I have something in common with George Costanza. I prefer to not leave anonymous tips. When I see a tip jar, I'm happy to put something in there. I just want the person working there to SEE me put something in there. Unlike George, I'm not going to take my tip OUT if an employee hasn't witnessed my good deed. It's all in the timing.

If you are an anonymous tipper, I admire you. But, if you are an anonymous donor who just contributed $500 for a library-sponsored open swim at Brown Pool...well, you're basically a hero. This person (who shall remain nameless) should also be a hero in your book because you can benefit from his or her generosity. The anonymous sponsorship, given in the library's name, will allow YOU, dear patron, to swim FOR FREE at the library's open swim event scheduled for Friday, June 3rd from 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. at Brown Pool.

Swim, slide, splash, and just enjoy an all-out good time at the pool. Some familiar library faces will be there, hosting fun activities and registering kids for the Pendleton Library's summer reading program. This year's theme is "On Your Mark, Get Set...READ," and it's bound to be our best year yet with the Mascot Stampede, the Great Worm Race, and lots of awesome prizes. Registration begins Tuesday, May 31st, and participants can register at any time during the program which runs through July 8th. We hope to see you at the library, and the pool, this summer!

I grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, where it's cold...like REALLY cold.  Our fireplace would warm our house every night from September to April.  I have many fond memories of reading in front of that fire.
 
My mom used to work in the office of a pallet-making plant in the town where we lived.  There was always lots of scrap wood to be had, and every summer, we would have a dump truck deliver a pile of wood blocks in our yard.  We would spend countless hours, throwing those blocks into our basement through the trap door.  My parents would pay us by the hour, and I would always take my earnings up to the local bookstore to purchase the latest book in the Sweet Valley High series.  I must've read at least 30 books in that series, many of them while cozied up in front of the fire.  That's home to me.
 
And now, there is a little bit of that homey feeling here at the Pendleton Library.  Due to a generous donation made by the PHHS Class of 1953, we have a warm, cozy fireplace in our Indiana Room.  I enjoyed its warmth just the other day while doing a bit of reading.  Unfortunately, it wasn't the light reading I was hoping for.  But, even reading a 77-page document issued by the State Board of Accounts was actually nice in front of that fire.  I invite you to enjoy it as well.  Grab a book or magazine, of which we have plenty, and cozy up at your local library.

In 1984, I walked to K-Mart with $30 cash in my pocket so that I could buy Trivial Pursuit.  I proudly purchased my very own "Genius edition," only to find out later that it was actually the "Genus edition."  I should have figured right then and there that Trivial Pursuit was going to be way over my 11 year-old head.
 
The first time I landed on pink, I was ready to show off my trivia chops.  After all, I'd seen about every Harrison Ford movie to date, AND I knew all the members of Duran Duran.  Well, what I didn't know was where Clifton Clowers lived.  I didn't even know who Clifton Clowers was.  I also didn't know a thing about Charlie Chaplin, Sergeant Bilko, or Eydie Gorme.  In the end, my mom earned her final wedge, and I had nothing.  I wanted my money back.
 
As an adult, I now know that playing games is not always about winning.  It's about having fun with friends and family.  It's about making memories that are still vivid more than 30 years later.  It's about laughing at somebody's terrible Pictionary drawing, like the one I have hanging on the bulletin board behind my desk.  It's about ladies who lunch over bridge or Mah Jong.  It's about chess tournaments in urban parks.  And, it's about cribbage games with Mom, a game affectionately referred to as "math class" by my husband.
 
If you like games, you will have to visit the library on November 21st, International Games Day.  The library will be a hubbub of gaming activity for all ages.  You'll find board games, video games, and even life-sized games.  Reconnect with your inner child and your competitive spirit on International Games Day.  And remember that it's all about having fun...but winning doesn't hurt.

The other night, we were grilling out and realized that we didn't have any steak sauce.  Naturally, I went online to find a good recipe.  You've been there before.  Maybe not for steak sauce, but perhaps you were trying to find a recipe for an old-fashioned apple pie or a lip-smacking mojito.  You want the classic, that tried-and-true recipe.

The first steak sauce recipe I found called for raisin paste.  The second one had FOURTEEN ingredients.  So, I headed to my bookshelf to retrieve my copy of The Joy of Cooking, the encyclopedia of classic, tried-and-true recipes.  But, by the time I headed back into the kitchen with this tome in my hand, my husband had already started creating his own steak sauce.

In the Age of Google, we think that we don't need cookbooks.  After all, we can find a million recipes online with reviews, suggested adjustments, and photos.  But, when you want the best recipes all in one place, nothing beats a cookbook.  Cookbook recipes are the ones that have won blue ribbons.  They are the standbys that we bring to pitch-ins, where others ask for the recipe.

Earlier this week, at a staff luncheon, I took a bite of a tomato pie, the likes of which I have never tasted before.  It was made by Kristen Case, who plans great programs for our patrons.  When I asked for the recipe, she said that I could find it in the Friends of the Library cookbook.  I quickly shelled out my $9 to buy this cookbook, a collection of 100 tried-and-true recipes submitted by members of your community. 

The Friends of the Library cookbook is available for purchase at the library.  Buy yours today and get back to basics...no raisin paste necessary!

September is finally upon us, and with that comes some exciting events in Pendleton, like the Annual Heritage Fair, the Homecoming Parade, and the Friends of the Library Lucky Duck Race.  I'll admit that I didn't even know what a duck regatta was until the Friends hosted their first one three years ago.  Considering that I grew up surrounded by lakes and streams, I feel like I missed some great opportunities for launching things into the water and watching them race!  It's comical how suspenseful a duck race can be when it comes down to simply watching inanimate objects float down river.  But, when that winning duck is pulled out of the water, you sure do hope that it's your number printed on the bottom.
 
Since June, the Friends of the Library have been selling ducks for their annual duck race, their single biggest fundraising event of the year.  Soon, they'll have "all of their ducks in a row" so to speak, and will host what's sure to be a fun event in tandem with the Heritage Fair.
 
At 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 10th, we will launch nearly 200 ducks into The Falls and watch for the lucky winner to cross the finish line.
 
The Friends of the Library are a great group with lots of exciting things going on.  They are always looking for new members with creative ideas on how to help support the library.  Plus, joining the Friends is a great way to meet new people and get involved in your local community.  For more information, call the library at 778-7527, or visit us at the Falls on September 10th and see first-hand what the Friends are up to!

Lynn Hobbs
PCL Director

Some things you never forget. I remember the first time I heard Pearl Jam, the first time I ate a roll of Sprees, and the first time I experienced Mad Libs. My mom brought a Mad Libs booklet on an airplane to entertain my sister and me. To this day, I still wonder how she ended up on the cutting edge of childish humor by knowing about this fun activity before we did. But, she WAS a newspaper editor after all, and Mad Libs helped with those tricky parts of speech that we needed to know when we were still required to diagram sentences. 

If you don't know what Mad Libs are, we invite you to come to the library to experience them for the first time. Basically, you fill in the blanks of a story without knowing the context. For example, think of a noun...a person, place or thing. Now, use that word to complete this sentence. "I wish >BLANK< grew on trees." You wish bacon grew on trees?? Hilarious!! (If you're eight years old.) As a teen, it might be mildly entertaining. But, as an adult, that image is the stuff that dreams are made of. No matter your age, Mad Libs are retro fun!

As we continue along our long-range planning timeline, we're ready to get out there to engage you, dear patron, in conversation about YOUR public library. Our launching point is Mad Libs. We think you're more likely to talk with us if we start with a fun activity. So, keep your eyes open for your friendly library staff as we appear in various spots around town. Stop by the community booth at the farmers' market, or pick up a sheet at the library. Try Mad Libs for the first time, or the umpteenth time. Either way, we ask that you "do it for fun, then do it for real." 

Lynn Hobbs

PCL Director