Keeping Things Simple

We are right in the middle of the Holiday Season, fun, family, food. All of this is great and I love this time of year, but are we getting worn out yet? I had planned to read the book “Simplify Your Christmas” by Elaine St. James, but never found the time, maybe next year. I decided to make alternate plans. I am ordering books on organization and simplifying and will start reading them just after Christmas. If I learn from these books I will be prepared for the next Holiday season, this sounds like a plan to me. I will share some of my list and when you explore the Sno-Isle Libraries catalog you will find so many more.

Sharing Solution by Janell Orsi & Emily Doskow.

One year to an organized life by Regina Leeds.

Power of Pause by Terry Hershey.

Simplify your life by Marcia Ramsland.

100 ways to Simplify your life by Joyce Meyer.

Sherry S

Last Minute Holiday Ideas, At Your Library

If you are anything like me, you’ve waited until now to get your brain into the Holiday gear. As we struggle with the economy, I was just wondering what I should do about this upcoming holiday. So the first thing I thought of, of course was the Library! They have lots of books with ideas of things to make, decorate, create and bake for the holidays, such as cookies! There are books on how to make many kinds of gift baskets (with yummy cookies in it), crochet and knit items and decorations for the whole house, (some even using cookies). There are even books about holidays in other countries like France, Finland, Australia, Brazil and many other places (you can bet they have cookies too). There are even stories for kids and holiday movies and music. Here is a list of books that might help you out, or maybe get you in the groove for this holiday season………

Holiday Baking: New and Traditional Recipes for Wintertime Holidays 641.815 Perry

Christmas Crafts From Around the World J745.5941

Jazzy Gift Baskets: Making and Decorating Glorious Presents 745.59 Brownin

Gooseberry Patch Christmas Books 745.5941 Goosebe

Christmas Cookies: 50 Recipes to Treasure for the Holiday Season 641.8654 Zwirn

Holiday Entertaining 641.568 Holiday

Check out the library for all your needs.
Pam

The Bookmobile Goes to School

Fall brings excitement to our Bookmobile stop at Voyager Middle School. It’s a new school year, there are new students coming on board, and there is a new reading list supplied by Susan Rahkonen, the school librarian at Voyager. Every year, Ms Rahkonen challenges her students to read books from a list she develops. We try to bring as many of those books as we can to supplement the school library’s collection, and it’s a joy to watch them get checked out.

This week brought a special opportunity to work with another school in the same area. On Monday morning, I drove the Bookmobile to Discovery Elementary, where Katherine (a children’s librarian from the Mukilteo Library) and I opened the doors to the fifth graders. The next two and a half hours flew by, as 97 kids came from their portable classrooms in groups of 8 or so. They explored the collection, asked questions, placed holds, returned materials, and checked out 138 items.

This was part of a special grant project designed to help students understand how they can access the library even if they can’t travel to a library branch. It had already involved a Bookmobile visit to parents’ night just prior to the start of school, as well as class visits to the Mukilteo Library, where students were able to register for library cards.

Clearly the groundwork was well laid, as almost every student who came on board Monday morning was registered with a library card - and about half remembered to bring the cards with them! This, and the enthusiasm of the students, made a hectic morning very enjoyable.

I hope these fifth graders and their families will take advantage of our regular stops in the area: at Voyager Middle School,Tuesdays, from 3:30 to 5:30, and at Albertsons, Saturdays, from 9:30 to 12:30.

Hope to see you there! - Marilyn

One of the Remarkable Biographies Available at Sno-Isle Libraries

Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba, tells the story of 14 year old William’s struggle after his villages maize crop fails in Malawi, Africa. It forced him to drop out of school as his village faced famine and social collapse. Not giving up he finds a Physics book at a local library and sees the diagram of a windmill. Even though he can’t read the English words he figures out what he needs to know from the diagram. Now begins his adventure; a windmill from found pieces. His efforts affect the every day life of his village.

Let us inspire your life! Visit your local library or Bookmobile soon.
Until Next Time, Linda

Fall, What a Great Time For Soup!

Fall is in the air, the nights are getting chilly and there is nothing I like better than a big bowl of soup for dinner to warm me up, especially if it is homemade. Making homemade or semi-homemade soup is actually pretty easy, especially if you browse Sno-Isle Libraries catalog for some recipe books. Some of the great titles that Sno-Isle offers are:

Taste of Home’s Big Book of Soup
Souped Up! by Sally Sampson
Soup’s On! by Leslie Jonath
Williams-Sonoma Mastering Soups and Stews by Marie Simmons
S.O.U.P.S. Seattle’s Own Undeniably Perfect Soups by Michael Congdon

So head on down to your local library or the bookmobile and browse through the great selection of cookbooks and try something new. And in case you need a little extra coaxing, here is one of my family’s favorite soup recipes.

TACO SOUP

28 ounces Petite Diced Tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
2 envelopes taco seasoning mix
15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounces pinto beans,- rinsed and drained
15 ounces kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8 3/4 ounces whole kernel corn, drained

1. Brown ground beef, drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix.

2. Transfer ground beef mix to a slow cooker. Add remaining
ingredients to slow cooker. Simmer for 5-8 hours.

3. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onion and tortilla chips.

Bon Appetit, Karen H.

Crows and Ravens

The older that I get, the more I appreciate the birds of our world.

Yes, they are beautiful - each in their own way. Yes, they are delightful
to hear. But, lately, I especially enjoy just watching them hop and fly around
in their never ceasing energy.

They never seem to rest and are incredibly alert. Yes, they must be, of course, because of predators, but it is still a marvel to see.

And, I must admit, that my favorites, really are, crows.

I know. Many people hate them. But, many of us love them. They are characters, but they are also very important. Without them cleaning up our remains, (food, road kill, etc.), we'd be hip deep in unpleasantness.

They mate for life, care for and teach their young, and live and forage in family groups, (even though you may see only one, there are many family members around).

Crows and ravens give shiny gifts when courting a mate, play with other animals,
and imitate the sounds of people and animals. They can trick a fish from an otter or eagle by having one pull it's tail, while the other grabs it away. They can hang upside down while passing bits of food to others, and drop a stick, then fly down to fetch it - for fun.

There are many other behaviors that are very interesting, also. If you are curious,I would like to recommend a wonderful book called Crows and Ravens by James V. Bradley. This is classified as juvenile fiction, but it is very thorough and interesting. The author has extensive knowledge of - and a liking for these truly wonderful birds.

Respectfully submitted,
Cathy P - Mobile Services

Ahhh September

September is a great month! The nights are cooling off and the days are still usually nice. Leaves are starting to change into the vibrant fall hues of reds, yellows, burnt umbers and gold.
Moms are happy because it’s back to school. Kids are happy because, although they whine about going back to school, they get to visit with their friends that they may, or may not have seen during the summer break. Dad’s are happy because football season! NFL, Monday night football, college ball, high school and pee wee leagues are all back in action.
Librarians are happy because it is National Library Card Sign-up Month! Not to mention it is also National Literacy Month, Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month, and the fourth week in September is Banned Books Week!
Another fun fact about September: National Chicken Month!
Check out your local library, and see what other fun facts you can come up with!
Anne