It’s Friday! That means there are new episodes from three of my favorite artists on YouTube.
The artist I’ve been watching the longest is Rin. Her channel is called “Drawing Wiff Waffles.” What inspires me about Rin is her unique way of looking at things. She is always trying to learn something new, filling pages in her sketchbook with everything from zoo animals to flowers with every kind of art supply from highlighters to acrylic paints. Many of her videos start with an unboxing of an art or stationery subscription box, and she lets these surprise materials inspire her to create something new. Last week’s video even inspired me to draw a city scene.
The next artist on my list is Moriah Elizabeth, who is best known for fixing and painting squishies. Yes, squishies. Those memory foam toys that everyone is crazy about. Moriah Elizabeth has a collection of these things that she is slowly but surely working her way through. She cuts them apart, glues them back together, and paint them to make her own unique creations. I think my favorite is this masterpiece involving a giant donut.
Finally, the artist who I started following the most recently is Jackie, known as NerdECrafter. The videos that I enjoy the most from NerdECrafter are her fantastic Cash or Trash craft kit reviews. These videos are always entertaining, especially when she gets her sister involved, like this one involving a cotton candy machine. If you’re shopping for a craft kit or want some ideas for an activity, she’s just the person to give you an honest opinion.
Whether it’s making something I’ve never made before, learning about a new skill, or drawing along, I know each Friday is going to inspire me to create.
And if these three channels aren’t your style, there’s always Bob Ross.
I recently read a fiction book by Danielle Stewart called Flowers in the Snow, I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more in the series.
As the story begins, the main character Betty receives a letter from a childhood friend and this sets in motion the retelling of her childhood to her family.
She grew up in a time when black people were not welcome among white people. She struggles with this because she believes everyone should be treated equal.
Then by chance, she makes friends with a young black girl, Alma, and her family. She soon learns of all the hardships and abuse the blacks have endured. She visits with them as often as she can. They become like family to her, more so than her own.
As the schools start to allow black people, Alma’s mother becomes a teacher at the school where Betty attends, and of course is treated unfairly.
A few years later, there is trouble at a school dance. It involves the Klan, and several people were killed, black and white people alike. Some who were close to Betty.
Eventually Alma and her family move away, but they keep in touch through letter writing. As the years go by they continue to write and in one of the letters that is written to Betty, she finds out some news that is shocking and wonderful all at the same time. It involves the night of the dance many years ago.
Last Fall, the Board of Trustees said goodbye to long-time member Julie Warther as she embarked on the next chapter of her life away from Dover, Ohio. Now, we welcome new member: Courtney Shanower! So who is Courtney Shanower? Read on and find out!
Family
Husband- Rock
Human children – Rigsby and Wilde
Beastly children – Yoko, Claudette, and Ghengis
What made you decide to join the Board of Trustees?
I have so much gratitude for how the Dover Public Library has impacted my life personally as well as my family’s. I also feel as if just maybe service is my personal Dharma.
What are you looking forward to this year?
Tangible human reconnection for families as well as community. I could also be hopeful for a second season of Bridgerton!
Who is your favorite author?
Currently, Neil Gaiman; Bréne Brown is a perennial favorite.
What do you do in your spare time?
Legitimately, reading is my favorite, followed by taking kitten naps.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I have 7 tattoos.
Text or Talk?
Text
Last Song You Listened to?
“No Body, No Crime” by Taylor Swift, featuring Haim
Thank you for sharing your answers with us, Courtney and welcome to the Board of Trustees!
During the summer time, I love to have a nice salad. Produce is abundant and I can mix up a great salad with little effort. But during the winter months, a cold salad just doesn’t fill my tummy with warmth. So I found a recipe for Braised Mediterranean Lettuce.
I hear you saying “Braised?”
Yes, I said that myself when I first saw it. But it is so simple and easy to make. It’s a great way to get your veggies!
Prep ( I get everything chopped and ready because the whole thing only takes 20 minutes.)
Clean your lettuce. I tear or chop it up. I use about a half a head for 1 serving.
Chop tomatoes, scallions (onions), pine nuts and put in one bowl.
Chop olives, sage, capers and put in another bowl.
Now you are ready to cook it.
Heat a little bit of olive oil in the skillet. Actually I use a wok so that I can toss things around easily.
Add the lettuce and cook for 1 minutes. It will wilt.
Add the first bowl (tomatoes, pine nuts and scallions). Cook for 1 more minutes.
Add the second bowl (capers, olives and sage).
Add a bit of balsamic vinegar and a very small amount of water. Let cook for 20 seconds.
Season with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar.
Plate it up and put the grated Parmesan on top.
I don’t usually keep capers in my cupboard so I just don’t put those in. I have often substituted onion for the scallions. It’s also a great way to use up your lettuce when it starts to look a little sad. Try it out!
The next time someone says, “Warm lettuce, anyone?” a knowing smile will come to your face!
Did you know there is a connection between the iconic tropical troubadour Jimmy Buffet and the library? In fact, the best Jimmy Buffet song you probably have never heard of is called “Love in the Library” and can be found on Buffet’s legendary 1994 album Fruitcakes. I often wonder how many people have found love in their local library. Although filled with books and magazines and movies and computers and other “stuff,” libraries are really in the people business. We try to create community by investing in relationships with the people we serve. When you look at it that way, it is no wonder that love sometimes happens in the library!
I for one can tell you that love does happen in the library. I first met my wife Katy in the Muskingum College Library in December of 1996. My work study job while in college was working the library’s front desk as a student assistant. I would help students with basic reference questions, check out books, shelve books, etc. One December afternoon a girl came into the library to pay her overdue fines. The funny thing was that she owed something like $1.85 and she paid with a check! She said she needed to pay all fines and fees owed to the college so she could get her grades for the just-completed semester. I will never forget that situation! She paid her fines and left and I never saw her again until the following March when we both tried out for a college play. I tried out with a football buddy on a whim. Katy was much more serious about it and scored one of the leading roles. The play was Night of January 16th, by Ayn Rand. A few years later we were married.
Buffet’s iconic song “Love in the Library” is based on his years growing up on the Gulf Coast. He would spend time in his local public library because he loved to read, it was air conditioned, and there was, of course, a good looking librarian. The ironic twist to all of this is that Katy and I honeymooned on that same Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi!
Here are the lyrics to “Love in the Library” in case you are intrigued:
"Love In The Library"
On the corner of Government and Bay Avenue
The old doomsday fanatic wore a crown of kudzu
Sirens where wailing in the gulf coastal heat
And it seemed like the whole world was in forced retreat
I paid no attention, revolved through the door
Passed the newspaper rack on the worn marble floor
Near civil war history my heart skipped a beat
She was standing in fiction stretched high on bare feet
Love in the library, quiet and cool
Love in the library, there are no rules
Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime
I fell in love in the library once upon a time
I was the pirate and she was the queen
Sir Francis and Elizabeth the best there's ever been
Then she strolled past my table and stopped at the stairs
Then sent me a smile as she reached for Flaubert
Love in the library, quiet and cool
Love in the library, there are no rules
Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime
I fell in love in the library once upon a time
She gathered her books, walked while she read
Words never spoken but so much was said
You can read all you want into this rendezvous
But it's safer than most things that lovers can do
Well stories have endings and fantasies fade
The guard by the door starts drawing the shade
So write your own ending and hope they come true
For the lovers and strangers on Bay Avenue
Love in the library, quiet and cool
Love in the library, there are no rules
Surrounded by stories surreal and sublime
I fell in love in the library once upon a time
If you would like to hear some of the backstory to Buffet’s song, then check out this video. He explains the story behind it and then plays the song on his guitar.
Will you fall in love in the library? Perhaps. Even if you don’t, I guarantee you will meet people who will change your life. You will meet library staff who care about you. Maybe you will meet a new friend at a book club or an author program. Maybe you will find a book or a movie or something else that will change the way you see the world. You will be inspired, challenged, and entertained. You will see that by just walking into your library the next chapter of your life story can begin! And that, my friend, is the beauty of it all…
Did you reach your reading goal in 2020? If you joined the 100 Book Club and have a tracker to turn in, make sure you do so by Friday, January 8, in order to get your T-shirt and club membership card. This year, our in-person reception has been postponed. We will contact all eligible members when t-shirts are available for pick up and when we have a date for a reception. Call us at 330-343-6123 with any questions. Congratulations to all who made reading a priority in 2020!
