Retirement

Today was a milestone.  I filled out my PERA application for my retirement pension.  Whoa! does that sound old!  And I sent in  my resignation to the HR dept.  Yippee!!!  A few steps are needed to be able to send all the pension information, but I'm well on my way.  There is, of course, an option to call a halt to everything, but no way, Jose.  I am retiring as of Aug 29, come what may.  As my husband says, I will probably want to find some kind of job, and I do have the option to continue at the library on a substitute basis, so this isn't the end of life as I know it.  But it is a good start!

Once HR processes my resignation, they can post the job and we can start the 'search' for my replacement.  I have talked to 2 ladies in town who may be interested in applying and in my opinion may be good in the job.  One major upcoming issue is the need for expansion of the library.  I sort of started, but got nowhere.  I don't think it was totally my lack of forcefulness, but my being a 'lame duck',  didn't help the process on my part or on the part of the city, the entity which will build.  No matter, I will continue being involved in the Friends group and will have much to do with the expansion, whether I want to or not.  

Saturday nite

I was getting severely beaten in my scrabble game so decided to add the quilt pictures to my blog.  

First is the baby quilt and pillow for Isaiah.

Second is the orange 'ugly fabric' table topper.  

 

Third is the fruit table topper for my aunt

Fourth is the patriotic table topper for my sister in law.

They are all quickly and easily done, and then given away.  

Quilt Plans

Now that I am done with my house quilt, I have to find another big project to start.  A group somewhere out East is making quilts for every injured vet of the Iraq war.  I planned to put together a top and send it to them.  (They seem to think that machine quilting is superior to other kinds of finishing--I disagree)  I have been gifted with 2 huge pieces of red fabric and purchased blue and yellow to fill in.  Now I've picked a pattern and find I want some off white to make it real patriotic colors.  I hope to get some at a bargain price...  

Other projects I need to finish or start:  1.  Grandmother's flower shower curtain;  2. fleece projects (another gift of fabric--this time sample swatches too small for anything individually, and too weird to combine, but I'll try); 3.  baby quilts for great nieces Amber and Isabella;  4. scrap bag for Vicki to give to Ben's new girlfriend.  That's all I can think of at the moment.

I'm back!

It seems like ages since I've signed in, and I had a little trouble getting here.  It's definitely time to get back into the cyberstream.  (I just read a news blurb that English politicians are not supposed to use buzzwords that confuse their constituents.  I don't much like jargon myself...)

I have decided to try to regularly post a sort of almanac of gardening, quilting, grandchildren and other important activities in my life.  I don't think anyone else will find it interesting, but if I am consistent, I should  have a good record of what I've done.  There are a couple reasons this is important to me.  1.  I like to know how my gardening compares one year to another.  2. It is good to have a record of quilt projects, just to be able to pat myself on the back now and again.  3. I'm going to have another grandchild in July and expect to have to brag a little.  

GARDENING:

I'll have to back track a bit to brag about the results of gardening efforts.  This spring was unusually cold, with snow well into April.  Apr 12 happened to be warm enough to stir the soil in my raised bed gardens and allow planting.  I put in radish, beet, spinach, lettuce and snow pea seeds, and with Mike's help put on a plastic cover to create a green house effect (sounds like a bad word).  I was thrilled that the seeds grew, and I had radishes, spinach and lettuce in May, before other gardeners were able to work the soil.  :-)  I replanted radishes and we've had the second harvest of them, and the third planting are showing second leaves.  My first snow pea is on the vine, and there are lots of blossoms.  The tomato plants are beginning to have blossoms, the bunching onions are skinny little spears.  The pepper plants look spindly

but I have hopes they will muscle up.  

This is our second year using the raised beds and we had to adjust the soil to produce root crops as well as green growth.  We added good southern Minnesota farm soil, compost, and bone meal to get a better balance of the ppk combination.  (I think those are the letters--potassium-phosphorus-etc)  The radishes assured me that we accomplished it.  Yea Mike and me.  

When I retire in the fall (yea me) I plan to dig out my flower beds, ream out the cherry tree sprouts, and seed grass in part of the area.  I have to thin the irises and day lilies, and decide what else to keep or throw.  Fun.  

Successful Sale

Our book sale last Thursday and Friday was quite satisfactory.  I did less this time around than ever before.  Yea me!  That means my volunteers and 'friends' did the lion's share of planning, working and getting credit.  Yea them!  And I especially love it that the leftovers are being recycled, not just thrown out.  

The weather has turned around, and we have a  couple of warm, sunny days in a row.  I persuaded my husband to help me make a mini green house out of one of our raised bed gardens and I planted peas, radishes and spinach yesterday.  We'll see.....

I also stripped the paint from a small cupboard built nearly 60 years ago by my dad and used by my older sister and her family.  I intend to use it as a toy cupboard for my granddaughter when I get the many layers of paint off and a fresh coat back on.  I used to really enjoy the process of refinishing furniture, but it seems pretty strenuous now.  Either I have to work on my upper body strength or give it up.  (never!!!)

FOCAL (friend's of the library) meeting tonite. Must plan the annual meeting and summer reading kickoff party.  It's always something.  

Book Sale Time

Every spring, we have a fundraiser book sale at the library.  We request donations from the public and usually get a fantastic quantity of books.  This year, we've gotten fewer books overall, but they seem to be a good variety and condition.  I am continually amazed that so many people in this relatively small area have so many good books they are willing to give away, and then they will come and buy more.  The library profits,  as well as serves as a terrific recycling agent.  

For many years, I felt that I was conducting the book sale single handed.  Since our friends group formed, I've had a lot of help, and for the past 2 years, I have done very little work.  It is wonderful to have such dedicated and generous people who are willing to take on the responsibilities.  

Granddaughter is growing up.  She is 10 1/2 months old, and is almost walking.  She feeds herself, knows what toys she wants to play with, and is showing more personality all the time. Her little sibling will arrive in about 4 months and she will become a 'big sister'.  Life will change dramatically then.  I can't wait.  Her parents are trying to prepare themselves, mentally as well as domestically.   Makes me smile.

  

Back at it.

Be courageous. I have seen many depressions in business. Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous. Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith! Go forward!
Thomas A. Edison

I've been viewing an Apple tutorial in order to get the best use out of my computer. It has been very helpful so far--both in showing what I already know, and some of the finer points that I otherwise would be missing. Many of the tools are similar to things presented in 23 Things, but they are specific to Apple. So I've learned again about widgets, rss feeds and cool uses of calendars.

I also checked my quotations from Thomas Edison, and found this one encouraging in light of the current economic situation. However fearful it seems, we need to go forward as best we can.

Looking forward to the weekend, as my son, daughter in law and granddaughter are coming for dinner. We plan a Chinese menu to honor the Olympic games (not) and hope the weather will allow playing outside for a bit. Baby Thessaly is just over 10 months old, and every day is an adventure. Maybe she will be walking... I begged a family heirloom (a cupboard my dad made for my oldest sister over 50 years ago) to store TessToys for her visit. The cupboard is sturdy, but could use a little help. I'd like to strip and repaint it, but not this weekend. :-)

I have a lunch date or is it called appointment with my supervisor, Bill, tomorrow if he manages the trip thru the snow. A blizzard in April is too much!

Updated Avatar

I'm not sure how I did it, but I got a spring swing to my avatar. Notice my yellow cat--just like my old Katt.

After a few days off, I'm trying to get back to the 23 things and figure out how to actually use the tools. I'm still mystified, but will continue to keep trying.

Thing 23 Final Thoughts

I am pleased to be finishing the 23 Things. It has been a remarkable learning experience, very frustrating at times, but empowering and entertaining as well. I will continue to use some of the tools, hope to become more skilled at others. I would like to find ways to use them in the library setting, and maybe with the creative ideas of others who have worked through 23 things, we will be able to come up with ways to interest teens in book clubs or adults in 2.0 tools.
I've said before, I intend to review the things we've just gone through, and hopefully come up with a clearer picture of possible uses. There will be more opportunity to view blogs as well. It's been encouraging to realize that I'm not the only one who had trouble with various things.
I appreciate the efforts that went into putting this together, and would consider participating in another program.

Thing 22 Ways to Keep up

I have learned a lot, mainly that I really don't know nearly enough.
I plan to start over, reviewing the many things, and taking the time to understand what I glossed over the first time through. I think that after experiencing the subsequent things, I should have much more understanding and ability to make better choices about what is useful to me, what could be used in my library setting, and what is not for me at all. (I like to say negative knowledge is good too)

I really need to review the RSS feed idea and decide what I want to have fed to me. I have to develop the habit of looking at the sites that are so conveniently updated. I want to learn to plan better, use calendar reminders and stickies to keep on top of things. I have bookmarked (the old fashioned technique, I know, but it's one I can keep track of) several sites that I think will be useful. I may even decide to try the games.

I noticed that someone wrote that they hoped the 23 things site would remain active for a long time so that we have the links to refer back to. This would be very helpful.

Thing 21 Other Social networds

I found some interesting groups that pertain to my hobbies of knitting and quilting. I haven't joined yet but I think I may follow up on these groups as a way of broadening my outlook. One can always benefit from another's experience and skill.
I actually joined a group of 1 on the ning site and added my opinion on being outside one's comfort zone. What a giggle.
Using social networks in the library seems like it could be workable but it would take work. The web junction article was very optimistic that educating library staff and using their initiative would pull the various aspects of social networking together into a cohesive unit. Nice if you can get it.

Thing 20 Libraries and Social Networks

I spent quite a bit of time with the tutorials about facebook, and I guess that is the way for me to learn. They are quite detailed which is what I need as I am not electronically intuitive.

After filling out a little of the facebook profile and posting to my one friend, I joined the 2.0 Library group. It seems a little sophisticated for me but I may grow into it. The reason facebook is growing so fast probably is that it is so appealing to teens. It has some guidelines that make you feel safe, but is loose enough that kids can connect to a lot of other kids. I will have to discuss with my 'friend', who is my 16 yr old library aide, what point there is in 'poking' or 'gifting' friends. (I recently watched for the first time "Lonesome Dove" and the meaning of poking was somewhat different...) Whether or not the reputation is deserved depends on the numbers. It is interesting that there are websites to encourage business people to make specialized use of facebook.

Myspace as used by the linked libraries seemed to be an interesting way to appeal to teens. I didn't notice how frequently it was updated, and that would seem to be key. No one wants to be reading old news. As for using myspace at my library, the challenge would be making it exciting and current.

Thing 19 Podcasts

Podcasts are interesting--up close and personal, but no picture. Funny to sit at a screen and listen without looking. (I play card games while I listen--something like quilting while I listen to audio books.) I listened to our own Wanda from Upsala talk about being both school and public librarian. The audio quality on this and other podcasts is iffy, with one or other speaker being too loud or too soft.

I find the directories to be confusing. None seem clear on how to search for a topic, but maybe they all need you to subscribe/sign in etc. Yahoo displayed a search screen, which left me out in the cold.

I don't have any desire to podcast but I would like to listen to MPR podcasts regularly. Of course, since they are professionally produced, they are better scripted, have more acceptable audio and are more enjoyable in not more informative.

Thing 17 You Tube

Thing 16 assignment calculator

This is out of sequence. I know I wrote a post on it, but failed to get it attached. Tsk!

The university assignment calculator looked lovely as a generic tool to get organized. The research project calculator broke down the steps and gave some good questions to help with writing. I think some of the most worthwhile point that few kids seem aware of is the amount of investigation needed to select a good research topic.

I've been tutoring a 7th grader with spelling and a couple writing assignments. His assignment outlines have had really good points for composition. I was very impressed. Of course, when a child has trouble reading and spelling, even good instructions can seem impossible to follow.

Thing17 ELM

The ELM data bases are part of the GRRL system available to the public. I've been trying to find a way to get along with ELM for a number of years with very discouraging results. I feel personally jinxed with these data bases. In my attempts to work through this thing, I find the jinx continues. And I don't want to take the time to find out just where I am going wrong, (I don't dare think it could be that ELM is hard to work with)

There are many resources and tons of information available through ELM and it would be wonderful if more people would make use of it. When I've been able to refer someone needing professional periodical information, they have been so pleased to find it this way. Or even amateur information i.e. consumer information. I can see that having one's personal file to fill with collected information and keeping it on a flash drive would be very handy, and anyone doing research for school or personal use (researching collectibles etc) would find it very helpful.

Thing 15 Online Games

While I'm not much of a game player, I can see more sense and satisfaction in playing a game that has an outcome like winning or losing. I didn't play Pirates but it looked like some of the online games I have played (using the excuse that dragging and dropping or mouse control were important skills to develop). I don't see the point of Second Life--I wanted to tell the teens in the YALSA podcast to 'get a life'. I'm sure the skills needed to make the avatars/cities/etc are transferable and that's where their value lies.
I don't see that any of these activities are very important in my public library setting.

Thing 14 Library Thing

Once again it doesn't quite work.
I toured Library Thing and added my 5 books. Nice to see the covers. Tried adding it to my blog, but am missing some important connection. Oh well, I get E for effort.

This is a cute trick for folks who love making lists, tracking their reading records and ranking. It is also fine to connect to other readers. I would recommend my patrons to give it a try.

GRRL, my library, prints bookmarks with book lists organized by genre, author, topic, or any other way that seems to be helpful for a reader. They seem to be appreciated. They are a
hard copy that can be referred to when one is away from one's electronic connection. (It happens some times...)

Good Reads might be a good place for people to practice making book reports/reviews.

Thing 13 Online productivity tools

These tools are good for folks who love lists and feel they have the time to refer to them. When I started work a thousand years ago, I loved making a list of the tasks I had and crossing them off. What a feeling of accomplishment. Then I realized I spent a great portion of time making the list and got the tasks done just as efficiently without the list. Sheesh!

I looked at igoogle and Yahoo page starts because I have email accounts with both Google and Yahoo. I have no preference, they both are cute, and I will probably play with both.
There are so many tools, calendars widgets etc that are similar. It is too hard to judge which might be useful in a quick scan. Those which charge a fee are definitely less likely to be tried by me. I looked at the Famundo calendar and its demo was pretty impressive. Good application for a family or group.
I signed on to Stikkit, they had a demo of sending meeting reminders/agenda/etc which were appealing. I missed the detail about how to get my info onto the stickies. Go back and start again. Tsk!

Again, using calendars or productivity tools requires taking time to get familiar with the tool and making a point of using it. Not easily come by.

Thing 12

There are simply too many of the same things. When I viewed the 4 examples of social media sites, I thought that while they look different, some being easier to navigate, some more colorful, they are much the same. The same stories are featured and voted on as being favored.

Regarding library application, these may be popular, but are they the most accurate, an important standard from a reference point of view. The sources of the information aren't always clear.
If you are quite selective about the topics you want to view, you could possibly be more productive, but I think you would get so inundated with information, you would be at a loss for time to put it to use.
Yes, I read a couple stories that I wouldn't have seen otherwise.

I don't think I understand why people seem to want to have input on information, ranking it in popularity. Is it that the world is so impersonal that a vote for a news article on a social web site makes the voter feel like they have some effect on outcomes?

Thing 11 Del.icio.us

This tool seems to be a fine web based organizational tool. I've wished for a way to access my bookmarks away from my home computer, and here it is!

I discussed with a library patron who is familiar with these programs, and we agreed that the concept of the online work processing, photo program and del.icio.us is good, but we shared the concern that private information is available to public view. Yes, they say you can make your submissions private, but we are also told that anything can be hacked.

This type of program seems to fit more with academic libraries, where the opportunity to instruct the user is ready made. In a public library setting, patrons either know what they are doing, or are at a much simpler level of computer use i.e. how to use the mouse, keyboard, etc.

Thing 10 Wikis

Wikis are absolutely full of long winded(worded) folks who have too much to say. It's wonderful to be able to share what you know, but it's important to respect the limits of the reader's capacity to absorb.
I was interested in the book reviews on the Princeton wiki site and got some good suggestions. The Albany staff page seemed to be a one time posting, and didn't seem to take advantage of the interactive aspects of a wiki. And I was interested in the Durham Library using the wiki as a site to discuss their library strategies. These seem to be useful library applications, but again they need faithful attention to stay current.
Regarding using Wikipedia as a research source for students: The point of research assignments is less the data obtained than teaching the methods of searching and judging the validity of the sources. The objection to Wikipedia is that the sources may not be valid. I think it should be allowed as one source of information, but that other sources would have to validate the facts.

Regarding editing a wiki: I added a line on the 23 Things pbwiki.

I am thinking that using a wiki as a family information exchange could be do-able. My family is somewhat spread out, and email has been a great way to send the same messages to everyone, but a wiki could do that as well as become an exchange of memories to save, etc. Just an idea....

Thing 9

I was interested in thing 9--an online word processing program. This would be helpful to folks who don't have such a program on their own pc. I had a wireless user trying to install a Word program in their laptop, and would have been happy to inform them of either Googledoc or Zoho Writer if I'd know of them.
I was not impressed with the editing task, could barely read the old documents and could quite figure out the editing technique. It was much more useful to me to create my own document which I successfully emailed to several accounts, however, not necessarily my blog. I think our forefathers would have been amazed at the processes we have, but appalled by the duplication of efforts and waste of time trying to get these things to work. (That may be my own take on electronic wizardry.)

Thing 8

True to form, the various suggested electronic connections don't quite connect for me. At this point, I feel that exploring them and becoming aware that such things exist is about all I will gain from this exercise. Also, its value in my library setting seems quite limited, as I hardly have time to do the routine checkin/checkout work during this busy time of the year.

I logged onto Lazybase, a supposed easy way to establish your own data base and share it with friends. And I tried uploading photos of a quilt project onto Slide Show, but it refered me to MY Space which is basically ok, except neither site showed my 'slides'. Once again, I don't know what I did wrong, and don't have time or interest to pursue it.

The conclusion I keep coming to is that all these tools are terrific in their own little realm, but where is the TIME to master them, and look at everyone else's creations?

Time to return to routine

I have been neglecting the 23 things for several weeks as real life has intervened. I hate it when that happens. Visiting my parents, taking vacations, and worst of all work all take time away from this electronic/artificial reality.
I have to go back to the 23 things list to remind myself of what I'm supposed to have learned and accomplished. Here goes....

Thing 7

I've spent over an hour viewing the communications tools and gadgets available to us.  What a huge array of possibilities if one had the time to explore.  (I have laundry going, bread rising and more sewing to do.  When will I have the time?)  

Our library system uses email to communicate between individuals and groups in our 32 branch system.  It is quite effective for those who check it daily.  Our library system is largely rural, and internet service is not available to all, and fast internet service is hard to come by. Cell phone service is not reliable either.  (I frequently drive 100 miles through the country to visit my folks.  I got a cell phone for the illusion of safety it gives while on isolated highways.  The most isolated areas have no cell phone service)

Therefore, using IM or test messaging is not a useful concept for many of our patron.  At this point, the most use for IM would be sending files of documents or photos from one computer station to another, rather than emailing as I do at this point.  (After beginning to compose a document on a circ computer during a slow time, I often have to email it to the work room computer or home to finish.)

Using webinars, as suggested in some of the information, for information sharing, sounds good.  With 32 branches spread throughout 5 counties, sharing information is difficult, and though the supervisory staff try to visit the branches regularly, they don't alway disseminate all the data, sometimes being distracted by more immediate news i.e. growth and progress of the newest grandchild.  

I've downloaded Yahoo Messenger and now have to find a 'friend' with whom to IM.  Could be harder than you think...

Thing 5

I can't believe the time I spend trying to do a task, and it just doesn't get done!!!!

I tried to make another trading card as an example of how they could be used to disseminate library information. I took a couple photos of areas of my library showing the various collections and how they are displayed. (We are attempting to promote library expansion, and maybe the obvious crowding will show up here.) I wanted to have the trading card of the children's toy table next to this posting, but it is at the bottom of the archived posts. Tsk! I know they can be moved somewhat, but don't have the patience tonite to pursue the matter.

Several times the question has come up regarding personal attitudes about using photos on blogs. It is hard not to feel vulnerable when one's face is out there in front of whoever cares to look. Maybe that is more of an issue when one lives in a small town where one is recognized by everone. Anonymity frees up the inhibitions.... It's too late to think anymore... time for a game of solitaire.

Redecorating and finishing Thing 6

I decided that I wanted a new look. I also got a tip from my web guru on how to import photos so will get to work on that.
I did look at some of the things on Flickr, and the image generators. They are just too sophisticated for me. Fascinating tho...

I'm Back

This is just so complicated.

I have 2 email accounts, 2 blogs, 2 google reader accounts, and they are all mixed up. When I was logged into my yahoo email I created one blog and one reader, and the same happened accidentally (I didn't realize I was logged into the other email account) when I tried to get to the blog and reader, and suddenly there I was with duplicate accounts. Now I have a hard time keeping my passwords straight to get to where I want to go. Sheesh!

What has the 23 Things project done to all these free internet tools? What chaos with all the rookies trying and messing things up. You originators of 23 Things bear a heavy weight of responsibility....

I don't know if or when I'll get back here. Just now I have more pressing tasks (that's almost a pun, as I intend to do some sewing.) to attend. Wish me luck.

More thing 4

I found a nifty sudoku game with hamster pictures on Flickr, and enjoyed playing it. When I tried to import it to my Google Reader, I got sudoku mishmash (mashup?) but not the game I had intended to select. A mystery.

I also tried to sign up for YouTube, wanting to put some of the videos of my granddaughter on it so relatives can see her grow. I tried twice, and neither time was I able to continue (they send an approval of some sort to your email address, and I wasn't approved. Does it have something to do with my credit rating? My looks? My personal antipathy with to electronics?

I will continue....

Thing 4 continued

A trading card with our audio book collection.

Thing 4 Flickr

I have been trying to come up with photo ideas for Thing 4, but find I haven't got on hand the type of photos that lend themselves to a library oriented blog. My gardening, quilting and baby photos just don't make it. But I've tried making a trading card and it isn't difficult. Printing them on cardboard may be a challenge... There are choices of icons--must investigate that.

Plans include taking a couple library pictures, uploading and going from there. Super Bowl Sunday is a good time for this.

Thing 3

I've been slowly working through thing 3 and luckily had some tutoring from my son about RSS. I can see how and why this is an excellent resource in managing searching and finding things again. I hope to use it a lot. The greatest advantage, to me, is the ability to view your personal interest sites from any computer and any location. What I need to do now is take the time to find interesting web sites and blogs with which to keep in touch.
In viewing some of the recommended sites by '23 things', I am amazed at the vast amount of information available.

Thing 2

Why am I participating in this? I find it a challenge. Almost everything about computers has been challenging to me, and I want to meet and greet this one. My son is a computer geek, and has encouraged me to change from pc's to a Mac, (incidentally helping him out by buying his) because "Apples are so much more user friendly". He doesn't understand that 'old habits' are also user friendly, and learning new things are not necessarily user friendly. Again, it's a challenge, and one I can deal with on my own time.

I want to learn the jargon and know more about using it. When my library patrons come in asking about our computer connections and functions, I want to be able to really help, not just impress. But I find that when I'm learning something new, I have to do it wrong every possible way it can be done wrong before I manage to catch on to the right way. This applies to my bread baking, quilting and computer use. It helps me value success!

About to Begin

I have been trying for several days to get my avatar in place on my new blog, and to get registered to the CMLE list of bloggers. While working on my Mac, I got error notices each time I tried exporting, but was actually successful--there were many of me here.

I just don't know how to get noticed by 23 Things. I'm here! I want to be acknowledged! I'm trying!