The First Thanksgiving.jpg

The First Thanksgiving.jpg
Originally uploaded by Iom

Happy Thanksgiving, young Pomonans! I asked some of you what you were doing on Thanksgiving. Some were staying home some were going to Grandparent's homes. Whatever you do I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

More Thanksgiving jokes (courtesy of Ms. Nissa.)

What kind of music did Pilgrims like?
Answer: Plymouth Rock!

Why can't you take a turkey to church?
Answer: Because it uses such FOWL language!

Why did they let the Turkey join the band?
Answer: Because he had the drumsticks! :)

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

Reminder: We are open Saturday 12:00-5:30pm

Come in and say hello to Ms. Nissa. Grandma Sue and I will be home! ;)

Thanksgiving Titles

Hey young Pomonans! Are you bored yet? You've had two whole days off of school. I'll tell you what - why don't you come in and check these books out. As of this minute, these are my favorite Thanksgiving titles.
"Over the River and Through the Woods" is of course our traditional classic. It is a song but it works well read aloud with these pictures. The excitement these kids feel on the way to Grandfather's house is one we can all relate to.

Over the river and through the wood
Now Grandmother's cap I spy
Hurrah for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

--Child, Lydia Maria. "Over the River and Through the Wood."
Boston: Little Brown and Company, c1989.

The next title is "I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie." This story is fun because it is a take off of "I Know and Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." She keeps swallowing something bigger each time. I'm not going to tell you the end of this one. Does she die or doesn't she die??? Ta-ta-ta-ta. ;)

--Jackson, Alison. "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie."
New York: Dutton Children's Books, c1997.

The last title is, "This Is The Turkey." This story has the youngest child pick out the biggest and best turkey. Everyone comes over to the house and just as they take the Turkey out of the oven, Mom trips, the turkey goes flying and the turkey lands in the fish tank!

This is the Grandma who says, "Max dear,
we have all we need because everyone's here."

This is the Grandpa who takes his seat.
"No Turkey? No problem! I'm hungry, LET'S EAT!"

--Levine, Abby. "This Is the Turkey."
Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, c2000.

Thanksgiving jokes (courtesy of Ms. Nissa)

What kind of a key can't open doors?
Answer: A TurKEY! :)

If April showers bring May flowers, what do Mayflowers bring?
Answer: Pilgrims!! :)

Thanksgiving Activities

Thanksgiving Activities
Originally uploaded by itsandramdjini

Hello you lucky young Pomonans! You managed to get the whole week off!! How did you manage that? Good thing I like it here or I would be jealous!

We are short activities this week because we will be closed Thursday and Friday. We ARE open on Saturday.

Monday: 12-2pm ELF

Tuesday: 12:15pm Story time
3:00pm After school story time
4-6pm Homework Assistance Center

Wednesday: 3:30-4:30pm Grandparents and Books
NO HOMEWORD ASSISTANCE CENTER

Thursday: CLOSED

Friday: CLOSED

Saturday: Open 12:00-5:30pm

Make sure you come in these three days before Thanksgiving. We're here for you!

Joke of the day: Why did the baker insult the bread?
Answer: To get a rise out of it! :)

Turkey Craft!

Our craft this afternoon was fun. Grandma Sue had everything ready and a good time was had by all!

Joke of the day: What goes Hahahaaaaaaaaaah! Thump!?
Answer: You laughing your head off!

Tomorrow is Craft Day - We're Making Turkeys

Hello young Pomonans! Tomorrow is our craft. I couldn't decide which picture to post so I posted both! Grandma Sue does the crafts and does a great job. So come on in, we'll talk turkey and glue ourselves silly! Stick around! :) I'm stuck on these puns!

The craft is at 3:00pm in the children's room.

Joke of the day: Why did the gemstone start an argument?
Answer: It was tired of being taken for granite. :)

Aren't you glad we live in Southern California?

Child
Originally uploaded by Marieks

Hey ho young Pomonans. It's time for our weekly activities post.

Here is what's going on in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Room:

Monday 11/17: 12:00-2:00pm ELF

Tuesday 11/18: 12:15pm Preschool story time
3:00pm After school story time
4:00-6:00pm Homework Assistance Center

Wednesday 11/19: 3:00pm Grandma Sues' Craft
3:30-4:30pm Grandparents and books
4:00-6:00pm Homework Assistance Center

Thursday 11/20: 12:15pm Infant story time
4:00-6:00pm Homework Assistance Center

Come on in and have fun. Remember that this is the last full week before Thanksgiving and the homework center will be closed the day before Thanksgiving. Don't wait until the last second!!! I never did. :) I think I just got struck by lightning....

Joke of the day: What do you call a dad who sings and dances?
Answer: A Pop-star. :)

There have been some questions regarding these two pictures. The wooden statues of the Ingalls' family were made by a H. Hultquist and the date says '84.

The woman in the other picture is Eliza Jane Wilder Thayer. As you remember she was Almonzo's sister. Hope this helps!

Joke of the day: Why did the cookie not want to go to school?
Answer: Because he was feeling crummy! :)
(Thank you to Leroy Dickerson who told it at the Pilgrim Festival in Claremont yesterday.)

Veterans Day

Veterans Day Parade
Originally uploaded by carribsoul

Happy Veterans Day young Pomonans! As you have probably figured out, we are closed today. It is a good time to reflect on our veterans and how much they keep or kept us safe.

One of our Pomona guys served two terms in the army. He was sent overseas twice. I haven't heard from him in a while. I think I'll go and send him an e-mail.

I'll be taking the next two days off to use up my floating holidays for the year. You either use them or lose them.

See you Saturday!

Weekly Activities For November 10-15, 2008

Weekly Activities
Originally uploaded by etjesse

Hello Young Pomonans! Another week of fun here at the Pomona Public Library. Here is this week's schedule:

Monday: 12:00-2:00pm ELF (Early Learning Families)

Tuesday: CLOSED FOR VETERANS DAY

Wednesday: 3:30-4:30pm Grandparents and Books

Thursday: 12:15pm Infant Story time.

That's it! I would like to go on the record to say that I strongly do not like to be closed on Tuesdays. That's when we have Preschool Story time! It's my favorite day of the week! AHHH!!!!

Joke of the day: Knock-Knock
Whose there?
Dewey
Dewey who?
Dewey have to wait out here all day? :)

Our Laura Ingalls Wilder Room

After almost a year of blogging, I haven't written about our connection to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Our children's room is named "The Laura Ingalls Wilder Room." Pomona's first children's librarian, Clara Webber, loved the little house books. She corresponded with Laura and we have those letters on display. Ms. Webber invited Laura to our dedication of the children's room but she was unable to come. She sent instead the original manuscript where she hand wrote the book, "Little Town on the Prairie." We have it on public display enclosed in a glass case. These pictures show the manuscript and other artifacts on display. We have first edition signed books, and translations of other books and the dolls represent the different cultures that the language of the book is in.

I took a close up picture of the wooden dolls that represent the Ingall's family. You can see Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, and Carrie. Against one of our walls you can see the states where they traveled along with the names of the books in the order that they should be read.

I took a picture of a picture at one of our Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread Sociables. You may recognize Melissa Sue Anderson who played Mary on the TV series of "Little House on the Prairie." She came to Pomona to help promote the TV series and to sign autographs.

So come on in and look around. It's one of the best kept secrets in Pomona and we would like to change that. :)

Joke of the day: How does a Pokemon sneeze?
Answer: Pik-achu! :)

Last Installment of My Trip To Spencer, Iowa

There are a lot of ways I could end my summery of my trip to Iowa. There were more fun things that happened on the trip. There were more pictures to share. But bottom line was: what stirred me up and sent me to Spencer, Iowa? Being young, I think you probably already know the answer to that. Love. Unconditional love. You all know the picture of Dewey. That beautiful orange kitty that reached the hearts of many people. The other kitty pictured here is Phebe B. Huntington. She reached my heart for almost 21 years.

Phebe was a present to myself for graduating from Graduate School. I went to the pet store to pick out a nice black and white kitty and came home with Phebe. I didn't have a choice: she chose me. Since it was her and I against the world, we became fast friends.

In the book "Dewey" by Vicki Myron, she was able to put a voice to the relationship between cat and human. Phebe and I communicated much like Dewey and Vicki. And yes, I have been lectured by a cat that was right. I came home after midnight one night and she met me at the door. "Where have you been? You didn't call! Valarie had to feed me. I was so worried..."

There were also striking similarities between Dewey and Phebe. Dewey had problems with his colon and his stomach. Phebe had it ten times worse. She had to have her colon and part of her intestines removed when she was only six years old. I always thought that Phebe wouldn't live as long as other cats because of this. She really proved me wrong!

She started signs of aging at eighteen. I bought her steps so she could walk up to the bed rather than jump. After her twentieth birthday the vet found a tumor in her stomach. This also happened to Dewey. Stomach cancers grow fast. Even though the vet didn't think she would live more than two weeks, she lived another two and a half months. She passed away two and a half months shy of her 21st birthday.

So, was this book special to me? Yes. Was it an easy read for me? No. Most of the time reading it I missed Phebe so much I could hardly breathe. And yet at the same time it validated and put words to something deep and vital.

When I met Vicki I told her she put words to the relationship between animal and pet. Her response was, "That was the hard part." I understand that now.

Thank you to Dewey and Vicki for giving the rest of us voices!

Weekly Activities for November 3-8, 2008

thanksgiving turkey
Originally uploaded by PDX Pipeline

We are into November already! Isn't this a fine specimen of turkey hood?

Here are this week's activities:

Monday Nov. 3: 12:00-2:00pm ELF

Tuesday Nov. 4: (Tell your parents to go out and vote!)
12:15pm Preschool story time
3:00pm After school story time
4:00-6:00pm Homework center

Wednesday Nov. 5: 3:30-4:30pm Grandparents and Books
4:00-6:00pm Homework center

Thursday Nov. 6: 12:15pm Infant story time
4:00-6:00pm Homework center

Saturday Nov. 8: Big read event: 3:00pm story time
4:00pm Hat making for teens &
adults

Have a great week - see you here!

Joke of the day: What's a tornado's favorite game?
Answer: Twister. :)

Meeting Vicki Myron, Dewey's Mom

The book signing was to be at a "HY-VEE" store. I've never heard of them but they seem to be some sort of rival to Wal-Mart which is at the other end of town. It's only a grocery store and eating mall with out all the other departments Wal-Mart has. The library staff recommended me to eat at this Hy-Vee. I'm so glad I did. They had a Chinese place that was excellent. When it was time for the signing Vicki was 15 minutes early and she started signing right away. The line was long so I decided to wait until it died down a bit. I had to wait over an hour! It was wonderful to see so many people holding Dewey's book. When it was my turn I got to tell her how much I liked the book and I also told her about Phebe, my almost 21 year old cat. I walked away and with horror as I realized I didn't ask for a picture. So I got in line again, took a picture, and someone suggested that they take a picture of me with Vicki. The woman who was using my camera couldn't push hard enough to make it work. She kept pushing and nothing happened. What I didn't realize was every time she pushed the button it actually took a picture. When I got to the motel I nearly laughed myself sick because in the series of seven pictures, while Vicki's face remained the same, my face went from smiling to concerned, to upset, to horrified when I realized how much of Vicki's time I was taking! It really was funny and no, I'm not going to post the pictures. :)

This time I skedaddled out of that store to only have the wonderful Iowa wind hit me in the face and taunt me "You forgot your jacket..." Shoot! Hey, I'm from California I'm not used to carrying a jacket around! So I turned around and headed for the door and there was this man grinning lopsided at me who obviously had watched me run out of the store and stop dead in my tracks. As I came closer he said, "Forget something?" YES! I heard myself say. He then smiled from ear to ear, held his arms open and said, "Welcome to my world!" That had us both laughing. Don't you just love nice people?

After that I drove around Spencer to look at the lovely homes. I found this county building with trees turning colors around it. It was just a beautiful fall day in the charming town of Spencer, Iowa.

Halloween Parade and the last few pictures in the Spencer Public Library

I love children's programming so I felt very honored to watch the children parade through the library. Children in libraries is what it is all about. You can learn a life full of reading when you start them young.

I was talking with Joy and Mary when this man at one of the computers who heard I was from California asked me if I had any literary contacts out here. I wish I could have given him at least five phone numbers. But you now what? He was at his community library pursing his dream. NEWS FLASH: Life lesson: That's what it's
all about.

The other thing I wanted to share with you before we leave the library is the book drop where someone put Dewey. You can see the outside drop then the box with the books is where he was found with some books on top of him. I don't know if you can tell but that box is all metal and I'm sure on a very cold January morning he was very uncomfortable. In the book Vicki says that when Dewey started getting famous, eleven people claimed to have put Dewey in that box!

Next installment: The Signing.