LisaF's blog

Country music legend George Jones has passed away at the age of 81

He stopped loving her today.

The Texas native wasn't just a country singer; he was a country song.  He grew up in a small town, joined the Marines, got married at the age of 19, and divorced at 20.  He was married 4 times, and divorced 3.  He was notoriously unreliable, and earned the nickname "No-Show Jones".  He was also an alcoholic and when his wives hid his car keys, he went so far as to take the riding lawn mower to liquor stores and bars.  He was frequently broke, and spent some time in a mental hospital in Alabama. He also founded a sausage company.

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Spring cleaning?

Check out some of our great titles on cleaning and organizing.

Are you two stacks away from an episode of Hoarders?  You don't have to be.  But you don't have to embrace minimalism, either.  You can have a clean organized home, as long as you accept that it will take some work and that it won't happen overnight.  It may even take some outside help, perhaps from a friend, or a professional organizer, or a cleaning service.  

Would you like to grow your own herbs & spices?

Join us on April 22nd at Library Headquarters for a class that will discuss just how you can do that.

Nothing makes good food taste better than fresh herbs and spices.  And it doesn't get much fresher than just outside your back door.

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Celebrate National Crafting Month at your library branch

Do you want to learn how to do something new? Alachua County Library District offer lots of crafting opportunities. Join the fun at a branch near you.

If you've ever wanted to learn how to do a new craft, or sit around with other people while you craft, the Library is your place, especially during the month of March. And you don't have to come to just one branch; we have crafting events all over the place.

Sports and The Single Girl*

*Any girl, really. Anyone. Really. Sports can improve your life.

To say that I am neither a sports fan nor an athlete would be an understatement.

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Make a perpetual joy calendar with Lisa

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life...record the memories of happy things.

Join us at 6:30 pm on January 3rd in the Foundation Room at Headquarters to make perpetual joy memory calendars.

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Happy holidays?

Holidays got you down? Dreading the long trip home to be with the people who really know how to push your buttons? er, um, the people you really love?

So.  You have a long drive/flight ahead of you.  At the end are your nearest and dearest.  The ones that you love more than anything, but also the ones that really know how to drive you crazy.  The economy is tanking and you've lost your job, or you're worried about losing your job.  And gifts are so expensive and people expect so much.  And if you are staying home, then you have to decorate the house and put up the lights outside and probaby cook for people that you really are not in any mood to hang out with because all you would really like to do is have some time off for yourself.

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An evening of graves & an evening of grace

Award-winning poet Lola Haskins featured at two upcoming events.

Lola Haskins, poet and author of the brilliant Solutions Beginning with A, will be featured at two separate Alachua County Library District events.

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Many Backgrounds, Many Stories…One American Spirit

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month!

According to the Library of Congress,

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Get out!

...doors, that is. Now that the weather is turning cooler, why not spend some time beautifying your outside spaces?

Despite the fact that Florida has long hot summers, it has fairly nice long autumns, too.  And winters are short, and mostly mild.  And spring!  How beautiful spring is here in Alachua County!  That means there's a lot of time you can spend outdoors, working in your yard, napping in your hammock, or sitting on the porch, drinking iced tea.

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Happy Birthday, Julia!

August 15th would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday. Rather than mourn her passing, we should celebrate her legacy, and stir up something yummy to share with someone we love.

Julia Child was 6'2", and big-boned. However, her stature was befitting her great joie de vivre.  Julia brought French cooking to the American housewife.  She empowered them by providing detailed instructions and she inspired them with her fearless enthusiasm.  She transformed the mundane task of daily meal provision into a major player in, of all things, the entertainment industry. 

Her legacy lives on in comedy, movies, and cookbooks.

Happy Birthday, Julia.  And bon appetit!

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Look at your collections with fresh eyes...

Or, better yet, let some other folks have a look at them, too!

It is in our nature to acquire and to collect.  Even animals have collections:  dogs bury bones and squirrels hide nuts and magpies keep shiny things.

But maybe you are a little tired of your collection, and are trying to find a way to revive your interest in it, and to better appreciate the effort you've put into creating it.  Or maybe you are really proud of your collection, and would like an opportunity to show it off.  Either way, we have a great opportunity for you.  You can show it off in our beautiful glass display case at Library Headquarters downtown.  Call Sylvia or Lisa at 352-334-3939 to make arrangements.

In the meantime, think about checking out one of these great books on collecting!

Nora Ephron, author, screenwriter, and journalist, dies at 71 of leukemia

Do you know why men and women can't be friends? Nora Ephron did.

Nora Ephron said of herself "I try to write parts for women that are as complicated and interesting as women actually are."

She wrote stories about intelligent, funny women, much like herself. Her work appealed to women, and to older men, which she defined as "over the age of 25".

New Urban Homesteaders

Why do people plant gardens and raise chickens when there is perfectly good food at the grocery store?

Why do people plant gardens and raise chickens when there is perfectly good food at the grocery store? Some people like ingredients that they can pronounce.  Some people like to save money.  Others like to connect with nature.  Still others want to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. 

If you are interested in getting your hands dirty, you could start with one of these excellent titles:

Farm City: The Education of An Urban Farmer

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There's something fishy about this blog...

Are you hooked?

This breezy, cloudy morning reminds me of when my grandmother used to take me and my brother fishing.  She said that the fish were more likely to come out when it wasn't so hot.  And wouldn't today would be a lovely day to go sit under a shade tree and stick a line in the water?  Oh!  and here's a neat tip - if you don't bait the hook, then you can just drift off and take a nap, and the fish won't bother you.

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Eastside High School Spring Beautification Day

Gardening and volunteering all at once? Can it get any better than this?

The United Way is sponsoring the Eastside High School Spring Beautification Day on Saturday, March 24th from 9 a.m. until noon.  This is a great opportunity for you to enjoy the fresh spring air and to do something good for your community. 

In order to volunteer, you need to sign up

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Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show slated for March 2 - 6

Support your local FFA & 4-H Clubs!

During the past year, local teens have been raising animals, making clothes, and perfecting their favorite recipes.  Why? To exhibit them at the Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show, which takes places March 2 - 6 at the Alachua County Fairgrounds. 

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A sport for cowboys

It's the broncs and the blood and tears and the mud...

The cowboy has always been part of the mystique of the American West.  Self-reliant, and answering to no one, the cowboy has developed a bit of a reputation as a daredevil.  And no wonder - they are frequently called upon to be brave and reckless at a moment's notice.  A calm herd of cattle can turn into a stampede in a matter of seconds, and if the herd isn't contained, then the cattle may be rustled, or go over into a deep gully or into a river that they cannot swim.  If any of these things happen, the rancher doesn't get paid, and the cowboy who contracts out to him doesn'

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Florida Memory Project has a wealth of Black History Month resources for educators

Doing a last-minute lesson plan for Black History Month? Let the Florida Memory Project Help!

Black History Month got its start in 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson began commemorating the second week of February as "Negro History Week".  This was to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.  The efforts of Dr. Woodson, one of the first academically trained African-American historians in the United States, are largely responsible for the observation of Black History Month.

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What do autobiographies and book tours have in common?

They are the subject of two great programs featuring Liz Coursen, author of The Complete Biography Workbook and The Book Tourist, to be held on Jan 21, 2012 at ACLD Headquarters.

Everyone has a story.  This includes you.  Liz Coursen believes that yours is worth documenting in the shape of an autobiography.  Not only that, she's also convinced that it is entirely possible for a regular person to not only write an autobiography, but to also have a successful book tour.  She will speak about these two subjects on Saturday, January 21st at District Headquarters.

Matheson Museum hosts Urban Forestry Workshop on December 7th

I think that I shall never see...

The Matheson Museum is hosting an Urban Forestry Workshop at 3:30 pm on December 7, 2011. 

With the Foundation Center, more is more!

And it's the best bargain in town - free!

Did you know that the Alachua County Library District offers free access to Foundation Center Directory Online AND to the Foundation Grants to Individuals Online?  These are available exclusively at the Headquarters library in downtown Gainesville.

What's your mindset?

Bet it will surprise you!

Was walking by the new books area here at Library Headquarters the other day and came across The Mindset Lists of American History by Tom McBride & Ron Nief.  Now, I'm from Texas, where high school football is the state religion and practically every high school history teacher is a football coach.  Suffice to say that my grasp on American history is, um, limited. 

But this book is really cool - it takes a number of seemingly random years from 1880 through 2026 and tells what historical facts were true for that year's graduating class.

Here are a few examples:

1898

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Payne's Prairie Photography Exhibit at the Matheson

You can't go to Payne's Prairie after dark. But you can go to the Matheson on the evening of November 16th for a reception for the Payne's Prairie Amateur Photographer Exhibit.

Why can't you visit Payne's Prairie after dark?  Well, as the sign near the Sink succinctly puts it, "After dark, if it moves, it's food."  Presumably the folks at the Florida State Parks don't want to fill out paperwork every time somebody gets bitten/eaten by an alligator.  Whatever.

Attorneys have a comic presence in popular culture

Did you know that there are at least 10 attorneys who are also comic book/graphic novel characters?

Neither did I.  But according to the American Bar Association Journal, there are at least 10.  And you might have actually heard of some of them.

Does Daredevil ring a bell?  There was a movie made starring Ben Affleck back in 2003.

And who could forget She-Hulk

Coffee, tea, or Aeroshot?

How do you get your caffeine?

I just read on CNN that there is a new product that is essentially a caffeine inhaler.  As one who has been known to eat instant coffee because she was so sleepy that she couldn't wait long enough to drink a hot cup of coffee and let the caffeine kick in gradually, this girl is super-excited to see how this product works.

What does a savvy senior do when her house is on fire?

Jim Miller, Savvy Senior columnist for NewsOK offers fire safety tips for senior adults.

Jim Miller of NewsOK has a Savvy Seniors column wherein he offers tips for senior adults who are caught in house fires

Did you know that individuals who are older than 65 are more than twice as likely to die in a house fire as someone younger?  Further, individuals who are over the age of 84 are more than 4 times as likely, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.

Do you have your kid's costume ready?

Halloween is only 2 weeks away!

Yes, technically you could go to the Halloween store or to a big box store and drop as much money as you wanted on the perfect costume for your young'un.   But where's the fun in that?  Plus, they won't be able to wear it again next year AND do you really want your kid wearing cheap plastic?

Here's an easy one:

Mary Poppins costume

 

 

    

 

Learn more about Gator history at the Matheson

The Matheson Museum invites you see the University of Florida Exhibit featuring photographs of the University of Florida's growth including coverage of its championships.

Anderson Hall, 1920sMarching Band in stadium

Is it too late for a grand adventure?

Probably not. Your family's history can lead you down paths that you never dreamed of. And you don't even have to go outdoors in bad weather.

The Alachua County Genealogical Society exists to bring together individuals who are interested in exploring the histories of their families.  And if you go back far enough, there is a good chance that you will find somebody interesting.  And if you come across somebody on your family tree who is extremely difficult to research, there is a chance that somebody back then was trying to hide something. 

old-fashioned child in sailor suit with shovel