Music

A snapshot of today:

I am tapping my bare feet to the beat of the Flobots while capturing the pages of a 100+ year old church hymnal to a digital camera. Turning the brittle, yellowed pages carefully to take pictures of each one, I take satisfaction in knowing that I am helping someone's music and faith live past their time on this earth.

I freaking love my job.



Music in the Movement of the Day

When left to my own devices, I tend to forget about the joy of music. On road trips I usually leave the radio off in favor of thinking much too much. I cannot listen to lyrical music when reading, which is how I spend a big portion of my time these days. It seems that music is always an afterthought to me. But when I do listen, it stirs my emotions unlike anything else.

Derek brings music to my life. Without his influence, I would forever be in a land void of melody. From the start of our courtship when he restrung my mother's guitar and taught me how to play notes for my birthday, to my current birthday when I discovered four new music CD's from him in the mail. For our wedding, he gave me an iPod - which has been a critical motivator for me while training & running in this damned southern heat. He has written me songs from his heart, and braved playing them in front of me. He is the music in my life.

Birthday Weekend

This past weekend was my birthday (sooo ooooold), and my mama came down for a four-day gettaway. We had a fabulous time relaxing and touring Tuscaloosa. On Friday, I showed her around campus including the Health Sciences Library, the UA Recreation Center, and the School of Library and Information Studies. Saturday we went up to Tannehill and hiked in the woods (it only counts as getting lost if we couldn't find our way back, right?). That evening we went to the Olive Garden for a birthday dinner. Pretty sure the waitress hit on me. Watch out Derek, you have some competition! On Sunday we worked out, shopped, drove through downtown Northport (didn't know they'd be closed on Sunday), and spent the evening at home.

All in all, it was much needed time away from library land and much desired together time with my mama. Now I'm back in the action, trying to wrap up my summer semester. Only 16 days until Derek is home!

(PS - have a couple of pictures on a different computer; will upload in a bit)

Total Immersion

Many folks find that total immersion in a foreign language accelerates the learning of that language. I think the same is true for anything you may learn. Right now I am in total immersion of library land. This is week two of taking night classes while working, and I've started noticing threads of conversation that carry across multiple contexts during my days & nights. For example, we may discuss one topic in my class, Academic Libraries and then it will pop up in Intro to Libraries and then something will happen at work where I have to apply the conversation to real life. I could be wrong (and a total dummy) but I think this is helping me learn things more quickly and more permanently. I certainly hope so at least!

Random aside, here is a 'pleasantly plucky' NPR story:
"Why the next big pop-culture wave after cupcakes might be libraries." by Linda Holmes

Shoot me now...

I just sent out a question on a professional library list-serve (OCLC Cataloging listserv)... to three-thousand-nine-hundred-thirty-four recipients... dear lord I hope I didn't sound too dumb...

Summer School - 2010 Update

School has been amazing! It is so challenging and satisfying. It is also insanely exhausting and time consuming. For the rest of July I have classes every Monday through Thursday from 6:00PM until (M&W) 9:15 or (T&TH) 10:15PM. Aaaand I have an assignment or project due every single class session for the rest of the summer. I do have my regular work schedule as well Monday thru Friday. Thankfully I have an awesome boss lady and coworkers, who put up with my sleep deprived stressed out state and support my education efforts. It has also been crazy fun being able to take what I'm learning in class and apply it at work. Life is good!