Staying Home with FDL
As we all navigate this unprecedented time and do our part to stay home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we thought it might be fun to share what FDL staff are doing to pass the time. While most of us are still working from home, we definitely have more time on our hands for reading, creativity, hobbies, and more. So here’s what some of us have been up to this week – we hope you enjoy!
A Walk in the Woods – “Charles Dickens, one of my favorite British authors, was an exceptional walker. He loved to walk about London at night. He also enjoyed walking through the countryside of Kent where he lived. Dickens was known to sometimes walk up to twenty miles in one day. Like Dickens, I enjoy walking, especially through the woods on our property. And while I never walk as much as Dickens did, I do manage to walk a mile or two when I am home.”
– Deb, Circulation Assistant
Lights Out – “This week I recorded another episode of my podcast Lights Out. This is what I do, and it is a ghost story addict’s dream come true: I sit down with people and ask them to tell me stories. Then I polish them all up into an episode, and bring it to you. I have had so much fun seeking out people’s stories and I hope you enjoy listening to them. This episode is about Glore Psychiatric Museum, which now has over 10,000 artifacts of life in the St. Joseph State Hospital. And it has ghosts!”
– Sylvia, Circulation Specialist
Crocheting – This week our Reference Assistant Becky been crocheting a poncho and reading The Devil’s Punchbowl by Greg Isles (keep an eye out for her FDL Reads review when she finishes). See more of her fiber-work projects in the FDL Sit & Stitch group on Facebook to sew and socialize with other local stitchers!
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – “I’ve spent most of my free time playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I started my ‘life’ on the island with a tiny tent and a few neighbors, and now I now have a beautiful, bustling island filled with villagers! One of my favorite things to do in the game is collect fossils, bugs, and fish for our ever-growing museum – here’s my husband and I hanging out in the insect section!”
– Katie, Reference Specialist
Learning to Crochet – “After working and wrangling the kids and putting them to bed, I’ve been learning crochet basics from The Spruce and lots of sloooow motion videos on YouTube. My Grandma Pat was a beautiful crocheter and used to create blankets and hats and slippers while watching TV. It’s a slow start, and I have a lot to learn, for sure (especially trying get even edges!). I’ve made a washcloth! Maybe I’ll be good enough to make a blanket or two by the time I’m a Grammy.”
– Genna, Director
Egg Roll in a Bowl – “Earlier this week I made Egg Roll in a Bowl, one of my go-to recipes. I like it because it’s really quick, easy, and delicious. You can modify it a lot and add more veggies depending on what you have on hand and who you’re feeding. Obviously real egg rolls don’t contain eggs and sriracha, but they make everything taste better. You don’t have to used sesame oil or rice vinegar, but if you have them they add the Asian cuisine flavor. There are lots of variations of this meal available online if this one doesn’t float your boat.”
– Beth, Communications Specialist
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (16 ounces) ground pork, turkey, or lean beef
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 14 ounces shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Instructions:
- In a large skillet, brown the meat until no longer pink. Add the garlic, shallots, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and sautee. Add the cabbage/coleslaw, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, and sautee until desired tenderness. Add a little water and cover with a lid if needed to cook the cabbage down.
- Make a well in the center of the skillet and add the eggs. Scramble and mix until done over low heat.
- Stir in sriracha and sprinkle with green onions. Add additional soy sauce and sriracha if desired. Bowl up and enjoy.
DIY with FDL: Painted Garden Rocks
Enjoy this DIY tutorial from Jessica, and make super cute and functional garden markers!
Painted Garden Rocks
Supplies needed:
Good rocks
Acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
Water dish
Newspaper
Paint rags
Before you begin:
If your rocks are dirty, as most rocks tend to be, wash them before painting.
Make sure to rinse them completely and let them dry.
If you do not let them dry before painting, it will take like 10 hours for your first layer of paint to dry.
…
Just trust me on this one.
Get started!
Decide what type of fruit or vegetable you’d like to paint and paint the first layer!
I chose a watermelon and painted my rock a dark green.
Let dry and see if you need another layer. My paint is very thick, so I did not, but you may depending on what type of paint you have.
Next Layers
After your first layer dries, it’s time to add the next bit of color! I added lines of light green for my watermelon stripes.
Sometimes it helps to look at a picture of whatever you’re trying to paint as a reference.
You can stop here, add a cute face, paint more vegetables, whatever you want! Once they are dry, they are ready for your garden or a flower pot! Good job!
– Created by Jessica, Reference Specialist
FDL Reads: The Giver of the Stars
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Suggested Age: Adults and Teens
What is This Book About?: During the Depression years in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, the WPA Packhorse Librarians delivered books by horseback to remote cabins and homes throughout the region. This book is a fictionalized account of the courageous women who defied convention and rode horses and mules to deliver library materials to the residents of this remote countryside. Margery O’Hare, Alice Van Cleave, Beth Pinker, Izzy Brady, and Sophia Robinson are the librarians who brave all weather conditions, dangers and challenges to help spread literacy throughout the mountains. Intertwined are the stories of the personal lives, romances and other events experienced by these brave, trendsetting women.
My Review: I had not heard of the Packhorse Librarians of the WPA era until I saw a review of this book. I choose to read it because, as a librarian, I was intrigued by this early, innovative version of the bookmobile. The book was an enjoyable read. Alice Wright of England marries Bennett Van Cleave and moves to America unaware that she will be living in a small Kentucky town in the Appalachians in a home that is maintained as a shrine to her late mother-in-law by her father-in-law, Geoffrey who also lives with them. Geoffrey runs a mining operation and employs most of the local residents. Alice chooses to help Margery O’Hare, a bootlegger’s daughter, and begins delivering books to escape the oppressive atmosphere at home. The five librarians develop a camaraderie and friendship that can only be achieved through the sharing of trials, difficulties and triumphs. Jojo Moyes is an outstanding storyteller and this book makes the historical events on which it is based come to life through her excellent characterizations and narrative.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Enthralling, Funny, Heartbreaking
Give This a Try if You Like: Me Before You, After You, and the Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
Staying Home with FDL
As we all navigate this unprecedented time and do our part to stay home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we thought it might be fun to share what FDL staff are doing to pass the time. While most of us are still working from home, we definitely have more time on our hands for reading, creativity, hobbies, and more. So here’s what some of us have been up to this week – we hope you enjoy!
Legends of Runeterra – “I’ve been passing most of my time playing Legends of Runeterra. It’s an online CCG similar to Hearthstone but is based in the League of Legends world Runeterra. It will be leaving open beta at the end of April with a new expansion. I really enjoy the game itself, and the fact that the development team is very transparent about all aspects of the game. It also has a very generous free to play economy which makes the game accessible to everyone.”
– Nick, Circulation Manager
Breakfast for Dinner – “I made a breakfast casserole for dinner this week. It’s great if you’ve got eggs or bread that’s about to expire! I usually pair it with hash browns and coffee.”
– Katie, Circulation Assistant
What you’ll need: 
Eggs
Bread
Sausage or bacon
Cheese
Directions:
– Grease your casserole dish and then line the bottom with slices of bread. I usually remove the crust.
– Fry up some sausage or bacon, and sprinkle it over the bread.
– Whisk enough eggs up to coat the meat and bread. For me it took about 8 eggs.
– Sprinkle your choice of cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, just long enough to bake the eggs and melt the cheese. Enjoy!
Stamp Collection – “My escape from life is going where my postage stamps have been. I have postage stamps from 1850 to present from all over the world. I love the art of the stamp — it tells a story of the place and time in history. I can image how some of my vintage stamps have travel across the ocean by boats and by horses to today’s carriers. I can sit for hours going through my collection.”
– Marsha, Circulation Assistant
Dolly Parton’s America – “If you’re looking for a positive distraction, this podcast delivers. Parton is a pop culture icon, but her impact is often minimized or dismissed because of her appearance and “hillbilly” roots. The host takes a thoughtful dive into all things Dolly, including her early years, business acumen (and charity foundations), unique brand of feminism, and how she unites people across cultural divides. You don’t need to be a fan of country music to appreciate the power of good storytelling.”
– Beth, Communications Specialist
Smoking Meat – “Throughout the week, I am literally either doing library work, sewing masks, or coaxing the kids to do their e-learning. My husband has enjoyed having time to use our meat smoker 2 to 3 times per week since the school shutdown started, and yesterday he cooked this pork in the smoker.”
– Melissa, Reference Assistant
An Unquiet Mind – “This is a powerful memoir. Kay is an excellent writer who openly and candidly describes her life with an almost clinical perspective. This is a difficult story to read, but very enlightening about bipolar disorder which is much more prevalent in people’s lives than I previously thought. I am strongly in favor of making mental illness of all types less stigmatized by society and the candid way Jamison discusses her illness from both a medical and personal perspective helps to do this.” Check the eBook out from Axis 360.
– Becky, Reference Assistant
Stream It or Read It!
With so many streaming options to choose from these days, why not try one of these new shows originally based on books?
The Outsider by Stephen King has been turned into a 10-episode limited series by HBO. Single episodes or the entire series are available for purchase on digital platforms.
If you haven’t read it yet…
“An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens: Terry Maitland – Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge.”
Find it at the library: The ebook and e-audiobook are on the Axis 360, Overdrive, and Libby apps.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng has been turned into an 8-episode miniseries that premiered on Hulu in March. Several episodes are already available for streaming. Further episodes are being released on Wednesdays with the last one scheduled for April 22, 2020.
If you haven’t read it yet…
“In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town—and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.”
Find it at the library: The ebook and e-audiobook are on the Axis 360, Overdrive, and Libby apps.
Normal People by Sally Rooney will soon premiere as a 12-episode series on Hulu April 29, 2020. The trailer is available to view now.
If you haven’t read it yet…
“Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. At school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation—awkward but electrifying—something life changing begins. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.”
Find it at the library: The eBook is on the Overdrive and Libby apps.
by Melissa, Reference Assistant
DIY with FDL: Fantasy Eggs
Introducing DIY with FDL — a way to share our projects, art tutorials, crafts, and more while the library is closed for COVID-19. Our first project is making Fantasy Eggs with Melissa! Follow along with the video above or use the written instructions below and enjoy!
Materials
- Styrofoam, Plastic, or Wooden Egg
– Alternatives: wooden egg or aluminum foil core
- Air-dry clay: White
- Acrylic paint & gloves to protect skin
– Alternatives: liquid watercolors or food coloring
- Sequins, beads, jewels, seashells, beach glass, etc.
- Tools for adding texture and carving the clay
- Pine cone, golf ball, toothpick, bubble wrap, etc.
Instructions
- Mix clay and paint. If making an opening for a creature, mix 2 portions of clay.
- Flatten clay into a large oval (~1/3—1/2 inch thickness).
- Cover the egg core with clay and add texture and carving details. If making a creature opening, work on the creature portion first.
- Decorate with desired embellishments.
- Let the eggs dry for about 24 hours. Additional details can be painted after drying.
Expanded Access to Ancestry
Exploring your family history just got easier! During the COVID-19 crisis, FDL cardholders have temporary remote access to Ancestry Library Edition, courtesy of ProQuest and its partner Ancestry. Ancestry Library Edition is an online genealogy collection of 200+ billion images in 7,000 unique databases and includes genealogical search, message boards, blank charts and forms, and tutorials to help you perform research.
FDL cardholders may request access by email (reference@fondulaclibrary.org) or by Live Chat during scheduled chat hours. Please provide your full name and FDL card number with your request to receive additional instructions and the password.
Remote access will be available until the end of April 2020 and will be re-evaluated monthly as needed. Ancestry Library Edition is always available on the library’s public access computers and for use with personal devices on the library’s WiFi network.
Ancestry has made other additional features available to everyone during this difficult time. Ancestry is offering support to parents by making its AncestryK12 lesson plans available for free for anyone to download while they are educating children at home. Also, in partnership with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Ancestry is providing free access to search nearly 500 million NARA records and images on Ancestry. For those new to Ancestry, several videos are also available on Ancestry Academy, a free program offering online courses to help families get started on their family tree building. A library of educational videos can be found at: ancestry.com/academy. No library card is required to access the K12 lesson plans, NARA records or Academy at ancestry.com, but creation of a free Ancestry is required.
FDL cardholders can also access HeritageQuest Online from home, which is a database that combines digital, searchable images of U.S. federal census records with the digitized version of the popular ProQuest Genealogy & Local History collection and other valuable content, including city directories, military and immigration records, and more.
Coloring for Adults & Teens
Feeling creative, but not sure how to get things started? Check out these awesome free coloring page resources! It’s proven that coloring can relieve stress and help you unwind – something everyone could benefit from right now. And there’s no need to stay in the lines! Below are a few links to collections of pages you can print. Get out your colored pencils, gel markers, or crayons and get ready to relax!
Museum & Library pages (#ColorOurCollections)
WiFi Access
We understand that whether for homework or applying for help, access to the Internet can be vital during this time. Even though the library and Civic Complex buildings are closed, the library’s WiFi is still available to the public. The signal typically extends beyond library walls and into the closer parking lot spaces, so you don’t even have to leave your car! Simply select FDL-Guest or FDL-Guest 2 and accept the user agreement when prompted for access. Whether sitting in your car or standing nearby, please continue to follow all social distancing guidelines while using FDL’s WiFi.