The Big One!

Okay, I guess those silly weather people were right this time...for once. We've gotten about maybe 15 inches of snow. Clean, fresh snow makes everything so...unreal. So perfect. People are out now, shoveling and carefully driving and smiling and waving...people seem happy. I am.

Some of my favorite things

The Minnesota State Capitol is a majestic, gorgeous place. This image does not do it justice...I will go back with a camera. Today was History Matters Day at our fine Capitol, so I spent all day there showing people (legislators, lobbyists, visitors, employees) items from our Collection. These were Territorial pieces, in anticipation of the state sesquicentennial next year.
It was hard work, but a good day. A fabulous place to be, talking about amazing old stuff.

They say spring is coming...

...and today I almost believe.

Happy President's Day. Thanks for the day off to most of them.

Query

So I was at a teleconference called Next Generation Librarianship: Where do we go from here? which I thought would be about the future of libraries, but was actually about the perceived generation gap in librarians. It was pretty useless, but this is not the point. As part of this PowerPoint/live web chat/annoying use of technology for its own sake, a slide was thrown up to illustrate future challenges. It read (and I paraphrase, sorry): "There has been more change in the last 80 years than in the previous millennium..."
I disagree. Vehemently. Others?

Molly loves Frosty

And I do too...have I mentioned how I love winter? The bitter cold of the last couple of days was unpleasant, especially for those outside, but somehow perversely exhilarating. Even shoveling was fun tonight. (And yes, we're Minnesota, not Vermont, but look how sweet this snowman is!)

And I get paid to hear pearls of wisdom

such as these on a regular basis. Within the same conversation:
1. "Heaven for the climate, hell for the company."
2. [When describing the evening's lecture he was preparing]: "Like the perfect woman's skirt - long enough to cover the subject, short enough to be interesting."
Thanks, colleague who shall remain nameless.

Greek moments

1. Molly has a book of the cartoon Hercules. She inherited it from a cousin, and loves it. She points to Hercules (on every page) and says "That's Daddy!" Initially this was done without instigation from us...now I'm not so sure.
2. In the excellent Micawber's Bookstore last weekend, I overheard someone say "The Iliad's the tragedy; The Odyssey's the comedy." I was only sort of able to get into it with the strangers...I was surprised and they weren't particularly responsive, sadly. As David points out, The Odyssey does have a happy ending.