Happy Thanksgiving!

Our library hours will be as follows for Thanksgiving :

Monday, November 23 & Tuesday, November 24 - Normal hours - 9 am to 7 pm
Wednesday, November 25 - 9 am until Noon
Thursday, November 26 - CLOSED - Happy Thanksgiving
Friday, November 27 & Saturday, November 28 - CLOSED

We will reopen on Monday, November 30 at 9 am.

Remember - our selections of eBooks and digital magazines are available even when we're closed.  We hope all of our patrons have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Miscellaneous Non-Fiction for Your Consideration

The library orders and receives more books than we, here at the library, can read and fit onto this blog or into my weekly newspaper column. So, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the less glamorous, but all-together informative non-fiction that we have recently acquired.

The 11:45 Call: An Expository Bible Study of the Book of Jude is by Joel F. Blakely and Brenda Klutz Blakely. The book of Jude is God's last attempt to give humanity His instructions on how to be delivered from destruction and what will happen if we don't listen. The book of Jude zeros in on the instructions that Jesus left his disciples to beware, to be ready, walk in faith and truth, and to testify to the work that God has done in our lives.

Next, we have 5@55: The 5 Essential Documents You Need by Age 55 written by Judith D. Grimaldi, Esq. and Joanne Seminara, Esq. with Pierre A. Lehu. This small, but informative book is for everyone; not just those 55 years old and older. You never know when you may need a will or an advanced health care directive. Illness, disability, and death may strike at any time; yet most people don't have the necessary legal documents in place to safeguard our loved ones and our assets. This book covers the five most important documents you should have: a Will, a Health Care Proxy, a Living Will, a Power of Attorney, and a Digital Diary (which gives authorization for your representative to access your computer and online accounts). These documents will help ensure that your assets go to the right people, your wishes about your medical care will be respected, and that the people you trust will be in charge of your affairs. This is not a difficult book to understand. The authors wrote it for the average layperson to understand, so why not check it out today?

Finally, have you ever thought about writing your memoirs, but have been at a loss at where to begin? Well, perhaps you should check-out Turning Memories into Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing Lifestories by Denis Ledoux. The author leads you through writing your personal or family history step-by-step. He offers practical advice and tips for helping you remember the salient details of the stories you are trying to tell. You will learn proven story writing techniques and strategies to write stories that others will enjoy and you will gain the skills necessary to help you gain access to your life's deeper, inner meaning.


These, and other informative books are readily available here at the library. Come in and check them out!

Origami Day!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 is Origami Day.  Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, taking a flat piece of paper and turning it into another form without cutting or pasting.   One of the best known models is the Paper Crane, which has become a symbol for peace.

We have several books in our collection for patrons that are interested in origami.

In 10-Fold Origami by Peter Engel, readers can learn how to create 26 wide-ranging origami models,  The book includes easy to follow diagrams and full color illustrations. (736  E57t)

Origami Sourcebook by Jay Ansill has projects for all levels from the beginning folder to the more experienced.  The wide range of models go from dragons and wizards to paper flower arrangements and napkin rings. (736 A619os)

Origami Boxes : for Gifts, Treasures and Trifles by Alexandra Dirk teaches how to make a range of unique containers that can be made in endless variations by simply altering the color or pattern of paper used to create them. (736.982 D599o)

These and many other crafting books are available for your use in our Nonfiction section (both Adult and Juvenile).  

Going "Off the Beaten Path"

     A lot of people enjoy traveling in the fall. I can't really blame them--the weather is cooler, you can usually find a harvest festival or two, and gas tends to be less expensive. If you're tired of the same ol' restaurants, museums, and festivals; why not check out the "Off the Beaten Path" series of travel books? These guides to the out-of-the-way and unique places in each state may inspire you to go somewhere just a bit different. They also offer tidbits and trivia about each state. Our newest additions to this series are: Kentucky, Mississippi, and Montana.

     The Bluegrass State of Kentucky has tons of natural wonders as well as man-made entertainment. Into horse racing? Visit Lexington which has the Kentucky Horse Park where you can see all kinds of horses; from thoroughbreds to rare breeds. If your sensibilities lean more toward the artistic; why not visit the park's International Museum of the Horse? It boasts fascinating exhibits from around the globe. Or you can visit the second oldest harness-racing track in the United States--the Red Mile Harness Track--and watch a race or two. Not really into horse-racing? Kentucky has more than 1,500 miles of marked hiking trails. A little more adventurous? Spelunk a lighted cave at Carter Caves State Resort Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky. You can view the world's largest know collection of ventriloquist figures at Vent Haven in Fort Mitchell. Why not go to Benton and check out the festivities leading up to Tater Day--the first Monday in April--which celebrates the glory of the sweet potato? You can cheer for your favorite kilt-sporting competitors at the Highland Games and Gathering of Scottish Clans in Glascow. (Kentucky, that is!)

     Did you know that, based on income tax returns documenting charitable donations, Mississippians are the most generous citizens in the United States? This is just one of the bits of Magnolia State trivia you'll pick up when you check out "Off the Beaten Path: Mississippi." Gaze at the multi-million-dollar collection of antique, rare, and celebrity vehicles on display at the Tupelo Automobile Museum. You can also "ooh" and "ahh" at the colorful balloons that fill the sky over Natchez during the annual Great Mississippi River Balloon Race in October. Visiting Biloxi? Swing by the Hurricane Katrina Memorial which stands watch over Biloxi's Town Green off US 90. The memorial stands 12 feet tall which is approximately the same height reached by the water at the Town Green during Katrina's storm surge. Take some time and follow The Mississippi Blues Trail--"a series of historical markers that combine words and images to tell the story of the blues, America's only original music." Mississippi also boasts a great many natural wonders. Black Creek, the state's only National Wild and Scenic River flows through three counties in southern Mississippi. Why not rent a canoe or camp along its banks? Or you could get in your car and hop on the Natchez Trace Parkway which runs from Natchez through Jackson and up through Tupelo in the northeastern part of the state.

     Montana is known as the Treasure State; and it's no wonder. It boasts wide open spaces and towering mountains along with beautiful wildlife. Did you know that there are five varieties of falcons that call Montana home: the prairie falcon, peregrine falcon, kestrel, merlin, and the gyrfalcon. Why not visit the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge which is located a mile south of the town of Medicine Lake? The northern portion of Yellowstone National Park is located in Montana. You can take a three-hour excursion on the Charlie Russell Chew Choo dinner train that departs from the Kingston Junction depot or you can marvel at Bill Holt's incredible collection of celebrity cowboy boots in Lolo. Stay at the magnificent Toad Hall Manor and attend the annual Evel Knievel Days in Butte. Bozeman has the American Computer Museum and the Museum of the Rockies. It also hosts the Sweet Pea Festival in early August and the Bridger Raptor Festival in early October.

These three travel books and more are available for check-out from the library. Enjoy!