Politically correct holidays

I am a cat. What do I know about political correctness? I do read the newspapers that are readily available at Pine River Public Library. It astonishes me that celebrating Christmas or Hanukah or any other mid-winter celebration has become somehow negative. What could be negative about lighting the winter skies with colored lights? What could be negative about thinking about our friends and neighbors during the darkest days of winter and wishing them well? And what about Santa? Who is this guy, anyway? “…The American version of the Santa Claus figure received its inspiration and its name from the Dutch legend of Sinter Klaas, brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century…”http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/index.htm Visit that web page for a complete history of this tradition. We have computers at Pine River Library for that very purpose. Information. Information. Information. My mantra, as I have often tried to convey to you, my trusted friends, is: Reading will set you free! After all, I make my home at a library…

Meantime, during this special season of giving (I don’t care what’s politically correct. I’m a cat.) The Pine River Library will be collecting non perishable food for the local food shelf through the holidays. (What holidays? you may ask. My answer is simple. All of them!) Now, I don’t know a lot about canned food except for tuna, of course, but I’m pretty sure there’s more “non perishable” than green beans. Use your imagination. All sorts of great stuff must be non perishable. There is only so much nourishment in a can of beans! (“Green beans, while quite low in calories (just 43.75 calories in a whole cup), are loaded with nutrients — an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and iron. And, green beans are a good source of magnesium, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorus, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin.” http://health.learninginfo.org/green_beans.htm)

Mini Me Browser has been traveling Pine River. His first stop was to visit Beau. Can’t tell you where that is. It wouldn’t be correct, politically or otherwise – advertising without permission? Who knows! If you’re from Pine River you know where Beau lives. You could trip over him when you walk in the door of this business! Mini Me Browser’s second stop was where they sell pizza, coffee, and ice cream. Not too difficult to figure this one out either. Keep looking. He’s around town somewhere different each week!

A special thank you to everyone who donated to the Dorothy King memorial. Half the money went toward the library roof replacement fund. The other half went into the book account.

Have a very special __________ (Call it whatever makes you comfortable!)
-Browser, the library cat

Printed in the Pine River Journal December 13, 2007