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Sunday Salon: Joining the 21st Century


Work:
Luckily not a lot to report for work since it's summer! It does seem like every day I do something for work: post to the school library blog, figure out parts of lessons I want to teach, etc.

Actually, I have an incoming freshman (my mailman's daughter) who needs large print novels and my library can't really affortd to buy much for her. People have suggested I contact the local Braille Institute and the local Council for the blind to see if they have any resources. Do any of you have suggestions?

Life/Family:
For the past 3 years or so our community has been "arguing" about creating a safe route to school so elementary children can walk to school. My brother was one of the lead people on it and managed to get a federal safe walks grant to pay for it. The debate has been quite heated. Well, it was finally approved by our local Association on Tuesday!

Thursday was my daughter's weekly dance show, which is always fun and this week's was really good. Afterwards we walked to one of the beach front parks (along with thousands of other folks) to hear Captain Cardiac and the Coronaries perform. They are so much fun: 1950s and 60s music, sparkly red tuxedo jackets. They play once a year each summer. The concerts are great because we all picnic and dance. Kids run around and there is multi-generational dancing. 

The other exciting news (well, at least to me) is that we've gone HD TV in our house! It's been quite a frustrating experience, but after many visits and too much money spent we've now got HD channels, a TIVO that records in HD (and a bonus: we can play our instant play movies from Netflix on our TV!), and the TIVO is hooked up to the wifi for online programming, etc.

Books and Reading:
Don't forget Tuesday I'll be having a Birthday give-away

I am participating in 2 blog tours (Postmistress which conveniently also happens to be a summer read for my MUS moms book group and Ashes to Water, which is part of the TLC book tour).

A friend of mine is one of the committee members who is reading YA to choose the best YA books of the year for the state of Arizona (Arizona Reader Medal?), which sounds like a lot of fun. Have any of you ever done something like that?

5 comments

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Apparently with a Kindle you can increase the font size so it might be economical to get a Kindle and then read novels on it instead of trying to find large print. Here is a blog post that shows an example:

http://www.lisashea.com/lisabase/writing/kindle/fontsizes.asp

Also the AFB has a ton of links for large print books here:

http://www.afb.org/message_board_replies.asp?TopicID=1305&FolderID=8

Bonnie Jacobs said...

The thing I've done that comes closest to that is being on the committee to choose Chattanooga's book for "A Tale for One City." I should say "books" (plural) since I was on the committee for several years. Fun way to meet authors, too, like Laurie Halse Anderson and Christopher Paul Curtis.

Helen's Book Blog said...

Rhapsody--A Kindle is a good idea, the library just can't afford it. I wonder if she can get one through our local Braille Institute.... Thank you for the links!

Bonnie--I am SO jealous that you met Anderson and Curtis! They are amazing. That sounds like a fun committee

Athira said...

I'm just getting through my reader, so I'm glad I'm here on time... Happy Birthday in advance!!

I'm glad your Assoc finally approved the safe walk suggestion. It is soo needed!

Helen's Book Blog said...

Aths--Thank you for the Birthday wishes. 2 more days...