Happy Halloween!

While you're at home passing out candy, spend the time between trick-or-treaters watching a ghost movie (spooky or otherwise):

Ghost [VIDEO GHO] staring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. Whoopi Goldberg won a "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for her role as the medium.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir [DVD GHO]. An oldie but goodie (1947) in which Rex Harrison plays a ghost, and Gene Tierney is the woman he attempts to spook.

Ghostbusters [VIDEO GHO]--"Who ya gonna call?"

Hamlet [DVD 822.33 SHA]. This is the BBC version of Shakespeare's classic play.
Volver [DVD VOL], a 2007 Academy Award nominee for "Best Foreign Film," starring Penelope Cruz, is a strangely amusing film involving a murder, a family of women, and a ghost.

The Last Year

This is the last year for the Searles Castle Christmas Floral Showcase. The showcase has been a Windham tradition for 15 years. If you've missed it for the past 14, there are two more weekends (11/3-5 and 11/9-11) to catch it!







Imagine this beautiful room full of holiday lights and decorations!




Searles Castle was built over a period of ten years--1905-1915. At the time it was estimated to have cost $1,250,000. Take that figure and multiply it by 20.70 and you'll get the cost in 2006 dollars (based on the Consumer Price Index)! Visit this site to do your own cost calculations.

To learn more about Searles Castle and the man who had it built, read Edward Francis Searles and His Castle in Windham by Mary Lee Underhill [974.2 WIN]. It's fascinating story, and, it took place in our own backyard!

Thank You, Red Sox...

for a fabulous season! Congratulations on winning the 2007 World Series!

I'm thankful the Sox swept the Rockies--I don't think I could have stayed up after midnight one more night!

So, this will be the last baseball blog of the season. I promise not to write anything about baseball until at least March. The funny thing is, I'm not really a baseball fan, it's just that baseball is such a part of our national identity, I can't possibly ignore it!

One thing I noticed about the playoffs, or perhaps it was just the camera work of the Fox network focusing on the faces of the players, there's a whole lotta of spitting goin' on! And gum chewing!
More so than in the population in general. I remember taking the New York subway in my youth and seeing the signs that said, "no spitting." Gross! I'd think. I still think it's gross, but obviously it's acceptable in the world of baseball. No spitting ordinances were an outgrowth of prevalence of tuberculosis in the last century. With drug resistent TB on the rise in the U.S., it might be wise to encourage our model baseball players to restrain from spitting. (Don't know much about TB? Look for this book the next time you visit the library: Tuberculosis by Kim R. Finer [J 616.995 FIN].)

Sorry, guys, I didn't mean to rain on your parade! I did enjoy the bubble gum prank played on Dice-K by Ortiz and Crisp. Did you see it? Someone placed a blown bubble on Dice-K's hat. He didn't notice and was quite surprised when it popped! Dice-K realized he'd been pranked and he loved it! What a fun bunch of guys. I hope the Sox enjoy their break. Come back in March--especially you, Mike Lowell!

A Whole Lotta Politics Goin' On!

The presidential election is a little more than one year away. If you don't like politics, and all it involves, I'd suggest moving out of New Hampshire for the next 12 months!

NH's Secretary of State, William M. Gardner has yet to announce the date of NH's presidential primary. He's waiting until the rest of the states finish with their "jockeying" for a influential position. It looks NH's date may be 1/9, but we'll have to wait for the official announcement before marking our calendars.

For a look at NH's primary history, visit the NH Political Library housed at the NH State Library in Concord.

So what are you looking for in a president? Here's some information on helping you in judging a candidate.

For a fun children's book that takes a look at presidents of the past, pick up Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame, and What the Neighbors Thought by Kathleen Krull [J 920 KRU].

Hot Stuff

I was listening to a program on chocolate and one of the bars being sampled was made with chili peppers!

I've grown to like moderately hot dishes over the years. And, if I weren't so lazy, I'd probably experiment with cooking with chilis, but I prefer to have someone else prepare the hot stuff for me.

It can actually be dangerous preparing a meal with fresh chili peppers due to a substance called capsaicin that is concentrated in the membranes. Wear rubber gloves when you work with them, and NEVER EVER rub your eyes while working with peppers!

If you're intrigued by chili peppers, this book can't be beat: The Chile Pepper encyclopedia: Everything You'll Ever Need to Know About Hot Peppers with More Than 100 Recipes by Dave DeWitt [641.6384 DEW].

Hot peppers have developed their own mystique and lore, which you can explore in Rooted in America: Foodlore of Popular Fruits and Vegetables [398 ROO].

And who doesn't love a big bowl of hot chili on a cold winter's day? Browse our cookbooks for a variety of recipes. While you're cooking up a batch, listen to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We have Stadium Arcadium [CD ROCK RED] in our collection. Then, treat your kids to a bedtime story: Armadilly Chili by Helen Ketteman [JP KEL].

Fans Take Note

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is having a promotion through November 1--have your picture taken in front of the giant "Oh You Red Sox!" banner that hangs outside the Museum, upload it, and you could win a year's membership to the museum.
The "Oh you Red Sox!" phrase is from Isabella Stewart Gardner:

In 1912, the grand dame caused quite a stir, when she celebrated the Sox' championship win over the New York Giants in unique style, wearing a white headband emblazoned with the phrase "Oh, you Red Sox" for all to see at Symphony Hall, shocking society and the media alike.

Isn't it amazing that 83+ years after her death, the woman still has the power to impress some of us!

The Museum has put together an impressive array of newspaper articles clipped by Gardner during the 1912 championship series. I checked the index to The Art of Scandel: The Life and Times of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Douglass Shand-Tucci [709 SHA] to see if I could find a mention of Gardner's Sox obsession, but was disappointed find nothing. That may be due to the fact that Sox-related archival material has only recently been discovered.

Fenway Park opened in April 1912, the same year in which Isabella Stewart Gardner followed the series. For a history of the park we have Our House: A Tribute to Fenway Park by Curt Smith [796.357 SMI]. And, if you've ever wondered about the ballpark and the people who keep it running, look for Fenway Lives: The Team Behind the Team: The People Who Work In and Around Boston's Fenway Park by Bill Nowlin [796.357 NOW].

Here's something I found to be amusing--Baltimore fans are up in arms over Kevin Millar's throwing of the first pitch at Sunday's Sox-Indians game! What's up with that? I think it's fantastic that the guy can still remain friends with his teammates and support their post season efforts.


Okay fans, take a deep breath and get ready for tonight's game! GO SOX!

Again? Yes, It's Shameless Self-Promotion Time Again!

Next Tuesday, 10/30, at 6:30, I will be reading my books at a special library story-time. Since it's the day before Halloween, I'll read Littlebat's Halloween Story [JP MAY] and then follow it up with Run, Turkey, Run! [JP MAY] to take us into the Thanksgiving season. I'll also be reading from a book of jokes, Spooky Sillies: A Book of Ghost Jokes by Mark Moore [J 818 MOO] so parents beware! There are some real groaners!

Books will be available for purchase and signing, and Jane and Karen have come up with a nifty craft and snack!

Speaking of crafts...the Peabody Essex Museum has a great demo video on their site. It shows you how to make an origami bat with wet paper--and it's awesome! I wish I were good at origami (I've bemoaned my lack of skill here before!)

By the way, don't forget that we have a library pass to the Peabody Essex Museum--it's an interesting place to visit!

How About those Red Sox!

What a fantastic weekend of baseball! I only wish I had been at Fenway last night, but the cats and I had to be content with the television.


J.D. Drew's home run on Saturday and Dustin Pedroia's fabulous performance last night were a delight. Kevin Youkilis has got to be the hardest working guy in Boston! Now on to the World Series. Let's hope Colorado has become so rested that they're comatose! I take that back, it's more fun when the competition is keen.

I'd like to see the Red Sox dugout maintain its rhythmic accompaniment to the game. Look for How to Play Nearly Everything [781.9 HOW] in our musical instrument section, pick up a few spoons, and join in the fun on Wednesday night at 8:00!

GO SOX!

Whatever Floats Your Boat

The Nashua Telegraph had an article about the Boston winner of the "air guitar" competition held this summer. Air guitar musicianship is a fun hobby--especially for those who go all out and get costumed up in spandex jumpsuits! I did a little searching and found the site for the US Air Guitar Champonships, and also one for a documentary film called Air Guitar Nation.

I also found an article from the British paper, The Daily Mail. Take a look at the photos!

ROCK ON!

Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n Roll?

Not quite, but the 17th century equivalent.

Last night I attended a lecture in Boston by Diane Rapaport, author of The Naked Quaker: True Crimes and Controversies from the Courts of Colonial New England. Ms. Rappaport, a lawyer, spent many an hour of her spare time, searching New England archives looking at court records from the 1600s. Reading them was like reading scripts of soap operas. In my own research for Women of Granite I found the same thing. It seems that before radio and television, people occupied their time by sueing their neighbors--and sometimes their own family--for matters both large and small. Rappaport has collected twenty-five stories in her book.

I'm sure you're intrigued by the title story, "The Naked Quaker." It seems that in colonial New England, EVERYONE was required to attend Puritan services, including Quakers. Some of the Quakers protested this lack of religious tolerance. One was a New Hampshire woman by the name of Lydia Wardell. Lydia went to church and then stripped bare as her way of protest. The authorities were not amused and punished her. Her punishment? Being stripped to the waist and whipped! Ouch!

I purchased a copy of the book for the library, and the author signed it, so give us a few weeks to process, catalog it and get it on the new book shelf!

The lecture was held at the New England Historic Genealogical Society on Newbury St. Visit their website to learn about other, sure to be fascinating, events.

Ya Gotta Love a Reader

Did you see Stephen King at the Red Sox game on Friday night? He was in the stands reading a book! A Fox television commentator interviewed him and King said he was reading The Ghost. I checked and found that a new book by Robert Harris was coming out on 10/16 and it's called The Ghost. But, I also found that Alan Lightman had a book coming out on the same day called Ghost. Since the book by Harris is published by King's publisher, Simon and Schuster, I think it's safe to guess that the book King was engrossed in is The Ghost and not Ghost, which is published by Knopf.

Friday night King should have been paying attention, it was a good game. In the time it took to play Saturday's game, King could have read War and Peace [F TOL]! (I won't comment on games 3 and 4--it's too painful.)

This is just a short post today. I'm blogging from the Boston Public Library! I've taken a day off to do some research on a Windham artist, Mary Bradish Titcomb. It's for a project called Women of Granite: 25 New Hampshire Women You Should Know. It's intended audience is NH 4th graders and should be out in the spring of 2008 (if the good Lord is willin' and the creek don't rise).

Making Strides

When my kids and I were in New York on the 7th, we were driving over the George Washington Bridge to go to Jersey. We were surprised to see a wall of pink coming over the bridge. It was the Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk. Women, men, and children, were decked out in pink tees, carrying signs, and making noise. I was impressed. This past Sunday, the 14th, was New Hampshire's turn to Make Strides. As a breast cancer survivor I participated and I brought along my camera.



Here I am in my survivor sash. Sort of like being Miss America, but without making a fool of myself in the talent competition!



We found ourselves behind a group from Windham--the Windham Sweetarts. There were quite a few of them, but I fear they may have questioned my sanity since I was chasing after them with my camera!











There were, according to the mayor of Manchester, about 3,500 of us walking. Here's a shot of a bunch of walkers heading down the hill to Commercial St.









I couldn't resist taking a picture of this little dog. He was decked out in his best tee-shirt and had a pink ribbon hanging from his collar. (His owner was nicely attired, also!)

If you find yourself, or a loved one, faced with a diagnosis of cancer, make sure you educate yourself so that you can be an informed advocate. We have lots of information for you. In our reference section we have two comprehensive books, Cancer sourcebook : basic consumer health information about major forms and stages of cancer, featuring facts about head and neck cancers, lung cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, lymphomas, blood cell cancers, and more; along with facts about cancer treatments, cancer risks and prevention, a glossary of related terms, statistical data, and a directory of resources for additional information [R 616.994 CAN], and Cancer sourcebook for women : basic consumer health informationa about leading causes of cancer in women, featuring facts about gynecologic cancers and related concerns, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, uterine sarcoma, vaginal cancer, vulva cancer, and common non-cancerous gynecologic conditions, in addition to facts about lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and thyroid cancer in women, along with information about cancer risk factors, screening and prevention, treatment options, and tips on coping with life after cancer treatment [R 616.9946 CAN].

We also have many books that you can borrow, just browse the shelves in the 616.994 section. A recently published book, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips by Kris Carr [616.994 CAR], is a companion book to a documentary film, Crazy Sexy Cancer that is being reshown on cable's TLC on October 31 at 8:00 and 11:00 pm.

Retirement

Next week is National Save for Retirement Week. Who knew!

Unless you are independently wealthy, it behooves you to think about your retirement. A good place to start would be to attend our upcoming workshop, "Focus on Retirement," to be conducted by financial advisor, Melinda K. Davis (Mindy to those who know her). Mindy's workshop will cover everything from planning for your income needs to choosing investments. And, I'm sure, Mindy will be ready to answer any questions you may have.

Also check out our shelves. We have a nice collection of retirement planning books!

Pond, Jonathan D. You Can Do It!: The Boomer's Guide to a Great Retirement. [332.024 PON]

Retire Worry-Free: Money-Smart Ways to Build the Nest Egg. [332.024 REI]

Ruffenach, Glenn. The Wall Street Journal Complete Retirement Guidebook: How to Plan It, Live It and Enjoy It. [646.79 RUF]

Don't forget to visit the AARP site for lots of retirement information!



I'd like to recommend Christopher S. Wren's Walking to Vermont: From Times Square into the Green Mountains - A Homeward Adventure [974.3 WRE], just to shake up your stereotypical view of retirees!

Peace Prizes and Polar Bears

Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have been awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Gore's work on global warming has been on our shelves for a while, but if you've missed it, you can borrow the film, An Inconvenient Truth [DVD 363.73874 GOR], or the book [363.73874 GOR], or even the children's edition [J 363.738 GOR].


The tie-in with polar bears is that they have become the "poster child" for global warming. Who doesn't love a cute little polar bear? Here are some sites for you to look at if you haven't heard about the polar bear problem:

UN Works

Center for Biological Diversity

Seattle Times report about the move to make the polar bear an endangered species.

Of course there are the nay-sayers. Here's a report from the CBC about one.

We recently got a new picture book for our collection, it's a take-off of the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story called, The Three Snow Bears [JP BRE]. The author, Jan Brett, recently told a reporter about her research into the polar regions and polar bears.

I Know You Don't Want to Hear This

...but the holidays will be here before you know it.

Some of you may want to make gifts this year. The personal touch is always welcomed.
I'm going to mention a few of our fantastic craft books--we have a gazillion more:

Alexander, Karla. Stack the Deck! Crazy Quilts in 4 Easy Steps. [746.46 ALE]

Barry, Jennifer. Fun with Family Photos: Crafts.Keepsakes.Gifts. [745.593 BAR]

Baskett, Mickey. Wonderful Wire Works: An Easy Decorative Craft. [745.56 BAS]

Just Gifts: Favorite Patterns to Knit and Crochet. [746.43 LIO]

Lyons, Charlotte. Between Friends: Craft Projects to Share. [745.5 LYO]

Mauriello, Barbara. Making Memory Boxes: Box Projects to Make, Give, and Keep. [745.593 MAU]

Wilson, Janet. The Search Press Book of Traditional Papercrafts: Parchement Craft, Stencil Embossing, Paper Pricking, Quilling. [745.54 WIL]

The rationale behind starting now is:

You've got plenty of time.

You don't have the added pressures of getting the house cleaned for the holidays, making cookies for your annual cookie exchange, school winter concerts that you can't possibly miss (you can, but your kids will hold it against you forever).

If your crafting skills aren't quite up to par, and your end result isn't what you hoped it would be, you still have time to hit the stores and buy something!

Impact

We've become such a throw-away society that most of us don't think twice about purchasing something and discarding it before it has been used up or worn out. In doing so, we completely ignore the impact that the item has on all things natural--from the smallest cell in our bodies, to the vast oceans that cover our planet. I was alerted to a site, Cradle to Grave, that explores the impact. "In this site we will see how our products interact with natural systems from raw material extraction though production and use to disposal or recycling - from 'cradle to grave.' Illustrated by a simple example - a whiteboard marker." It is worth a look, and some reflection.

A book by William McDonnough, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things [745.2 MCD], takes the solution to the product impact problem one step further. Why worry about recycling things when they can be made totally different and "provide nourishment for something new." The book itself is an example.

It is printed on a synthetic "paper" and bound into a book format...Unlike the paper with which we are familiar, it does not use any wood pulp or cotton fiber but is made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers. The material is not only waterproof, extremely durable, and (in many localities) recyclable by conventional means; it is also a prototype for the book as a "technical nutrient," that is, as a product that can be broken down and circulated infinitely in industrial cycles--made and remade as "paper" or other products.

It's amazing what we can do if we put our minds to it!

Autumn Leaf Tour

I wonder if it's the warm weather we've been having that has made the annual display of turning leaves look rather dull this year? If I were from out of state and had made a trek to NH for the foliage, I'd be disappointed! Maybe it's better up north? If you're planning on leaf peeping, there are several sites that provide reports so that you can view the leaves at their peak. Here's one published by the state, and this one includes driving tours.

If you're a little leaf identificationally challenged, visit this site, or borrow one of our books. Forest Leaves: How to Identify Trees and Shrubs of Northern New England by Henry Ives Baldwin [582.16 BAL] is a good one since it deals with this area, but, the illustations are in black and white. The Smithsonian Handbook: Trees by Allen J. Coombes [582.16 COO] has color photos, but it identifies trees from all over, not just our region. If you get out of your car to peep, you may come across some wildflowers, if so, Marilyn J. Dwelley's Summer and Fall Wildflowers of New England [582.13 DWE] will be a good book to have along.

Enjoy the weather while it's good, and have a good trip!

Happy Columbus Day!

I hope you're spending your Columbus Day holiday doing something other than shopping! Monday holidays have turned into an excuse for shopping. If you don't believe me, try driving past one of the outlet malls today. Tour buses now have mall excursions on their itineraries! See what David Brancaccio has discovered about the American pubic in Squandering Aimlessly: My Adventures in the American Marketplace. [332.024 BRA also AB 332.024 BRA]

The War is Finally Over

Yesterday the leaders of North and South Korea called for an official end to the war that was fought more than half a century ago. The BBC has quite a lot of information on the Korean War on its website--take a look.

Now that we've gained some distance from the conflict, writers, such as David Halberstam, are taking up the topic. His new book, The Coldest Winter, is about the war. This title is currently on order and expected in soon. (Halberstam recently passed away, so his friends have banded together to promote his book.)

For an in-depth look at the war, we have a multi-volume set in our reference section:
The Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History [951.904 ENC].

Many people only know the Korean War from episodes of M*A*S*H the television program which aired for 8 seasons [DVD MAS]. The true story of a MASH surgeon may be found in MASH: An Army Surgeon in Korea by Otto F. Apel [951.9042 APE].

Now if only we could get the news that another war is over...

Sputnik!

Today, as you probably know, is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik by the Russians.

The launch was the beginning of the space race and it also marked the beginning of many a child's interest in science. One of Windham's current residents, Richard Brown, was among the first to sight Sputnik as it orbited. Here's an article detailing that day almost 50 years ago.

I found another claim to being the first in the U.S. to sight Sputnik. I'm willing to dismiss this claim since it happened in Alaska. Alaska didn't become a state until January 3, 1959, so in October 1957, it wasn't really a part of the United States.

Here are a few books from people who grew up during the era of Sputnik and who have ably written about its impact on their lives:

Beers, David. Blue Sky Dream: A Memoir of America's Fall from Grace. [B BEE]

Hickam, Homer H., Jr. Rocket Boys: A Memoir. [B HIC] (This was made into the film October Sky [DVD OCT].)

Kercheval, Jesse Lee. Space: A Memoir. [B KER]

For a history of the development of the space programs and the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, check out, Space Race: The Epic Battle between America and the Soviet Union for Dominion of Space by Deborah Cadbury [629.409 CAD].

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That--Early October '07 Edition

There's just too much stuff I've found lately to put off posting these little tidbits.

You remember the flesh-eating bacteria scare from a few years back? Well now there's the brain-eating amoeba! I kid you not. Sounds like a 1950s B movie, doesn't it? Here's one more reason for living in New Hampshire--the water's too cold for little amoebas! Phew!

Imagine you had the opportunity to attend last Friday's game at Fenway. And, you got a front row seat to boot! Well, one of our staff members, Jena, had that opportunity! Here's a few pictures she's shared:


The lucky attendee schmoozing before the game.


Nice sign!


Isn't this a gorgeous shot?

Our library representative at the game, is unfortunately, not all that interested in the Red Sox! Maybe it's because she's not familiar with the game? Here's a book I'd recommend she read, Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-Experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks by Zack Hample [796.357 HAM].

I stumbled across a really interesting site--a damn interesting site--that I just have to share with you. The name of the site? Damn Interesting. Most of it deals briefly with things you may never have heard of. For one of the subjects of a recent entries, The Forgotten Fire, we actually have a whole book on the subject: Firestorm at Peshtigo: A Town, Its People, and the Deadliest Fire in American History by Denise Gess [977.533 GES]. So, if your interest is piqued, you may want to look for the book. Also check out the article on pigeons in war--it's more than interesting--it's fascinating!

Advance Warning

I'm giving you advance warning so that you can be prepared for National Cinnamon Bun Day which is coming up on Thursday.

There are several ways you can prepare. The simplest is to head down to the mall and buy yourself some buns at Cinnabon. The hardest would be to book yourself a flight to Sweden for the celebrations over there. A nice middle compromise is to come to the library to borrow a cookbook and make some buns for yourself (you could bring some to the library to share with us--hint, hint).

These books all have recipes:

Reinhart, Peter. The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. [641.815 REI]. I listed this one first because it instructs you visually how to make cinnamon buns, in case you don't have a clue.

The King Arthur's Flour Baker's Companion. [641.815 KIN]

Lawson, Nigella. How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking. [641.815 LAW]

If you are spoiled by Cinnabon's buns, you can try to reproduce them at home using the recipe found in Todd Wilbur's A Treasury of Top Secret Recipes [641.5 WIL]. If the book is out, Wilbur has the recipe on his website.

As you get ready for National Cinnamon Bun Day keep in mind this phrase, "Moderation in everything!"

Baseball Thoughts

This past week has been an interesting one for baseball fans. The Red Sox are in the playoffs, and there's still that glimmer of hope! As a matter of fact, according to this article, the Sox are in better shape at this time in the season than they were in 2005!


This week also marks the 50th anniversary of the move the Brooklyn Dodgers made to California. Before the move they were just "dem bums," but after the move the Brooklyn fans thought of them as "dem traitors." I attended a game or two at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn when I was a kid and I can still remember the homey feeling I got from the location. For the move from two points of view, listen to the story entitled Dem Bums from NPR's On the Media.

Yesterday was a big day in Babe Ruth history. It marked the anniversary of Ruth's last game as a New York Yankee (September 30, 1934), and it was the 80th anniversary of his record setting 60th home run. His record stood until 1961 when it was broken by Roger Maris.

To read more about Babe Ruth, try The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth by Leigh Montville [B RUT, also AB/CD B RUT].

Here's a great kid's book to look for--Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen by Marissa Moss [JP MOS]. This story is an empowering one for young girls and it chronicles the day in 1931 when a 17-year-old, Jackie Mitchell, struck out both Lou Gehrig AND Babe Ruth!