Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes

They started out slow.

Only five quarts from the first picking.

This batch getting canned today.

Seven quarts in the canner as I type.

This batch got picked this morning.....almost two 5-gal. pails full.

Should be ready to can by Friday. I estimate another 12-14 quarts.

Why was I worried that I wouldn't get any tomatoes?  There will be plenty more to pick too.

Annual Family Get-Together

Not such a big crowd this year.  A few Risinger cousins usually come, including some of their kids, but this year that branch had a wedding in St. Louis over the weekend.

We didn't lack for desserts. Or any other food for that matter.

As usual, there's no evidence I was even there. LOL

Daughter's Surprise B-Day Party

Her 40th b-day is coming up and her kids & DH decided to surprise her.

Here she is just after discovering she'd been had...with the party hat she refused to wear. Her SIL took her out for drinks while the fam set up the party & guests gathered. Just before I took this picture she turned to SIL and says, "You lied to me!"

Part of the crowd in the backyard. I think some may have left before I took this picture but I heard the last guest left at 3:45am.  Guess it was a good party.

Recently Quilted

Baby quilt.  All embroidered.

Will Kindles kill libraries?

This is an interesting article I came across online.  Will Kindles Kill Libraries?  That's the 64-million-$$$ question.  While quite a few people own eReaders and like them, many, many more swear they will stick with real books.  Guess we'll have to wait and see. I will say though, that Overdrive, the major distributor of eBooks to libraries has a way to go.

I've researched Overdrive a little, thinking it might be time for my library to get on board.  However, every time I check on the availability of a book I might want to read there is always a waiting list.  Sometimes two on the list, sometimes 5 or more.  I think the record was 26.  Multiply that figure by the 2 or 3 week checkout period and you can see how long it will be before #27 gets the book.  Waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy   to frustrating.  And buying & downloading popular books gets expensive since they average $9.99 to $15.99 ea., with a few free offerings and 99 cent books thrown in.  Not only that, eBook sellers can zap them off your reader just as easy as you downloaded them, if they so see fit.  Amazon has done it. Is it any wonder voracious readers with an eReader turn to pirated copies?

Really, I don't think libraries are in nearly as much danger from eBooks as they are from short-sighted politicians who see them as easy targets for funding cuts.

Pets on Quilts

SewCalGal is having a Pets on Quilts show/contest and even though I don't have any expectations of winning I just have to enter this picture of my Nicky being cute.

Nicky.  If there's quilt, or even a quilt block, laying around she'll be on it.

Go to SewCalGal's blog, read the rules and enter your quilt loving pet.

CPD23 - Week 8, Thing 12

Finally, catching up on the blogs for Weeks 6, 7 and 8. Shouldn't let myself get so far behind...it's too much to do all at once to get caught up again.

Ah, social media. Just a few years ago the term didn't even exist and now almost everyone thinks they can't live without it.  I didn't realize how pervasive it actually was until last fall when I finally joined Facebook.  It seemed like everyone I knew or had ever known was on it. For better or for worse, it's a part of our lives now. 

Anyone who knows me personally has heard me admit to being somewhat of a hermit. I don't even own a cell phone. When I see all these people driving down the road with a phone to their ear or standing around texting I always ask myself, "Who the hell are they always talking/texting to anyway?" 

I must say that I haven't seen much professional social media activity going on in my neck of the woods. Yes, most of the libraries have web sites, some have Facebook pages and/or a twitter account. I always wonder how many people actually read those pages/posts/tweets.  Plus, we've all read how personal Facebook posts have actually damaged careers.  I guess the thing to keep in mind is that once it's out there on the Internet it's out there forever, and even if we're posting to our personal page it can either help or hurt us professionally.

Done rambling now.

CPD23 - Week 7, Things 10 & 11

#11 - Becoming a Librarian:   To all you librarians out there with the Master's degree or beyond I'm not a "real" librarian at all, though I've been doing the exact same work for more years than some of you have existed.  I started out in my small rural library as an assistant and learned as I went from my boss. When she resigned the Board realized, after interviewing a bunch of totally unacceptable applicants, that perhaps they should hire me. At least I had worked in the library for six years and knew a little about how things should be done.  From then on I learned by the seat of my pants and taking various training workshops and reading.  Since then I've worked hard at collection development, weeding out the horribly outdated junk that had collected, worked on a library enlargement project, introduced computers/Internet and networked the library. Next came the automated circulation/catalog system. It's been a ride, that's for sure. Anyway, what exactly is a "real" librarian?

# 11 - Mentoring:   I have definitely had much needed mentors -- the school librarian in my high school where I was a library volunteer, my first boss in the public library, fellow librarians in my county.  I have been going to the County Library Assoc. meetings since I first started out in the public library and at each meeting there is some educational program, mostly about librarianship.  Now that I am the most senior librarian in our county I am more mentor than mentee, as informal as it may be, and I try to be as helpful as I can.  Whether mentor or mentee, there is always more we can learn.

CPD23 - Week 6, Things 8 & 9

#8 - Google Calendar:  If I led a more complicated life, worked in a library/business with lots of different events, opening/closing times, etc. and had a phone that accessed the Internet this could be very useful. As it is I don't really need it, though it's good to know about it.

#9 - Evernote:  At first glance my thought was, "I'll never need this."  However, on further thought it might be hand during my genealogy research.  Sometimes I bounce around from site to site and later am not sure what was where.  This might be a solution to that problem.  Will require further investigation.

Look what I did

For better or for worse, here's the Library's poster for the County Fair display by the Antelope County Library Association.  Considering the hot & steamy weather we've been having, I'm ever so grateful the group decided to have an unmanned display this year. Regardless, I wouldn't have been there. It's also our local celebration this weekend.

Not the greatest picture with half of it shadowed and looking more crooked than it actually is, but you get the idea. Orange, lime green and purple....I like bright colors, and these are my favorites of the moment.  Turned out Neligh's poster was in the same colors. :)