Blueberry on Tour: Part Two

Since we were having a bit of trouble loading photos the other day, here are a few more depictions of Blueberry's time at the library last week!  She's such a STAR that She didn't want you to miss any of the action!!

And, coming on Friday.... have you been wondering what Elizabeth has been up to while Blueberry is off working it at storytime?

On Friday, YOU WILL FIND OUT!!! STAY TUNED!!!!

Blueberry Is A STAR!!!

Miss Blueberry was recently asked to go on tour to the Library for storyime.  Months ago, I agreed to it, but as soon as I did, I was struck with a bit of panic.

Blueberry seems to like people, but She doesn't get a lot of visits from kids....what if She hated children?

Blueberry is a bit of a quieter personality....what if all the attention and the bright lights and the ride in the car and the different people and smells, etc. were too much for Her?

Well, I had my doubts, but then I would tell myself this:  She is a Happy Bunny.  She will be fine.  I will see what She is comfortable with, and we will go from there.

Pretty soon, Her Day of Reckoning had arrived!  There was no more second guessing!  The show had to GO ON!!!

Here, then, is the evidence  of Miss Blueberry's Library Storytime Debut!

As you can see, She was a bit of a ROCK STAR. The kids all gathered round. Blueberry was perfectly behaved and not in the least overstimulated (though I can't say the same for myself). She handled Herself with decorum and grace. All the kids in the room got to hold Her on their laps.

In short, She was a hit.

So, where's the Next stop on Blueberry: The Live Tour? We shall see.....

Miss Zoe Presents: Flip Friday

As it is Blueberry's Big Debut at story time next week, I thought we could warm Her up with a starring role in Her own movie.

I know, She has had Her own movie before. But She can be a little camera shy. It is something that we are working on.

Lucky for you we are working on it, because it means you get Blueberry movies!!!

So, are you ready for one? Prepare ye the way of Blueberry.

Blueberry, Blueberry, Blueberry from marcy hall on Vimeo.

Big News For Blueberry

TA DA!!!

What is Blueberry's Big News? 

Well, no, she did not get a new Baby Rabbit.  One is quite enough for Her, thank you, She said.

Her Big News is that She will be starring in a Library Storytime on March 22 at 1PM!  For anyone who is in Erie, you may want to come and Behold the Rabbit Magic.

All others will have to wait for the Movie.  Or the Pictures.

BLUEBERRY IS A STAR!!!!

3 Things I Learned This Weekend

Happy Monday!

Actually, I may have learned more than 3 things this weekend. In fact, now that I've written that title, I can probably think of at least 4 things I learned, but let's stick with 3, as that seems enough to cover at one time. Here they are (in no particular order):

1. I learned how to wipe down a Dirty Lamb. (I know-- that doesn't sound great, does it? But it's true.)

Miss Zoe and I have spoken of Miss Emmie the Cat (pictured below, squinting in a sunspot) many times here on our blog. What we haven't talked much about is the fact that she's CRAZY.

The Crazy (and beautiful) Miss Emmie

No, seriously. She is crazy.

She doesn't groom herself (who knows why-- Zoe thought cats mostly came knowing how to do such things to extremes-- it's why she allows cats in her house), and besides that, she's a tail biter, which means she's often covered in blood. We LOVE this cat!! But, she can be... challenging, especially when you are having company (see #3). Due to the non-grooming situation, we have Miss Emmie shaved, and because we have her shaved, we affectionately call her "The Lamb."

Are you keeping up?

Due to the problem of non-grooming and frequent bloodiness, we decided to order some wipes
to help keep her cleaner. We affectionately call them "The Lamb Wipes."

So, said Lamb Wipes came in the magic, brown UPS truck a couple of days ago, and on them were these instructions:

O......kay.....

First thing learned? Besides knowing how to open and close a lid, one must wipe entire pet.

2. I worked on Sunday at the Ol' Public Library. I picked up this tract in the copy room and thought I should pass along this information:

Whew! I still have a couple of years!

Second thing learned? The End is Imminent.

3. We had a house guest here at the Lilypad this weekend!!! We NEVER have house guests!! Lisa of Nerdy Renegade News came to meet us and the cats and Miss Zoe and stayed for a few days. We had GREAT FUN!!

Third thing learned? Having someone whom you don't know (other than through online contact) come to your house and hang out is not as freaky as we thought it would be!! We had such a wonderful time, and it's like we knew Lisa already.

More to come about the weekend on Wednesday.

For now, Miss Zoe would like you to review:

1. Wipe ENTIRE pet.
2. Beware May 21, 2011
3. Invite strangers over often.

"I'm not sure this blog even makes sense.
Please don't associate me with any of this information.
Views and "Information" presented in this blog do not
necessarily represent the views of the Rabbit Council."

OK, so here's 4. Sometimes, there's no pleasing a Rabbit.

Flip Friday

Miss Zoe is stoked for the weekend!

How about you?

Actually, Miss Zoe doesn't care much what day it is. She is just always happy and excited.

Really, it's a nice way to be.

One reason she is always excited is that she is not required to work in a public library where people sometimes feel compelled to wear just their swimsuit or perhaps feel like it's a good idea to bring their cans of beer into the free computer lab.

Miss Zoe prefers to deal solely with her cats. She can decide when they come and go. And, they never wear a swimsuit or bring beer.

Another reason that she's always so very excited is that she is always eating. Like, always. If you have a Rabbit, or even if you just observe Wild Yard Rabbits, you know that they are always munching on something.

In this week's Flip Friday Video, we see this very action: Miss Zoe enjoying some hay. It may not sound enthralling, but I defy you to stop watching!

Interrupting Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...

Blisschick here.

Marcy -- or "Frog" as we call her here in the Lilypad -- has had a couple of Tiring Days. First, she had to go to the pre-funeral viewing for her dear friend and colleague, Susan, and then she had to speak at the funeral.

Now she did an amazing job, of course, but she used up Many Words to say What Needed to Be Said, and so she finds her Word Bank is precariously close to empty.

I figured, No Problem! I'll just ask Miss Zoe. She always has so much to say! But when I went to ask her, this was the response I got:

I, apparently, do not have the Rabbit Magic that our Frog has.

I thought, okay, I don't have the Rabbit Magic, but I certainly have the Lilly the Cat Magic!


"You want me to do WHAT?"

"I said, could you write some witty and funny things for Frog's blog for Wednesday? Miss Zoe doesn't seem up to it."

"And what made you think I was the Animal to ask? Do I look like I have time for blogging? Do you see how busy I am?"

I left it at that. I don't want to make Lilly-the-Bird-Who-is-Really-a-Cat angry. Have you ever seen the size of her thumbs?! All FOUR of them!?

Frog, and presumably Miss Zoe, will return to regularly scheduled programming on Friday with Flip Friday, of course.

Duck!

Happy Wednesday! Happy Seis de Mayo!

First and foremost, Miss Zoe and I want to thank everyone who has written in to share stories of their most wonderful animal friends. They are all so beautiful!!!

(If you don't know what the heck I am referring to, go here to find out or to read some of the stories.)

Don't forget to submit a story to win your very own original Wee!Art pet portrait!! Miss Zoe will pick two lucky winners on Sunday, May 10th at 5:00 PM.

Secondly, I want to apologize yet again for amateurish production of last week's Flip Friday Zoe movie. Miss Zoe has still not quite forgiven me for messing up the soundtrack.

We did place an order at Sweet Meadow Farm for two bags of her favorite crunchy food, and 14 bags of organic hay, some of which are her favorite Timothy and Herbs Mix, so I'm hoping to be forgiven soon.

At any rate...

...you can see where we are right now. I am, as yet, unforgiven.

As for the title of this post, "Duck!" don't worry that Miss Zoe is going to throw something at you (though rabbits do love to throw things!). It's me she's upset with.

She still likes you.

"Duck!" then, refers to the pictures below, which were sent to me at work from one of my Library co-workers, Mary. Mary is our Branch Coordinator, and was out visiting our branch in Edinboro, when these little friends came to the door:

Apparently, the clerks at this branch turned away from getting library cards, as they could not provide proof of their current address. Sad, really, as the little ones look ready to learn.

"If they're smart," Miss Zoe said when I showed her the pictures and told her the story behind them, "they'll fly over to another branch and try again. Someone else might give in and issue the cards just because the babies are so cute. Ducks!" she sniffed as she hopped back to her hay box. "You just never know with ducks."

Miss Zoe thinks it's just like ducks to try to work the system. I'm not so sure, but since she's grouchy with me, I'm just going to go along with it.

You should, too, if you know what's good for you.

Happy National Library Week!!

Cookie Monster: Your Average Public Library visitor!

Don't you agree that I would be remiss as a Library Employee if I did not wish you a Happy Library Week?

I think I would be.

Believe it or not, the video above pretty much describes what it can be like to work in a public library. Cookie Monster? He's the average library patron.

I don't mean to suggest that the library is full of Cookie Monsters. Certainly, there are regular, normal people who come to the library.

But there are plenty of irregular people who show up, too. I've spoken about a few of these irregular patrons in posts past. My Library stories are great material for parties.

This past weekend, for instance, we had a few boys show up dressed as mimes who caused a general ruckus. Last week, there was that guy speaking (I swear!) in Klingon. In the past, we have had patrons to whom we've referred as:

• Foot Fetish Guy --he used to sneak under the tables and stare at people's feet (he's in jail now);
• Hair Cutter Guy --he used to try to cut off women's ponytails. He abhors Crystal Gayle and has asked for her address at our Reference Desk and then written to her about 500 times to tell her to cut her hair! (he's in a mental health facility now, much to the joy of poor Crystal Gayle, I'm sure).
  

One time, we had a woman who came to the Circulation Desk insisting that we sell her "a ticket to sleep." We're still trying to sort out what that was about.

People never believe it when I share these stories. They think of the library as a very subdued and tranquil place where people are holed up in corners reading Dostoevsky and such. When I interview people for jobs, they often tell me that they would "love a job where they get to go and read all day."

What?

Yeah, I'm not sure where they get that idea, but that's not really what working at the Library is all about.

The Library is no longer the tranquil, quiet (boring) place it was in years past. Today's public library is vital, alive, and exciting. (Sometimes, a little too exciting...)

It is Everyman's University.

The library is a community center. A third place.

It's just plain cool! (I know, I'm a geek. I'll stop. But, it is true.)

If you haven't been to your library recently, try it out. In this economy, why buy a book you can borrow?

I encourage you to find out what your library has to offer. Most people think of books, sure, and magazines, newspapers, and periodicals. But did you know we have DVDs (TV shows, movies, documentaries, etc. etc.)? CDs (popular, country, inspirational, world, opera, jazz, etc. etc.)? Computer Software? Downloadable audiobooks? Tons of databases? Free Wireless Internet? Free computer use if you don't own a computer yourself?

At our library, we even even have fishing poles that you can check out!!

If you've not been to your town's library in a bit (or ever!), make a point to check their website or, better yet, stop in and see what's there.

And, gosh darn it, get a library card!!!

Miss Zoe demands it!!

And you don't want to disappoint Miss Zoe, do you?

Really?

By the way, while you're at your library, you might consider asking them if they sell tickets to sleep.

If you get any response, do let me know, won't you?

Wee!Art

But first.. a quick update regarding Monday's post:

Treehousejukebox Emma asked via a comment, "Was the ring found?" (referring of course to the ring that was dropped down the toilet on at the library on Saturday when I was working.)

The answer to that question was almost as amusing as the event itself (though I realize I am easily amused).

When I got to work yesterday, I had received a note re: Restroom Man from our Maintenance Guy that read, "Tell [Restroom Man] to call the Water Waste Treatment Plant and ask them to keep an eye out for his ring."

And I immediately pictured a veritable treasure trove of the items that may wash up at the Water Waste Treatment Plant, and how many guys who work there have girlfriends who have been presented with those "gifts" (or would they be "re-gifts?"). I immediately picture a young man presenting his fiancee with a lovely engagement ring, and she, in her innocence saying, "Oh honey it's lovely! Where did you get it?" and him shuffling his feet around and saying, "Oh, you know. I got my sources..."

"And, again, I say: This is why cats don't wear rings."

Yes, Miss Lilly. We heard you the first time.

In other news... I may or may not have mentioned that I had the opportunity on Sunday to make a bunch of new stuff for:

Ordinary Enchantment, The Store
(our new adventure in the world of Etsy.)

Along with some cool new pendants, we are introducing(... drum roll, please...)

Wee!Art

It's small! It's cute! It's affordable! And Wee!Art is 100% collectible, original paintings by Miss Zoe and me. Sometimes Miss Lilly helps. (For instance, this weekend, she sat on my painting table many-a-time as I worked. For anyone who's unawares, in the Cat World, sitting or standing by constitutes "helping.")

The other cats and the Blisschick just walked by occasionally to offer constructive criticism. Or, to meow. Or, to ask for food.

Wee!Art is cats!

Wee!Art is bunnies!

Wee!Art is just plain FUN!!

And, it's wee.

More Hours in the Day, Please!

Weekends just go by too quickly. It's as if they have no regard for us, no regard for our needs.

What is that about?

Of course, I also had to work at the Library on Saturday.

It was a busy day that included a man who was wagging his finger with one hand and a cigar with the other and yelling in what sounded like Klingon at one of computers, (which, incidentally, he wasn't using-- it was just an innocent bystander, poor computer).

It also included terribly long lines at the Circulation Desk, and a lot of grouchy people who were insistent they "they had never checked that out." Riiiiight... then it was either a) your stunt double, or b) your evil twin?

When five o'clock rolled around we were all so relieved.

Security Guard and I waited for the last guy to leave, a man who was using the public restroom in the lobby. Restroom Man.

As we waited, we reviewed the day and decided that we were just glad it was time to go. It was after 5, and it had even been a struggle to corral everyone out with their DVDs and bestseller mysteries.

We caught sight of Restroom Man in the corners of our eyes, and we moved toward the already locked doors to let him out. But, Restroom Man stopped us cold by yelling, panicky, from across the lobby, "Hey! I dropped my ring down the toilet! Could someone get it out for me?"

Security Guard and I exchanged knowing glances and sighed.

It had been that kind of day.

In this case, does Saturday really count as a Sacred Weekend Day?

"That's why cats don't wear rings," Lilly said stretching out her fingers.
"Too easy to lose them in the... you know...the box."

Good point, Lilly. I'll pass that on to Restroom Man.

Luckily, we had Make Your Own Pizza Night at Miss Kitty's house (Miss Kitty being my favorite chef) to look forward to.

There was homemade dough (or, "Ho-made" as the pizza shop down the street used to advertise on their front picture window. We steered clear of that for obvious reasons...), and every topping you could imagine wanting.

After Pizza, there was Americanized Bollywood in the form of Bride and Prejudice and Red Velvet Cake, which I'd never had.

All in all, Saturday ran the gambit.

That left one day only-- Sunday-- for making some new stuff for our new etsy store, petting and playing with mammals, talking to and spending time with the Blisschick, frolicking in the sunshine, making a couple of Rabbit and Cat Movies (stay tuned for those later in the week), catching up on emails, etc. etc. etc.

At some point, Miss Zoe checked my email and said, "Health Coach wrote. He wants to know how the exercise is going."

Oh, yeah. And exercise. Don't forget that. (It was a lovely day for that, though.)

"You'd better get a move on.
Come on-- bust a move!" says the Task Master.

I'm looking forward to this coming weekend, though.

It's an extra special holiday, what with the Giant Bunny and all.

And, no Library for three days. A few days away will be a Good Thing. No grouchy people (I won't promise no grouchy bunnies or kitties), no rings in toilets.

Just Art and Mammals, Everyday. Just like it's supposed to be.

Hello? Spring?

I know it's coming.

Spring, I mean.

But, I can't say that I'm not just a little anxious for it.

I miss riding my bike to work. And, while I am at work, I miss not being able to comfortably go outside for warm sunny walks by Presque Isle Bay.

Yesterday, it was only about 15 degrees Fahrenheit, but because I miss being out by the water so much, I thought I would venture out anyway and take some pictures.

You know, to remind myself about what is on the way.

So, here are some of my pictures. If you're not from Erie, these will show you a little of the magic our beautiful port city has to offer. If you are from Erie, these will hopefully remind you of why you love it here!

Gulls! You should have heard them screaming
when I came walking toward them.
They do not care for me, because I am
convinced that they are made of Styrofoam.
And I am not afraid to say it.

Smugglers' Wharf.
A summertime fave for an outdoor lunch or dinner
while watching sailboats out on the Bay.
During the Prohibition, Erie was big on
smuggling in "things" from Canada.
Hence, Smugglers' Wharf and a little bar
down the boardwalk that sports the name
Rum Runner's.
Do we see a theme?

The Victorian Princess.
A cool paddle wheel boat that can
be rented for floating fun.
It docks right near the Library.

Mallards! Mr. Man keeps watch while
wifey catches some needed zzzzzzs.
Dare I say this?
These little duck bodies remind me of....
Miss Zoe
(I don't think she heard that. Whew!)

The waterway from the sailboat parking lot to the Bay at large.
Also the site of a very exciting duck rescue last fall
involving a veterinary student, our Library security guard,
and yours truly falling into the Bay.

The U.S. Brig Niagara.
It's berth is right outside the windows of the Library.
This is a replica of the actual Brig that
helped win the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
(Are you impressed by my historical knowledge?
That caption sounded so serious!)

The rocks where I sit to eat my lunch all summer long.
See how they look out over the beauteous water?
Of course, they are a bit icy in this photo,
but when it warms up,
this is where you can find me most days from 1-2 PM

The Hershey's Kiss Church!
Actually, it's a Russian Orthodox Church,
but one time, I was giving a library tour to some 4th graders,
and one looked out the window of the Library
upon this Church and exclaimed, wide-eyed,
"Are those Hershey's Kisses up there?
With almonds???!"
Ever since, it has been dubbed the Hershey's Kiss Church.

I hoped you enjoyed today's tour.

Rabbits on Bikes and Other Tales or Tails

Miss Zoe, trimming her nails while still looking coy as ever.
I think she may be looking forward to our wee vacation together.
I guess that remains to be seen.

Well, I haven't been riding my bike to work these last couple of days. Captain Janeway and I did ride through the icy air on Sunday of course, but the sun was out and the fresh air got into my lungs.

Normally, once I start riding to work in the Spring (or pre-Spring, as this would more accurately be called), it's pretty hard to stop riding. Once I've had a taste of the freedom that is my bike ride, it's hard to go back to the bus.

But, today, I had a really good reason for not riding that had nothing at all to do with cold air (or my laziness, which is sometimes an issue to hear Miss Zoe tell it-- though, I don't see her riding her bike to work very often. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen her ride a bike. Or, go to work. Hmmmm......).

I didn't ride today because I got to go work at our brand new branch library in Edinboro. The new library reused a space formerly occupied and since vacated by a furniture store. It was built to look rather like a barn, with lots of beautiful natural lighting, and complete with a lofty area, that never really was for hay, but might pretend so if you asked it.

"Did I hear someone mention hay?" Zoe just asked looking quite coy.

Excuse me a moment.

"Yes, Zoe, but I only mentioned a hayish lofty area, not hay itself."

She does like to interrupt.

Anyway, here's some pictures:

A shot from behind the Circulation Desk, where I was working.

A shot from the back of the library, looking toward the front.
If you look closely (sorry about the contrast)
you can see the winding path that meanders through the stacks.

The FIREPLACE!! What a great place to hang out and read.

The lofty ceiling area. Those are some really neat-o-neat fans hanging.

And now, while we wait for temperatures to warm up and the bike riding weather to begin to improve, I will be on vacation for a few days. Exciting stuff, that!

This week is Zoe's and my birthday week, so it's a time to celebrate and have some fun being creative-- doing some painting and writing and snuggling LOTS of mammals!!

Then, maybe after a few days off, I'll try to get Zoe to ride to work with me.

Or not.

Fat Tuesday, in which we discover something new about babies

Today is Ash Wednesday.

Which means, of course, that yesterday was Fat Tuesday.

I had to work yesterday, and it was a fun day to work. In my department, any excuse to bring in food and encourage a party atmosphere is welcome.

Yesterday, Fat Tuesday filled that bill.

One person generously brought in some donuts. Someone else brought in a bowl of candy. As it is now Girl Scout Cookie Time (YAY!), there were also a few open boxes of those on the scene, plastic sleeves lying open and crumby like the scene of some sort of chocolate and coconut crime.

But the real draw?

The King Cake!

For those of you unfamiliar or unclear on the concept, here's a little tidbit from our friends at Wikipedia:

The king cake of the New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition comes in a number of styles. The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually coloured purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food colouring. Some varieties have filling inside, the most common being cream cheese followed by praline.

OK, I'm down with that. Oh, but there's one more thing.

There's a baby inside the cake.

No, no, not a real baby...

The side of the King Cake box.

... a non-edible baby!!

What did you think I meant???

The Golden Child: The non-edible baby

But then, really, the kicker as far as I'm concerned is that the makers of the box (would that be some sort of King Cake Authority?) felt the need to qualify the word baby with the descriptor non-edible.

It leaves one wondering: what would be considered an edible baby?

Non edible babies lying in the sun.

Non-edible baby walking away from you.
Did you really think she was edible?
Seriously?

OK, this one's tricky.
It looks like a Cheddar Bunny, I realize.
But, no, still not an edible baby.
Very, very non-edible.

Trust me on this one.

I guess I need to learn more about babies.

In the meantime, I'll try not to choke on the non-edible ones.

From The What World of What???

1971 was a wonderful year, wasn't it?

Walt Disney World opened.

Cigarette ads were banned on radio and television.

I was born. (OK, and if that's not exciting enough for you, so was Snoop Dogg.)

And in the world of publishing, this happened:

That's right!! It's Doll Repair: From the Gay World of Dolls

Seriously?

So, there I was at work a couple of weeks ago. I had wandered down to the mail room to check my little mailbox. I didn't have anything, so in my usual habit, I stayed a bit to visit with the woman whose job it is to pack up the Inter-library Loans to send out with the UPS man.

In the middle of a conversation about (what else?) our cats, the above pale pink cover caught my eye.

Then the title and picture caught my eye.

Well, who could resist? A book from the Gay World of Dolls? Certainly not I.

I picked up that book. I flipped through its mysterious and macabre pages. And, I don't think I'll ever be the same again.

Before and after. I love before and after, don't you?

I mean, just look at these pictures. They could inspire nightmares. The table-full of "parts." the bashed in head. Was this the work of a serial killer?


As you flip through the book, it only gets better. Amongst patterns for little doll shoes and tools to fix the dolls that look like medieval torture devices made from rusty hangers, there are pictures, like the one above, of "lustrous nylon hair" hanging on what? Is that a tiny little clothesline for hair?

Parts hanging. Parts lying around.
Parts.
Creepy.

OK, so maybe Blisschick and I watch a little too much Dexter. Or perhaps it's the Midsomer Murders. Whatever the case, I feel like a psychologist should be brought in.

I feel like I need a consultation.

Like, now.

And, for the poor little dolly who's had her head bashed in, or perhaps been stabbed or had her eyes ripped out? Not to worry!! There's...

GAYGOOP!!

There's even a recipe. They caution you that it can take some time to get the color and consistency right (wouldn't you expect there to be an art to something like that?), but they go on to say that Gaygoop is actually "real easy to make."

But make sure you follow the recipe. Use the best powdered wood available.

(Is powdered wood really available? Who makes it? Termites? Beavers?)

I'm so sure! Doll bondo. Slap those pieces back together. Lay on the Gaygoop. Smooth it over. A little carefully placed paint and a buff job, and dolly will pass inspection for one more year, guaranteed.

And so we end with this picture. Zoe and I think it speaks for itself. We're not sure what it says, but....

I hope I'm never dark and scared more as a piece of wood.

I'll just try hard to get the Gaygoop right, and hopefully it won't come to that.