Monthly Archives: November 2007

Craftland!

From Make (via E):

Craftland is an annual holiday sale in Providence, RI that celebrates all kinds of handmade objects and the people who make them. I can’t wait to go and … steal ideas. Ok, not really. I’m starting to realize that even if I can figure out how to make something, it doesn’t mean I’m going to. I’m jealous that there’s an LED demonstration at the opening party tonight, but my plans for the evening are just as fun.

I realize most Outside Cat readers don’t live near Rhode Island, but I can say that this reminds me of the Chicagoean Renegade Craft Fair.

Bookity update

I work in a library. I love Goodreads. I love it when I read a friend’s review on Goodreads, then walk over to a shelf and now have the same book in my hands. That’s pretty powerful stuff, right there.

So now I have The Namesake in my hot little hands, and will begin reading it right after I finish The Pleasure of My Company. The Namesake was suggested to me by E, and The Pleasure of My Company (which I can only refer to as You Enjoy Myself) was introduced to me by Keem, who brought it up as a fine example of Steve Martin’s humor.

This is literary instant gratification. The instant novel’s gonna get you.

Turkey Day

As a children’s librarian, I am obligated to celebrate the major holidays. For storytime today, I chose the rite-of-passage craft of making hand-turkeys. I’m sure I don’t even need to explain what they are, for everyone knows.

I’ll show you anyway, because it’s so quintessentially American:
Hand turkey

I’m not a big theme-girl, so I’ve never tried to craft a storytime theme all about bears, or about flowers, or whatever. Today, though, I felt the need to present a Thanksgiving-related series of stories. As I crouched near the Thanksgiving books, looking for age-appropriate stories, I realized that at least half of the stories were about turkeys. In every single book, the point of the story was that the assumption would be that the turkey would be eaten, and in the end, it would not. I don’t know if this is a common theme because it’s an early lesson in plot twists, or because secretly all children’s authors are vegetarian.

I could have easily made the theme of this week’s storytime “Where Meat Comes From”, and open the eyes of those three-year-olds who don’t realize that turkey is made out of turkeys. I chose not to. That’s not my fight. Not this time.

Letterboxing in the News

My friend Laura and I were featured in the Standard Times for our letterboxing adventures. They sent a couple of photogs out with us while we went on a hunt, and the article showed up in Sunday’s paper.

Letterboxers
(In the article, you have to click on ‘Photo 1 of 8’, which displays lots of photos of us.)

This weekend Laura and I (and the men we are legally bound with) went out to the cape for LOTS of sushi (there was a mistake with the order, so they brought more) and a big letterboxing event where we found 13 boxes using only blacklights and our wits.

This weekend I also worked on the second level of the Master Knitter program, made a photo display clippy-thing (pics to come), and went on a fabulous crispy fall walk with friends and dogs.

I’m feeling very energetic, and I hope that the combination of cool weather and hot chocolate is a mighty team that will keep me sane through the winter.

Be still my biking heart

This is a visual riff off of an ongoing Gmail conversation (I just love that you can do that), from El Chipps:

bike light

This image is the opposite of what it’s like to bike in New Bedford / Fairhaven.

Power Animals

Just today, just now, it occurred to me that my power animal is the owl.

My Power Animal: the OWL

I know it’s not REAL original for someone who’s into information, but my eye sockets are huge, and I wish I could fly. SB’s power animal is the panda, Sid’s power animal is a carrot, and Jason’s power animal is … the human. It was only a matter of time until mine became apparent.

I was thinking my power animal was the sheep, but I think that’s my power resource. Lambchops and a sweater, coming up!

sheep in a box