IMAGINE

ATTITUDE

2008-10-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.

The remarkable think is, we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

(**I found this on a restaurant menu. I do not know who wrote it, but I thought it was worth sharing.**)

"Walking Across Egypt"

2008-02-19T11:30:00.001-08:00

At first I thought “Walking Across Egypt” was going to be a sleeper, but the more I read, the more I enjoyed it.
Mattie is a strong Christian woman who we can all learn from. She opens her door with kindness and the smell of something good cookin’ in the kitchen. While reading this book I had a strong urge to bake a pound cake. I think her need to feed people was a way for her to bring comfort to everyone and let them know her home was always open for them.
My Aunt Lottie was my Mattie in my life. She always had a cake baked, homemade soups and a kind word around her kitchen table. She was the constant in my life.
I think that the lack of grandchildren from Robert and Elaine was the reason Mattie pursued Wesley. It was her last chance at influencing a young person’s life in a positive way. I believe that getting the dog for Wesley would teach him responsibility and make him feel needed (especially if Mattie passed on). Her mention of marriage was a sign of confusion to me and a hint that maybe Wesley would be taking care of her instead of the other way around. She really didn’t want to be a burden to her children. This book could continue on in many ways.
I don’t think this book would keep the interest of teens today. It does have the teenage delinquent, but the story revolves around Mattie, an aging Christian woman. My opinion is that teens want to read action or fantasy.

Avatar

2008-01-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

If only I could look this cute!!

Porgy Part II

2007-10-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Questions to consider about Porgy DuBose Heyward was a white man looking into Charleston's world of color. Do you think he portrayed that world in Catfish Row with any degree of accuracy?I want to think he did, but I really don't know the history of Catfish Row in the eyes of a black man. Does Heyward romanticze life in Catfish Row?Porgy always seems to be waiting for something. What do you think it is he's waiting for?
What impact does the goat have on Porgy's "philosophy" of begging?
Do you find it difficult to read the Gullah dialect as written by Heyward? Yes, I actually bought a pocket dictionary to carry with me to look up words.What do you think of Heyward's ability to tell a story? Is his writing organized and to the point, or is it sprawling? I did not find Heyward's writing sprawling at all, it was very much to the point. He has a wonderful ability to tell a story, at times I felt like I was right there feeling the emotions of his characters.Do you like this book?I liked the book very much. Once I got into it I felt I really knew the characters and was anxious to find out what was going to happen.

Porgy

2007-10-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

I have taken the plunge to read our first book assigned for the Southern Writers Online. I would like to have met DuBose Heyward. He must have been a very intelligent man, or the style of writing and words used during his time were far different than I am used to. I am only half way through this novel and I have had to look up at least thirty words that I did not know the meaning to. I am also finding that I have to read aloud the parts in Gullah dialect to get the real meaning.
I am thoroughly enjoying the story, but Prudence, this is work!
(I have moved this from the Southern Writers Online blog)

Southern Writers Online

2007-09-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

September - Porgy - DuBose Heyward

I have started the first of the many books chosen for the Southern Writers Online and cannot wait to share comments with other participants as I complete Porgy.

Library 2.1

2007-09-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

Ready, set, go! It's time to start using the gray matter again. I am looking forward to the challenge.

96 Greeter

2007-03-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

I would like you all to meet Krypto. He is a friendly bassett hound that lives next door to the 96 library. I consider him to be my little greeter because he is always there wagging his tail and watching every move as patrons visit the library each day. He brings a smile to my face, I hope he will to yours as well.

End or Beginning?

2007-03-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

My staff development experience has come to an end, for now at least. I have completed the twenty exercises and have my blog to document my efforts. What I have learned is that there was no right or wrong way to accomplish these tasks. I have found that everyone has their personal favorite websites and that there is always more than one way to search, download or save what is of interest to you. My favorite site was librarything.com and my biggest frustration was that user names and passwords do expire when not used.

I am very grateful that I was given the opportunity to participate in this exercise. I can say that this is the end of this learning experience, but the beginning of my continued exploration of what is available with the click of a mouse.

Bookmarklets

2007-03-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

This could be useful for someone who is doing research or uses the web often. I added a bookmarklet to my favorites that highlighted links. When I called up the GCL home page everything was highlighted in yellow! I guess I didn't exactly do something right. I quickly deleted it and am back to normal. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the tip jar!

MP3

2007-03-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

I chose to go to iTunes to download some music. I was able to complete this task after a lot of trial and error. I downloaded a file to my home pc and into one of the library's MP3 players. I look forward to receiving my own MP3 player when I complete this assignment so that I may try to download an audio book.

Wikipedia

2007-03-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

I do not wish to become a wikipedian! Wow, there is a lot of information here, but you would expect that in an encyclopedia. I spent a lot of time at the help desk. I did not edit an article but did experiment in the sandbox once I found it. I browsed the wiktionary and quickly left this site before I couldn't find my way out.

MovieFlix & Blinxx

2007-03-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

I am sorry to say I was not very successful with these websites to view free movies or cartoons. I signed into MovieFlix and saw the listings of various movies, cartoons, commercials, etc., but I was not able to view them at work or on my home computer. When I searched around blinxx I kept getting security alerts and popups. I see how you have the options to view various video formats, but at the present time I prefer not to. I spent a great deal of time and felt I gave it a good try. I will discuss this with other staffers and see if they had similar problems. Perhaps someone will be willing to give me a demonstration.

Firefox

2007-03-09T10:27:00.000-08:00

Karen had already downloaded Firefox here in Ninety Six so I didn't do it again. I spent time with it, but because I am a creature of habit I prefer Internet Explorer. However, if it were not for this learning experience I would never have known about Firefox or Netscape.

Imagine This!

2007-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the snow in Oswego, New York - Feb. 2007.
Aren't we thankful we live in South Carolina!

My Yahoo!

2007-03-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

I had fun setting up My Yahoo! page. This is something that can be changed or updated continuously. I look forward to playing around with this site and reading the information that is of interest to me.

Flickr

2007-03-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

I love the flickr website. What a great way to share photos. Robin, it was fun to see the pictures of your new beau and family.
On this site you also have the capabablity of utilizing wonderful photos for free, like the one I displayed of Niagara Falls. This is the area I grew up in and it sure makes me homesick to see the beauty I am so far away from. It truly deserves to be one of the seven wonders of the world.

Podscope

2007-03-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

I found podscope difficult to search for something of interest. I did listen to a small piece on NPR about pain management. It appears to have a lot of information if you know how to find it. I prefer something like aol video which is a lot easier to navigate. Here I was easily able to find videos on comedy, music, news, etc.

Facebook

2007-03-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

I am not much into social networking or giving personal information on the computer, so this site is not of much interest to me. I did import my blog and found one friend, Marf!

Bloglines

2007-03-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure about all this blogline stuff, but I am trying to figure it all out. It has really been a challenge. I do have some new fun words to add to my vocabulary - widgets and chicklets!! There is an end to this, isn't there?

Something To Think About

2007-03-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Library Thing

2007-03-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

I find this site the most fun for me thus far. I have cataloged a few of the books that I have read and loved seeing the book covers. Mentally I guess it helps me better remember what the book was about. I liked the reading suggestions and looking at what other readers are interested in. This is one place I will definitely visit in the future.

LibraryElf

2007-03-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

I like the concept of this site because I love to keep things organized. However, unless you are using many libraries, checking out many books or keeping track of various patrons I don't see it as being very practical. Also you would need to have access to a computer to check on a regular basis.
The bestseller lists, reviews, and book clubs are informative if you want to use this site for that information.

My Space

2007-03-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

I find it totally amazing that people are so free with their personal information. I have noticed that this is one of the most popular websites the teens are using at this libray, when I asked them why, they said "It's just way cool!" I realize that there are ways to filter and protect your privacy, however I am afraid some of the younger people disregard these options and volunteer too much information. It's nice that they have a way to communicate and make friends but I wish they were more discreet. I guess you can just call me old fashion!

Happy Valentine's Day To All!

2007-02-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

S. Valentine images

Public Library Websites

2007-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

It was fun to visit other public library websites. I was more interested in what the library had to offer than the design of their website.
I looked at libraries within the state and throughout the country. The Wilsonville Public Library in Oregon is going to have a program called "Read to the Dogs!". The child chooses a book to read and a dog. They can read to Abby, an Austrailian Shepard or Raley, a Golden Retriever. It's purpose is to increase enthusiasm for reading, develop reading skills, teach children how to interact with pets and promote confidence. I am not suggesting we do something like this (what a nightmare!!), I am just giving an example of what another library is trying.
In Olathe, Kanas the library's website www.olathelibrary.org has a tab called the Kids Corner. It provides cool sites, good books, etc. I think it's worth checking out. Olathe also has a read to a dog program, check out their photos on the website.
I have looked at many sites, overall I think we have a great website, it's easy to navigate but I wish it had more color.

NetLibrary Ebooks

2007-02-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

I think the NetLibrary Ebooks is wonderful. I have downloaded "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich on my home computer. I never thought I would sit long enough to listen to a whole book, but I have found that it's a lot easier on the eyes during the evening than reading a book.

Day Two of Frustrations

2007-01-25T08:56:00.000-08:00

Today is not going very well. I seem to be having problems with invalid passwords, page expired messages or try again in 30 seconds. I guess I will have to take my smart pills and try again later!

Day One of Possibilities

2007-01-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

At last I am jumping on the bandwagon. My blog title of imagine means just that, who would imagine that we have the opportunity to connect with so many people and be exposed to endless amounts of information. I have begun my journey!