Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song [Official Video]

" Sunset" Slowly the west reaches for clothes of new colors which it passes to a row of ancient trees. You look, and soon these two worlds both leave you one part climbs toward heaven, one sinks to earth. leaving you, not really belonging to either, not so hopelessly dark as that house that is silent, not so unswervingly given to the eternal as that thing that turns to a star each night and climbs- leaving you (it is impossible to untangle the threads) your own life, timid and standing high and growing, so that, sometimes blocked in, sometimes reaching out, one moment your life is a stone in you, and the next, a star.  -- Rainer Maria Rilke I am leaving the Farm behind Tuesday morning, setting off for a week in Jamaica with my family; a wedding; saying goodbye to my brothers' singleton-dom. I am also being left behind while I am gone. Bestie Mummy Dearest and family begin their move to North Carolina, leaving behind family and friends here for

<br><br><br>Sei Top Ten Best Seinfeld Moments

Dear B.o.B., You're growing on me. Sincerely, Monster B.o.B - Nothin' On You [feat. Bruno Mars]

Can't get this song out of my head! Estelle - American Boy [Feat. Kanye West]

"Calgary," Bon Iver I was fascinated by this video...like a strange dream, very Pan Labrynth's-ish. To buy or listen to snippets of his new album, check here .

Life feels so busy right now. I am almost there. I see the finish line. In just a few days I will be looking at the ocean, hanging with my family, drinking rum, and BE IN JAMAICA! I can't wait. So excited I can only wheeze out short sentences! Only a few more days of work. SO much weeding in my gardens to do before I leave. I need to pack! I have to clean my cabin for Ian , who will be staying there and using the space re-retreatishly while I am gone. Agh. I am so in vacation mode already that I don't feel like blogging. Hmm... Garden: Cosmos are up and fern-looking, no flowers, not even indicators that they are flowers yet. I am sad that the thought that the flowers may have their first blooms while I am away. Sunflowers (multiple varieties) are up and getting big! Tomato plants are behind where I thought they would be--due to weird cool, hot/humid, tons of rain, cool, repeat weather we've had lately? Praying the tomatoes and tomatillos don't fruit until I

To be freaked out by pregnant women .

This is a link to "9 classic poems first published in The Atlantic ." It is awesomeness. REALLY. I loved this poem: "A little bit about the soul" A soul is something we have every now and then. Nobody has one all the time or forever. Day after day, year after year, can go by without one. Only sometimes in rapture or in the fears of childhood it nests a little longer. Only sometimes in the wonderment that we are old. It rarely assists us during tiresome tasks, such as moving furniture, carrying suitcases, or traveling on foot in shoes too tight. When we're filling out questionnaires or chopping meat it's usually given time off. Out of our thousand conversations it participates in one, and even that isn't a given, for it prefers silence. When the body starts to ache and ache it quietly steals from its post. It's choosy: not happy to see us in crowds, sickened by our struggle for any old advantage and the drone

Seabear, "I Sing I Swim"

Summer, the season for relaxing, resting and catching up on reading. I've been ordering copious amounts of library books for my two tropical vacations, and while doing so, reading lots of reviews, and this might be my favorite: "But multitudinousness cannot make the spectacle of his morbidness any more acceptable. It cannot palliate the gross impropriety of which he is guilty, in publishing what is unfit for repetition; an impropriety doubled by the retention of this disgusting stuff in a new edition issued after many years, during which the author has had ample opportunity to free himself from his youthful crudities. Every one imbued with the "primal sanities" must be revolted by this offense, and protest against it. Fortunately, however, the chief damage done will be to the author himself, who thus dishonors his own physical nature; for imperfect though the race is, it still remains so much purer than the stained and distorted reflection of its animalism in Leaves

I am thankful that there are people like Anne Lamott out in the world. I loved this: "Let us commence"  by Anne Lamott I am honored and surprised that you asked me to speak today. This must be a magical day for you. I wouldn't know. I accidentally forgot to graduate from college. I meant to, 30 years ago, but things got away from me. I did graduate from high school, though -- do I get a partial credit for that? Although, unfortunately, my father had forgotten to pay the book bill, so at the graduation ceremony, when I opened the case to see my diploma, it was empty. Except for a ransom note that said, see Mrs. Foley, the bookkeeper, if you ever want to see your diploma alive again. I went to Goucher College in Maryland for the best possible reasons -- to learn -- but then I dropped out at 19 for the best possible reasons -- to become a writer. Those of you who have read my work know that instead, I accidentally became a Kelly girl for a while. Then, In a dazzling

I recently read an article which suggested some cook books--thought I would pass along these titles: The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook   Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen I was unimpressed with this book. Pig: King of the Southern table , James Villas I LOVED this book! Embrace the Southerner within. Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes by Mark Bitterman I have found this book utterly fascinating. And the pictures: AMAZING! Oaxaca al Gusto, Diana Kenned y I have only looked at the first few pages, but this book looks pretty impresssive! And the rest of these books I have on order from the library. Thank God for Inter-library Loan! Good to the Grain: Baking with whole-grain flours , Kim Boyce Secrets of the Sommeliers: how to think and drink like the world's top wine professionals , Jorday Mackay and Rajat Parr The Essential NY Times Cook Book: classic recipes for a new century , Amanda Hesser Meat: A Kitchen Educ

Sea Wolf, "The Garden That You Planted"

I have very specific cravings these days,  due I guess to the Vegan until 6pm diet. Almost every Tuesday (at work in the Kitchen) I do a baking project for our daily tea snack. My Tuesday baking projects are special to me because I am provided with some (rare) time to myself; no teaching moments, no explaining things, just time to clear my head. Yesterday I was craving that yeasty, rising dough smell; warm, soft goodness--I wanted bread sticks (not Breadstix ). So, I set grabbed Carol Field's The Italian Baker , and set about making Grissini. Ingredients: (Makes about 20 breadsticks) 3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus additional flour for the bread board 1 tablespoon malted syrup-- I used maple syrup 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 3/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast 1 1/4 cups warm water 2 tablespoons olive oil Additional olive oil Here are my bastardized, simplified steps: 1. You can do this part by hand, I did in mixer with bread hook. Mix all ingredients. 2. Pat the kneaded dou

The view of our gardens from the road Renegade spinach, gathered and now going to seed Broccoli, peppers and tomatoes--lots and lots My cucumber netting! The Farm's blueberries and raspberries The view into the woods behind our gardens A lovely blue skied May day The last of the lilacs before the flowers died off These are pics of my garden (area), which I took in May. I need to post newer pics as things are getting sun and rain and HUGE!

Sea Wolf, "Middle Distance Runner" I like Sea Wolf. I stumble upon him occasionally, usually when I'm on Pandora, and always think, "yeah. I like him." Enjoy!

Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup - We No Speak Americano (Official Video)

Murder in the City, the Avett Brothers This song is lovely. :)

This article is great! READ! " Imagining Ronald McDonald's Exit Interview ," Yoni Brenner, NYTimes.

Ray Lamongtagne (one of my favorites), was on VH1 Storytellers this week and I was able to catch it today. Aside from his music, I love that Ray Lamontagne is painfully shy, but when he speaks people listen because he is so sincere. My heart swells with happy. Watch here . Today is my first full day off with no plans other than some tentative dinner plans. I was going to garden all day, but waking up to the pouring rain made me smile and know that now I can stay inside and read all day without feeling guilty! Here is some kind of lovely: "In the new garden, in all the parts " In the new garden, in all the parts, In cities now, modern, I wander, Though the second or third result, or still further, primitive yet, Days, places, indifferent--though various, the same, Time, Paradise, the Mannahattan, the prairies, finding me unchanged, Death indifferent--Is it that I lived long since? Was I buried very long ago? For all that, I may now be watching you here, this moment

SO EXCITED for this. And a little sad that the movies will be over... "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" Trailer 1

A couple of weeks back at a dinner with some fellow farmers, after the subject of libraries came up, one of my coworkers made a snide comment about the lack of importance/need of librarians. I tried to act as if I didn't find the comment utterly insulting, because this particular guy often times say things to play the Devil's advocate/get a rise out of people, but I couldn't help but stew about what he said for a few days (as is my nature). When people say such things, a few thoughts pop into my head: have they ever been in a library before? But, I did so much damn research with freaked out/confused undergrad/grad students when I worked in my Graduate school's library! And those people needed me! (I firmly believe that that work might be what gets me into Heaven!) maybe people who say things like that are truly just ignorant So, it was with much satisfaction that I stumbled upon this article today. Ms. Tourangeau summed up one of my points so succintly! Anyone can

"The Garden of Proserpine"   Here, where the world is quiet; Here, where all trouble seems Dead winds' and spent waves' riot In doubtful dreams of dreams; I watch the green field growing For reaping folk and sowing For harvest-time and mowing, A sleepy world of streams. I am tired of tears and laughter, And men that laugh and weep; Of what may come hereafter For men that sow to reap: I am weary of days and hours, Blown buds of barren flowers, Desires and dreams and powers And everything but sleep. Here life has death for neighbor, And far from eye or ear Wan waves and wet winds labor, Weak ships and spirits steer; They drive adrift, and whither They wot not who make thither; But no such winds blow hither, And no such things grow here. No growth of moor or coppice, No heather-flower or vine, But bloomless buds of poppies, Green grapes of Proserpine, Pale beds of blowing rushes, Where no leaf blooms or blushes Save thi

...is all over the place right now. Wanted to post a quick blog to say: I am playing on a co-ed softball team again this summer. I like the people I am playing with, definitely a lot nicer and less white-trashy than the team I played on last year. Third game tonight, we are 1-1 so far. I am loving being out in the sun and running around. Garden is GROWING. We are getting more sun and heat and humidity starting tonight, so the tomatoes are taking off. Still need to stake tomatoes, need to weed CONSTANTLY. Spent over an hour weeding TWO ROWS of flowers and around some sunflowers. Cucumbers, squash and pumpkins have all popped up, seemingly overnight. They are little green rabbit ears, flopped out on their mounds. I love this stage. It's easy to love, all I have to do is watch the plants grow. There is no endless picking and pickling or preserving of things yet. I complain, but I LOVE it. I do. So happy. Took some pics of the beginning of the plants, etc., will post asap. Still

Have moved out of my obsession with Mumford & Sons and fallen back in with Ray Lamontagne. Every thing that Ray sings sounds really good these days...or maybe it's just because he is playing at my alma mater tomorrow and I should be there. Maybe it's because I am homesick and Ray's music is definitely something I associate back home with...hmm..

Ingrid Michaelson covering Bon Iver, "Skinny Love" Ah, love this song.

I stole this from bestie Mummy Dearest . It is a gem.

Before I get started on this blog about dieting, let me say a few things. I hate the word "diet." I hate when I talk about this "new way of eating," and people make this scornful "diets never work," face. And though I may agree with them, it still pisses me off. Especially if they're those naturally skinny types. I want to scream, "well, EXCUSE me for eating my emotions since 1991! And besides that I am fighting against some chubby genes!" The whole reason I decided to try Mark Bittman 's, " Vegan before dinnertime ,"--or "Vegan until 6," as I call it--is 1. for the most part I respect Mark Bittman and 2. my friend Sierra did this and found it worked for her.  I am not a dieter by nature. I know most fad diets either don't work because they set up unrealistic expectations or shouldn't be done because they aren't good for your body. The difference with Bittman's is that it's a damn way of life, whi

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"The Boxer," Simon & Garfunkel I love this song. I loved it as a child and I love it even more now as an adult. Simon & Garfunkel, you are so many good things wrapped up into music!

Realized lately that aside from not posting much lately, I haven't posted a blog about library stuff in FOREVER! A handful of interesting sites/cool articles (the first two via the American Libraries Direct monthly email): We love Western Mass Libraries One Michigan libraries attempts at Summer Reading '11 ! Woot woot Michigan! James Patterson's awesome kids and reading and books and more site Readkiddoread