Dolly Parton

 

You know those movies that you have watched a thousand times but will still watch it every time you see it playing somewhere in tv-land?  I've got a varied list and that list would be incredibly bereft without Dolly Parton.  It started with 9 to 5, the movie came out the year I was born and at some point, we acquired a copy, not beta, not VHS, but a selectavision videodisc.  I'm fairly certain I wore that disc out.   Steel Magnolias is a given as it is on the 'when-I-really-need-a-good-cry list', (for some reason A League of Their Own is also on this list),  And of course Straight Talk.

My parents in no way were or are purveyors of country music, nor am I. Still, Dolly was there. I tend to consider that some people just transcend music genres and are just MUSIC.  So among the Olympians of music (Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, etc...) is Dolly Parton.

And then there is "The Book Lady".

"Everywhere I go, the kids call me 'the book lady.' The older I get, the more appreciative I seem to be. of the 'book lady' title.  It makes me feel more like a legitimate person, not just a singer or and entertainer, But it makes me feel like I've done something good with my life and with my success."

-Dolly Parton.

In 1995, Dolly Parton started the Imagination Library, in honor of her father.  The goal was to ensure children were given access to books.  The Imagination library provides free books to children from birth through age five.  The hopes are that with an early introduction to books, children will not only succeed in learning but will fall in love with reading.  Beginning in Dolly's own stomping grounds of Sevier County, TN, the Imagination Library now serves children across the US and in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United. Kingdom.  "As of September 2022, The Imagination Library will mail close to 2 million age-appropriate books per month to children from birth to the age of five, no matter their family’s income." - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Now Serves Over 10% of Children Under 5 in the U.S.

dollyparton.com

https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/a34875550/dolly-parton-shelf-portrait/

https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/

When asked in an interview with Southern Living about her favorite book, Dolly replied: "It's The Little Engine That Could. Because I'm the little engine that did. I always say that "I thought I could, I thought I could" and "I think I can, I think I can, and I still think I can." So I think that's a great little inspirational book. It really kinda sums me up pretty good." Dolly Parton: The Southern Living Interview By Southern Living Editors Updated on May 4, 2018

The Little Engine That Could by Piper, Watty

"I have a favorite Southern writer named Lee Smith. She writes all these great stories about country people, mountain people. So I'm really drawn to Southern writers as well."  https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a28134640/dolly-parton-favorite-books/

The Last Girls: a novel by Smith, Lee

On a beautiful June day in 1965, a dozen girls-classmates at a picturesque Blue Ridge women's college-launched their homemade raft (inspired by Huck Finn's) on a trip down the Mississippi. It's Girls A-Go-Go Down the Mississippi read the headline in the Paducah, Kentucky, paper.

Thirty-five years later, four of those "girls" reunite to cruise the river again. This time it's on the luxury steamboat, The Belle of Natchez, and there's no publicity. This time, when they reach New Orleans, they'll give the river the ashes of a fifth rafter-beautiful Margaret ("Baby") Ballou.

Revered for her powerful female characters, here Lee Smith tells a brilliantly authoritative story of how college pals who grew up in an era when they were still called "girls" have negotiated life as "women." Harriet Holding is a hesitant teacher who has never married (she can't explain why, even to herself). Courtney Gray struggles to step away from her Southern Living-style life. Catherine Wilson, a sculptor, is suffocating in her happy third marriage. Anna Todd is a world-famous romance novelist escaping her own tragedies through her fiction. And finally there is Baby, the girl they come to bury-along with their memories of her rebellions and betrayals.

THE LAST GIRLS is wonderful reading. It's also wonderfully revealing of women's lives-of the idea of romance, of the relevance of past to present, of memory and desire.

Dolly Parton, Song Teller: My Life in Lyrics by Parton, Dolly

"For the first time ever, legendary singer-songwriter Dolly Parton brings you behind the lyrics of 175 of her songs to reveal the personal stories and vibrant memories that have inspired sixty years of songwriting. Lushly illustrated and told in Dolly's inimitable voice, this rich collection offers an intimate, exclusive look at the colorful life, prolific career, and rags-to-rhinestones journey of one of the most revered entertainers of our time"-- Provided by publisher.

Coat of Many Colors by Parton, Dolly

Dolly Parton lends the lyrics of her classic song "Coat of Many Colors" to this heartfelt picture book for young readers.

Country music legend Dolly Parton's rural upbringing in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee provides the backdrop for this special picture book. Using lyrics from her classic song "Coat of Many Colors," the book tells the story of a young girl in need of a warm winter coat. When her mother sews her a coat made of rags, the girl is mocked by classmates for being poor. But Parton's trademark positivity carries through to the end as the girl realizes that her coat was made with love "in every stitch." Beautiful illustrations pair with Parton's poetic lyrics in this heartfelt picture book sure to speak to all young readers.

Run, Rose, Run by Parton, Dolly

From America's most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller--a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive. Every song tells a story. She's a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her. She's also on the run. Find a future, lose a past. Nashville is where she's come to claim her destiny. It's also where the darkness she's fled might find her. And destroy her. Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire--a story that only America's #1 beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.

She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived her Songs by Smarsh, Sarah

Explores how the music of Dolly Parton and other prominent women country artists has both reflected and validated the harsh realities of rural working-class American women.

The Faith of Dolly Parton : Lessons from Her Life to Lift Your Heart by Delffs, Dudley J.

Ten faith lessons as evidenced in Dolly Parton's life, music, interviews, and attitude.

Dolly! : The Story of Dolly Parton and Her Big Dream by McGrath, Robyn

"A picture book biography of music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton celebrating resilience, confidence, and unfailing kindness"--. Provided by publisher.

Dazzlin' Dolly: The Songwritin, Hit-Singing, Guitar-Picking Dolly Parton by Slade, Suzanne

Dolly is a little girl with a BIG voice. Music fills Dolly's heart so plumb full she has to let it out! She'll even sing to her cornhusk dolls or a pen full of pigs. She makes her own drum from a pot and her own guitar from a broken mandolin. But what Dolly dreams of is performing for a real audience--people who would hear her sing, and applaud!

Dolly Parton by Sánchez Vegara, Ma Isabel

Little Dolly grew up in Tennessee in a family "as poor as dirt." She started performing at an early age, singing on local radio and television. After graduating high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue her singing dreams. Her managers wanted her to sing pop, but she followed her heart to sing and write country songs. Her heart was right--Dolly became a musical superstar, but she never forgot where she came from. She now uses her wealth to give back to people, children, and animals in need. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the singer's life."--Amazon.

RODENTS

 

July 22nd is Pied Piper Day. Based on true events that occurred in Hamelin of Germany in the 13th century, the tale of the pied piper entered the realm of fairy tales via The Brothers Grimm in 1816.  Going back to the origins of the story, however, there seems to be no record of a rat infestation, just missing children: "'The Lueneburg manuscript (c 1440 – 50), which stated: the year of 1284, on the day of Saints John and Paul on June 26, by a piper, clothed in many kinds of colours, 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced, and lost at the place of execution near the koppen.'A 1384 entry in Hamelin’s town records also grimly states 'It is 100 years since our children left.'”  (https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/pied-piper-hamelin-001969).

Pied Piper day also coincides with ratcatchers day.   Rats are interesting little, (some not-so-little), creatures.  Although I would much prefer not to run into any wild ones, domesticated or "fancy" rats make for decent pets and can be quite cute.  My sister used to have pet rats. My only complaint about pet rats is that I seem to be allergic.  

Merriam-Webster defines a rodent as: 

1: any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (such as a mouse, squirrel, or beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge

2: a small mammal (such as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent

For more information about rodents check out these links:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-rodents-2057092

https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/rodents/

Piper by Asher, Jay

Long ago, in a small village in the middle of a deep, dark forest, there lived a lonely, deaf girl named Maggie. Shunned by her village because of her disability, her only comfort comes from her vivid imagination. Maggie has a gift for inventing stories and dreams of one day finding her fairy-tale love. When Maggie meets the mysterious Piper, it seems that all her wishes are coming true. Spellbound, Maggie falls hard for him and plunges headfirst into his magical world. But as she grows closer to the Piper, Maggie discovers that he has a dark side. The boy of Maggie's dreams might just turn out to be her worst nightmare.

The Piper's Pursuit by Dickerson, Melanie

"In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina reluctantly allies with the handsome but brash Steffan to protect herself and her city from formidable dangers--missing children, hordes of rats, a marauding beast, and her devious stepfather, the town's mayor." -- (Source of summary not specified)

The Summer I Learned To Fly by Reinhardt, Dana

Drew's a bit of a loner. She has a pet rat, her dead dad's Book of Lists, an encyclopedic knowledge of cheese from working at her mom's cheese shop, and a crush on Nick, the surf bum who works behind the counter. It's the summer before eighth grade and Drew's days seem like business as usual, until one night after closing time, when she meets a strange boy in the alley named Emmett Crane. Who he is, why he's there, where the cut on his cheek came from, and his bottomless knowledge of rats are all mysteries Drew will untangle as they are drawn closer together, and Drew enters into the first true friendship, and adventure, of her life.

Pekoe Most Poison by Childs, Laura

"When Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is invited by Doreen Briggs, one of Charleston's most prominent hostesses, to a Rat Tea, she is understandably intrigued. As servers dressed in rodent costumes and wearing white gloves offer elegant finger sandwiches and fine teas, Theo learns these parties date back to early twentieth-century Charleston, where the cream of society would sponsor so-called rat teas to promote city rodent control and better public health. But this party goes from odd to chaotic when a fire starts at one of the tables and Doreen's entrepreneur husband suddenly goes into convulsions and drops dead. Has his favorite orange pekoe tea been poisoned? Theo smells a rat. The distraught Doreen soon engages Theo to pursue a discreet inquiry into who might have murdered her husband. As Theo and her tea sommelier review the guest list for suspects, they soon find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse..."-- From publisher.

The amazing Maurice and his educated rodents by Pratchett, Terry

A talking cat, intelligent rats, and a strange boy cooperate in a Pied Piper scam until they try to con the wrong town and are confronted by a deadly evil rat king.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Vol. 1 by North, Ryan

"Wolverine. Deadpool. Doctor Doom. Thanos. There's one hero who's beaten them all, and now she's got her own book! And to celebrate she's set her sights even higher - much higher. We're talking Galactus! But first Doreen Green, aka Squirrel Girl, is starting college, making new friends, eating nuts and kicking butts, not necessarily in that order! Together with her best (human) pal Nancy, and her best (squirrel) pal Tippy-Toe, and armed only with a tail and some foe fact-filled trading cards, she'll take on villains including Kraven the Hunter, Whiplash and, oh, yeah, the Devourer of Worlds!"--Amazon.

Squirrel Meets World by Hale, Shannon

Fourteen-year-old Doreen Green moved from sunny California to the suburbs of New Jersey. She must start at a new school, make new friends, and continue to hide her tail. Yep, Doreen has the powers of . . . a squirrel! After failing at several attempts to find her new BFF, Doreen feels lonely and trapped, liked a caged animal.

Then one day Doreen uses her extraordinary powers to stop a group of troublemakers from causing mischief in the neighborhood, and her whole life changes. Everyone at school is talking about it! Doreen contemplates becoming a full-fledged Super Hero. And thus, Squirrel Girl is born! She saves cats from trees, keeps the sidewalks clean, and dissuades vandalism. All is well until a real-life Super Villain steps out of the shadows and declares Squirrel Girl his archenemy.

Can Doreen balance being a teenager and a Super Hero? Or will she go . . . NUTS?

Squeak! : 100 Fun Facts About Hamsters, Mice, Guinea Pigs, and More by Davidson, Rose

• Mice and rats may be the most famous rodents, but readers will discover the diverse--and maybe even adorable--world of little squeaking critters. From cavies and capybaras to jerboas and gerbils to pocket mice and porcupines, get ready for the rodents. Packed with weird-but-true facts and tons of animal info, this Level 3 Reader shows just how endearing rodents can be. Meet the adorable pika, fuzzy hamsters, and yes, even supersmart rats, and collect cool facts about these scurrying squeaky creatures.

Little Red Rodent Hood by Vernon, Ursula

A little girl in a red cape asks for Princess Harriet Hamsterbone's help with a pack of weasel-wolves who want to eat her grandmother, but after meeting everyone, Harriet is not sure who to trust.-- Provided by Publisher.

Ratatouille [videorecording]

A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen of one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing talents. They strike a deal, ultimately setting into motion a chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

Christmas Cookies

 

It's getting to be that time of year when you pull out the recipe book/box, full of ambition, holiday spirit, and optimism, as you embark on a holiday baking extravaganza. It starts with the list of favorites at my house this means thumbprints, gingersnaps, my grandmother's sliced cookies, and what will seem like 5.000 chocolate chips. In fact, the thumbprints, gingersnaps, and slice cookies, that's just me that wants those; my family, however, thinks the world of cookies begins and ends with chocolate chips. When it comes to baking some years are more successful than others. Sometimes you are blessed by the baking gods w/ an abundance of energy, a cooperative oven, and minimal back pain. Other years your energy wains, two batches in, every batch comes out at a different degree of done, and the pain is tremendous. Still, you try and if it's a bad year, then you just make those rum-balls stronger.

 Cute Christmas Cookies: Adorable and Delicious Festive Treats by Miles, Hannah  There is nothing as cozy as a day spent baking in the festive season--filling the house with the scent of warm, sweet dough and producing delicious treats that raise a smile even before a single bite is taken out of them! The book opens with packaging and display ideas, frosting hints and tips, and basic recipes. The chapters are then divided into Seasonal Magic with Coconut Snowballs, Frosted Fir Cones and Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups with Candy Cane Handles that will charm the socks off anyone. Next comes Festive Friends with Reindeer Pretzel cookies and Snowglobe Cookies decorated with meringue snowman. In Deck the Halls find Viennese Whirl Wreaths, Christmas Pudding Cookies with White Chocolate and Holly Leaves. Finally, in Gift Cookies, there are stunning Mini 3D Gingerbread Houses and Hershey Christmas Kisses.

Christmas Cookie Jar.  Pass the cookie platter, please Frosted sugar cookies, twisty pinwheels, soft gingerbread...all the classics (and some new favorites ) are inside. Christmas Cookie Jar is chock-full of scrumptious recipes with all the flavors of the season...Chocolate Mint Stars, Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprints, Frosted Ginger Creams, and Cranberry Crumb Bars. You'll find old-fashioned favorites like Pecan Icebox Cookies, Grandma's Butter Fingers, and Pastel Cream Wafers...even Oh-So-Easy Cut-Outs and 1-2-3 Cookies that bake up in a jiffy. Of course, we've included candies for gift-giving like Grandpa's Famous Caramels and Sparkling Sugarplums, along with lots of clever ideas for sharing cookies. There's even an all-chocolate chapter packed with goodies like Double Fudgy Cookie Bars and Buckeye Brownies. When Christmas Eve arrives, we'll be setting out a plate of Rudolph's Carrot Cookies for Santa...how about you? Hardcover, 224 pages. (9-1/4" x 6-1/2")

Holiday Cookies: Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season by Nederlanden, Elisabet der  Nederlanden presents recipes, along with decorating and packing ideas, for updated favorites. She includes instructions for gingerbread houses, cookie place cards, and cookie ornaments. And each cookie is destined to become your new Christmas classic.

Taste of Home Christmas "Create a little magic this season with the all-new Taste of Home Christmas! More than 350 recipes, easy crafts, decorating ideas, yuletide hints and kitchen timesavers help you turn homemade holidays into lifelong memories. Tempting appetizers, savory main courses, delicious sides, golden breads and impressive desserts offer everything you need to create a stunning holiday spread. Six complete Christmas dinner menus range from formal and elegant to cozy and intimate, and a chapter devoted to party planning is your guide to turning your home into a hub of holiday cheer. Buttery cookies made for sharing, sweet candies and confections, even delightful food gifts perfect for teachers, neighbors, and anyone on your Christmas list--they're all here."--Amazon.com.

Christmas With Southern Living 2016: The Complete Guide to Holiday Cooking and Decorating; Special Bonus Section Celebrates the Magazine's 50th year. 

Includes over 100-holiday recipes, menus, decorating ideas, gifts from your kitchen and a holiday planner.

Christmas Baking : Festive Cookies, Candies, Cakes, Breads, and Snacks to Bring Comfort and Joy to your holiday by Klynstra, Joyce  

This collection brings together more than 100 Christmas-inspired recipes, from holiday classics like Dark Chocolate Crinkles and Decorated Sugar Cookies to international treats like Krakelingen, Linzer Cookies, and Alfajores. From festive and fancy to quick and easy recipes. Many favorites will spark fond baking memories, and new flavors will create fresh family traditions.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Budewitz, Leslie

"Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with a new friend, Merrily Thornton. Fingers point to Merrily after a robbery--until she's found dead"-- Provided by publisher.

Sugar Cookie Murder: A Hannah Swensen Holiday Mystery with Recipes by Fluke, Joanne

When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion - and the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah Swensen leading the way. The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of Hannah's recipes before publication. The recently divorced Martin Dubinski arrives at the buffet with his new Vegas showgirl wife. And when Hannah's mother's antique cake knife shows up in Mrs. Dubinski's décolletage, it puts the festivities on ice.

A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa's Tasty Trip Around the World by Furman, M. E.

A World of Cookies for Santa takes readers across the globe to see all the treats that await Santa on Christmas Eve. M. E. Furman provides recipes for children to bake some of Santa's cookies for themselves.

Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons by Rosenthal, Amy Krouse

Presents vocabulary words and holiday lessons using Christmas cookies as the theme of the book.

Mason Jars

 

 

     November 30th is Mason Jar day. A day dedicated to the one item of which, you can never have enough.  Which reminds me, I should really do something about all those jars I have lined up on my dresser.

"In 1858, John Landis Mason, a tinsmith invented the screw-threaded glass jar or bottle which possessed a ribbed neck. It was patented in 1857 and came to be known as Mason jar." -https://www.nationaldaystoday.com/national-mason-jar-day/

Industrialization and the ability to mass-produce items helped to bolster their popularity, the various sizes allowed for the preservation of several types of produce.  WWII brought out a call for people to grow their own food further cemented. a need for the jars.  Although refrigeration and canning have reduced the need for preserving via Mason Jars, they still hold an appeal and can be used in a variety of ways.

 

 

The Mason Jar [text (large print)] by Lingerfelt, James Russell 

Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather's desk; letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark débutante named Savannah. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she vanishes, Clayton is left with unanswered questions. Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to Savannah's disappearance. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the missing Mason jar.--From publisher description.

Mason Jar Mayhem by Goyer, Tricia 

Spring has come to Sugarcreek and the community is rallying behind an effort to help victims of domestic violence. At a work day to remodel abandoned cottages for families in need of safe havens, volunteers discover dozens of jars filled with old coins hidden within the walls of a kitchen. When the money is stolen from the safe in Cheryl's office at the Swiss Miss, she feels a responsibility to find the thief and recover the loot. The investigation takes her back to the 1940s and connects people and events from the past to current friends and neighbors.

 Christmas Jars by Wright, Jason F. 

A journalist happens upon a human interest story that winds up teaching her lessons about love and forgiveness and renewing her own faith in human kindness. On Christmas Eve, twenty-something Hope Jensen is quietly grieving the recent loss of her adoptive mother when her apartment is robbed. The one bright spot in the midst of Hope's despair is a small jar full of money someone has anonymously left on her doorstep. Eager to learn the source of this unexpected generosity, Hope uses her newswoman instincts to find other recipients of "Christmas jars," digging until her search leads her to the family who first began the tradition of saving a year's worth of spare change to give to someone in need at the holiday.

 

The Prayer Jars Series by Wanda Brunstetter

                                                  One Jar of Magic by Haydu, Corey Ann
 

Joining her family in her community's annual New Year's Day magic-capturing ceremony, a 12-year-old girl who has always been lucky captures just one tiny jar of magic, revealing the true nature and beliefs of her loved ones. 

 

Memory jars by Brosgol, Vera

Freda is devastated when she can't eat all the delicious blueberries she's picked. She has to wait a whole year before they're back, and she doesn't want to lose them! But her Gran reminds her that they can save blueberries in a jar, as jam.So Freda begins to save all her favorite things, like the yummy scent of a just-baked chocolate chip cookie, brand-new crayons with pristine, pointy tips, and a cloud shaped exactly like a unicorn.But it turns out that saving everything also means she can't enjoy anything, and Freda realizes that some things are best saved as memories.Vera Brosgol has created another unique, funny, and heartfelt story, perfect for anyone who treasures family and love. 

150 Best Desserts in a Jar by Jourdan, Andrea

 

DIY Mason jars : Thirty-five Creative Crafts and Projects for the Classic Container by Averinos, Melissa

 
Here is everything you need to make one-of-a-kind creations with everyone's favorite jar, from darling label designs and centerpieces to reed defusers and pendant lighting. These Mason jar crafts will leave a lasting impression in any space!

 

Gifts in a Jar. Recipes to Make your Own Gifts. Cookies

Mason Jar Science : 40 Slimy, Squishy, Super-cool Experiments by Adolph, Jonathan

"Heatproof, transparent, and durable, the mason jar is a science lab just waiting to be discovered. Unlock its potential with 40 dynamic experiments for budding scientists ages 8 and up. Using just a jar and a few ordinary household items, children learn to create miniature clouds, tiny tornadoes, small stalactites, and, of course, great goo and super slime! With a little ingenuity, the jar can be converted into a lava lamp, a water prism, a balloon barometer, and a compass. Each fun-packed project offers small-scale ways to illustrate the big-picture principles of chemistry, botany, biology, physics, and more."-- Provided by publisher.