My newfound-love for the library July 2, 2008

In our Internet-savvy society, heading to the library to do any kind of research or check out books just doesn’t seem to make sense. It’s inconvenient, time-consuming and sometimes a hassle. Why drive when you can surf – the Net, that is.

Aside from carrying collections of reference, fiction and biographical books, the library is also a great FREE place to participate in fun FREE summer activities with your kids (am I trying to save money or something?) My son loves the story time at our local library and he’s really catching on to hand and finger rhymes the librarian does with such enthusiasm. We even practice them at home. He prefers, however, jumping and rolling on top of the “umbrella,” large colorful parachute that can be used for many things.

But just recently I applied for a library card because I haven’t had a working one for at least 5 years. I thought about checking out books for my son. Instead, I’ve only checked out books for myself! Cookbooks is all I’ve checked out. And I love it! I can scour all these different books, test the recipes, retain what I like and then return the book.

So, what’s the difference between this and finding online recipes? Well, not all that much but I am just traditional, I guess, and like the actual hardcopy. And I can search through pages of colorful pictures rather than online images that are often bad quality. I can take my time, reread recipes and not have to worry about bookmarking a page or running back and forth between my computer and kitchen to bake up a sweet treat. Borrowing the library’s cookbooks – there is nothing like it. I am smitten.

And I am even more excited because the library has caught on to the technological advances of the 21st century and provides a great online Web site for searching for books at other branches and get this – RENEWING your book online! I renewed one of my cookbooks today and it took I think 5 seconds. Amazing.

The library always stirs up fond memories of my childhood, especially during the summer when I spent hours upon hours reading books and writing short stories. My time is limited now but I’m thankful for our library where cookbooks are colorful, plentiful and FREE. Now, if only I could find more FREE time to hide myself away in between the library’s shelves and search…

What do you love about your library? What good book have you read lately?

Sew what July 23, 2007

I have to admit that I don’t know how to sew using a sewing machine. I can sew a button onto a shirt if needed but that’s as far as I go. I told my husband the other day that I feel like less of a woman because I don’t know how to use a sewing machine. I was half-joking. I even showed him a verse in the Bible about the Proverbs 31 woman making her own clothes. Can I ever be her without a sewing machine?

But I am willing to learn and am looking to buy a sewing machine. My goal? To make my own clothes and some for my son. I saw some really cool patterns at Wal-Mart and want to try them out. I’m always up for a challenge!

Anyone with sewing experience…how long does it usually take to sew together clothes, like a shirt, for example? Is this a difficult and time-consuming task? Can I get by with purchasing a less-than-$100 Singer sewing machine? Any tips?