Top 5 Things I Love about Halloween

 Here is a seasonal Top 5:  My Top 5 Things I love about Halloween

1.  It is the gateway to the Holidays!

2. It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

3. Costumes

4. Backyard bonfires

5. Spooky Stories

What are your favorite things about Halloween?  Leave a comment below!  

A Simple Connection to Community

Early in the Pandemic and quarantine like many people did, my family quarantined in our house and we took pleasure when we could get out of the house to walk or bike ride in our neighborhood.  In our area, we were transitioning from winter to spring, so not only was it needed for us as a family to get out of the house, but the weather was changing for the positive. 

During these many walks and bike rides, I came to realize that we were taking advantage of an infrastructure that is so key to the development of a healthy neighborhood, sidewalks!   I watched as dozens of people in our neighborhood were taking advantage of the sidewalks.  It made me think more about these slabs of concrete that stretch along the streets in our front yards.  I am thankful for the leadership and planning of our community and the thousands of communities across this country that have made the investment in neighborhoods.  These sidewalks and trails in our towns help to connect us.  After returning to work with a new school year, I have started taking advantage of the paved bike paths that crisscross our town by riding my bike to work every day that I can.  I have found that this has helped me to be more productive and positive as I start a new day.  I have encouraged others that I work with who live in town to ride to work and a few have done so.  This has created new relationships among colleagues and given us something in common besides just work.  

Take a step back and look at these connected paths that line the streets of your neighborhood.  Look at the people who walk these paths for exercise, walk these paths with their pets, walk these paths to get to work.  These are the people of your neighborhood.  Throughout the pandemic, kids and families in our neighborhood have become creative using sidewalk chalk to leave inspirational messages, art, and even obstacle courses.  If you don't have sidewalks, advocate for them as neighborhood and community improvement.  Are your sidewalks crumbling or not lit at night?  Advocate for them to help people get out and enjoy them more.  Are there bike paths or bike lanes in your town?  Advocate for them to improve the health of your community.  

Take a minute to look around for the positive in your neighborhood.  What are some of the things that have been around "forever" that may be underutilized or may be used every day that bring people together?  Thank your leaders for those things or advocate for them to bring them
to improve the life and safety of your community.  

What brings people together in your community?  Comment below with the positive infrastructure in your community and how it brings people together.  

The Star Wars Book Expand Your Knowledge of a Galaxy Far, Far Away: An Initial Reaction

I received the notification that my Amazon package had arrived!  I ran to the front door and there it sat, a box about the size of a book.  I looked up and down the street as if I thought some little Jawa may come and snatch it right out of my hands.  I stepped inside and tore the box apart and inside was the hardback, blue-covered, DK published book with a black shadowy Death Star and in yellow letters across the front, The Star Wars Book!  This school librarian and Star Wars fan has been waiting months for this to arrive!  

My first question was, how do I read this?  Is it a cover to cover read?  Is it a look in the index and find the good stuff?  Is it a flip through the pages looking at the great art and photographs?  Hold that thought, but the first thing one must do is pop open that turntable, dust off the CD player or connect your Bluetooth speaker and fire up some John Williams Star Wars music.  My choice happens to be the Rise of Skywalker soundtrack, but choose what you want.  

First, I was surprised at the size of the book.  It is smaller than most Star Wars DK books, and I like it!  It fits on my bookshelf really well with all the other Star Wars books, and it is easy to carry around and hide under the table at Star Wars trivia nights.  Wait, what?  Seriously though.  It is a great size for small curious hands but made for big hands to read.  

The next thing I noticed was the unique organization of content.  The book is broken down into six chapters based on topics from the saga, and each topic is given an essay treatment.  The content is deep which is quite unique for a DK book.  Thumbing through the Table of Contents reveals some eye-catching chapter titles like "Science and Technology" and "Galactic Governments and the Dissidents." Most chapters begin with an introduction to the subject at hand, which is a nice touch.  These introductions are quite informative and interesting to read for new fans and experienced fans alike.  Then the chapters are broken down into smaller subject areas that, like the chapters, offer a unique look at the saga.  There are lots of smaller info boxes that break down information even deeper, as well as famous quotes from the saga, some really cool timelines, and of course the pictures and images.  

So how did I read this book?  I first flipped through the pages looking at the pictures.  What other way is there to start a book like this?  As I was flipping through, I made mental notes of pages of interest.  Then I went to the chapter on "Galactic Denizens" to learn more about the underbelly of the galaxy.  Why not, right?  There is a section on the Mandalorians and another on The Mandalorian, Din Djarin.  I am ready for season two of the Mandalorian now!  I went back to the Introduction of the book, and then browsed the Index.  Yes, I looked at the Index.  What else would one expect of a librarian?  

As a librarian who sees books circulate through many hands, the only thing I wish about this book has nothing to do with content. It is the one thing I wish about all DK books, and that is in the build of the book.  DK is famous for the colorful shiny pages and stunning design, which this book has.  As a librarian, I wish DK invested in a stronger binding to keep those beautiful pages in the book.  It is not the end of the world though, and it most definitely should not discourage anyone from purchasing the book and adding it to their Star Wars collection.

Overall, this is a classic, must-read with an updated, comprehensive, fresh look at the galaxy.  Pablo Hidalgo, Cole Horton, and Dan Zehr have put together a compelling read that we, as fans, will come back to time and time again.  This book will likely end many friendly disagreements over certain details of the saga, but at the same time, it may spark a few conversations as well.  As a librarian, any time we can find a resource that can be used to support an idea or give evidence to build a case, it is a solid resource.  This is a great book that you will come back to many times.  Always visit your local retailer to pick up a book like this, but if it does get delivered to your home, watch out for those little Jawas scavenging around.  

Indiana Jones Connecting Generations

This was originally published on The Bearded Trio Website September 25, 2020

A few weeks back, I sat down to introduce Raiders of the Lost Ark to a new generation of my family: my thirteen-year-old daughter.  While I have seen the film probably a couple dozen times in my lifetime, I haven't watched it myself in probably 10 years.  So, I was excited for another viewing after quite some time, and I was excited to see the film with my daughter who was experiencing it for the first time

I had forgotten how wonderful this movie is with the cinematography, the music, the story, and of course the acting.  But, what really made this movie for me during this viewing was one moment.  The moment is in the scene where Marion is taken while she is hiding in a basket.  Indiana is running through the street trying to follow her screaming voice.  A great moment when Indiana runs into the market and sees all the same baskets, but that wasn't the moment. It is the set-up for the moment.  I really wanted my daughter to experience the moment the crowd splits to reveal the "swordmaster" the same way I did when I was her age.  This moment captivated me as a kid.  The moment Harrison Ford shows Indiana's exhaustion for one more obstacle in this chase then reaches to his side to easily draw his pistol to eliminate the "swordmaster" who is swinging that sword around so dramatically, just caught me off guard with pleasure and theater fun. Who in the theater didn't laugh and clap?  

As the moment approached in the movie, I kept watching my daughter's face to see if she was following the tension of the chase as I had as a kid.  She smiled and rolled her eyes when he runs into the market with the hundreds of other baskets just like the one he was chasing with Marion in it.  She saw the humor in that, I thought.  I was on the edge of my seat as Indiana comes around the corner to the crowd splitting.  I saw her eyes focused on the opponent who was swinging the sword around so threateningly.  The moment I'd been waiting for, Indiana Jones reaches for his pistol and fires.  I held my breath as she smiled, chuckled, and started to laugh at the moment.  She looked at me to see me smiling and laughing right along with her.  Success!!!

I was relieved.  The movie had pleased her in that moment just as it had me at the same age.  I was so happy, that I sat and watched the rest of the film in complete satisfaction.  She enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, just as I had.  

These are the moments that we parents look for when raising our children.  The moments we get to share; the moments that connect our past with the present through our children's experiences.  I am thankful for Indiana Jones and all the other stories that help to make those connections between generations.