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!
December 24, Christmas Eve, is a very special day to many people. It’s also my birthday and I love it! Growing up other kids thought I was lying about my birthday. As I got older, people asked if I got duped out of presents, or if I got combined birthday and Christmas presents. The short answer is no, not typically.
I had birthday parties and sleepovers, separate gifts and birthday presents wrapped in birthday paper! (Not Christmas wrapping paper.)
My birthday tradition has been continued by my wonderful husband, Zach, for the past 17 years. I have been blessed with an amazing family. He makes the same special meal my mom used to cook and he’s gotten better at it every year. He never expects anything in return because it’s my day, and he loves me unconditionally. That’s a pretty special gift.
Speaking of giving unconditionally: One of my favorite gifts ever given to me on my birthday were Shel Silverstein’s books.
The first one I received was The Giving Tree. In it a boy asks the tree for her resources, and she willingly gives him whatever he asks for, never asking anything in return, as the boy grows and his needs and wants change. The tree is constant in her devotion and willingness to give her love unconditionally.
I think The Giving Tree is a great example of the concept of Agàpe: a selfless, giving, unconditional love. During the Christmas Season – especially in 2020 – I like to think that we should all work to share a little more Agàpe with our friends, family, neighbors and those in need.
So that’s my Birthday wish for his year: share hope and love unconditionally with those around you this year.
Last year, I had the great fortune to be able to host not one but TWO ukulele programs teaching patrons of all ages some easy Christmas songs. It was such a blast to be able to get together and sing and share the love of music and the holiday season.
Then 2020 happened, and in-person programs, especially hands-on programs like a ukulele lesson, are out. So, this year, to save me from tears, I took to the Internet to keep up the tradition that I hope A Very Merry Ukulele becomes.
Going on Facebook Live and singing and playing on the Internet was a big step for me. I am not a confident singer nor in any way a professional musician. What I lack in skill, I hope I make up for in excitement and humor. My biggest goal with this video was just to brighten someone’s day.
The holiday season, with its short days and cold winds, can be a challenge for many. I know it can be a challenge for me. Sometimes, just a little thing like a silly ukulele video (or a funny sign, or a coworker doing the hula) can help.
So, take a break for a second and do something silly. Sing a song, dance. Make someone smile. And have a happy holiday, despite what 2020 has thrown at us.
Hope to see you next year for another in-person Very Merry Ukulele program!
Watch my music lesson on Facebook here and download last year’s handout here.
This month I want to talk about the pandemic and the wearing of masks. As the person ultimately responsible for the safety and welfare of both the public and my staff in our facility, I take the Ohio Department of Health’s mask mandate seriously. No one reading this column can deny that COVID-19 is inching closer and closer to each and every one of us. Library patrons, staff, volunteers, and friends have battled the virus. Some have lost spouses and loved ones. My parents have tested positive. My children have had their in-person education halted, been in quarantine, and had sports canceled or postponed because of the virus.
I read once somewhere that “you get what you expect.” I have always kept that quote in mind when I hire a new employee. If you are clear about your expectations up front, then performance improves because there is no doubt what one’s responsibilities are. As you read this, please know that our library’s mask requirement will be enforced. If you have a health issue that makes wearing a mask difficult, we will work with you to serve you, as mandated by the Ohio Department of Health. Please ask for myself or a manager if this situation relates to you.
I will close with this. The whole mask debate reminds me of what is known as Pascal’s Wager. Pascal was a 17th century French philosopher, theologian, and physicist who argued that a rational person should live their lives as if God exists and should seek to believe in God. If it turns out that God does not exist, then the worst case scenario is that an individual may have missed out on some luxuries or pleasures in life. They would have at least lived a good life. On the flip side, if it turns out there is a God, then the individual will receive “infinite gains,” as in eternal life, and avoid “infinite losses,” the opposite of eternal life. Believe me, I am not here to debate or proselytize or argue. I simply see a very similar parallel to today’s mask issue. Wearing a mask is the “rational” thing to do. If it turns out that the health benefits of wearing masks were meaningless, then at least you followed directions and were considerate of others. If it turns out that mask wearing does make a difference, then you were doing your part to help minimize the spread of the virus.
Thank you for your understanding on this matter! Together, we can keep each other safe so the library can remain open for all!
