Today is a Palindrome!

Hey, I just found out that today is a palindrome!  What's that you say?  A palindrome is something (a word or string of numbers) that can be read forward and backward in the same way.  Today is January 2nd 2010... 01022010!!!!  Go celebrate... don't ask me how, just do it!  You only have twenty more minutes though, so do it quick!  The next calendar palindrome will be November 2nd 2011.  We should all plan ahead for that one! 

Winter Reading Club

Hello and Happy New Year to all! After reading about all these good books that have been blogged about, I thought I'd give a plug to our Winter Reading Club at the library! It's so easy...just come in to sign up and you'll get either a free book or a small prize just for signing up! Then, every time you read a book, come in to tell us about it and your name will be entered in a raffle to win a prize! We'll pick 2 winners, one at the end of January and again at the end of February. With the weather we've been having lately....there really is "Snow Better Time to Read!" Make it your New Year's Resoulution! Hope to see you soon!

Pictorial Guide to Avoiding Camera Loss

Have you ever lost something very important and wished you could get it back?   Was is ever an expensive item such as a camera?  Well, whether you have or haven't, the idea I'm about to share with you is something we should all consider.  You may not want to go all out with the idea like this guy Andrew McDonald did, but a simple variation on the idea might be a wise idea.  Andrew (who lives in Australia) has created this wonderful series of photos that he always keeps on his camera at all times.  No matter what, these photos remain on his memory card so he can communicate with the person who may find his lost camera in the future.   He calls it: A Pictorial Guide to Avoiding Camera Loss.  It's the technological equivalent of writing your name in permenant marker on the tag of your underwear before going to camp... which is also a very good idea!

Make a Handbag from an Old Book

I read tons and tons of blogs in my spare time.  I really mean tons!  I have one of those Google Reader accounts that manage my blog subcriptions- letting me read the new blog entries and archive any good ideas with tags and a star-rating system.  I've been so busy with the holidays that I haven't logged into my Google Reader in a few weeks- to my surprise I was greeted with over 1,000 new entries to puruse!   I guess that's what I get for having thirty-two (and counting) blog subscriptions that I follow!  

Anyway, when I read some of these blogs, I'm always amazed at how many creative ideas there are out there in the world.  Some of my favorite blogs are the ones that combine craft ideas with recycling ideas.  Check out the example below from a great blog called Crafting a Greener World.  It shows you how to create a handbag from the shell of a hardcover book.  If you've ever had a book that got damaged on the inside (but not on the outside) or if you love to buy cheap books from garage sales, thrift stores or book sales, then this craft may be for you.  The guy who hosts these crafting video segments is a talented and funny guy.  My favorite line from this segment is when he points out that "Now, clearly I'm a dude and don't have an immediate use for a tiny, little handbag no matter how sweet it is..."  He goes on to say that you can still make this project and give it to someone in your life who would appreciate it.   So, guys and girls alike, here's how you make a handbag from an old book:

Ravenous

It's been a really long time since an author has left me hanging this badly and I just have to whine about it. I just finished the second book in The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins and I just looked up the publication date for the next title and it looks to be in August of 2010. This is completely unfair! How will I ever wait until then? If you're not familiar with this series, it begins with The Hunger Games and is followed by Catching Fire. The story takes place in a future in which the citizens of Panem (formerly called North America) are living under strict government rule following the uprising that took place nearly 75 years ago. The country is divided into 12 Districts (the 13th was obliterated in the uprising...or so the government claims...) and each district is responsible for producing a specialized commodity to feed the Capitol. Each year, in order to remind the citizens of Panem that they will never escape the rulership of the government and can never attempt to challenge it, The Capitol holds The Hunger Games. Two children between the ages of 12 and 18 (one boy and one girl) are chosen at random from each district to be tributes to the The Hunger Games...24 children in total. The object of the Games is to fight to the death until only one tribute is left.

I could not put down these books because I had to know what was going to happen and now at the end of the 2nd book, I am left with a huge cliffhanger and a heart that is hungry to know what will happen next. These are must reads for sci-fi and/or adventure fans. They are truly ravenous reads!

Cool Deal on a Free Book Download

Maureen Johnson is a very generous author... and funny too!  If you don't follow her blog, let me update you on some exciting news:  Maureen Johnson (and her publisher) are making her book, Suite Scarlett, available for download for FREE from now until January15th!  Check out her Wednesday, December 23rd blog entry for all the details.  Here is the direct link to download your FREE copy of Suite Scarlett.  Thanks Maureen Johnson for being so generous!!

And while I have your attention... if you are in high school and are interested in participating in the High School Advanced Division Battle of the Books, this free book deal is even better news than you think.  Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson just so happens to be one of our three Battle Books this winter!  Hint, hint... download this book today (or stop by the library since we have plenty of copies on our shelves) and sign up to be involved in this exciting program at the Hauppauge Public Library. 

Bento Boxes!

Have any of you guys ever made a bento box? I just got really into them a few weeks ago.

A bento box is a takeout or home-packed meal that is meant to serve one person. It started as a part of Japanese cuisine, but has recently taken off in other places and all over the Internet. A traditional bento box usually consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. But they can really be anything you like! The whole idea is that it's packed efficiantly and utilizes all of the boxes space. They're so economical! Bento containers can range from disposable and mass produced to fancy and hand crafted. Often, the box is partitioned, which helps it to be packed and stay put. I found the picture to the left on Boing Boing this morning. It shows a really awesome Care Bears bento box, but a quick Internet search will come back with tonssssss of different cute and themey bento boxes.

The first day that I discovered the bento box I attempted to make my lunch for the next day in bento form. See the picture to the right. It didn't include rice, fish, meat, or any pickled or cooked vegetables. (It does have an assortment of tiny things and vegan meats, however.)

On the bottom sides, there is a cut-up vegan bologna sandwich on a round sandwich thin, cut in half and facing out. Then I threw a few pieces of vegan pepperoni on top (to attempt to make it pretty. Fail, right?). Then I cut up a chocolate Vitamuffin and put it in a cupcake baking container and I did the same with a box of raisins below it. Then, because I thought it needed something to hold it in place, I dumped handfuls of Cheerios in all the gaps, and voila! Bento!

Welllllll, by the time I had driven my bento box to work and taken it out at lunch time, it had all jumbled up and the Cheerios were soggy and gross. So, wompwomp. But it was my first try and I had limited ingrediants, and it tasted good enough (other than the Cheerios), so I'm still pretty proud of myself!

Anyway, there are a few books on bento boxes in the Suffolk County Library System. If you're interested, put one or two on hold and maybe YOUR bento box will turn out better than mine did.

501 bento box lunches : 501 unique recipes for brilliant bento

Bento boxes : Japanese meals on the go

Simple menus for the bento box

Face Food : The Visual Creativity of Japanese Bento Boxes