Tag Archives: fun stuff

I can’t dance, but I can Gangnam.

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Last fall I went to my first college football game. Nothing big like Notre Dame or Ohio State but a Division 1 game featuring The University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Needless to say it, was a fun and great experience hanging out with some buddies and enjoying a Bearcat victory. Then all of the sudden, about midway through the first quarter, one of those dance music songs started playing during a timeout. You know, they do that sometimes to get people off their butts and shaking them in some way. I ignored it like all those other tunes because quite frankly I can’t dance and don’t want to. You will not see me doing the YMCA on the Jumbotron during a TV timeout at any sporting event. I am actually there for the game and not the music and dancing. But then I noticed everybody riding the pony during this song and thought, that’s a new one. I dismissed it and, quite frankly forgot it altogether.

So quietly this song, “Gangnam Style” (which I found out later is what it’s called from a coworker), is taking over my subconscious. It has now permeated through everything – MLB, NFL, Cyclones hockey, the library! – and is taking over my life. I find myself just randomly dancing “Gangnam Style.” If you don’t believe me, ask my family or even my coworkers. The song is stuck in my head forever, just like that classic, timeless Rebecca Black song, “Friday.”

The real question about this Korean music sensation is, is this only a Macarena-type fad, or is it here to stay like the YMCA or the Chicken Dance? It’s hard to say but the YouTube video has over a billion views -  that’s ONE BILLION – and if my information is correct, it is the first video to do so. I guess 1 billion people can’t be wrong. I say, long live PSY and “Gangnam Style.” I’m actually doing it right now and I’m terrible at it.

Celebrating Our Presidents

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In February we observe President’s day on the third Monday of the month. According to the federal government the Monday holiday is officially Washington’s Birthday. Many Americans believe that this holiday is now called Presidents Day, in honor of both President Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are in February. It turns out that whether you honor one or both of these men depends on where you live.
At the Amelia Branch we will be honoring all American Presidents during the month of February. There are 10 Presidential collages hanging in the Amelia branch. Come into the branch and see if you can guess the names of the ten presidents and receive a sweet treat.

How well do you know our Presidents? Check out this presidential trivia:

Eight Presidents were born British subjects: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, and W. Harrison.

Presidents who would be considered “Washington outsiders” (i.e., the 18 presidents who never served in Congress) are: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Taylor, Grant, Arthur, Cleveland, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, F. Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and G. W. Bush.

The oldest elected president was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president—he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated. THE OLDEST LIVING former president was Gerald Ford, who was born on July 14, 1913, and died on Dec.27, 2006, at age 93. The second oldest was Ronald Reagan, who also lived to be 93 years.

The tallest president was Lincoln at 6’4″; at 5’4″, Madison was the shortest.

Eight left-handed presidents: James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Fourteen Presidents served as vice presidents: J. Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Nixon, L. Johnson, Ford, and George H.W. Bush.

James Buchanan was the only president never to marry. Five presidents remarried after the death of their first wives—two of whom, Tyler and Wilson, remarried while in the White House. Reagan was the only divorced president. Six presidents had no children. Tyler—father of fifteen—had the most.

Presidents Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the 4th of July; Coolidge was born on that day.
Kennedy and Taft are the only presidents buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Lincoln, Jefferson, F. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, and Eisenhower are portrayed on U.S. coins.

Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Cleveland, Madison, and Wilson are portrayed on U.S. paper currency.

For more books about American Presidents.
Check out these books about Abraham Lincoln
Check out these books about George Washington

The End

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So far, 2012 has gone off without a hitch. No zombies, no rapture, the poles have not reversed, and the sun has not exploded. But there is still time for these things to occur, so get your disaster kits ready because it is going to be a long and scary apocalypse, especially if the zombie thing happens.

For my money, the best investment you can make is to go to the library and find the various books that we have on our shelves about survival and apocalypse, then read them and maybe even practice some of the lessons that are contained in these helpful books. Obviously the library is the best resource for all your 2012 apocalypse needs. If  you are looking through those books and said apocalypse occurs you can always use the books for fire or a hammer or something like that. (Don’t really do that, those books need to be returned to the library in the condition they left, even if zombies are the only ones working at the library upon return.)

Moreover, the government is selling off its unused cold war missile silos for very reasonable prices. It seems to me that an abandoned missile silo would be a great place to ride out any kind of apocalypse that may occur. Some of them may be fixer uppers, but what else are you going to do in this late stage of the game? December 21st is approaching faster than you think.

If you can’t afford a missile silo it is best to learn some survival skills that can get you through the end of the world or just in case you are lost in the woods. Here are some excellent survival books for those just right occasions. Click here now.

With all this doom and gloom upon us, it is also good to know that we have experienced and survived these things before. Who can forget Y2K? That was a close one. Thankfully all those computer geeks fixed that bug before everything shut down and caused mass hysteria. Here is an awesome list of past end times that we as people survived.

Lets not forget all the disaster, end of the world movies, that we all enjoy. Wikipedia has a great list of such films (just click on that link in the previous sentence to see it). I am sure we have many of them here at the library, so you can see what is going to happen and prepare accordingly.

Whichever way the world decides to end (zombies), it is always good to be prepared. There is no better place to get yourself prepared than your local library. (Except for maybe Fin, Feather and Fur Outfitters; have you ever been to that place? It is unbelievable; it is like a super amped up Pro Bass Shop.) I guess I’ll see you later, unless we are all dead, in which case I might just eat your brains.

 

 

 

1967 Music and Library Memories

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In 1967, the Bethel Library, founded in 1929 by the Bethel Women’s Club and housed in the Grant Memorial Building, officially became a Branch of the Clermont County Public Library system.

What music were you listening to in 1967?  Do you remember these Grammy Award winners?

And how about these top hits and artists?

Come share your music and library memories from 1967 to the present on Saturday, August 11, 2012 when the Bethel Branch Library will officially celebrate its 45th Anniversary.  Bring the family for fun activities from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Kids can see dog tricks performed by Oliver the Bassett hound, make a craft and have their face painted.  All ages are welcome to listen to music by the Daniel Patrick Family Singers, meet Browser the library’s mascot, check out library and local history displays, enter contests to win prizes, mingle with local and library dignitaries and enjoy refreshments.

Take a “Step Back in Time with Stories of Bethel Library’s Past” on Tuesday, August 7, 6:30-7:45 p.m. and share your library memories with our panel of guest speakers including former and current Bethel library staff, “Worldwalker” author Steven Newman, Walter Carter from the Bethel Historical Museum and Bethel library volunteers and patrons.

What music were you listening to in 1967 in Bethel, Ohio?  We want to know!

 

 

 

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten – Part 4

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my truck is stuckThis past month, my son and I had a lot of fun reading together.  The books we read covered many different themes and ideas.  We read books about animals, parts of the body, colors, shapes, and springtime.  We also read both toddler and easy picture books.  He is enjoying story time more and we are getting into a good routine of reading before bedtime.  Some of his favorite books were:

My Truck is Stuck by Kevin Lewis – This book was by far his favorite.  We read it every night and most nights we read it twice.  This book is about a truck that gets stuck and other vehicles try to help it get unstuck.  This book has counting and rhyming text which makes it fun and easy to read.

All About Me! by Dawn Sirett – This book talks about a group of toddlers who name different parts of the body.   This lift-the-flap board book is a lot of fun.

Baby’s very first touchy-feely animals book by Stella Baggott - This touch and feel book has bright colors and the textured patches make it fun for babies.

Where is Baby’s Belly Button? and Where is Baby’s Yummy Tummy by Karen Katz – Karen Katz’s books are still a favorite of his.  These books are great to help toddlers identify parts of the body and with fun flaps to lift, it makes each page a surprise.

This has been an exciting month of reading.  I am also finding out that it is hard to get him to like new books.  He is very comfortable in having the same books read over and over.  We read the same books for about 2-3 weeks and then we read new ones for 2-3 more weeks.  Repetition in books seems to make him comfortable.  He likes knowing what books will be read and gets excited with every turn of the page.  I am hoping that as we explore the books and since we read the same books over and over, he will learn new words and be able to identify new objects.

For more tips on how to read to your toddler and information on the 6 pre-literacy skills, please visit the Ready to Read page of the website.

 

303 books previously read. 96 books read this month. Total of 399 books read so far.

1,000 Books before Kindergarten – 399 books read = 601 books left to read

 

 

The Most Important Tools for Everyday Repairs

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simple home repair“Take these three items right here. You can have this. WD-40, vise grips, and some duct tape. Any man worth his salt can do half the household chores with just those three things.” ~ Walt Kowalski

The other day I found myself in a conversation about the four tools that everyone should have in their tool box. Many opinions will surface, but here is the list that we developed based on our vast years of knowledge and experience: Duct tape, WD-40, vise grips and a tool that is to be named later.

For example, let’s say you have a leaky faucet. So a quick look under the sink to turn off the shut off valve, only to find it is stuck. Simple solution spray some WD-40 on it and wait. If you don’t feel like waiting and the leak is driving you crazy grab the vise grips and turn the valve with all your might. While turning the lubricated, stuck valve with your vise grips, it somehow breaks and sends water shooting all over. Now grab your duct tape and quickly seal it off. Problem solved, except now there is a faster drip, but at least you got to use your tools. Last tool, the cell phone, it is used to call a plumber.

Here are some other handy uses for your tools: Creating a hole in the wall (vise grips), fixing a hole in the wall (duct tape), causing a slippery floor (WD-40), temporary replacement for a steering wheel (vise grips), getting your sister to be quiet (duct tape), cracking a walnut (vise grips), fixing a broken tail light (duct tape), Free a tongue stuck to frozen metal in winter (WD-40), instant step for climbing (vise grips), and I’m sure there are multiple other uses for these wonderful tools.

Here is a book you can read that you may find helpful: The complete idiot’s guide to simple home repair.

 

 

 

 

 

Popular Smopular

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This past weekend I wanted to be a good library worker and familiarize myself with the more popular items that the friendly library has to offer. Just to let you know, I have a strong reluctance toward anything popular. I like to tread my own path, so to speak. It’s an affliction I have suffered with my whole life. I deal with it.

As you may or may not have heard, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, is the big thing right now. But, that is not the popular task that I took on, that would be too big of a step for this rebel. Moreover, the hold list for those books are astronomical, but I highly recommend them nonetheless. Other people seem to like them.

The popular thing I decided to take on was Harry Potter. I know what you are saying “Harry Potter? that was so five years ago.” I am taking baby steps here so cut me a break. Plus, the series sold like half a billion books worldwide and is the best selling book series in history, at least according to good old Wikipedia.

And of course I took the shortcut and watched the movies. That’s why they make movies, so I don’t have to read the books, right? Anyway, some of those books are fairly large and I would probably need more than a weekend to read them all. Plus bonus, you can check the Harry Potter movies and books from the library right now if you want! Because they are available, no wait list.

Needless to say I was entertained. So much so, I may even read the books.

Probably next year.

P.S. I do read books. I am reading Seth Grahame-Smith’s Unholy Night right now. (It’s not a movie yet, so I had to read it)

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten – Part 3

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I am about 3 months into the 1,000 Books before Kindergarten challenge and I must say it is going well.  I ask my son every night if he wants to read books with me, he shakes his head yes and runs into my room and tries to climb on the bed.  After I bring him a pile of books, he hands me the one he wants to read and we begin.  If he doesn’t like the book I am reading, he takes the book from me, closes it, and hands me another one.  We are having lots of fun reading together.  I have noticed a remarkable improvement in his communication skills as well.  He is responding to questions with a yes or no by shaking his head, attempting to say words when he points at things, and he began to say “mama” when he needs me (and sometimes when he doesn’t!).

I attribute this communication improvement to our daily reading adventures.  I ask him questions as I read and he interacts with the book by pointing out objects on the pages and turning the pages.  We explored a variety of books this month which included colors, shapes, and continued with the touch and feel and lift the flap page books he likes so much.  The books he enjoyed the most were the books about our bodies.  He loved finding his toes, fingers, and mouth just like the children in the books.  We are going to continue to explore more books about parts of the body since he responds so well to them.  Our favorite books this month are:

All About Me! ; Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Animals Book ; Knees and Toes ; Where is Baby’s Yummy Tummy ; Eyes, Nose, Toes Peekaboo ; Beep! Beep! Peekaboo ; and Baby Loves Peekaboo

We also started to add songs to our story times.  He loves the song Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes especially when I sing it fast.  We also sang I’m a Little Teapot, This Little Piggy, and Itsy Bitsy Spider.  All of these songs involve parts of the body and he seems to really respond to them at this age (20 months old).

If you are interested in starting a story time with your child but may have trouble getting started, the library has many Ready to Read kits available and each one has a different theme.  The kits include books, CDs, fingerplays, and an educational toy.  To learn more about the kits and early literacy skills check out the library’s website. You can also find tips on reading with your child in the library’s Parent’s Guide.

180 books previously read – 123 books read this month = 303 books read so far

1,000 Books before Kindergarten – 303 books read so far = 697 books left to read

303 books and counting!!!

 

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten-Part 2

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I had planned to read my son 1,000 books before kindergarten…..does it count when you read him the same book 1,000 times?  I read my son the book baby beep! beep! and he fell in love with it!  I read him this book every night at least 3 times.  I have already renewed it once from the library and it looks as though I may renew it again.

I chose to read him ‘lift the flap’ books and ‘touch and feel’ books this month.  He is 18 months old and this is a great way to introduce him to books.  He is able to feel the different textures in the ‘touch and feel’ books and he likes the surprises under the flaps in the ‘lift the flap’ books.  Most of the books were small enough for him to handle himself and were board books so he could turn the pages himself.

Our favorite book this month was obviously baby beep! beep!. Here are a few of our other favorites:

Where is Baby’s Belly Button?, Spot Goes to the Farm, Baby Max and Ruby Peek-A-Boo, Superhero Me!, Curious George the Movie, Come Rhyme With Me, Where is Baby’s Puppy?, and What I Like About Me!

Goal 1,000 books before kindergarten.

Books read last month 94 - 86 books read this month = 820 books left to read

180 books and counting!!!!

 

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

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I have read that the best way to teach children early literacy skills, is to read to them.  Research shows that reading a child 1,000 books from birth to age 5 is the best way to prepare them for kindergarten.

I am going to read my son 1,000 books before kindergarten.  I have a goal to read him 3 books a day for a year that will be 1,095 books (in the case of 2012 it will be 1,098 books since this is leap year).  I hope to read him 1,000 books before the end of October.

Follow along as I keep track of our reading progress.  I will write a list of our favorite books that you can check out at the library.  Some book we have read and enjoyed so far are:

Froggy Gets Dressed; Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? ; I Love You Through and Through; The Very Hungry Caterpillar; The Little House; Baby Talk; From Head to Toe; Good Night Gorilla; Sleepy Baby; and Where is Baby’s Belly Button?

Goal 1,000 books – 94 books read so far = 906 books left to read.

94 books and counting!!!!