Explore the gift of learning to learn

Hello and greetings from your resident feline at Pine River Public Library.

Our library wants your input. Please go into the library and fill out the survey so that the Kitchigami Regional Library can know more about what they can do for you. Isn’t that nice?

The children – I do so love them – have made drawings on quilt squares that have been sewn into a truly marvelous quilt. (If you win it, can I please rest on it for a bit? There is even a drawing of me!) We are asking for donations for a chance to win this amazing quilt. The proceeds will go to next summer’s Summer Reading Program. Stop by The Pine River Public Library and look what the children created.

I consider myself rather erudite for a pussy cat. Erudition is a learned thing. Even cats must learn language in order to communicate. I am also a philosopher, and as I must from time to time, I will share my philosophy with you, my trusted readers. School is beginning. This is not a prison camp or a daycare center where children go during the day. It is a precious gift, this learning. Oddly, one must learn to learn. This, primarily, is the purpose of school. To teach children to learn. This lesson includes the invaluable gift of learning to find out things for ones self. It is freeing for a young person to be able to rely on self to locate answers to his or her questions. If you have never heard a child exclaim, “Guess what I found out today!” you missed the ultimate in the human experience. Parents, this is a gentle way of explaining why it is so important to let your children do their own schoolwork. Help them if they need help, for you are their parents and that is your job, but allow them the exhilaration of finding out things for themselves. Muriel and her staff at the library will happily provide gentle guidance when needed. I will now quote the passage about children from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran, because it is beautiful:

And a woman who held a babe against
Her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s
longing for itself.
They come through you but not from
you, and though they are with you yet they
belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not
your thoughts,
for they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not
their souls,
for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even
in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek
not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries
with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path
of the infinite, and He bends you with His
might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand
be for gladness;
for even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Your children are your future. Take very good care of them.
I remain,

Browser, the library cat

Printed in the Pine River Journal September 13, 2007

Christmas gift ideas at the library

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? No!!? It’s already August. I have a really wonderful suggestion. The Scholastic Book Fair is being held at your Pine River Public Library from August 7 through the 11 during normal library hours. One stop shopping. There are plenty of books for young people, but most of the time they have something for everybody. I remember from past years. You wanted to go to the library anyway, didn’t you?

And whatever did happen to Harry Potter? The last book, Deathly Hallows came out July 21st. A dozen children came to the library with their sleeping bags and jammies to listen to the book on CD’s that Saturday night. I was there. I know. They had a great time. Still, because it is such a long book, I only heard part of it. I still don’t know how it ended. Will somebody please read it and tell me?

When was the last time you came to the library? Have you seen the CHAIR? “Adirondack” chair to be precise. (“The mountains often included by geographers in the Appalachian Mountains, but they are geologically more similar to the Laurentian Mountains of Canada. They are bordered on the east by Lake Champlain and Lake George, which separate them from the Green Mountains in Vermont. They are bordered to the south by the Mohawk Valley and to the west by the Tug Hill Plateau, separated by the Black River. This region is south of the St. Lawrence River.” en.wikipedia.org) That tells you where the chairs originated. The library is where you can donate $5.00 to get your name in the drawing for our beautiful hand-made example. The drawing is September 1.


Now for the best part! You can get something for nothing at your library. It’s public, after all. Your new library cards are ready with the new logo. They haven’t been through the laundry yet or lost under the seat with all the fast food wrappers or reshaped in your wallet or lost in the bottom of your purse. They are new! Come get yours.
Until next time, I remain…






-Browser, the library cat

Printed in the Pine River Journal 2 August 2007

Welcome, Readers and people of other media.

“Go Bananas @ your library is the Summer Reading Program theme this year. The program is for kids in K to 12 grades. Check out all the happening at the library.”

This message comes from our illustrious head librarian, Muriel. It prompted me to research. You know how I am. Bananas are grown in 132 countries around the world. They are a major source of Vitamins A, B6 and C plus a good source of potassium. Here’s something I really didn't know: Bananas have been used in Japan since the 13th Century for the fabrication of textiles used in clothing. In Tibet banana fibers are used to weave rugs. (www.wikipedia.org) What is the point? You may ask. Save those banana peals. You could be wearing them. The Facts On File Dictionary Of Cliches suggests that the phrase “to go bananas” dates from the 1960’s.

While we’re on the subject of consuming, the annual Wine and Beer Tasting and Silent Auction is being held at Driftwood Resort on Thursday, June 14th, 7pm to 9pm. There will be a silent auction. I hear there are wonderful things being offered this year. That’s all very fine and good, but what about the consuming? I have heard, though this isn’t confirmed by me, personally, that the Driftwood Resort has a new chef who will be preparing the hors d’oeuvres!

A little closer to home – mine, of course – is the Annual Summerfest Book Sale. When? Guess!
Nah, I’ll tell you. I know there are a lot of people who wait with baited breath all year for this sale.
Friday, June 29th from 10am to 6pm. Saturday, June 30 from 10am to 5pm and Sunday, July 1 from 10am to 2pm. Sunday is bargain day with everything going for $3.00/bag. See you there!

Browser, the library cat.

P.S. (this means “post script” or “after writing”): Those of you who wish to donate books, please do so during regular library hours and check with staff first. Please don’t leave them outside the library. Thanks.

Printed in the Pine River Journal June 14, 2007

Welcome, Spring!

Here’s a tribute I found surfing the net, something I like to do in the library off hours. (You’ve heard the story about animals talking at midnight on Christmas Eve? Well, not only is that entirely true, but some of us surf when nobody’s looking.)

For winter's rains and ruins are over,

And all the season of snows and sins;

The days dividing lover and lover,

The light that loses, the night that wins;

And time remembered is grief forgotten,

And frosts are slain and flowers begotten,

And in green underwood and cover

Blossom by blossom the spring begins.
Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837 – 1909)

That man certainly could write his poetry! Some day I hope to take it up as well. Not today, though. Today I must let you know about a few Press Releases issued by Kitchigami Regional Library.

1. The NoveList database of adult and children’s fiction is a wonderful tool for avid readers. It is available to registered library users from home, work, school or at any branch of Kitchigami Regional Library. Over the past year is has become the most frequently used database in KRL’s branch libraries, with more than 70,000 searches done last year... There is now a link from any title to the Kitchigami Regional Library catalog. Users can find out if the library owns a copy and place a request on it in one easy step. Just check the left hand column for the Check the Kitchigami Library Catalog and click on the button. It takes users right to the library’s catalog information on that title. Place a request for it and the library will let you know when it’s available for you.

2. The world of information available at the Pine River Library is bigger than ever. We now offer the web-based investment resource, Value Line. An independent research staff of investment analysts collected data on and analyzes the performance of over 8,000 stocks, 13,000 mutual funds and 80,000 other securities. A variety of investors will find it a wonderful source of objective and reliable information. Individuals, investment clubs – almost anyone will benefit from the information and educational materials in th is information source and its daily updates.

3. HeritageQuest Online is the first stop for online genealogy research. It includes the U.S. Census 1790 – 1930, a huge catalog of local history books, revolutionary war files and an index to magazine articles about family history. KRL cardholders can access this database from home, school or work.
Ancestry Library Edition is the largest and most comprehensive online genealogy resource available. It includes over 4,000 databases with 4 billion names. It also includes census data, maps, and military, immigration and DAR records. This resource is only available on public computers at any branch of Kitchigami Regional Library.

WOWEE! Lots going on, isn’t there? The days may be getting longer and the weather more beautiful, but on those much needed rainy days, get on that computer! Out for a walk in the spring air? Stop in at Pine River Public Library and check on some of this stuff. You could also view some really lovely art work on our walls and our display of kites. Who doesn’t love kites?

Until next time,
The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. Henry Van Dyke (1852–1933) One would think he lived in Pine River!
By the way, today’s poetry comes from http://www.infoplease.com/
-Browser, the library cat.

Printed in the Pine River Journal May 17, 2007

Kitchigami Branches Provide Wireless Access!

Hail! Citizens all.
The Pine River Public Library has gone wireless. Is that at all like “unplugged”? Seems like it should be. That being the case, the first thing that comes to mind is “Unplugged” by Lois Grieman . After that, the wonderful missive, “Unplugged!: the bare facts on toilets through the ages/ Anna Ciddor” by, of course, Anna Ciddor and “Unplugged Kitchen: a return to the simple, authentic joys of cooking” by Viana La Place. Music? Sure. “Shakira, MTV unplugged” or “MTV unplugged EP” with Mariah Carey, or the very best, “Unplugged/ Eric Clapton”. Where, you might wonder, do I get all this information? Why, krls.org in the catalog section. All of this and more is available through your regional library. Just think of a title, an author, or a keyword and plug it in…The results will astound you.

But I digress. Actually, wireless has little and everything to do with unplugged. I received an email from Muriel, branch manager of the Pine River Public Library with the following news release:

Computer users at the Pine River Library now have another way to access the Internet. All branches of Kitchigami Regional Library now provide wireless access within the library.

Public demand for wireless access has increased over the last year. Muriel says, “For example, people who are taking courses or writing reports found our Internet access too restricted. Our library has a limited number of computers available for an hour or less. Now people can bring their laptops to the library and have the extended Internet access that they need – as long as their laptop has a wireless card in it.” Muriel also says that wireless users must agree to follow Kitchigami Regional Library Internet policies before their wireless connection is activated.

Of course you are now wondering how it is that I have email, and can you actually communicate with me using it. Naturally! Simply write to me at pineriver@krls.org and put “to Browser” in the subject line. I’ll get it. Have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Let me know!

And lastly, don’t forget to file your taxes. Forms are available in the lobby of the library and patrons can still go to www.irs.gov to download any forms we don’t have or any information they may need. Better get right on that. It’s getting pretty close to spring-like weather and you aren’t going to want to be indoors with a pencil and eraser and calculator, chewing your finger nails – or claws, whichever the case may be.

Until next time,
I remain,
-Browser, the library cat

Printed in the Pine River Journal 29 March 2007

VISITING WITH FRIENDS

Brutus from Center Point Large Print came to visit the library this year. Here Browser is having a nice visit with Brutus. To see what Libraries Brutus has all ready visited, go to: http://www.centerpointlargeprint.com/ and click on Brutus.

Browser recovers from illness with literature

My dear friends and neighbors,

I find myself infirmed. (Je trouvaille moi-même malade.)
I thank all of you in advance for your many cards and letters wishing me a quick recovery. That address, again, if you have peut-être forgotten, is:

Browser
Pine River Public Library
PO Box 14
Pine River, MN 56474

My usual physician est des vacances. Actually, he is not on vacation at all, but rather is aller à l'école (attending school) in sunny Florida. I was thus escorted to Staples for a visit with the local docteur animal in that fair town. The outing was tres cher ($$). Without seeming too indelicate, contributions of quelques pièces de monnaie (a few coins) would be greatly appreciated.

You have, peut-etre, heard the term “excuse my French”? “…Please excuse the strong language. Exactly why French should mean ‘bad language’ is not known, but this usage dates from the late 1800’s. Eric Partridge speculated that the phrase was picked up by British soldiers in France during World War I and was first recorded during this period. However, given that language such as the F-word has become commonplace in popular entertainment and public life, this cliché is probably obsolescent, if not obsolete...“ (The Facts On File Dictionary of Cliches by Christine Ammer) I think of French as a beautiful and graceful language. Since my illness I have been doing a great deal of reading, since I can do little else. Ah, the classics! Jules Verne (1828-1905), Victor Hugo (1802-1885), or my personal favorite, Albert Camus (1913-1960), 1957 Noble Laureate for Literature.

Perhaps you have been reading as well. Did you know that the (“chaud lit pendant des nuits froides”) Hot Reads For Cold Nights has once again débuté. This is naturellement, the adult reading program. Mugs, this year, are tres joli! I hope Muriel saves one for me. (You weren’t expecting poetry, were you? I did mention, did I not, that I have been reading? I am nothing if not littéraire.) But enough of this foolishness. In plain English, Mugs will be given out for those reading 15 books in 3 months, starting January 1 and ending March 31. One mug per patron and sign up sheets can be picked up here at the library.

Here’s wishing you a very pleasant reading experience. With special thanks to world.altavista.com and their Babel Fish Translations, I remain,
Browser, the library cat


















Published in the Pine River Journal Feb. 1, 2007

Happy New Year

Italian Buon Capo d'Anno, Japanese Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Norwegian Godt Nyttår, Pilipino (Tagalog) Maligayang Bagong Taon, Polish Szczesliwego Nowego roku, Portuguese Feliz ano novo, Romanian La Multi Ani , Russian S Novym Godom, Spanish Feliz Año Nuevo, Sudanese Wilujeng Tahun Baru, Swedish Gott Nytt År, Turkish Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun, Welsh Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (Try pronouncing that one. I actually have very little trouble with it. There must be many erudite cats among the Welsh.)

There are other language choices, of course. Most countries want to wish everybody a Happy New Year! I do rather like Chinese (Cantonese): Gung hay fat choy, a New Year greeting meaning, "May you become prosperous." (www.enchantedlearning.com)

Where did I find all these marvelous translations? I regularly surf the web looking for information on things like tuna and salmon and other things that might be of some use in my articles. This brings me, in a round about way, to my next subject; that of the cookbook written by Sharon Corbin. Many of you may remember my very deal friend, Don. He was a librarian assistant at our Pine River Public Library. I have Don to thank for my years of comfort and friendship at the library. Don promised Muriel many years ago that he would clean out the litter box if she would let me stay. He may not remember this, but I certainly do. Thanks, Don! But I digress. Don’s wife, Sharon, has written a cookbook. While surfing the web the other night, I found just the biographical information for which I was searching:

“… Sharon Corbin’s roots in northern Minnesota go back many years when her parents, Kenneth and Katherine Peterson were charter members of the Faith Lutheran Church in Swanburg, Minnesota. Sharon moved to Crosslake as a permanent resident in 1999 after vacationing on Stark lake, Trout lake, Woman lake and Little Pine lake for many years. As a child she was interested in cooking and has collected recipes all of her life. It finally came time to convert the scraps of paper and old 3 by 5 recipe cards to a more organized format. So she converted the dream into actually writing a cookbook of her own using many of her favorite recipes over the years. Over a period of almost two years Sharon selected, re-wrote and clarified the hand written scribbles and notes into a marvelous collection of family and friends favorites…” (http://www.cookbooksforsale.com/)

But the compelling information does not stop there. Certainly not! The featured recipe on this particular website is none other than Halibut Lasagna, which the site claims is Sharon’s favorite recipe. Right on, Sharon! Find this and other wonderful recipes in Sharon’s book, “Crosslake Cooking”. We have a copy at the library, of course. If you wish to own your personal copy, order it online or ask Muriel at the library. I am pretty sure you can get one signed by Sharon. My friend and co-author, Cora, purchased several for gifts during the holiday season. Each was signed by Sharon. She – Cora – tells me that the gifts were received with great enthusiasm.

In closing, Aide shoma mobarak! (Happy New Year in Farsi, no less.)

-Browser, the library cat

Printed in the Pine River Journal 1/4/07

Fa-la-la: Christmas is a time for feasting

It is that time of year again. Which time? You may ask. Dare I call it Christmas? If I recall from recent readings, it is no longer politically correct to call it Christmas. Okay. Fine. I am about to embark on what some might call “editorial comment”. Let it not be said that I have no opinions. (Incidentally, these opinions do not in any way reflect the views of anybody but me and my sometime helper.) During the mid-winter season, cultures for as far back as anybody can remember have had a festival of lights. The winter solstice was marked. It was and is a time to come indoors. The night is dark, cold and long. Inside the candles are lit. A large log is placed on the fire. For centuries it has been called a Yule log. …”To all Europeans, the Yule Log was believed to bring beneficial magic and was kept burning for at least twelve hours and sometimes as long as twelve days, warming both the house and those who resided within…” (wikipedia.org) It is the Yuletide. The word comes from the Scandinavian word, “Jol”, a forshortening of another name for the god, Odin. This tradition stood the test of time and became part of the Christmas celebration throughout Europe. Have I lost you yet? My point is that it is the Yuletide season. We have called it “Christmas” for a very long time. For those who choose, this name has religious significance. For others, it is a name for a season of warmth, lights, feasting, and giving. I like that. I have no quarrel with any of that, but especially not with the part about warmth and feasting. (For more information about Yule Logs and their tradition, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_log) Now for the giving part:

The library has a donation box for non-perishable items to give to the local food shelf. The library will be taking donations until December 22. At all times of year, giving to those less fortunate is very important. I know I never want for food, but there are kitties who do. This is especially difficult during the winter months. At this season of giving let us give a gift of food so that others may feast as well. (You knew I’d mention feasting, didn’t you?)

Again this year the Pine River Library is asking for Giving Tree donations. For each donation of $25 an ornament with your name will be hung on the tree at the library. Money raised through this will help purchase new books for the library. Gift tags will be placed in the books purchased. Personally, I’m terribly fond of the tree and its gift tags. Very festive. Yuletide spirit.

Take home a little Browser for Christmas! (No, I didn’t have kittens.) Browser key rings are on sale now at the Pine River Library. Each little cat is dressed in a T-shirt with my name on it. These make great stocking stuffers for all my fans. That would be nearly everybody. The cost of this family treasure is a mere $6.00.

Merry….Yuletide.
Your friend,
-Browser, the library cat

Posted in the Pine River Journal December 7, 2006

Little Browsers available soon at the library

Little Browser key rings will soon be available at the library.

Happy Birthday, Browser!

Winter again, you say? Actually, far from it. Winter doesn’t actually start until December. Who thought that one up? I wonder. Obviously this is a fallacious fabrication of folks from Florida. (I love alliteration, don’t you?) In Minnesota where the real people and other creatures live, winter is with us always. It is either imminent or a recent memory. We are either preparing for it or cleaning up after it. It’s time to go looking for that pair of gloves you used in the garden that double as winter wear. It’s time go find anything in the yard you might want to see before May! I have a few of those things myself. I doubt, however, that Muriel would
enjoy my bringing them into the library.

Speaking of the library and bringing things, I have just had another birthday. It was randomly selected by Muriel. She calls it September 30th. My personal opinion is that it should be October 31st! What black cat wouldn’t want to be born on Halloween? An appropriate selection. I would always have a party. I love parties. Everybody notices me. I like being noticed. Since I couldn’t select my own birthday and since it has now passed, please come by the library and wish me a belated birthday. (Tuna is always an appropriate gift for belated birthdays. Consider this when you’ve missed your Aunt Lucy’s birthday once again…) While you’re there, peruse the new art work on the walls. Those lovely people of the Pine River Art Club have been decorating again. I have not noticed a preponderance of paintings of black cats, however. I have suggested this before, but wouldn’t it be grand to see our library walls filled with portraits of yours truly? Of course!
(Perhaps you would drop Muriel a note suggesting a contest? She works well under pressure!)

And speaking of Halloween, don’t forget the Haunted Forest. The dates, again, are Friday and Saturday, October 20-21 and October 27-28. The times are 6:30pm to 10:00pm.

This winter the library is offering classes on how to use the library computers. Both Kitchicat and MNLink, The Minnesota Library Information Network, will be addressed in separate classes. Stay tuned for dates for these, or if your interested let the staff know and they will put your name down. I’m pretty sure they’ll let me know and I’ll let you know. See, I told you winter is a constant thing in Minnesota! Already we’re talking about inter classes.

When winter is imminent, sit back and enjoy a good book!

Yours truly,
-Browser, your library cat

Posted in the Pine River Journal Oct 19,2006

I Bet I'll Like 'Animal Dreams'

Finally those book club people are reading something that makes sense to me! It’s called “Animal Dreams”. Now there’s a title I can fit into my lexicon. Perhaps it’s about an entire baked fish left for me on the floor of the library. Maybe it’s about thousands of little chirping birdies flying around inside the library. Or 50 children each trailing pieces of yarn behind them, running through the library trying to play with me. I wonder if Barbara Kingsolver would write about things like that. I had better consult Amazon.com and get a preview:

“Codi Noline returns to the sleepy mining town of Grace, Arizona, to care for her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It is a bad time for her: disappointed in her personal life, she has closed down her emotions in defense against a heart that cares too easily. "I had quietly begun to hope for nothing at all in the way of love, so as not to be disappointed," she muses. In Grace, she finds friends, allies, and a love that endures…” Amazon gives it 4 stars, but I see nothing about any fish or birds or yarn. Alas, this is yet another people book. The club will be meeting September 20 at 5:30pm.

For you younger people, school has once again started. This means I will be seeing you less often during the early hours of the day. I will sorely miss you. Still, come often, even if it’s later in the day. By the way, for some of you an assignment will be arising soon. It has to do with the state of Minnesota. Here is something to remember. The girl or guy behind you in class will get to the library before you do and will check out all the books about Minnesota, write the paper, put the books on the dining room table to return, and promptly forget about them. I know this because I have seen many panicked faces at our library frantically looking for some copy of an encyclopedia beginning with the letter “M”. Moral? Get there early. Let the other guy or girl panic! Also, remember to return your books so others have a shot at finishing their assignment.

With the beginning of school come thoughts of autumn. What fun holiday falls in fall!? My personal favorite is Halloween. A black cat is featured in this holiday. That would be me. This year The Friends of the Pine River Library are sponsoring a contest. They want groups to decorate and operate “Fright Stations” at the Haunted Forest Fundraising Event. The dates are October 20-21 and October 27-28. Booths will be voted on by the public. That could be “you”, or, on the other hand, you could be competing for cash prizes. These will be awarded November 1, 2006. First place is $150. Second place is $75. Third place is $50. Call my friend, Cleo Kinnunen for details. She’s pretty important at the library. I know, because she’s here a lot.



Until next time, I remain
Your friend,
-Browser, the library cat.

Posted in the Pine River Journal Sept. 14, 2006

Visit Browser at his other blog site

Check me out!

Book Club Alert!

BOOK CLUB ALERT!

This could mean many things. Lets examine it from a few perspectives…
Book: 1. A set of pages fastened on one side and enclosed between protective covers.
2. The Bible.
3. A volume for recording financial transactions.
4. A record of bets placed on a race.
5. To record charges against a person on a police blotter.
6. To arrange for in advance (as an airline ticket).

Club: 1. A heavy stick of wood used as a weapon.
2. A stick used to his a ball in certain games: ie. bat.
3. One of a suit of playing cards marked with a black figure shaped like a clover leaf.
4. A group of persons organized together for a common purpose.

Alert: 1. Vigilantly attentive: observant.
2. Mentally perceptive and responsive: quick.
3. Lively or brisk.
4. A warning signal of danger or attack.
5. To inform.
6. To warn.

Let the games begin! See how many ways you can arrange these simple words using synonyms indicated by the definitions listed above. Isn’t language fun? At least from my purrospective.

Meanwhile, let me tell you about the approaching Pine River Library Book Club meeting.
It is scheduled for Wednesday, August 30th at 5:30pm. The topic will be “Three Junes” by Julia Glass.
“…This narrative of the McLeod family during three vital summers is rich with implications about the bonds and stresses of kin and friendship, the ache of loneliness and the cautious tendrils of renewal blossoming in unexpected ways. Glass depicts the mysterious twists of fate and cosmic (but unobtrusive) coincidences that bring people together, and the self-doubts and lack of communication that can keep them apart, in three fluidly connected sections in which characters interact over a decade…”

Happy reading.
-Browser, the library cat.

Printed in the Pine River Journal, August 10th, 2006

Browser's Library Lore for July 20th 2006

Greetings, fellow bibliophiles.
“I Pledge Allegiance to the flag…” Did you know, “Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist. In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897).”? To find out more, check our wonderful collection of books at our library or one of three computer terminals.
This is relevant because The American Legion Fraser Nelson Post 613 has given the Pine River Public Library a new flag, replacing the much tattered former one. Thank you so much.

The Wine and Beer tasting was a great success, by the way. Thank you to Driftwood Lodge and thank you to Kim from Ultimate Liquors in Pine River, for making this event such a grand one. I didn’t get to go, of course. I prefer cream. I understand, though, that those who did attend enjoyed it enormously. [How about an ice cream social next time? No? But why not?]

The library book club met July 5 and discussed the book “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult. There were six attendees who talked a lot. I know this. I have not read this particular book, however, so I was unable to participate. The next book the club will be reading is “Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. It begins, "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975..."
About the author:
“Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1965. He is the oldest of five children and his mother was a teacher of Farsi and History at a large girls high school in Kabul. In 1976, Khaled’s family was relocated to Paris, France, where his father was assigned a diplomatic post in the Afghan embassy. The assignment would return the Hosseini family in 1980, but by then Afghanistan had already witnessed a bloody communist coup and the Soviet invasion. Khaled’s family, instead, asked for and was granted political asylum in the U.S. He moved to San Jose, CA, with his family in 1980. He attended Santa Clara University and graduated from UC San Diego School of Medicine. He has been in practice as an internist since 1996. He is married, has two children (a boy and a girl, Haris and Farah). The Kite Runner is his first novel.”

The summer reading program is rolling right along, as is the summer. Seems it happens every year like this. Just when I get used to being outside summer leaves again. A little pun there. Did you catch it? But I digress…There are only three weeks remaining. Keep up the good work.

Until next time,
I remain,
-Browser, the library cat

Printed in the Pine River Journal July 20th, 2006

Time for a nap!

The book sale is all set up! Now time for a good long nap!

Checking out the titles at the booksale

Wonder if there are any titles with cat in them.

Browser library lore June 22 2006

“Hello again, do you like my hat?”
Dr. Seuss certainly had a way with words. Another group of words that rings true is this:
“Build it and they will come.” And guess what? They did. Come to our library, I mean. No, this isn’t about baseball, though there are some really interesting books at our library about the history of baseball. Also, you could even check out “Field of Dreams”. The movie, not the physical place. I mention all this because The Friends of the Library Foundation is holding its annual Wine and Beer Tasting with Silent Auction. Now, you may wonder what this has to do with baseball. Nothing whatsoever! What it does address is building! Proceeds will go to the library building fund. “But!”, you say, “we already built it.” Yes, that is true, but there is still so much to do. Your library should certainly be the very best it can be. This takes cold, hard cash. I don’t mean to be crude, but that’s where you come in…And we’re making it fun for you to help.

Come to Driftwood Resort on June 29 for Wine and Beer Tasting and Silent Auction.
The time is 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
The advance tickets are $15.00.
They can be purchased at Pine River Public Library, Ultimate Liquors on Highway 371 in Pine River, and at Driftwood Resort.
Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $17.00.
Hors d’oeuvres will be served, and music will be provided by PB Jams.

How marvelous and fun is that? Not your style? Then try this…

Our Summerfest Book Sale at the library will be under the tent at the library!
The dates are June 30 through July 2.
Friday 10 – 6
Saturday 10 – 5 + FOOD! Bakesale! How great is that?
Sunday 10 – 2 and everything will be going for $2.00 a bag (except for me, of course. Books about cats, yes, but not the actual creature.)

All proceeds will be going to the library building fund. “Build it and they will…”keep coming back.

Until next time, I remain
-Browser, your library cat.

Browser Library Lore May 2006

Isn’t spring a lovely time of year? I can be outside eating grasshoppers and visiting my four legged friends including Beau from Gardiner’s Hardware. (He’s nice enough, but he is a dog, after all.) Muriel has been asking me to sit down with my co-scribe and write a column for you. Lazy me! I’d rather lie in the sun.

Meantime, the library has a wonderful exhibit of kites hanging from the ceiling. I’d like to take one out for a spin, but Muriel worries I’ll scratch holes in it. I wouldn’t do anything like that, honestly. The word ‘kites’ is taken from the name of a hawk-like bird noted for its graceful soaring and balancing flight. Kites were probably invented in China or Southeast Asia around 1000 BC. That isn’t “Before Cats”. We are much older as a group, living with our bi-petal friends for more than 5,000 years.

Though it is still spring, it is nearly time to begin our Summer Reading Program. This used to be limited to the shorter of your species, but we have extended the program so that teenagers can get in on the fun. Some of you teenagers, I know, have been coming into the library for a very long time, participating in the Summer Reading Program, since BB. That would be “Before Browser”.

The groups are divided thusly:
Ages 5 – 12 for the Children’s Summer Reading Program
Ages 13 – 18 for the Teen Summer Reading Program
Sign-up begins the week of June 5, and the program runs from June 12 – August 5.

Our friend, Jack Pearson, is returning to the library very soon. Jack, if you will remember, is a singer and story teller. He calls himself “Mr. Song-Strummin Storyman”.(I call myself “Mr. Satisfied Cat”.) June 13 at 2:00 PM is the time for this festive occasion. Plan to attend. Fun for all ages, large people and small people. Well, I’m going back outside.

Until the next time, I remain,
-Browser, the library cat

Browser Library Lore July 2004

Hello friends!
June is gone with a mighty flourish. We had our book sale. It was a magnificent success. Thank you to everyone. The library salutes you. Thank you as well to all the wonderful volunteers who helped to “man” the sale. It wasn’t exactly toasty warm, but you persevered, wrapped in down, drinking hot coffee, looking as cheerful as was humanly possible. I, since I am not human, did not have this issue. I already have a fur wrap.

Children:
If you are involved in the summer reading program, keep reading. For those of you who are intermediate readers, I have a suggestion. One of my friendly keepers read aloud today a book called “The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins” by Dr. Seuss. It was an exciting read. This book was written in 1938 when children’s books had meat in them – probably not tuna, but meat none the less. Grownups: If you have not read this book, give it a try. It’s full of little lessons and big lessons and a wonderful plot. Dr. Seuss at his early best.

There is some guy digging in the dirt outside. I am told it has something to do with a watering system. I think this could be dangerous for me. I walk around out there all the time and am likely to get very wet. Our grass and plants and flowers will also get wet, though, which is good for them. Since I chew on them from time to time, I suppose I should be grateful. Muriel asked that I suggest to all my friends out there that if you have any plants and shrubs you wish to donate to our current landscape project, let us know. Beautification is an on-going thing here at our library. This particular beautification project is in the cooling shade. Is that pertinent? I have no idea, but you might know.

As Ogden Nash(1902 – 1971) wrote:
My garden will never make me famous
I’m a horticultural ignoramus,
I can’t tell a stringbean from a soybean,
Or even a girl bean from a boy bean.

That pretty much sums up my knowledge of gardening.

Have a lovely rest of your summer. I’ll be talking to you soon again.
-Browser

Printed in the Pine River Journal July 2004