a good book.

Have you given me up for dead yet? Some of these days it seems to be not too far from the truth. I had mistakenly thought that being unemployed would mean days of leisure; time to work on my book, catch up my scrapbooks, make homemade jam, take a photography class, and a million other things. Not true. So far I've spent the majority of my time unpacking and trying to bring a bit of order to the shambles that is most of my existence right now. And then hours and hours of working on a TESOL certification class among all the other preparations for Thailand.  I'm in a bit of a holding pattern, waiting still for my placement and not knowing where exactly or what I'll be doing for the next six months. Aside from my class I've done all I can do, at this point, to get ready but there's still so much to do and so much that leaves me feeling unsettled.

In the midst of all the crazy I did find a bit of time (on the second day back) to visit my local library. (Have I mentioned how much I heart the library?!)  Let's ignore the fact that I brought a stack of books with me that I specifically didn't pack so that I'd have them to read while I was here (and while we're ignoring, please disregard the 24 or so boxes of books that I did pack and move and the who-knows-how-many other boxes were already here in the storage unit!) I have this completely irrational --obviously-- fear of being caught without something to read. So, to the library I went!

Here's my first take-home pile (minus 2 that didn't make it into the photo for some reason):

I'd love to tell you that you'll get reviews of all of these.  But I know that just isn't going to happen.  If you're lucky I'll give you a quick recap of them all. So far I've got 3 left, one of which --Godel, Escher, Bach--I think will take me at least the month I've got left before I go. (Anyone read it? Are those 700+ pages really worth it?! Maybe a better question is, will I get anything out of it?)

I am hoping to get back on a better schedule, though. A little regularity and structure are desperately needed and I'm slowly but surely getting there. Fingers crossed it will happen before I have to leave! I will be at least a bit more consistent in the posts from here out, I promise!

summer reading

Summer is upon us and that means Summer reading at the library. In an effort to keep kids from suffering from the learning gap that accompanies the long school break and to get people in to the library we offer a host of incentives including prizes for the kids who meet their personal reading goals and activities nearly every day of the week. It also means that kids of all ages, sizes and under various forms of supervision (or lack thereof) descend on the library like a swarm of army ants, swarming over every available inch of floor and low laying display space and leaving a swath of chaos behind them. Books are used as flotation devices, stepping stones, building blocks, and weapons of mass destruction by the armfuls but rarely as the vehicles for transporting kids to other times and spaces (oh that this could be done literally and not just figuratively!) I love kids and I love the library but sometimes they just don’t really seem to go together.

I realize getting them into the building, even if they only come for the puppet shows and never crack a book, is half the battle. They’re aware of the library, they feel comfortable here, we make a name for ourselves in the community and hopefully as the years go by they remember us and return often and maybe even use us for our books. In the meantime we have bedlam in the program room and anarchy in the stacks. So, I dose myself with heavy duty, deep dark chocolate, keep the Advil at the ready and mentally prepare for the daily onslaught, counting down the days to my stretch of unemployment (while trying not to think of the lack of paycheck that will mean.) Bring it kiddies, bring it!

Happiness is...a trip to the library.

Thanks to the glories of governmental holidays (long live our dead presidents!) I didn't have to work today.  But I still spent the better part of my day at the library, one of the greatest libraries in the world in fact, the Library of Congress. Begun with a sizable donation from Thomas Jefferson's personal collection back in 1897 it now consists of over 150 million pieces (including books, films, maps, photos and more.)

It's always been one of my favorite buildings in the District both for its aesthetic beauty as well as for the fact that it's, well, a library! The interior is gorgeous, full of rich murals, mosaics, sculptures and of course, books.

Only twice a year do they open the reading room to the public so my friends K, S and I made our way into the city for S's first visit and a tour of the grand structure. Little did we know we'd also get to play in the stacks and the card catalog.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Rows and rows and rows of neatly organized little shelves and drawers that smelled like old books...it was a nerd's dream!

One row even had this fun little shelf label that sounded almost like poetry...

After expending all of my energy frolicking through books I came home to take a nap and spent the rest of the afternoon falling in love with Sherlock.  All in all a fantastic way to spend a day.  How was yours?

Happiness is...a good book. (Summer Reading edition #23)

I work in a library. I am surrounded by thousands upon thousands of books, just waiting to be picked up and enjoyed. And yet sometimes I feel the need to check out the competition. 

Yesterday I took a trip to another local library.  I felt as if I were committing a crime as I perused the shelves filled with books, some familiar, some new. I smiled as I recognized titles and images on the covers and spines and felt little jolts of excitement as I glanced at all the possibilities for new friends and favorites. I even brought home a few.  Check them out.

You may see a few of these again as I get them read and throw some reviews together.  Any requests for which one I should read first?

And now on to today's review!

Divine Signatures: The Confirming Hand of God
Author: Gerald N. Lund
Pages: 299
Age Range: Adult

Published: 2010
Genre: Non-fiction, Religious, Self-help
Cover Score: **
Overall Grade: ****
Rating: G

Brother Lund shares some step-by-step instructions for learning to recognize and appreciate the tender mercies (which he has re-termed ‘divine signatures’) of the Lord in our life.  He walks through the differences between the Nephis and the Lamans, those who thrive and find strength in the challenges of life and those who find their faith eroded by them.

He goes back to the essentials of the Lectures on Faith. First, we must have a belief that God exists. Second we need to have a correct idea of his character, perfections and attributes. And third know that the course of our life is in line with his will.

He also relays a host of personal and shared experiences, tiny and grand miracles that many might brush off as coincidence or luck but Lund exhorts the reader to recognize them for what they are; signs that the Lord is mindful of us and aware of our needs. There are some familiar pioneer stories but also plenty of stories from Lund’s own life and those he has met and interacted with during his sojourn as General Authority, bishop, neighbor and father.

I really enjoyed this book.  There wasn’t any new information but it was a great reminder and hands-on testimony builder. I often struggle with the exact problems he discussed. I firmly believe that God can and does work miracles…for other people.  But I have a much harder time believing that God would bother to make miracles happen in my life.  Lund gives suggestions for overcoming this and similar gaps in faith and building a strong foundation of knowledge that will stand the storms of life.  Highly recommended!