Truth in Fiction- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

There are many reasons I love to read fiction, but the primary reason is that carefully crafted words spoken by well-developed characters have the ability to speak truth to my circumstances in a wonderfully unique way...

                                    From The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

"You believe you could not live with the pain. Such pain is not lived with. It is only endured."

Tsukiko to Celia

"You're not destined or chosen, I wish I could tell you that you were if that would make it easier, but it's not true. You're in the right place at the right time, and you care enough to do what needs to be done. Sometimes that's enough."

Celia to Bailey

Shout Out to the Feel-Good Librarian - 1

I consider the Feel-good Librarian my sort of librarian. I discovered her blog recently and believe that if we knew each other, we would be kindred spirits. We both enjoy walks and labyrinths, but more importantly we are inspired by the myriad of people who approach the reference desk. There are so many wonderful aspects of librarianship, but helping people access the information they want or need is the absolute best.
FGL does not blog anymore, but I enjoy interactions of the feel good variety with several library patrons, and so with a shout out to the FGL, I am going to share some of those interactions on this blog from time to time.

"The BBC Ladies" are two mature white-haired women who come into the library together promptly at 9am on Seventh Days. The first time we met, I overheard them whispering and giggling about some movie being "far too racy". I asked if they needed help finding anything and they said no, they were just browsing. I continued shelving DVDs  (now with a smile on my face) as they browsed the shelves. When they entered the library the following week, we greet one another with a smile, and I ask again if they need help finding anything. They give each other a look, and then look at me, the youngish looking African American woman standing in front of them.

BBC Lady #1: Oh we tend to like a different type of show.

Me: Okay. What kind of show are you looking for today?

BBC Lady #1: We like British comedies.

Me: Do you like Keeping Up Appearances?

BBC Ladies now wearing shocked looks on their faces and sporting a twinkle in their eyes

Me: Hyacinth Bucket (or Bouquet as Ms. Hyacinth likes to hear it pronounced) is a riot...

It was not a life changing moment, but it did change the tone of the day. The ladies and I enjoyed a wonderful chat about Hyacinth and her many exploits. We talked about EastEnders, Doc Martin, and the BBC Ladies even took my recommendation to check out Ballykissangel. Yes, I know Ballykissangel is set in Ireland and is not a  British comedy, but the priest who is transferred to BallyK is English, and yes the show did air on BBC.

My Summer Reading Journey

Seventh Month 18, 2012

Spring is my favorite season, but nothing beats summer as my favorite season for reading. I have been away from the blog for a while, but after reading this post, dear reader, you will know why. You see, I was busy reading. As an educator, Summer is the time for flexible scheduling of activities and for prolonged leisure reading. My local library does not have a summer reading program for adults, but that has not stopped me from having some reading fun. For the first time in my life I made some reading goals, participated in virtual book clubs, and completed reading challenges. 

My reading goals for the summer morphed along the way, but essentially I got caught up in the "new to me" genre of cozy mysteries which inspired Goal 1: Read the complete Elizabeth Elliot series by Irene Allen. I enjoyed reading the mysteries, but the characters and the overall portrayal of Friends is what kept me interested in this series. I enjoy reading mysteries, but if I only had to choose 1 reading goal this summer it would have been to read widely and outside of my "comfort zone". I didn't have to choose only one goal so in the interest of being specific Goal 2: Join a virtual book club. I actually joined two virtual book clubs, 1 for professional development, Level Up Book Club, and 1 for my personal development, 1Book140. Both book clubs are fun and participation has definitely had me reading books I wouldn't normally read.  An unexpected perk of these virtual book clubs has been meeting other teachers and librarians who inspire me with their passion for books, service to others, and librarianship. As a direct result of these book clubs, and subsequent blog reading, I decided to step things up and then came Goal 3: Complete some reading challenges. This is fun because I have gotten to do some pretty silly things, and have discovered some good books along the way. For example, choosing a book I have heard bad things about introduced me to The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall. I can honestly say that without this challenge I never would have read the book, and although the topic was a bit disturbing, it was an interesting read. On that note, dear reader, I am off to continue my summer reading journey.

6 Word Library Story Winner

Congratulations to @GrammaofBoys for submitting the winning entry: Helping students find answers. Excellent grades!

National Library Week - Fourth Month 8-14, 2012

Today concludes National Library Week. This week has been great. I had the opportunity to share my experiences at the Colorado Teen Literature Conference and I was introduced to the You belong @ your library: 6 word story sweepstakes. The most highly rated story will receive Season 1 of Brad Meltzer's Decoded on DVD. Brad Meltzer is National Library Week Honorary Chair of National Library Week 2012. If you didn't participate in National Library Week here is your chance to get involved and have some fun.... VOTE! I would love to know the story that won your vote and why. If you are so inclined please share your own 6 word library stories. Comments are encouraged and welcomed

I thoroughly enjoyed the contest and wrote several of my own 6 word stories (more on that later). The winner will be announced Fourth Month 23, 2012.

Trust Him More

Third Month 24, 2012

Yesterday was my birthday. I went to see The Hunger Games. Obviously it was a post 2006 birthday celebration. A few words of explanation: My dad died the day before my birthday in 2006. I was in New York watching my Knicks defeat the Celtics. That was my 2006 birthday celebration. Birthdays have not been the same since.

I am a HUGE birthday person. I start celebrating my birthday the first day of each year. There are 81 days from the new year to my birthday. I was in Baltimore for my 30th birthday and called my favorite local radio station to join the 30 and over birthday club.You see I love celebrating the anniversary of my birth. I love getting older. I am just as enthusiastic now that I am 41 as I was when I was 21.

That enthusiasm is dampened by memories of 2006. After celebrating the best birthday ever, I returned to Baltimore to a note that changed my life. I did as the note requested and made a phone call and was informed that my dad was dead. I made subsequent calls and within days went from seats at Madison Square Garden to seats in the front pew. I don't remember much about that time, but these things I do remember.

• Countless people talking about my dad's "transition." Nobody used the words death or dead.


• People who didn't know better offering me seemingly endless platitudes. They meant well.


• The presence of the Morehouse contingent. They made me smile. "You can always tell a Morehouse man, but you can't tell him much."

• A colleague of my dad's having a conversation with me. This was one of the most important conversations of my life.

I don't remember the woman's name. I don't remember the name of the church she pastored. I do know that this woman of God recognized my grief and responded in a loving way. She sat next to me and just began talking. She didn't touch me and she didn't pretend to know what I was experiencing in the moment. She told me she loved me. She told me she loved my dad. She told me that she loved God. She told me that she knew I trusted God, and I needed to TRUST HIM MORE. Three simple words that have had a huge impact on my life. This woman didn't question my trust in God; she simply exhorted me to Trust Him More. Powerful!

My dad adopted me when I was 20 years old and died, aka transitioned, when I was 35. I loved having a father figure and I loved having a dad even more. 15 years was not enough time for us to have together. However, I have been given more time and that time is a gift. I am still a  HUGE birthday person. God has given me the best birthday gift imaginable...life, and this year I will TRUST HIM MORE.


Thanks to my friends and family for the birthday gifts:

• doc popcorn
• Big Hunk candy bar
• Sweet Factory treats - chocolate covered orange sticks, boston baked beans
• earrings
• The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales because "Everyone should have a little magic in their lives"

Thank You Dr. Seuss

Third Month 2, 2012
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! 

This post is dedicated to fans of Dr. Seuss old and new. I read this article and wanted to note two facts that brought a smile to my face.

Fact 4  The first recorded instance of the word “nerd” is in Seuss’ 1950 book, If I Ran the Zoo.
I am a nerd and I happen to like the word... Thank you Dr. Seuss

Fact 6  Dr. Seuss practiced what he preached: his first book, And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 27 different publishers before it finally got picked up. “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” Seuss once wrote. Try, try, try again, he did.

Thank You, Dr. Seuss!

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter won't mind." Theodore Geisel