Is the menu a lie?

I spent approximately an hour this morning working on May’s family dinner menu. My two main goals for spring cooking are: 1) to make something the kids won’t whine about and 2) to keep it healthy -- doable on Weight Watchers. I’m also looking to try at least one new recipe a week so that I don’t get bored.

There is an art to making menus. But before I go into the details, let me just say up front that the menu may be a lie. Take this month, for example. Of the thirty days in the month, the menu lied 14 times. (The menu planner cannot be called a liar. When she prepared the menu it was the gospel truth.) Breakfast is the meal most likely to deviate from the menu. Mostly because the kids don’t like oatmeal and won’t make it themselves. Sometimes it’s because I didn’t bake muffins the night before for them to eat in the morning. So although cold cereal is only listed three mornings a week, we probably eat it an average of six days a week. Dinner may be a lie too. Such as last night – the menu said I’d make Nan Petersen’s macaroni casserole, but the troops ate cold cereal instead. (See actual sample scan of our April menu .)



But back to the art of menu making. . . I’ve got a complicated little system. I start by digging out my binder with saved menus from the last two years (if menus are saved, does that mean they go to heaven? Just a thought). Next I get out the huge desktop calendar that I hang on a dry-erase board near the back door. Before assigning dishes to days, I carefully coordinate what’s happening in the month with what will be for dinner. No labor intensive meals on nights I’ve had activity days and student council meeting. You know the drill. If I need defrosted chicken for Thursday’s meal, I write “defrost chicken” on the family calendar on Tuesday. All this takes much thought and effort. In fact, after this morning’s planning and calculating of an hour, I’m still not finished with the month’s menu.

Hmmm. So let me see if I’m getting this. I’ve spent an hour on a menu that will be a lie almost 50% of the time. And cold cereal is the kids’ favorite substitute for when the menu is a lie. Hmmm. Cold cereal is definitely something the kids don’t complain about eating, and it is fairly healthy – at least the stuff I eat. I suppose that I could branch out and try some new cereals to keep from getting bored. Hmmm.

Maybe menu making isn’t an art after all. I’ll just write “cold cereal” in all the slots, and then maybe the menu won’t be a lie!

Running the bread machine but forgetting the yeast

I did it again. I ran the bread machine but forgot to add the yeast. Notice the word, ‘again.’ This was my third or fourth batch of failed bread. Actually, that’s not true. This was just a failed batch of dough. I was going to make breadsticks to go along with dinner. They were the part of the meal that the kids were most likely to eat, as the main dish was grilled halibut. (Crazy kids!) Fortunately my kids found my lack of bread machine skills more amusing than disappointing. Whew.

In other mundane news, it’s the day before the last day of the month. This means that in two days I will have a new month’s budget to spend. And until then I shall not spend anything. (Do you look forward to the start of a new month as much as I do?)

Continuing in the trend of newsy bits of nothing, I walked the dog this morning. I took along our new digital camera. Here are some things I saw on our walk. (Note: The forsythia shot makes a great desktop wallpaper to remind yourself that it’s really spring. It’s especially good for snowy days.)




Concluding today’s post on a sobering note, my grandmother’s health is failing. I’m witnessing it first hand as I’m helping with her meals. This morning she knew me, remembered that my cousin had gotten married on Saturday, and seemed fairly with-it. But yesterday she had zero energy, could hardly hold her glass of water, was very unstable on her feet, and often made random comments. She also slept most of yesterday.

I know that our time on earth is limited, but seeing the winding up days of Grandma’s life really puts my own life in perspective. Family matters. Friends matter. Clean counters are optional.

Modest Swimwear

I've been thinking a lot about a recent post by Flashlight Girl. In my comment to her post I stated my desire to purchase a modest tankini, possibly from Land's End. Maybe something like this one. (Click on the shot of the woman with her arms raised in the air. Notice how her belly is still covered. That's my criteria for a modest tankini.)

One part of my comment on Flashlight Girl's post that has caused me to re-think my swimsuit position, was my reference to underwear in a comment that was about swimsuits. I don't know how many times I've been looking through ads with my girls and pointed out that wearing a bikini is like wearing your underwear to the beach. And yet for me, a tankini is less coverage than my underwear. I've often longed for a return to swimsuit styles from the 1920s. (The photo at the start of this blog is from 1918, I believe.) Don't look now, but it's possible to get a modest swimsuit that offers more coverage than your underwear!

Check out this site. Now that is a lot of coverage! Modest, modern, and I'm guessing much more comfortable than what I've been wearing. I'm going to get one!

But I've got to love a few pounds first.

Original Joke by Beans:
Knock, knock
Who's there?
Robin.
Robin who?
Robbin the bank, of course. Shhh. Don't tell.

6-word mini-memoirs

I read a book review printed in my local paper from the Christian Science Monitor for the book, Not Quite What I Was Planning by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser. In the spirit of six-word mini-memoirs, I’ve written my own. You choose which you’d rather read. (And possibly vote in the comments section or leave six-word comments. Six-word anything. Try it!)

My Mini-Memoirs

Love to laugh ‘til I snort.

Magna cum laude stays at home.

The brains behind Ramen for dinner.

Dreamer, schemer, soccer game screamer.

Mormon mother mines meaning, makes messes.

Great expectations lead to reality checks.

Finally learned how to endure gracefully. (My memoirs of my 80s.)

Thursday

It’s been a rough morning. Poopy, really. No matter what I’ve tried so far, I’m undistractible. I’ve read from “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” But it’s definitely not the book to read to raise one’s spirits. Before showering I put on my “kick butt” playlist of exercise tunes. No help.

So I pulled out the big guns – music from the 1940s. I listened to it yesterday too with the same result – a lift in mood. I guess listening to songs with lyrics like, “Down went the gunner. . .” followed by, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition,” puts my troubles in perspective. To the listeners of the ‘40s facing war, food rationing and no nylons, music was written to lift. Apparently it still works. Perhaps it’s because it’s big band, and I can almost picture myself twirling across the floor as the singer croons away on stage. (“Boogie-woogie Bugle Boy” is playing now, and I can’t help but snap my fingers and tap my toes.)

And here I thought that country music was the music to listen to when you’re feeling low. After all, whose problems could be worse than those in the country ballads? They’re “goin’ through the big D and I don’t mean Dallas,” wondering “whose bed have [his] boots been under.” You know the country-western drill. In fact, do you know what you get when you play country-western music backwards? You get your wife back, your truck back, your dog back . . .

On a side note, do you know what you get when you play the Mormon Tabernacle Choir backwards? Jell-O recipes.

Mudlucious . . .

This is the first year that we've had bulbs blossom at this house. I love daffodils! Which reminds me of one of my favorite camp songs . . . I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the fountains, I love the daffodils. . . In addition to daffodils, we have crocus too. They're all lovely harbingers of spring.

Just so you know, last year I mentioned being grateful for daffodils and forsythia bushes on March 27th. Well, it's now towards the end of April and we're barely into the forsythia and daffodils. But hey, it will be worth a delayed warm-up if we can avoid the five or so late frosts like we had last year that caused many a happy gardener to re-plant (ourselves included).

The photos at the beginning of this blog are to demonstrate the fun capabilities of one of my favorite websites. Best part is, it's free. You should see what the kids have done to the faces of friends and family on this site. Actually, I posted the pics that the kids altered of themselves, but they demanded that I take them off. So here's a photo of yours truly:



Now you know why I named my post "mudlucious." Because my name was Mud when the kids saw I posted. (Tee-hee!)

Golf Mania at Belly Acre Farm

Hubby and Bug love to golf. And since we have a long, narrow lot, they often use it as their own personal driving range. What should I infer from a toolbox that is mostly filled with golf balls? Should I be worried about Hubby getting distracted when he goes out to work in the garage?

I've taken a couple photos to show where they tee off from and where the back of our proberty is, but I'm having trouble getting them to upload to my blog. Suffice it to say that I found 12 golf balls in the back pasture this morning on my way home from the morning walk with the dog. It felt like an Easter egg hunt all over again. I'm actually quite proud of my tally.

In other news, I'm also proud of the clever disguise I've made for the Metamucil container that I leave by the sink. (Despite following the Weight Watcher program and eating high-fiber foods, my body needs more. Hence the necessity of Metamucil on my countertop.) Anyway, at our last activity day meeting we covered containers in contact paper to use as desk accessories. Well, I decided that I could apply the same concept to camoflauging my fiber needs. What do you think?



Fiber, anyone?

Help me, I'm eating again . . .

I need the Lord’s help to conquer my over-eating, but I need to be humble and ASK. Pray at the fridge – or better yet – flee the kitchen like Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife. (Do you think it would help to post a photo of an Egyptian looking woman on my fridge to remind me to flee from food temptations as Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife?) When I’ve fled the kitchen, I can pray and ask for inspiration to distract me from emotional eating.

While I’m on the topic of emotional eating, I’ve been thinking about what roles food plays in my emotional well-being.

I’ve been using food to provide:
Comfort
Fun
Pleasure
Distraction

Those are all things that I need in my life, but food is NOT an appropriate outlet for those needs. (Reminder to self: food is fuel for my physical needs.) If I am to overcome emotional eating, I need to seek to have my emotional needs met by something other than food. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with.

I can find COMFORT through:
The Lord (praying to Him, being grateful for all He’s provided for me to enjoy as I go for walks).
Writing.
Talking with a family member or close friend.
Hanging out with my dog.

I can have FUN without food by:
Focusing my attention at social gatherings on people – interacting with them, learning more about them, listening to their funny stories, laughing with them.
Observing the children at family gatherings (watching as they make a mess while eating, listening in on their innocent conversations) and by playing with them too.
Playing more games with my kids and hubby.
Doing crafts with the girls.
Playing with the dog. Teaching her new tricks. Going on hikes/outings with her during the day when the kids are at school.
Being sure to have a date each week with my sweetie.
Having game nights and inviting other couples.
Working on projects that are just for fun – my chalkboard, the tree mural and birdhouses.
Writing goofy stuff (Annie entries, Chicken Scratch)

I can find PLEASURE by
Walking with the dog
Arranging for Hubby to come home for lunch more often.
Listening to Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, Sting and the tracks on my PlayFour playlist on my i-pod.
Spreading a blanket on the grass and lying in the sun!
Buying wonderful smelling body lotion
Investing in nice leg shaving tools and using sunless tanner, then buying clothing that show off my nice smooth legs.
Wearing clothing that makes me feel WONDERFUL! (And not putting off buying the clothes in the hopes of losing more weight.)
Getting a pedicure and then maintaining it with kicky nail colors.
Taking a long, quiet soak in the Jacuzzi.
Doing yoga at the Rec. center on Thursday mornings.
Visiting local art galleries and savoring the emotional response the pieces generate.

I can counter-act boredom and find DISTRACTION without eating by:
Going for a walk.
Blogging or writing in a journal.
Tackling a job that needs doing (like sorting and putting away the winter hats and gloves).
Taking some outdoor photos to use as desktop wallpaper or for blog posting.
Working on making a music/photo DVD.
Updating my books at goodreads.com.
Adding songs / deleting dumb ones on my i-pod. Downloading ones that I’ve been wanting.
Reading a book (but NOT munching). Instead, I can read outside or at the library, or even drive to a bookstore/cocoa shop and read there.
Cutting up old jeans for future sewing projects.
Playing the piano.
Trying to write poetry.
Practicing new songs on my penny whistle or recorder.
Using one of the girls’ digital recorders and cackling like a witch, then posting it on my blog.
Whistling and recording a few classics to post.
Looking for publishing opportunities on-line.
Calling Lauri or another girlfriend.
Trying to sketch something.
Selecting a quote to have Angie do in vinyl.

Dog Writes Blog Entry

Woof! (Pant, pant, pant.) It’s me, Annie. That nice lady that cleans out my kennel and waters me every morning is letting me write this entry. Hee, hee!

What to write? What to write? (Pant, pant.) I have to say that this internet socializing stinks. Or doesn’t stink, is the problem. How am I supposed to get a feel for you, the reader, if I can’t smell you? Or lick you? Or try jumping on you? (My master doesn’t like it when I jump on people, but if you don’t act like it bothers you, I’m all for it!)

My master and I took a walk this morning. It seemed early. Maybe she woke up with a headache, took two Excedrin and couldn’t go back to sleep. I don’t really care what her reasons were for walking early, I was just happy to get out! I love walking with my master. And running alongside her when she rides her bike. And playing catch with her. And playing tug with her. And wrestling with her. Would you like to wrestle with me? I’d be nice. Promise.

There were many good smells this morning. The pee and poop that other neighborhood dogs deposited. (I made some pee markings of my own). A dead robin. A discarded burger wrapper. A cute little puppy let me sniff her. And play with her. I was extra nice ‘cause she was small. We stopped in at Chip and Grandpa’s house. Chip smelled the same as usual – pretty strong. I also sniffed Grandpa’s newest horse. His nose had tickly little hairs on it, but his breath didn’t stink. Smelled like alfalfa. Boy did I wish my master would let me off the leash so I could go roll in some horse manure. It’s the best!

Nugent barked as we jogged by on our way home. My master said, “Hi!” I wagged my tail. I have a nice tail. Sometimes I chase it. I’ve even caught it a time or two. (Pant, pant.) We met Marty and Glen Israelsen too. Their hands smelled like gasoline. I guess they’d been filling a chain saw with fuel. There weren’t many cats out and about this morning. Dang. I like cats. But they don’t seem to like me. They get all puffy and hissy when I introduce myself and want to play with them. Why do you think that is? I’m nice enough, aren’t I?

All too soon our walk was over. I went into my kennel just like my master likes and waited for her to take off the pinch collar. (The pinch collar isn’t as bad as it sounds. It’s just harder for me to really pull on the leash when I wear it, but that’s okay. Pulling is overrated.) She put my regular collar back on my neck, and I drank some water. Aaah! There’s no place like home.

-------------------

Christie’s Present Pleasures (from our walk this morning):
The squeaky wings of a pair of Mallard ducks as they flew over us
A Mourning Dove’s sad call
The strut of a beautiful ring-neck pheasant
The tippity-tap of a flicker hammering on a tree somewhere
The soft under belly of M.J., the cute Border Collie puppy we met

Morning Prayer

I haven't said my morning prayer yet. Which isn't unusual. I'm trying to develop a habit of morning prayer. Notice the word 'trying.' And trying. On successful prayer mornings I don't allow myself to make the bed until I kneel down and say my morning prayer. But I got busy today and made the bed early -- before I'd even thought about prayer. Oops.

And by the way, Science Teacher Mommy, many of my kneel-down prayers are what I call ceiling bouncers. But I figure that the act of getting on my knees and thinking about the Lord must count for something. Show some kind of humble devotion. Answers to prayer rarely come while I'm on my knees. Instead, they percolate (can you write 'percolate' if you're not a coffee drinker?) and bubble up while I'm walking the dog, putting on my make-up, or driving the car. Really big answers often come during Sunday church services.

I'm even trying a new dieting technique that involves prayer. A month ago I read a book on the Weigh Down Diet Workshop which advocates praying to the Lord for strength to do His will and overcome the urge to overeat. On mornings that I remember to pray, when I ask for strength and seek, in prayer, to do the Lord's will, I don't overeat. So why don't I pray for help every morning? Do I get too busy? What's so sacred about kneeling by my bed? Wouldn't kneeling by the fridge actually be most helpful? Could I write a prayer while at the computer? If I post it on my blog, is that sacrilegious? Is it a good idea to demonstrate to the three readers of my blog just know shallow and unrighteous I am?

Here goes.

Dear Lord,

I'm grateful to thee for computers, for keyboards, for the teachers who taught me how to type, and for advancements in writing methods that don't require keeping brass plates. But I am grateful that Nephi and the other prophets from the Book of Mormon obeyed and diligently kept the Brass Plates.

I'm grateful for make-up. Thou knowest that I've been vain ever since I was a child and prayed for long fingernails and high heels. Even though Brian Hawkes once told me in high school that when he first met me he didn't think I was cute, at least thou hast blessed me with a personality that changed his mind. And I can't help thinking that make-up helps too. Is make-up one of the inventions that you had a hand in bringing about? Does it help to reflect our inner beauty? Or is it a way for mothers to bond with daughters? Because I have enjoyed sharing make-up moments with Lou, as she's 12 years old now. Thank thee for Loula Belle!

And I thank thee for Beans. I'm having a hard time lately with her sullen moods. When she's not happy I feel it's my responsibility to make her happy. And I think that pressure is causing me much stress. Lord, I love it when my family members are happy. But is it my job to make them happy? And how do I maintain my happiness and emotional equilibrium when the kids or Hubby are out of sorts? If I’m trying to make others happy is that kind of like trying to make others obey? I guess I know what I should do – act like I know I should (kindness, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned) and then allow others to choose how they act. That’s hard. Please help me get better at that.

I’d like to thank thee for good friends. For those women who attended the Out to Lunch Ladies luncheon yesterday. I enjoyed sharing in their laughter, swapping stories, and feeling understood. Also, I’m grateful for Linda. She’s a wonderful friend. Bless her for being so good to me.

And wilt thou be with the Young family as Hannah goes in for heart surgery? I pray that the surgeon and medical personnel will be led to zap the nerves that are causing her heart to mis-fire. I thank thee for modern medicine. Bless Brother Krebs in his knee surgery recovery. And Sister Thompson in her double knee replacement recovery. Be with the Koeven family in SLC as they are dealing with the loss of their husband and father. I’m grateful for eternal families. Thank you for your wonderful plan of happiness!

There’s more to say, Lord, but I need to wrap this up. Please be with me to make wise choices today. In eating, speaking, and conducting myself. Also help me have fun. Isn’t fun okay? You’ve got a sense of humor, don’t you? I hope so and feel that you must. Thanks for blessing others with wonderful talents that they share. For the musicians who perform on the CDs I listen to, for the authors who write uplifting fiction, and for Steve Easton’s column in the Herald Journal. He’s a quirky Mormon, and maybe I am too. Bless me this day, I pray. Amen.

Fave Fives . . .

Not long ago my mother asked me what my five favorite birds were. I thought that would be a good start to today’s entry of my fave fives of many different things. Each listing is in no particular order. They don’t necessarily go from most favorite to least favorite. Or vice versa. (Isn’t ‘vice versa’ a great phrase?) Also, these are my favorites as of today. Tomorrow could change everything.

My Five Favorite Birds:
red-wing blackbird
robin
sandhill crane
pheasant
meadow lark

My Five Favorite Books:
The Book of Mormon
Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Any book in The Far Side collection
Moonraker’s Bride by Madeleine Brent
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

My Five Favorite Main Dishes to Make for Supper:
crockpot meatballs (from a bag) in spaghetti sauce (from a can) over penne pasta (from a box)
chicken tenders (from a bag) with green beans (home canned), garlic toast, and applesauce (home canned)
Hawaiian haystacks (everyone can select what they like for toppings with minimal complaints)
Pappa Murphy take-and-bake pizza
grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, and green beans

My Five Favorite Jobs to Delegate to My Children:
total toilet treatment
scooping the cat’s liter box
unloading the dishwasher
vacuuming the stairs (this is one I wish they’d do, but that I always seem to do myself)
cleaning sinks and counters in the bathrooms

My Five Favorite Body Parts:
eyes
ears
mouth
nose
brain

My Five Favorite Smells:
Russian Olive blossoms
newly mown grass
baking bread
meat cooking on a grill (especially our grill)
lilac blossoms

My Five Favorite Words:
repentance
forgiveness
atonement
mercy
Christ


My Five Favorite Things to Repeat:
You need to take a shower tonight.
Have you practiced the piano?
Are your jobs done?
Annie, fetch!
I love you.

My Five Favorite Outdoor Activities:
playing with the dog
working in the yard
walking
riding my bike
eating dinner on the back patio

My Five Favorite Childhood Memories:
Playing tomato baseball after the garden froze.
Dad pulling us behind Rabagar over the snowy fields on an innertube.
Sleeping out in the igloo Dad made in our front yard.
The Sunday morning Andy and I found an injured American Kestrel on our way to the end of the lane to retrieve the Sunday paper, and it hopped up his arm and onto his thick stocking hat. (he took it inside.)
Playing with Cleo, our dog.

Feelin' Farmy

My hubby is Safety Man at his work. He’s the one in charge of keeping all the employees safe. And some of them don’t particularly like the safety rules – lately it’s about compliance with the fire safety codes. (Note: Candle warmers are a No! No!) Because Hubby is such a nice, approachable guy, his co-workers feel free to tell him what they really think about some of the safety regulations. This causes him stress. (But something must be working because his workplace is one of 14 employers to be specially recognized by the Worker’s Compensation Fund of Utah.) Anyway, I came up with a hand-dandy new slogan for him.

Safety Man: Do what he says, and nobody gets hurt!

Of course my Sweet Baboo is self-effacing enough to never use it. So I called the HR manager who is his supervisor. She thought it was catchy and fun. I hope she uses it soon!

In other news, my dog is great! She is an expert at catching objects in mid-air. Tennis balls. Frisbees. Tug toys. A chewed and battered old soccer ball. Dog biscuits. Rocks. I’m not happy about the rocks. The little neighborhood toddlers give them to her through her kennel. She tosses them up in the air, catches them and then spits them out. Oh, and she’s also pretty good at riding in our wheelbarrow. (I tried it yesterday after raking up and dumping a bunch of grass.) She jumps in and stays for short rides. Annie is awesome!

Belly Acre Farm is getting more and more farm like. We’ve got six little chicks out in the garage. Never mind that we got them for free from our little neighbor’s preschool. They’re leghorns. Straight run, so we don’t know how many will be hens and how many will be roosters. (The roosters, sorry to say, won’t last long. Their fate will be similar to my favorite verse of “She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain” – the one that mentions the Old Red Rooster.) Hubby and I were discussing the overall plan for where to put the chicken coop and run. Our favorite spot is farthest away from electrical access. He wondered if it would be possible to use solar power. I about died laughing! We could have the only solar-powered chicken coop in the valley. Giggle, giggle.

Things are really starting to buzz around our place, or they will be by the end of the month. That’s when we try our hand at being bee farmers. Hubby just received his order of bee gear – pith helmet, face nets, white jumpsuit, special gloves – even the little smoker thing to keep the bees subdued. The girls had fun trying it all on. (Photos to be posted shortly.) He’ll take delivery of the actual buzzing insects on the 26th. Bee-u-tiful!




And finally, no one in our family has gone longer than 3 days without complaining. We bought the purple reminder bands (www.acomplaintfreeworld.org) for everyone and had a special Family Home Evening lesson to kick start our family’s foray into reduced complaining, gossiping and use of sarcasm. I can’t say that we’ve been too successful. The kids aren’t even wearing their bands anymore. Hubby and I do, but the longest I’ve gone without complaining, gossiping or using sarcasm is three days. Sigh. (Sighs don’t count as actually complaining.)

Sigh.

Hurray for Libraries!

In today's blog I'm stating my opinion about the possibility of a county-wide library system in my area. I'm 100% FOR IT!!

In fact, I've signed the on-line petition. You can too. You'll find it HERE.

If you need a little convincing that a county-wide library system is a GREAT idea for our area, I've included a copy of the letter that I e-mailed to the mayor of my city.

Dear Sir,

I am a resident in favor of a county-wide library system. I have been following the recent movement to bring country-wide access to libraries with much interest. I know that as mayor your responsibility is to do what is in the best interest for the citizens of our community, and I appreciate your candor and position. I believe that our city's residents will not "suffer" under a shared library system. In fact, I think that residents here will have a lot to gain. For starters, we'll have access to books in the Big City's Library. I understand their collection is greater than ours. Also, I believe that library access contributes to an informed citizenry, and no one lives in complete isolation. If more residents of our valley have access to libraries, our valley can only benefit -- and that includes Happy Acres.

I was born and raised in Cache Valley, living most of my childhood in Hyrum. I remember going to the library when it was on the corner of 100 East and 100 North in Logan. I also spent many happy hours in the Hyrum City library under the watchful eye of the librarian, Bessie Brown. The Bookmobile was another favorite summer haunt from my childhood. I was too young to remember when county access to the Logan library was abolished, but now I'm old enough to know that was a mistake. My adult years in Davis County, Utah and Bannock County, Idaho have shown me that county-wide library systems are a real boon for their communities. And it's about time we had one again!

Basing decisions strictly on "What's in it for me?" is no way to govern or to educate.

Thanks for listening to my opinion.

Also, I've taken the opportunity to talk with Brian Chambers, my representitive on the Cache County Council and a member of the committee charged with looking into the feasibility of a county-wide library. He said that many citizens have been concerned that a county-wide system would fund the building of a new library for Logan City. He assured me that it's just not so! So if that was a concern of yours, erase it.

Finally, I'm including the blog address for the man who started the on-line petition. Check it out. Decide how you feel about libraries, and if you're of the same mind as me, go ahead and sign the petition.

Happy Reading!

Memories of Microfilm

Tonight while I was down working out on the Nordic Track I thought about how my twelve-year-old daughter had taught me how to better use Google’s search capabilities. That thought led me to a memory of my mother and me up at the USU Merrill Library (which no longer exists). She was teaching me how to do research for my debate class. We looked through the card catalog, through some index of periodicals. She even showed me how to look up and use microfilm and microfiche.

This memory made me feel positively ancient. Up until Lou’s recent lesson on finding images on Google, I’d been the one disseminating technological information to my kids. I’d heard about kids showing parents how to program VCRs and work mp3 players, but that had never been me. Until now. Sigh.