035 March!

Maudlin March

Will this month ever end!

One of the longest and most annoying months, March, just doesn’t seem to  want to end. The weather is tricky, spring won’t come, and it is hard to find direction. I have never liked it and find it more offensive as I get older.

Of course it has to be one that has 31 days! It won’t stay warm enough to really get into yard work or other outside chores. In addition, the wind blows so fiercely at times  outside exercise is a struggle.

One day it will be sunny and warm and the next cold and windy.  You just don’t know what to do --- rejoice in the nice days and revert back to winter doldrums on the bad

There are a few bright spots --- St. Patrick’s Day March 17 --- which gives cause for celebration, displaying every shade and shape of green. 

But  it is short-lived.

For those who grew up Catholic, you may remember St. Joseph’s Day March 19. Our priest, when I was a child, was named Joseph so he celebrated the saint’s day each year and granted everyone a break from Lent, which is a time for giving up something you really like and no celebrations – another reason to love March.

A positive is my husband’s birthday  on March 12. While several celebrations by family and friends  help to brighten the days, the calorie intake is far beyond normal.  We always end up talking about diets --- sometime they happen but usually not.

March is one of the few times that boots and sandals take up residence in the closet.  Boots are on the way out hopefully, while sandals are making a stand for days to come. Also heavy coats and spring-weight jackets battle it out for dominance in an ever-changing weather pattern.

Spring sports are also  hung out to dry as tennis, golf, track, soccer, and others are often canceled due to extreme weather. My husband, a track team member in college and track coach later, as well as my children who both played on school tennis teams kept me out in the March madness of wind and cold. And then on other occasions, the sun came out with a vengeance so that sunscreen, shades, and drinks were required.

The Ides of March is often bantered about as a time to dread --- March 15 --   for  Julius Caesar, of course. I don’t think anyone really understands what it means but in this dreary month, it is remembered.  Most resources say it really isn’t that memorable except for Caesar’s warning. 

And of course, the most dreaded deed of the month is preparing taxes – federal and state (although Virginians have until May 1 to file state taxes so I can put that off a little later.) I always write myself a note in February to start, but it usually doesn’t happen until the  middle  of March; this year it was March 21.  I pull it all out the papers  on the dining room table so I will have a visual that says, you are behind again.

I wish I could come up with more positives about the month besides a few holidays and my husband’s birthday, but I can’t.  Maybe one of you will help out.  Send me your positives so I can dwell on them next March.

As we bid farewell to March, I breathe a small sigh of relief and hope that it will leave like a lamb because it came in like a lion, and I revel in the fact that probably there will be no more snow--but I am afraid to even think that so forget I said it.  

Frances       

034 Job interview

On Working in a Library

Now that I am retired, I can finally respond all those statements from library job candidates the way I really wanted to:

I like to read.

That’s nice but you will have no time at work for that! Instead, you need to like to talk about books.

I like the peace and serenity of libraries.

How long since you have been in a library? There are some quiet hideouts in libraries but you won’t find the librarians there. Do you have any experience in mental health facilities?

I like the smell of old books.

Fine, but you will have more interactions with computers than old books. How are you at webpage management?

I will be proud to call myself a librarian.

Those folks with the master’s degree in library science won’t call you a librarian. You will be a valued employee but not a librarian to them. But you can enjoy everyone else calling you a librarian.

I will get first dibs on all the best sellers.

Honey, you have to get in the queue just like everyone else.

I loved coming to the library with my children. I want to work with the kids.

Fine, just make sure you can pass the background check.





I know this is a part-time job, but you will see how great I am and I will become full-time and have a much higher salary.

You do realize that you are applying for a LIBRARY job?

I’d like to move to library administration so I don’t have to deal with people.

Well, all the complaints and personnel issues come here. And you need to be out raising funds, making friends, and sweetly asking politicians for money. Other than that you can avoid human contact.

The folks here are so wonderful. I would love to work with them.

Wait until you get to know them. We have all types just like any other profession, but you are right—they work here because they love it and it shows!

After airing all my complaints about common library misconceptions, I feel much better. I confess that I loved all 42 years of library work!

Trish      

033 Etiquette

Manners & Etiquette: 

Some Thoughts for Savvy Folks

Probably I should be writing about St. Patrick’s Day, but the topic of manners has been dancing about in my neurons since the December holidays. At several functions, those both family-related and civic/social, I noticed a number of behaviors that call for some thought.

I hope that any of our readers who agree, disagree, or have pet peeves will respond! We “Broads” have found that we have readers from Hawaii to Maine and Florida and even a few outside of the country now. We love it. Non-Virginians, are your social graces different?

Maybe manners are more regional than I think. Amy Vanderbilt, one of the noted etiquette gurus, said “it is axiomatic that as we mature…we must be able to meet more demanding social situations with confidence and ease.” Thus, the need for manners. Using proper etiquette does not mean one has to be stuffy or old-fashioned. Consideration of others is of greatest importance.

Here are some of my pet peeves:

1.  RSVP = respondez s’il vous plait means please accept or decline. Do not ignore this request. At some point, I may have been guilty of this, but if I have, my most sincere apology. A few reasons for not responding according to friends and associates are that the date may be too far in advance to know if or whether one wants to attend. Or it’s one of many fund raisers and you wish the requesting group had asked only for acceptances.

HOWEVER, if you have ever thrown a party, you really DO NEED TO KNOW how many guests to expect. Besides, this is $$ - food, drinks, chairs, tables, etc., etc., etc. Most invitations include return cards or even email addresses. It is polite to use them.



2. THANK YOU NOTES – These should be as essential in everyday life as your business correspondence. If someone takes the time to send you a gift or has done something to help you, a thank you should be sent. Little children can send a crayon picture. Grown up people - please write a few lines of sincere sentiment.





3. HYGIENE belongs at home. Please don’t pick your teeth at the restaurant table. Say “excuse me,” and go to the restroom. Ladies should not comb their hair at the table (the American Academy of Dermatology reports we lose from 50 to 100 hairs a day). Are you grossed out yet? Lipstick at the table is a sticky question. Emily Post says it is okay if casual dining with close friends or family, but NEVER in a business setting.

4. SHAKING HANDS/INTRODUCTIONS – Mixed reports on this one. I was taught to offer my hand with a firm (neither wet, limp fish nor a bone crushing) grip when meeting people. However, with all the germs mutating around us these days, sometimes a simple word of acknowledgement suffices. But, for heaven’s sake, make the introductions. It is sometimes uncomfortable to have to introduce one’s self and particularly if the person says “we’ve met.” Help your friends out - just say “you’ve met Tom Jones, haven’t you?”

5. CELL PHONES have gotten out of hand. Maybe I am beating the dead horse here, but I don’t want to know your business. Don’t talk so loud, please!! If we are having a conversation or in a social setting, I would like your attention. And, oops, I am sometimes guilty of this one – beware Candy Crush addiction. I will try to be better! Of course, we know never to use the cell when driving. We do know that, don’t we? The man in front of me at the red light didn’t seem to know that this morning. And if I had rear-ended him, it’s my fault….hmmm. And I love that the Alamo movie theatre says if you use your phone, you’re out.

6. PUNCTUALITY – I was reluctant to add this one. I have always underestimated how long something will take me – even if it’s driving across town. My excuse is that I was reared in Clarke County, VA.  Clarke is a rural mecca of orchards and farms as well as historic sites. We also have our own Clarke etiquette for social events – 45 minutes after a party begins is the acceptable time to arrive. Five to fifteen minutes for other events and we are notorious for calling doctors’ office to see if they are running behind schedule.


You might enjoy this anecdote I tell on myself. Soon after we got married some 35 years ago, my husband and I had an open house for friends and family on a Sunday afternoon from 2-5 p.m. Goodness gracious, some guests arrived at 2 p.m. I was amazed. I was not yet dressed. Some of my ‘friends’ refer to me as the “late Mrs. White.”

To wind this up, etiquette and manners - whether you see the two words as synonyms or manners being part of the more rigid code of etiquette – are society’s ways to follow the “Golden Rule” and be considerate of others.

I admit to sometimes interrupting (bad!!), too many apps on my cell phone (annoying!!), and being late (rude!!). It’s interesting, though, that I know not to put my elbows on the table, to put my napkin in my lap, and use the silverware from outside in at a formal dinner, and that’s MY butter plate above the fork on the left! I can tell you the traditional order of a bridal party processing and recessing, but we have become so informal that some of my knowledge may be of little use. I wonder if the graces and rules of etiquette is why Downton Abbey has such a following. Let us know what bothers you, dear savvy readers.

Glenne        

P.S.  I had a #7 pet peeve – men who sit sprawled with their knees in my space – in church, on public transportation, in the theatre! However, my husband says I can’t use that because it is not addressed by Emily Post. I am going to research this!

032 Florida

Florida or bust . . .Joining the blue hairs

Sunny Florida has always beckoned me during the winter months. This year was the perfect time to check it out since I retired last June, and my husband’s retirement job is flexible.

Leaving the snow and ice of a cold, cold winter was accomplished effortlessly with no looking back. We packed up the car and headed for “parts unknown” --- actually we knew where we were going but I love saying that.

As we made our way through North Carolina, we noticed snow covering the fields – a rough winter for sure. But finally, hitting South Carolina, we leave the snow for grass and freshly planted fields --- such a welcome view!

Stopping in Savannah, Ga. and staying on River Street, we abandon our heavy coats and boots for lighter jackets or none at all. We had forgotten what it was like to slowly stroll and sit outside to dine --- it felt great!

Heading to the Sunshine State, we realize the absence of snow is really good for the psyche and brings back all the pleasant memories of summer and spring. We had forgotten what it was like as we joined “snow birds,” flocking south.

Our first stop on the east side of Florida is to visit friends from Winchester where we are introduced to beautiful beaches (with a little nudity) and great seafood, as well as catching up.

The next destination is the on the west side of the state as we traverse Florida to soak up more of the sunshine. Clearwater Beach has a beautiful area that reminded us of Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Daytona Beach, Fla. We were pleasantly surprised at the cross section of tourists --- families, international visitors, young couples --- not the influx of “blue hairs” we had always associated with Florida.


We made the most of what was there, including a visit to the Chihuly Exhibition, a permanent display in St. Petersburg. His glass art is amazing and always impressive. 

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium was a must-see. The home of dolphins, Winter and Hope, stars of “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2” did not disappoint. We loved those movie, and it was great to see them in person (or dolphin). If you get anywhere near the area, don’t miss either of these exciting attractions.

Also lunch with a special high school friend at an amazing seafood restaurant on the water added to the overall success of the trip --- we picked up where we left off decades ago not missing a beat.

As the trip progressed, we kept thinking, “Can this really be February.” Wearing sandals and shorts is not routine this time of year.

As cloudy weather moved in, (but nothing like back home where we had missed two snowstorms), we decided to head back up the coast on the east side. A beautiful drive up A1A, a ferry ride we didn’t know we would be taking, lighthouses, and amazing views assaulted our senses. We found a great hotel in St. Simons, Ga. and again were cognizant of the fact we had not seen snow, ice, sleet or freezing rain for days.

We stopped for a few days in South Carolina at one of our favorite beaches to avoid the return to winter in Virginia. When we did head back, we managed to find a day without any type of precipitation, but shortly, we were back in the middle of a large snowstorm-- hopefully one of the last of the season.

We highly recommend a southern road trip if you can tear yourself away from the shoveling, snow blowing, and freezing temperatures --- but if you can’t let go of winter, you have definitely lost your mind and there is no help for you.

Frances       

031 Reader

Confessions of a Book Reader

I have a lifetime of reading memories and thought I would share a few!

My parents were great readers and were in despair about their daughter who refused to learn to read. I thought my logic was sound—why go to the effort when both parents and my older sister were available to read to me?

We were living at the time on the naval base at Port Heuneme (pronounced why-a-name-e), California. So my parents consulted the base librarian and she recommended Dr. Seuss.

I started with If I Ran the Zoo, quickly followed by Horton Hears a Who. Soon there were complaints from the base authorities that I stopped on the way home from the base library and sat on the curb to read my books.

From that I progressed to reading everything in the house—cereal boxes, magazines, newspapers, my books, my sister’s books, my parents’ books. I heard, “Turn off the light and go to bed!” many nights until I discovered the flashlight under the covers!

When I was in the seventh and eighth grade, I decided I needed to read the great masters. I remember trying Russian novels such as War and Peace, but could not get through them. 

But somehow, I did manage to read the six volumes of the Carl Sandburg’s Lincoln, the Prairie Years and Lincoln, the War Years. Then I went through my French novelist phase, reading Dumas and Hugo. I loved Jean Valjean long before Les Mis!

I also remember reading Camus and Sartre at this time. My sister was senior in high school and I read all her supplemental readings. I am not sure I understood The Stranger but I finished it anyway.

When I lived in South Carolina, the local NPR station featured narrated books with a segment of a book read each day. That was my first introduction to audio-books. When I moved to Philadelphia and had a long commute to work, I listened to a lot of books. To keep up with my habit, I began reviewing audio-books for Library Journal and for Audio-File Magazine. 

I received a lot of free audio-books, including some real dogs. I also discovered some books don’t translate to audio format. I had loved The Hunchback of Notre Dame when I was in my Victor Hugo phase. On my earlier reading, I must have skipped all the pages that described the architecture of Paris. Since I have not been to Paris, listening to descriptions of building after building and block after block through an audio-tape was excruciating. 

Searching for more audio-books in the library introduced me to authors I might have never read, including Dick Francis, Nevada Barr, Sara Paretsky, Carl Hiaasen, and James Lee Burke. I loved to hear the narrator of Burke’s mysteries say the detective’s name—Robicheaux. 

Of course, now I download my audio-books from the library. Perhaps in a future posting I can talk about downloading printed books.

When I was a kid, I read book after book, always persevering to the end. Now, I find the book has to grab me right away or it goes back to the library unread. I am probably missing some good books, but I don’t seem to have as much time for reading.

Trish