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My family and I just moved into a new house with much more garden space, which meant that I could finally grow a vegetable garden. The planning of my vegetable patch sort of went like this: chili peppers, more chili peppers, and then we’ll see. In subsequent garden research I came across a vast wealth of tips and information sources that surprised me, a newish gardener.

Continue Reading "Resources for Plant Lovers and How to Get a Free Rain Barrel" →

In episode 9 of the Pint & Click Podcast, Dave, Jami, Tony, and special guest Joanne discuss the online card game Hearthstone, the 10th anniversary audiobook edition of American Gods, the non-fiction book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, and the sixth season of the HBO series Game Of Thrones.

In episode 10, Dave, Jami, and special guest Roberta talk about the new edition of the video game DOOM, the comic book series Harley Quinn by Amanda Conner, assorted audiobooks written by Neil Gaiman, and the film Captain America: Civil War.

Continue Reading "Quench your thirst for pop culture: Pint & Click Podcast episodes 9 & 10 now available!" →

School ended for my boys last Thursday. As I write this, they’ve been out of school for eight days.

Eight days of near constant sibling rivalry, endless arguments over what to have for lunch (Macaroni and cheese! Crackers! Chocolate cupcakes with tiny pieces of banana on top!), and serious mischief and mess making.

I haven’t been able to get anything done; the boys have been wearing swim trunks since Wednesday (when we ran out of clean laundry), the dishes are undone, and all my plans and tasks -- tabled. 

This Friday my husband came home for lunch (I begged him to), and he went through the usual feel-better statements with me: Take a minute to yourself, breath, be in the moment, blah blah.

Then he said this, “you could try playing more.” 

Continue Reading "At Play" →

The publishing world seems to promote fiction over nonfiction and big names over lesser known authors. Yes, sometimes breakout nonfiction books like Freakonomics or Outliers receive a lot of attention.

But history books do get promoted, if you know where to look. Here are 4 ways the library can help you feed your need to understand history.

Continue Reading "Finding a good history book to read!" →

I am not a painter, a filmmaker, or a photographer. I do, however, think it’s hugely important to tell your own story. Tell it however you are able to.

Continue Reading "Digital Storytelling: The Library Is Your Creative Studio" →