Library Lady's Corner

Book Review - Verses and Poems and Stories to Tell March 10 2024

Dorothy Harrer's Verses and Poems & Stories to Tell is a charming collection that embodies the spirit of childhood wonder and the rich tradition of storytelling. Through a delightful mixture of verses, poems, and fairy tales, Harrer invites readers into a world where the mundane meets the magical.

The Two Perfectly Balanced Days of the Year - Spring & Autumnal Equinox! March 20 2015

March 20th or 21st always marks “the first day of spring.” Jokes abound in the Northeastern part of our country because it often doesn’t feel at all like spring on this inaugural day.

But the real event is a cosmic one that takes place in the stars and planets. This is why the exact day is not possible to state without stellar calculations. The day is called “The Spring (Vernal) Equinox.” It’s partner is “The Autumn (Autumnal) Equinox.” On these two days the days and nights are exactly even – balanced. Both have pagan a religious ceremonies in human history designed to celebrate the miracle of this perfect balance.


Great and Glorious Saint Patrick March 17 2015

What is so special about St. Patrick’s Day? Why is “everybody” Irish for this one day each year. Some ice cream stores give out free ice cream if a customer is wearing green on that day. In Ireland for centuries all pubs closed for the day of the great saint. Boston, New York, Philadelphia and other cities in the United States have parades to honor the man. It is hard to think of another country that has such a famous saint to represent them or who has been so passionately celebrated as Saint Patrick. Ever wonder why?

It's π Day!! March 14 2015

Since 1988 math enthusiasts have been celebrating 3/14, as “Pi Day.”  Pi, roughly equal to 3.14, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter; an irrational number that has been calculated out 10 trillion digits with no repeating patterns and seems a mystery in its conceptual simplicity.

This year’s Pi Day is extra special. The year being 2015 makes the date as written, 3/14/15 and π calculated out two more decimal places is 3.1415. Calculate to nine decimal places and π is 3.141592653.  This means that on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 we will have witnessed the longest extended Pi Day of our lives, the next not coming around until March 14, 2115!

March is Music In Our Schools Month! March 10 2015

Any child, any group of children, will listen if a command is sung, when often they will not hear a spoken command. Singing while working has been used for millennia to pass the time quickly and to work rhythmically in completing an arduous or tedious task. Music can quicken an atmosphere unlike anything else, and can explain things without ever being didactic. The Underground Railroad and all Irish rebellions against the British used songs to relay instructions: “At the Rising of the Moon;” “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” “Wade In Water,” are all good examples of this “education through song.”