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Monday, December 13, 2021

Twas The Night Before Christmas


 A Visit from St. Nicholas



Twas The Night Before Christmas.   



 When All Through the House,






Not a Creature was (Purring) stirring, 





Not even a Mouse  





The (Murder in her) stocking(s) were hung

by the chimney with care,







In hopes that Mr. St. Nick  
soon would be there;





The children were nestled all snug in their beds,


 While Visions of Sugar Plums danced in their heads;



And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for A (Loud) Winter's Nap









When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.


Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen Snow




Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny Reindeer,









With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!





On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With (The 12 ) sleigh(s of Christmas) full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.







And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,

Down the chimney, St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,


And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Merry Christmas, (Alex Cross) and to all a good-night."



Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Horses



I never had that stage where I was obsessed with horses, unicorns, and all manner of mythological creatures sure but, horses, no.   My experiences with horses are rather limited.  My asthma and allergies get all uppity any time I approach a barn so that has a lot to do with it.   While camping in Wisconsin once, my best friend talked me into one of those guided horseback tours.  I figured it couldn't be too bad as there would be other people around.  While everyone was trotting ahead on their well-behaved horses, I was last, at a practical standstill on a horse who had no desire to move.  The group leader came to see why I was so far behind and said:  "Oh, you've got Fat Albert.  You are going to need a stick."  She then proceeded to smack Fat Albert's hindquarters thus spurring him into a well, a very slow gait, where he proceeded to walk me under every low branch we came across, in hopes of knocking me off his back.  I find I get along with fictional horses a lot better than the real ones.


"The incredible true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Horse and The Eighty-Dollar Champion. In 1954, Annie Wilkins, a sixty-three-year-old farmer from Maine, embarked on an impossible journey. She had no relatives left, she'd lost her family farm to back taxes, and her doctor had just given her two years to live--but only if she "lived restfully." He offered her a spot in the county's charity home. Instead, she decided she wanted to see the Pacific Ocean just once before she died. She bought a cast-off brown gelding named Tarzan, donned men's dungarees, loaded up her horse, and headed out from Maine in mid-November, hoping to beat the snow. She had no map, no GPS, no phone. But she had her ex-racehorse, her faithful mutt, and her own unfailing belief that Americans would treat a stranger with kindness. Between 1954 and 1956, Annie, Tarzan, and her dog, Depeche Toi, journeyed more than 4,000 miles, through America's big cities and small towns, meeting ordinary people and celebrities--from Andrew Wyeth (who sketched Tarzan) to Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx. She received many offers--a permanent home at a riding stable in New Jersey, a job at a gas station in rural Kentucky, even a marriage proposal from a Wyoming rancher who loved animals as much as she did. As Annie trudged through blizzards, forded rivers, climbed mountains, and clung to the narrow shoulder as cars whipped by her at terrifying speeds, she captured the imagination of an apprehensive Cold War America. At a time when small towns were being bypassed by Eisenhower's brand-new interstate highway system, and the reach and impact of television was just beginning to be understood, Annie and her four-footed companions inspired an outpouring of neighborliness in a rapidly changing world"--. Provided by publisher.


 
"From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres and the New York Times best-selling Last Hundred Years Trilogy, a captivating, brilliantly imaginative story of three extraordinary animals--and a young boy--whose lives intersect in Paris Paras is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. At dusk, one afternoon she pushes open the door of her stall--she's a curious filly--and, after traveling through the night, arrives by chance in the City of Light. She's dazzled, and often mystified, by the sights, sounds and smells around her, but she isn't afraid. Soon she meets an elegant dog, a German shorthair pointer named Frida, who knows how to get by without attracting the attention of suspicious Parisians. Paras and Frida coexist for a time in the city's lush green spaces, nourished by Frida's strategic trips to the bakery and the butchershop. They keep company with two irrepressible ducks, and an opinionated raven. But then Paras meets a human boy, Etienne, and discovers a new, otherworldly part of Paris: the secluded, ivy-walled house where the boy and his nearly-one-hundred-year-old great grandmother live, quietly and unto themselves. As the cold weather and Christmas near, the unlikeliest of friendships bloom among humans and animals alike. But how long can a runaway horse live undiscovered in Paris? And how long can a boy keep her hidden, and all his own? Jane Smiley's beguiling new novel is itself an adventure that celebrates curiosity and ingenuity, and expresses the desire of all creatures for true friendship, love, and freedom"-- Provided by publisher.
Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport that Changed Their Lives Forever by Rosser, Kareem


Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Kareem thought he and his siblings would always be stuck in "The Bottom", a community and neighborhood devastated by poverty and violence. Riding their bicycles through Philly's Fairmount Park, Kareem's brothers discover a barn full of horses. Noticing the brothers' fascination with her misfit animals, Lezlie Hiner, founder of The Work to Ride stables, offers them their escape: an after school job in exchange for riding lessons. What starts as an accidental discovery turns into a love for horseback riding that leads the Rossers to discovering their passion for polo. Pursuing the sport with determination and discipline, Kareem earns his place among the typically exclusive players in college, becoming part of the first all-Black national interscholastic polo championship team-all while struggling to keep his family together. Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever is the story of bonds of brotherhood, family loyalty, the transformative connection between man and horse, and forging a better future that comes from overcoming impossible odds"-- Provided by publisher.
 

World War I has started and the military needs horses to move equipment, charge the enemy, and carry wounded soldiers off the battlefield. Joey, a farm horse is sold to the Army. Joey misses the farmer's son, Albert, and spends the war years wondering if the war will ever end and if he will ever see Albert again.



When an Earl passionate about horses becomes the target of her husband hunt, Amanda Locke knows it's time to overcome her fear of riding. With her sister-in-law Ophelia hastening the romance along by arranging riding lessons, Amanda is soon taking instruction from infuriating Devin Baldwin. Astonishingly, in her daily encounters with Devin--who treats her as an ordinary young woman, not a prize to be won at the marriage mart--Amanda experiences passion for the first time. Now, her search for a match takes her in an unexpected direction as she finds herself falling in love with Cupid himself.



When Sarah's grandfather gives her a beautiful horse named Boo--hoping that one day she&#x;ll follow in his footsteps to join an elite French riding school, away from their gritty London neighborhood--she quietly trains in city&#x;s parks and alleys. But then her grandfather falls ill, and Sarah must juggle horsemanship with school and hospital visits. Natasha, a young lawyer, is reeling after her failed marriage: her professional judgment is being questioned, her new boyfriend is a let-down, and she&#x;s forced to share her house with her charismatic ex-husband. Yet when the willful fourteen-year-old Sarah lands in her path, Natasha decides to take the girl under her wing.



Turner McNeally's daughter has gone off to college, and her horse is demonstrating signs of loneliness. Rebecca Wilkinson's son hasn't spoken a word since his father's death, and the family counselor suggests a pet. This Christmas, the chance to hear her son's voice again would be the best gift Rebecca could receive. Beloved author Lauraine Snelling weaves a story of holiday romance in which a simple advertisement for a horse's companion creates a family bond and sparks unexpected love.



  • A beautifully jacketed Everyman's Library Pocket Classics hardcover anthology of two centuries of short fiction about our most majestic companion animal. Annie Proulx and Bret Harte transport us to the ranches of the Old West and Rudyard Kipling to the polo fields of India. Arthur Conan Doyle makes a famous Thoroughbred disappear, and Raymond Carver gives us a vision of runaway horses in the mist. Jane Smiley, Margaret Atwood, Isaac Babel, and Ted Hughes explore the human passions horses can unleash. From the rollicking racetrack humor of Damon Runyon to the poignant lyricism of John Steinbeck's "The Red Pony" to the wild recklessness of adolescence in William Saroyan's "The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse" and Lydia Peelle's "Sweethearts of the Rodeo," these stories testify to our varied and timeless fascination with the noble animal.


When twelve-year-old Lidie leaves Brazil to join her father and brother on a horse ranch in New York, she has a hard time adjusting to her changed circumstances, as does a new horse that has come to the ranch.



Twelve-year-old Claire struggles to cope while her eighteen-year-old brother, Andy, is treated for drug addiction and her family prepares to sell her beloved horses, but finally accepts that change can be good.



"Turn back the clock with History Comics, First Second's new nonfiction graphic novel series! In this volume, learn how wild mustangs were first introduced to America and how they still roam free today. On the North American plains, wild mustangs have roamed for generations ... shaping human history and struggling to survive it. For the Spanish, they were a tool of conquest. For Native Americans, they brought on a new way of life where horsemanship and horse-trading were central. And for the entire world, wild mustangs became a renowned wonder of the American West. There are still thousands of mustangs in the wild today, but they struggle to survive in an ever-changing landscape and their future is by no means guaranteed."--Publisher description.

Monday, December 6, 2021

Illinois Day


In Fourth Grade, one of my assignments was to draw the Illinois flag. I have this recollection of realizing one, that my art skills were seriously lacking and two, the Illinois flag has a lot going on. This is the only time that I can recall Illinois being a specific topic in school. Aside from the flag project, I recall learning about Abe Lincoln, Springfield, and maybe about cardinals being the state bird.


On December 03, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state. National Illinois Day, however, is not until December 7th. The "Prarie State", also known as "The Land of Lincoln" is home to 12.67 million (as of 2019), as well as "58 mammal species, 383 different resident and migrant birds, 104 types of reptiles and amphibians, 174 species of fish, and some 27,000 types of insects, mussels, and other invertebrates." https://ilenviro.org/wildlife-and-habitat/




"Exploring the Land of Lincoln invites road-trippers and history buffs to explore the Prairie State's most extraordinary historic sites. Charles Titus blends storytelling with in-depth research to highlight twenty must-see destinations selected for human drama, historical and cultural relevance, and their far-reaching impact on the state and nation. Supplementary maps, illustrations, mileage tables, and other information encourage readers to create personal journeys of exploration to, and beyond, places like Cahokia, the Lincoln sites, Nauvoo, and Chicago's South Side Community Art Center"-- Provided by publisher.



Dig up the men who tried to dig up Lincoln. Mull over the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and the 1977 thunderbird infestation, from a safe distance. Watch in horror as one of the greatest maritime disasters in U.S. history occurs twenty feet from the banks of the Chicago River or follow the course of the blimp crash that convinced a downtown bank employee that it was raining hell. Try not to blink as towns washed away by floods and shrines covered over by condominiums are dragged back from the margins of history into the center of the page, where they belong. After all, reasons author Bryan Alaspa, if the pope was eager to stop by the House of Crosses during his visit to Chicago, surely it is worth a look. Just beware: a quick glance into this book and you might not look up until you've read the whole gripping and grin-inspiring collection.





Discover the breathtaking beauty and unforgettable adventures that await in Illinois state parks. Lee Mandrell and DeeDee Niederhouse-Mandrell highlight the incredible diversity and natural beauty of the landscapes, flora, and fauna of the state.





A renaissance in Illinois history scholarship has sparked renewed interest in the Prairie State's storied past. Students, meanwhile, continue to pursue coursework in Illinois history to fulfill degree requirements and for their own edification. This Common Threads collection offers important articles from the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. Organized as an approachable survey of state history, the book offers chapters that cover the colonial era, early statehood, the Civil War years, the Gilded Age and Progressive eras, World War II, and postwar Illinois. The essays reflect the wide range of experiences lived by Illinoisans engaging in causes like temperance and women's struggle for a shorter workday; facing challenges that range from the rise of street gangs to Decatur's urban decli≠ and navigating historic issues like the 1822-24 constitutional crisis and the Alton School Case. Contributors: Roger Biles, Lilia Fernandez, Paul Finkelman, Raymond E. Hauser, Reginald Horsman, Suellen Hoy, Judson Jeffries, Lionel Kimble Jr., Thomas E. Pegram, Shirley Portwood, Robert D. Sampson, Ronald E. Shaw, and Robert M. Sutton.







"The Discovering Vintage series takes you back in time to all of the timeless classic spots each city has to offer. The books spotlight the charming stories that tell you what each place is like now and how it got that way from classic restaurants to shops to other establishments that still thrive today and evoke the unique character of the city. They're all still around--but they won't be around forever. Start reading, and start your discovering now!,"--Amazon.com.






"In Corn Kings and One-Horse Thieves, James Krohe Jr. presents an engaging history of an often-overlooked region, filled with fascinating stories and surprising facts about Illinois's midsection. Krohe describes in lively prose the history of mid-Illinois from the Woodland period of prehistory up until roughly 1960, covering the settlement of the region by peoples of disparate races and religions; the exploitation by Euro-Americans of forest, fish, and waterfowl; the transformation of farming into a high-tech industry; and the founding and deaths of towns. The economic, cultural, and racial factors that led to antagonism and accommodation between various people of different backgrounds are explored, as are the roles of education and religion in this part of the state. The book examines remarkable Utopian experiments, social and moral reform movements, and innovations in transportation and food processing. It also offers fresh accounts of labor union warfare and social violence directed against Native Americans, immigrants, and African Americans and profiles three generations of political and government leaders, sometimes extraordinary and sometimes corrupt (the "one-horse thieves" of the title). A concluding chapter examines history's roles as product, recreation, and civic bond in today's mid-Illinois. A general history of mid-Illinois for the curious nonacademic reader, Corn Kings, and One-Horse Thieves draws on a wide range of sources to explore a surprisingly diverse region whose history is America in microcosm"-- Provided by publisher.







Here, naturalist Scott Shupe offers detailed information on all the wildlife that resides in the Prairie State. Included are over 800 color photographs, depicting the different species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and fish, while also offering over 600 range maps to show their territory




Make identifying fish easy and enjoyable. This field guide by Dave Bosanko features detailed information about 86 types of Illinois fish, and the book's waterproof pages make it perfect for the dock or boat. Identify your catches with the intricately detailed fish illustrations, and verify them using the "Similar Species" comparison features. Then read fascinating facts on spawning behavior, feeding habits and more. Plus, match up your best catches against the state and North American records. With inside information for locating fishing hotspots, this book is essential for every tackle box, beach bag, RV and cabin.



"This book tells the history of Kaskaskia, Illinois, from its founding to its time as the territorial capital and then the first state capital, through its disasters--earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and epidemics--and finally to its disappearance when the Mississippi River washed it away"-- Provided by publisher.



DVDs:










Links:





Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Bartenders

 


The Jeopardy category was all about Alcohol.  For every Answer Alex Trebek gave, I was quick to give the question.  I swept the category.   At the time, I was working behind a bar and the few customers I had that day were incredibly impressed with my know-how.  And I smiled, pretended I knew what I was doing but in all honesty, I knew the answers because that morning, as I wiped down every single bottle of booze we carried, I read the labels out of boredom.  

I only worked as a bartender for a couple of years and a good majority of my stories, are likely not appropriate for this format.  However, I had a lot of fun and  I met my husband there which is a bonus.

December 3rd is National Bartender Day. A profession that dates back to ancient times, bartending has a long history.  It takes skill, timing, patience, practicality, observational skills, and if flair is involved, then it definitely involves some sort of superpower.  



"Eric Alperin and Deborah Stoll give readers a peek inside the joys, pains, and peculiarities of life behind the stick"-- Provided by publisher.


Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol by O'Meara, Mallory

Provides a tour through the feminist history of women drinking, revealing the untold female distillers, drinkers, and brewers that played vital roles in potent potable history, from ancient Sumerian beer goddess Ninkasi to the 1920s bartender Ada Coleman.



The Seattle bar Canon: whiskey and bitters emporium has achieved worldwide acclaim. Named "best bar in America" by Esquire, Canon has also received a host of additional awards and accolades. Canon founder Jamie Boudreau offers 100 cocktail recipes ranging from riffs on the classics to their lineup of original house drinks. In addition to tips, recipes, and formulas for top-notch cocktails, syrups, and infusions, Boudreau breaks down the fundamentals and challenges of opening and running a bar&#x; from business plans to menu creation.



College grad Bailey Chen has all of the usual new-adult demons: no cash, no job offers, and a rocky relationship with Zane, the only friend still around when she moves back home. But her demons become a lot more literal when Zane introduces Bailey to his cadre of monster-fighting bartenders. It turns out supernatural creatures are stalking the streets of Chicago, and they can be hunted only with the help of magically mixed cocktails: vodka grants super-strength, whiskey offers the power of telekinesis, and tequila lets its drinker fire blasts of elemental energy. But will these supernatural powers be enough for Bailey and a ragtag band of mixologists to halt a mysterious rash of gruesome deaths? Includes 15 cocktail recipes from an ancient book of cocktail lore.



"Justin Chase is the perfect barkeep, tending bar as he lives his life, in a state of Zen serenity. At least until Birdie Grackle, a yellow-haired, foul-mouthed alcoholic from Texas, walks into his bar, orders a Mojito, and makes a startling confession. Six years ago Justin's life was ripped apart when he discovered his mother's bludgeoned corpse in the foyer of the family home. Now Justin's father is serving a life sentence and Justin, after a stint in an asylum, drowns his emotions in a pool of inner peace. But when Birdie Grackle claims to be the hitman who murdered Justin's mother for the money, Justin is hurled back to the emotions, the past, and, most frightening of all, the father he tried to leave behind"--Back cover.



"On Monday nights at the Corner Bar, artist Lexie McCain, and Sam the bartender learn that, with good beer and a trusted friend, sharing just "one thing" might lead to the one thing they both thought was lost forever: love"-- Provided by publisher.



If there's anything worse than being fired from the lousiest restaurant in town, it's coming home early to find your boyfriend in bed with someone else. Reeling from the humiliation of double dumping in one day, Georgina takes the next job that comes her way--bartender in a newly opened pub. There's only one problem: it's run by the guy she fell in love with years ago. And--make that two problems--he doesn't remember her. At all. But she has fabulous friends and her signature hot pink fur coat... what more could a girl really need?

Lucas McCarthy has not only grown into a broodingly handsome man but he's also turned into an actual grown-up, with a thriving business and a dog along the way. Crossing paths with him again throws Georgina's rocky present into sharp relief--and brings a secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows what happened twelve years ago, and why she's allowed the memories to chase her ever since. But maybe it's not too late for the truth... or a second chance with the one that got away?




Running a venerable bar in 1960 Montana while raising his twelve-year-old son, single father Tom Harry finds his world upended by the arrival of a woman from his past and her beatnik daughter, who claims Tom as her father.



"Shaken and Stirred is an enticing literary cocktail of stories about drinking and making merry by great writers from the past two centuries. In this lively collection, wine snobs receive their comeuppances at the hands of Roald Dahl and Edgar Allan Poe; innocents over imbibe in tales by Jack London and Alice Munro; riotous partying exacts a comic price in stories by P.G. Wodehouse and Kingsley Amis; Charles Jackson and Jean Rhys chronicle liquor-soaked epiphanies; while John Cheever, Vladimir Nabokov, and Robert Coover set their characters afloat on surreal, soul-revealing adventures. Here, too, are well-lubricated tales by Dickens, Twain, Beckett, Colette, Dorothy Parker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dawn Powell, Clarice Lispector, Joy Williams, Penelope Lively, and many more. The settings include hotels and restaurants, a wine cellar in Italy, a cafe in Paris, a bar in Dublin, a New York nightclub, Jazz Age speakeasies, suburban lawn parties, and the occasional jail cell, and are peopled by lovers and loners, bartenders and chorus girls, youths taking their first sips and experienced tipplers waking with hangovers. Whether living it up or drowning their sorrows, the vividly drawn characters in these sparkling pages will leave you shaken and stirred"-- Provided by publisher.



Booklover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex's gambling addiction. She's bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs.







August 2026

Summer Reading has come to an end, and a new school year is about to start. If it seems like the library has a little less going on this mon...