Happy Book Lover's Day!

August 9th is when America celebrates Book Lover's Day - but that's really every day for me. And it has been ever since Miss Casey introduced me to my first Dick and Jane book in first grade at Washington Elementary in Atlantic, Iowa. I recall how delighted I was to take control of those letters - making them into words and finding meaning in them. Reading opened a whole new world for me!

The world was first - our little library of books at the Bullock house - some of the books gleaned from Momo and Bubba's attic, from the stash that had been Dads, and my Aunt Jean and Aunt Marty's.

• Happy Hollisters
• Bobbsey Twins
• Nancy Drew
• Oz Books - by Frank L. Baum
• and other assorted books - like the Grimm Fairy Tales - those were some dark stories!
• Black Beauty

After I exhausted our supply of reading material, I began to order paperbacks from the school program. They probably made a bit of money on each paperback they sold for $.45. Mom was generous - I'd get up to 10 books sometimes. I loved Encyclopedia Brown - were I got to try to solve the crime along with the boy detective.

 

Then it was on to the Atlantic Memorial Library. I'd go with Mom, who was also an avid reader, or during summer months, I enjoyed walking downtown. I'd stop at the various dime stores for candy - enough to get a big canker sore later! Pixie sticks, purple bubble gum, Lemonheads, Pez - I liked it all! Even Giant Sweet Tarts - the kind that made your tongue bleed. It's no wonder I didn't go into a diabetic coma.

Once I had my little paper sack full of sugary goodness, I'd walk a block over to the library and load up on books. They'd only let me get four, but that was about as many as I could carry! I'd plod up three blocks to 909 Poplar, where my grandparents lived. Momo would be watching her soap opera - sitting in her wingback chair. If I was lucky she'd get me an RC Cola (I'm not sure why they didn't like Coke or Pepsi), and some ice milk with Hersey Syrup from a can. Yum.

If Bubba wasn't home (he was often out putzing around the county), I might entertain myself by looking at books in the bookshelf that was built into the wall as you walked up to the scary attic. (It was scary because I was told the insulation could kill me - I thought if I stepped in it I would sink like quicksand...I know now I was probably asbestos-containing). When Bub got home, he'd drive me up Chestnut Street to our house, where I could lay on my twin bed with a reading light and eat my candy and read. Or I could sit in our formal living room that nobody used...except when Mom had bridge club. Oh, and Betsy used it for tumbling. Cindy practiced cheerleading there, and we put our Christmas tree there too. Don't get me wrong - I wasn't a total bookworm! I liked to get out and do stuff - but just like these days, I can pick up a book almost any time and be a happy girl!

My other book memories are -

• Mrs. Tibben (4th grade) and Mrs. Kluever (5th grade) reading to us after lunch - I fell in love with listening to stories thanks to them. The Secret Garden is one of my all time faves from that era.
• My Aunt Jean gave my Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (aka Willy Wonka) which also became a beloved book of mine.
• When I went to Junior High, the library there opened up my world to a new genre of book - the "Young Reader". Gwen Kluever was the librarian - she was a friend of mom's. I was a little embarrassed but still found a way to check out "My Darling My Hamburger" and other books that clued me in on what teens my age were doing and thinking (I was quite naive). Heady stuff!
• In High School, I took a course where I got points for the books I read - with more points for classics. This was when I read books like 1984.

Deb with Thea

I can't think about books without thinking of my friend Thea Applegate who passed away just over a year ago. I met her through book club more than ten years ago, and we grew to be close friends through the years. I've thought of her often this past year, and miss her laugh and her insight. She was a social worker, and was very good at reading situations and people. She also was great seeing humor in her own laugh. Here's to you booklover lady.

Want to shout out to my former book club mate (and St. Malachy mom and sports mom mate) Barb Coenen as well. Barb donated a kidney this week to a stranger, as part of a deal to allow someone she knows from Creston to get a new kidney. I've known Barb for over 20 years - she volunteers for Appalachia Service Project and makes people happy with scrapbooking. I'm proud to say she's a friend!

I went to the West DM library today to refill my supply. I get a little jittery when I'm out - books are like crack to me! I started reading a book tonight called "No Regrets Coyote". I noticed on the cover it says "A novel so good you will want to throw a party for it" - it's a quote from one of my other fave authors, Dennis Lahane (of Shutter Island fame). Liked that!

I'm going to read now...

Odie goes to the library

I like this author - he combines mystery with spirituality without being too overt...

okay she sat in the car, but I didn't. Odie and I went to the West Des Moines Public Library today after I got home from work. I got a new library card. Okay it isn't really even a card. That's right - library cards aren't even cards anymore. They're bar codes! My new bar code just got applied onto my little plastic tab that is my Urbandale Public Library Card. So it's now a two-fer!

And it attaches to my key chain. Much different than back when I was a kid. Back then, I just had a number at the Atlantic Library. All I had to do to check out a book was to write that number down on the card and the nice librarian stamped it with the very special date stamp. Man I loved those stamps. They let me know how long I could keep my friends - the books. Nancy Drew, all those Happy Hollisters, the Bobbsey Twins - I wanted to live with those families.

Then later in Creston I had a firm cardboard credit card sized ticket to book happiness for many years, until they went to their electronic system. 3893, I believe that was my number. I loved the little envelopes glued into each book. They don't do that anymore, since there aren't any cards. I spent a lot of time at the Creston Library - Matilda Gibson it was called. It's a great library, and I loved how there wasn't as much competition for the new books.

I checked out a couple books and an audiobook with my barcode. Pretty cool, huh. Even though I have an electronic reader, I still like the feel of real books in my hands. I'm sure the WDM library and I will be seeing a lot of each other.

I shopped at WalMart (politics alert)

I know - that's nothing new. But it is! Pablo and I have boycotted WalMart for the past few weeks. And then we broke 'em down.

You see I have had my ups and downs with the giant corporation. They're a company you love to hate. They took over small towns and ran out other stores. But when you think about it, some of the small stores weren't changing with the times - so was that their own fault? And WalMart has done some good things for the environment - forcing suppliers to "green up" when others couldn't get it done.

Why the boycott this time? ALEC - the acronym for American Legislative Council, the conservative advocacy group that has been a lightning rod over voting and gun laws. Until yesterday, the behemoth had been a prime member of ALEC. When I heard that, I decided to take action. In Creston, there aren't all that many alternatives for some products. So it was a bit of a hardship to give them up. And our local Walmart does good things for this town - they were there for people after the tornado. But what about how they treat their employees? Oh they mix me up so...

On the good side of the boycott, it was a chance to recall how nice it is to shop at other local stores. No matter what, I'll keep spreading my business around. I had gotten lazy and I won't do that again.

Evidently the loss of Goldsmith $$ took its toll, because WalMart caved and quit ALEC. wink wink.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/walmart-alec-membership_n_1558833.html

Several corporations felt the heat after the tragic death of Trayvon Martin in Florida - seemingly the result of over-the-top right to defend laws pushed by ALEC. Coca Cola, Kraft, Bill & Melinda Gates, and Proctor and Gamble are other companies ditching the group. They all say the original purpose of the group has "morphed" beyond what they had intended.

Would I feel the same way if some libbie leftie group came together to "suggest" legislation to lawmakers at the state level around the country? I believe so. I think each state has enough intelligent people to come up with their own laws. We don't need encouragement from these types of outside groups - be they left or right. They seem to be driven by extremists, who may have ulterior motives (to sell more guns perhaps?).

Anyway - WalMart is out - boycott over!

Shopping around Creston is fun.
First I had a pedicure. In Waukee, when I get one I usually read a magazine the whole time. The manicurist doesn't speak English well, and frankly we don't have all that much in common. At Hair House - my manicurist turned out to be one of Jud's classmate's mom. So we chatted the whole time. She gets migraines and has a shoulder problem too. So we had a lot in common, besides Curtiss and Jud. She even asked about Amy. Her youngest will be a senior in HS next year - and I remember him in diapers. sigh.

Next I stopped at the library. Sue the librarian called me by name when I entered the building.

At WalMart, Assistant Manager Will and Amy's classmate Dusty who works there each said "hello". I knew the woman in line ahead of me at in the speedy lane. She said "hi" and asked me how I was. She was talking to the kid checking us about plays. I jumped in to comment about how much I love "Lion King". I can spend a whole week in DM without hardly talking to people waiting on me. I realize it's mostly because I don't come across as wanting to talk. But in Creston - I let my guard down. There's something about small town life.

Wild day in the world of

this trash lady. It started last night really...a phone call on my cellie about now (9PM), letting me know the software trainer I had lined up for the $35,000 worth of Environmental Management Software had his flight from Toronto cancelled due to bad weather in Chicago. WTF?!? I had people lined up to be at the WDM Library at 9 AM to start the training.

The sales rep wanted to know if we wanted to cancel the training for today. Heck no! I worked damn hard to set up the training today and tomorrow for the DM area folks and Th/Friday for the Cedar Rapids/Dubuque peeps. There are no other dates available. What are the other options are there? We could try doing online and send Greg on Standby ASAP - so hope by noon. Let's do that I said! It would require me jumping into action at the library and getting technology on my side - I can do it.

And that's what we did. The library staff was very helpful - arranging for us to use a staff meeting room for phone access, and I had to scramble to get my computer to download GoToMeeting software. But we got 'er did. (Southern Ioway lingo) The folks attending are from Centerville and Atlantic - so they aren't picky. We got along fine. Greg arrived at 11:30 a.m. after doing the first couple hours online. Phew...Long day though - stayed until 5 PM. Then I got my hair did. (staying in my southern Iowa lingo...) new highlights.

Got the bad news from my boss in an email during the day that his proposal that I be promoted was struck down by Administrative Services. They just promoted someone else from our department, and with the budget etc. He suggests we try again in a few month. Bummer. I'm disappointed - I feel like I work really hard and deserve to be a program planner 3. But I'll keep working hard - and hope to be rewarded in the future - before I'm too old to enjoy it.

Smash the bugs!

Left another turkey bites the dust.

I'm having a great Friday! I came home to Creston last night, home to my hubbie, pooch, kitty cat and a home-cooked meal. Roast in the crockpot - thanks Pablo! Slept in my very own bed - with all of the above (except the roast of course) nuff said about that topic...

This morning I got to walk 4ish miles bright and early with three friends. It's a gorgeous day and it got the endomorphins going good. I got caught up on their lives - I miss hanging with my homies each week. We plan on doing breakfast Monday, and perhaps, if I wake up, a walk in the a.m.

When I got home from my walk, I noticed I had a message from Paul who had left around 4:30 a.m. to go turkey hunting. Attached photo showed a nice gobbler he'd already gotten. Way to kick turkey ass! He came home a couple hours later the proud hunter, and we made plans to eat lunch at the local tavern - Elms Club. Then I booted the 'ol computer up for three hours of work.

I met Paul and our friend Steve for lunch amongst the tables of Creston peeps chatting and chewing. It's been lent for the last few weeks, so I was like "where's the beef?" Best burgers and fries in town! The staff at the Elms brings our drinks without asking - we're regulars.

After lunch I made a libary run. The drive there proved to be the only unpleasant thing about the day. As I turned the corner I watch an older woman toss gum wrappers out her window while sitting at the stop sign. If you know me then you know I had to honk at her. She waved. Biatch! Who would do that? Smash litterbugs!

The library ladies know me to, so I had to complain to them about the litterbug. There were new books by some of my fave authors - book jackpot! Then home to read on the deck for a bit before I kick into work mode again. Ahhh so far, the perfect day! I love being home!