adorable. No matter. Anna's story is all about the beauty of imagination and why we should always keep our minds open to its powers.

Just Read! by Loria Degman and illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov (Picture Book)

If you need a book to stare at for hours on end, Just Read is a great choice. The illustrations bring to life that feeling you get when you completely disappear in a book and its world becomes your own. There is also so much movement in the illustrations. It feels a little bit like the characters were all moving around and going about their lives while the book was closed and the moment I opened the book they all froze. If you look even closer at the illustrations there are all these incredible details. For example, the grumpy lady sitting next to the mom and crying baby on the plane is reading a book called, "Best Meditation Techniques." Just Read feels like a magical book. I wouldn't be surprised if each reader who reads this ends up as part of the illustrations for future readers.