In the gallery -- August 2011

Floating into the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery, on a silent melody meant for strings, drifts the August Exhibition PAINT ME A SYMPHONY: The Acrylic and Mixed Media Paintings of Cheryl Kaldahl a nationally known artist, vocalist, composer and musician, whose diverse background allows her to weave her unique expression of the arts into her creations. In the Display Cases are A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS: Antiques loaned by the members of the Montgomery County Antique Study Club. In her Artist's Statement Cheryl tells us that for her whole life she has been immersed in the sheer beauty of her Indiana environment, and this immersion has been the inspiration for her creative expressions. She learned silence and to listen to the music of her surroundings from her heritage. While walking in the woods, with the wind whispering through the pine needles, her creative spirit is awakened. She listens with her heart, reflecting on her subject, and quietly interprets what she has been drawn to paint or musically compose. On her magical artistic journey her work evolves as she blends new techniques with old.

Cheryl Kaldahl art has been featured in numerous exhibitions, collaborations, featured artist events, juried shows and art fairs. She has received private oil and watercolor instruction and has taken workshops from some of the most highly respected artists in the country.

Cheryl honors her father's artistic lineage by combining his innovative faux painting techniques with her own unique flair, creating a fresh, exclusive style.

Cheryl is the proud owner of Juxtapose: Art & You Gallery, in the Arts & Market District in downtown Lafayette, IN. She has found great joy and fulfillment in doing workshops for the community. She has been commissioned to illustrate a children's book entitled ANGELS IN MY EARS.

Always marching to the beat of her own drum, Cheryl has excelled in the music industry as well. She studied with a Doctor of Music from the Chicago Conservatory of Music and received private classical Piano instruction as well as private Piano Master Classes from visiting professors. Cheryl also received instruction on Composition and Music theory and Concert Piano Refinement. She holds numerous regional and statewide vocal and piano awards. She declined three California record offers to pursue her love of music through teaching. She has taught private piano, organ, voice, guitar, band digital piano/keyboard, and group music education classes.

Through the years she has been a Regional and Indiana State Piano Performance and Theory Judge, President of the Tippecanoe Music Teachers Association, Board Member of the Wabash Valley Watercolor Society, Stage Manager and Performer at Lafayette Civic Theatre, performing actress for regional theaters including musical theater, regional and national piano/vocal performer, and has made TV and radio guest musical appearances.

The Antique Study Club of Montgomery County meets once a month in member's homes to study antiques acquired by members. They are interested in everything old and interesting. They love to share their treasures with others and occasionally, when room becomes scarce, they will sell them so they can put out something newly acquired.

American Revolution lecture

The Revolutionary War Veterans Association presents 

"3 Strikes of the Match: Hear the Forgotten History of April 19, 1775, The Day Our Nation Was Born." 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 6-8 PM 

CDPL, Meeting Room A 

They will discuss Paul Revere's ride and the first day of the Revolution. The following questions will be answered: 
1. When and where was the American Revolution fought and won? 
2. When and where did the Revolutionary War actually start? 
3. What caused the professional British Army to break and run after a two minute encounter with colonial farmers and shopkeepers? 
4. Who fired the first shots of the Revolutionary War? 
5. What's the difference between history and heritage? 

This event is sponsored by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association and CDPL.

Genealogy Club Meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County IN Corp will have the program

"Round Table: Tell About One of Your Civil War Period Ancestors"

by club members and guests in the Donnelly Room at CDPL

August 9th, 2011 at 7 PM

Public Invited! Call: (765)-362-2242, Ext 118 or Ext 117 at Reference Desk or email at gen@cdpl.lib.in.us for more information.

Yu-gi-oh!

YU-GI-OH TOURNAMENT
When: Thursdays @ 5:15PM
Where: CDPL's Basement meeting room
Cost: free
Call: Michael Gurney at 765-307-4253 to sign-up
Sponsored by CDPL
 
FYI! What is Yu-gi-oh?
""Game King" or "King of Games" is a Japanese manga created by Kazuki Takahashi. It has produced a franchise that includes multiple anime shows, a trading card game and numerous video games. Most of the incarnations of the franchise involve the fictional trading card game called Duel Monsters (originally known as Magic & Wizards), where each player uses cards to "duel" each other in a mock battle of fantasy "monsters". The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is the real world counterpart to this fictional game on which it is loosely based. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Summer at the Museum

Summer at the Museum continues through mid-August -- so you still have time to visit the Carnegie Museum and earn prizes for completing activities. Go for it!

See the CMMC blog "Collage" for details.

Bob Ross Class

Bob Ross Class


When: Saturday, Jul 30, 2011
Cost: $45
Time: 9am to 4pm

Paint your own painting! Join Dick Murray as he teaches you the Boss Ross "Wet on Wet" technique while painting "After the Frost."
 
Supplies you need to bring are posted by his painting near the Circulation Desk.

After-Hours Genealogy Club Meeting

Join the Genealogy Club for 

After-Hours Genealogy Research at CDPL!

Friday July 22, 2011, 5-9pm

5:00 pm - Pizza in the Donnelley room (no charge, but donations accepted)

5:45-9:00 pm - Research in local history and reference area (no time limit on computers)

Advanced arrival (before 5:00 pm) is required. Library is locked at 5:00 pm.

Visitors Welcome! Please confirm your expected attendance by Wednesday July 20. Call 765-362-2242 ext 118 or email gen@cdpl.lib.in.us.

Scrapbooking

Want to scrapbook?

Saturday, July 16th:  9am to 4:30pm

Join Deb Slater as she gives you ideas and use of her tools to make wonderful scrapbooks.(Bring your own materials for a fun filled day!)

FREE!

Sponsored by CDPL

Yu-gi-oh!

YU-GI-OH TOURNAMENT
When: July 14th at 5:15PM
Where: CDPL's Basement meeting room
Cost: free
Call: Michael Gurney at 765-307-4253 to sign-up
Sponsored by CDPL
 
FYI! What is Yu-gi-oh?
""Game King" or "King of Games" is a Japanese manga created by Kazuki Takahashi. It has produced a franchise that includes multiple anime shows, a trading card game and numerous video games. Most of the incarnations of the franchise involve the fictional trading card game called Duel Monsters (originally known as Magic & Wizards), where each player uses cards to "duel" each other in a mock battle of fantasy "monsters". The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is the real world counterpart to this fictional game on which it is loosely based. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Bob Ross Painting Class

So, do you want to paint?

Jan Brown will teach the Bob Ross "Wet on Wet" Oil Painting Technique at CDPL on July 19th!

Cost is $40

Please bring your own 16in by 20in canvas!

Please wear old clothes!

Genealogy Club

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County has plans for July!


Charles Hill (Indiana State Library) will present "An Indiana Princess in your Family?"

When: Tuesday, July 12, 2011, 7pm
Where: Donnelley Room (CDPL)

The public is invited!

Call 765-362-2242 ext 117 or 118 for more information.

Comparing and Contrasting Genocides

The public is invited to attend

"Comparing and Contrasting Genocides: The Holocaust and Rwanda"

July 11th at 7pm in the Donnelley Room

Larry Grimes will share his vast knowledge of these two genocides. His goal "is to educate and reach out to students of all ages to express the historical importance of these events and and how they affect us today."

In the gallery

IT'S NEVER TOO HOT TO ENJOY GOOD ART!

July is HOT and so are the two exhibits being displayed in the Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery at the Crawfordsville Public Library from Thursday, June 30 until Friday, July 29.

Robert Clark, a photographer who began studying Photography in the late 1970's and never plans to stop, is the presenter of our HOT wall art this month. His work has been published in magazines, calendars, and books. He is also a stock photography contributor and has had several gallery shows. Robert enjoys presenting his work at Art Festivals like Penrod on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art and at many other exhibits east of the Mississippi River. Robert never tires of shooting locally and is continually learning of new opportunities to shoot interesting subjects. In fact, he has a long list of subjects he intends to shoot, all within a few hours of home. He does travel further, but if he gets into his "explore mode," it's amazing what he finds right around home.

Robert is currently working on a Photography Course geared to those seeking more information on how to improve the quality of their images. He invites you to visit his website at http://www.bclarkphotos.com/

Our second HOT display case exhibit is Laura McClain's needlework, which she began as a young girl during week long visits to her McClain grandparent's farm. Her grandmother Mary Jane had Laura embroidering pillow cases purchased at the Ben Franklyn store in Veedersburg, and working on various other sewing projects.

Laura was born and raised in Montgomery County. She is the daughter of Jay McClain and Martha Townsend Bell. She attended Waynetown Schools and graduated from North Montgomery High School. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Science in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University.

Through middle school, high school and college, Laura's interest in needlework waned because of her myriad other interests. It wasn't until after she was married that her interest returned. Her sister, Dr. Amy Becker, introduced her to cross stitch and she started working on a small project called The Four Seasons depicting a football, basketball, baseball and golf ball for her husband's office.

Laura's next project was a collection of international Santas. Her intention was to cross stitch a Santa or other Christmas themed piece for her daughter Chelsea each year. This did not happen, however, because each successive piece became more detailed and took longer to complete. Santa and his reindeer (free standing) took a year to complete and the Nativity took 3 years. Whew!

Many of Laura's cross stitch pieces are actually wearable art. She went in this direction because custom framing was hard on a stay-at-home mom's budget and more people were able to see her work as others wore it.

Currently Laura is working on a winter scene in the Thomas Kincaid style.

Brain Day at the Carnegie Museum

Brain Day at the Carnegie Museum from 1 to 4 pm on Saturday, July 9th!

Visit the museum to learn about the human brain with Wabash professors Dr. Neil Schmitzer-Torbert, Ph. D. Neuroscience and Dr. Karen Gunther, Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Cognitive Science. Admission is free.  See real brains up close and test your perceptions. See how a lie detector works, temporarily lose your sweet tooth, and much much more.

Call 765-362-4618 for details.

Happy Birthday, Pearl S. Buck!

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck lived an incredible life. Born in Hillsboro, WV on June 26, 1892 to Southern Prebysterian missionaries she did not remain long in the U.S. When she was only 3 months old her family returned to China.

Conditions were rough in the poor community at the junction of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal where her parents were stationed. She was the 4th out of 7 children, yet only 3 lived to adulthood. Her mother and her Chinese tutor, Mr. Kung were her teachers. She learned to speak both English and Chinese.

Life was not easy for the missionary family. Young Pearl saw war, poverty, death, abandonment, and sexual slavery. The family even faced personal dangers during the Boxer Rebellion and were evacuated to Shanghai.

Young Pearl was accepted as a hardship case student at Randolph Macon Women's College in 1911. She was different from the other girls because of her upbringing and out-dated clothes. She nevertheless did well and was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa.

She returned to China after college. There she met and married Lossing Buck an agricultural economist. From 1920-1933 they lived in Nanking on the campus of Nanking University where they both were teachers. In 1927 she was again forced to leave China because of violence in the "Nanking Incident."

Pearl had begun to publish stories and essays in the 1920s. Her second novel, The Good Earth became a best seller and won the Pulitzer prize. She continued to write and in1938 she won the Noble Prize for Literature. She is one of the few who has won both recognitions.

CDPL has many of her books, short stories, and several biographies. Pearl Buck, author and humanitarian died in 1973.


Sources:

Conn, Peter J., Pearl S. Buck: a Cultural Biography., N.Y: Cambridge, Press, 1998.

"Pearl S. Buck: Brief Biography of Pearl S. Buck," 18 May 2011. .

Stirling, Nora B., Pearl Buck, a woman in conflict. Piscataway, N.J.: New Century Publishers, 1983.

Summer Travel

Eager to get out of town? If you are looking for a “one-tank trip,” mountain biking experience or a cruise CDPL has resources for you.

Indiana: an atlas of Indiana's greatest off-road bicycle rides claims that it has “everything you need to know about off-road bicycling in Indiana.” Information about 31 rides in the state are complete with maps, photos, trail descriptions and directions, lodging, entertainment and more. One such ride is the Central Indiana Towpath which follows the old Indianapolis Water Company Canal and passes by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Butler University and brings the rider into Broad Ripple.

My Indiana: 101 Places to See will guide you to unique and interesting sites close to home. One site recommended is Columbus, Indiana. Columbus is noted for its interesting and unique architecture. Local industrialist and philanthropist J. Irwin Miller agreed to pay the architectural fees for schools and other public buildings if the architect would be selected from a list of the nation's very best. Over 35 buildings have been constructed with this stipulation. Additionally, historic buildings have been carefully restored. At the visitors center you can pick up information for the different architectural tours.

Lastly, for that relaxing vacation where you are treated like royalty consider a cruise. CDPL's The Unofficial Guide To Cruises states its goal is to help readers select the right cruise. The book contains information about planning a trip, different types of cruises, and unique cruise adventures.

No matter where you are interested in vacationing CDPL has resources to help you plan your trip!

Summer Readers Can Win a Bike!

America: Reading Coast to Coast

Hey, kids! 

After you complete the map of the United States (elementary) or the board with the patriotic pictures (preschool) for the summer reading program, "America: Reading Coast to Coast," you may enter the drawing to win a bike!

Bikes donated by the Crawfordsville Masonic Lodge.

Introductory Computer Classes

Crawfordsville District Public Library Introductory Computer Classes

The Crawfordsville District Public Library is offering an assortment of free, introductory computer classes for people who have little or no experience using a computer.

 The classes will be divided into two groups of students; ages 55 and up and 54 and under.

 Students will be introduced to computer basics using laptop computers with Windows 7 Microsoft operating systems. The laptops will be equipped with mice and keyboards.

 Registration for classes begins Monday, June 20, 2011

 To register for a class, visit the Reference desk on the second floor of the library, or call (765)362-2242, ext. 117 or ext. 100. No voice mails accepted. Class sizes are limited to five participants per class to allow for personalized instruction. Registration is on a first come first served basis. Wait lists will be formed if classes fill.

Classes will be held in the Classroom in the lower level of the library.

Introduction to Computers
Ages 55 and up - Wed., July 6, 13, or 20 (3:30-4:15)
Ages 54 and under - Wed. July 6, 13, or 20 (4:30-5:15)

In this class, participants will be introduced to:

• The inside of a computer
• Basic computer terminology
• Microsoft operating systems
• Using a mouse and keyboard
• Creating and saving a simple document

Introduction to the Internet
Ages 55 and up - Wed. July 27 (3:30-4:15)
Ages 54 and under - Wed. July 27 (4:30-5:15)

In this class, participants will be introduced to:
The definition/history of the Internet

• Internet browsers
• Internet search engines
• Searching on the Internent
• Navigating a website
• Bookmarking

Prerequisites: “Introduction to Computers” course or some familiarity with using a computer, basic terminology, using a mouse and keyboard.

Introduction to E-Mail
Ages 55 and up—Wed., August 3 (3:30-4:15)
Ages 54 and under—Wed., August 3 (4:30-5:15)

In this class participants will be introduced to:

• Web-based e-mail
• Creating an e-mail account
• Sending and receiving e-mails
• Attaching a document
• Managing e-mail with folders

Prerequisites: “Introduction to Computers” course or some familiarity with using a computer, basic terminology, using a mouse and keyboard.

Bob Ross Painting Technique by Dick Murray

Dick Murray will teach the Bob Ross oil painting technique at CDPL on Saturday June 25th from 9 am until 4 pm. Participants will paint "Enchanted Falls."

Participants will need to register for the program at the Circulation Desk. The cost for this program is $50. Items needed for the painting can be found on the price sheet at the Circulation Desk.

This event is sponsored by CDPL.

Bob Ross Painting

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011

5-8pm

Oil painting technique taught by Jan Brown 

Cost is $40.00 

Please bring a 16 x 20-in canvas 

 

Sign up at the Circulation desk 

Sponsored by CDPL

Reverse Mortgage and Tax Planning

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011

6 p.m. 

 

Hoosier Heartland Financial Services Reverse Mortgage and Tax Planning 

Specializing in retirement income planning and asset protection 

 

Join us for an informational workshop hosted by Hoosier Heartland Financial Services with guest speakers, Hoosier Heartland State Bank's Trent Smaltz and Curran’s Tax's Rod Curran. Trent Smaltz can help to answer your questions regarding reverse mortgages, what they are, how they will benefit you or someone close to you, and how to apply. Rod Curran will help to answer your tax questions regarding reverse mortgages as well as tax planning in retirement years, IRS audits, and many others. 

 

Come and receive this beneficial information. 

Light refreshments will be provided. 

Please RSVP by calling Lana Buck at 765-361-3343

American Red Cross Service special collection

The American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces and the Crawfordsville District Public Library proudly announce the arrival of a special Military Collection! The library invites you to check out books, CDs, and DVDs on various military-related subjects for all ages.

Brought to you by the American Red Cross and the Crawfordsville District Public Library.

The items are on display in the new non-fiction area on the 2nd floor.

View catalog records of these 87 items!

Japanese Words in English

Modern languages such as English are continually changing and adding new words and phrases.  Many of these new words originated in one language, were adopted and adapted in a second, and then return to the original language.  Anime is such a word.  Its derives from the English word "animation."  Then it was adopted by the Japanese and adapted to mean a "style of animation characterized by colorful art, futuristic settings, violence, and sex." Now anime has traveled back to English.

The list below is a sample of Japanese words that are now freely used in English.

Bento : a Japanese lunch box of a Japanese-style packed lunches often with small compartments.

Futon: type of mattress used as a bed which can often be folded into a couch.

Haiku: a three line poetry format consisting of five, seven, and five syllables.

Hibatchi:  small portable charcoal grill.

Judo: a system of unarmed combat using the principles of movement and balance and practiced as a sport or exercise.

Karaoke:  literally "empty orchestra." an entertainment form where people sing popular songs with a recorded back-up music.

Origami:  art  of Japanese paper folding into decorative shapes or objects.

Sayonara:  Good-bye.

Sensei: in English often applied to the martial arts instructor, but actually professor/doctor of someone who has achieved mastery of an art.

Zen: a branch of Buddhism emphasizing meditation and personal awareness.

Who knows what the next word to travel from Japanese to English will be? CDPL has some books and recordings to help you learn and speak Japanese and be ready:
Japanese Demystified by Eriko Sato
Conversational Japanese in 7 Days by Etsuko Tsujita
What Does the Rooster Say, Yoshio? by Edith Battles

Sources:
Byard, Linda. "Japanese Words adopted by the English Language." 25 May 2011.    

2011 Adult Summer Reading Program

Take Your Chances at the Library You could BE the Winner! You never know! You might win the GRAND PRIZE! You could win a prize or prizes!

Are you willing to take the chance?

The Grand Prize for the Adult Summer Reading Program "Take Your Chances at the Library" is a two-night stay at one of French Licks Historic Hotels (from CDPL) and a $100 gift card (From the French Licks Hotels)!

Rules of the Game:

1. Sign up at the Circulation Desk.
2. Read 10 books in 8 weeks based on what the dice tell you to read. You will roll one die for the genre and the other die for the type of material.
3. Last day to sign up is July 15.

List of Genres…

• Fantasy
• Suspense
• Comedy
• Western
• Romance
• Your Choice

Type of Materials…

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Book on CD or Tape

How to get in the Weekly Drawing...
Read your book
Fill out your Drawing Slip
Turn your slip in every week by every Wednesday before 9:00PM.
There will be a drawing every week on Thursday at 1:00PM.
We will call the winners every week and post you name at the Circulation Desk.
You may have more than one Drawing Slip in a weekly drawing.

Choosing Your Prize…
There will be 3 weekly draws.
The first person drawn will have a choice of a gift bag with a donation from local businesses, a book, or a set of hanging dice. The second person will have the second choice of the two remaining prizes. Then the third person will take the remaining prize.

Earning Points:
Every time you turn in a Drawing Slip, you will need to roll the two dice with dots.
Record your points next to your name on the board (Located by the Circulation Desk). If there is a tie, we will do a drawing. The winner of the drawing will be the winner of the points.

Players that Complete the Game…
Complete the game by July 29th. All players that complete the game will be in a drawing for our Grand Prize and Runner-Up Prize.

Questions and Concerns?
Please feel free to contact the Circulation Department at 765-362-2242 EXT 2 Or you may do so in person

Program Coordinator:
Katy Myers
Andrew Swank

Thank you for playing!

The Way of the Brush & Scroll Saw Designs

During the month of graduations and weddings the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery will play host to THE WAY OF THE BRUSH, paintings by Nell Ruth Brown & Peggy Underwood and SCROLL SAW DESIGNS by Curt L. Wilkins. Their exhibit will run from Tuesday, May 31 until Thursday, June 30, 2011.

Nell Rose Brown has been a member of our community for the past three years. She paints every first and third Tuesday morning at the Rotary Jail Museum with a mixed group of artists who enjoy sharing their knowledge in different mediums with one another. All are welcome in this group from beginners to more experienced artists. On the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, Nell Rose paints with Mike Bowman at the Library from 6:00 pm to 8 pm. This class is also an informal group who share information on art and welcome all ages and talents. The first art medium Nell Rose became acquainted with several years ago was oil which she continues to paint in today. She has no formal art training, but has taken classes from various artists, read books and done a lot of practicing. "Practice," says Nell Ruth "is the key to anything you love to do". Art remains a hobby for her, but she loves looking at a blank canvas and bringing it to life with brushes and paint. Nell Ruth is currently a member of the Covered Bridge Art Gallery in Rockville, Indiana and shows her paintings there and is a Jailhouse Artist.

This past winter was unusually snowy and seemed to last much longer than usual, causing sometimes noisy complaints from the multitudes. But Peggy Underwood was not one of them. This artist/photographer enjoyed great beauty each day of the winter just by looking out her window at the graceful maple tree fitted with a large bird feeder hanging from one of its limbs. There she found so many birds awaiting their turn at the feeder that the tree appeared to be filled with color. She saw bright red male Cardinals, the rose chest and heads of the House Finch, the bright yellow of the American Goldfinch and the soft down hues of the Dove. Occasional Blue Jays made their appearance at the call of angry, hungry squirrels. Several dead branches on the tree provided food for the downy, red-headed and pileated woodpeckers. These colors, combined with the morning sunlight spilling onto freshly fallen snow, made the winter season spectacular for Peggy Underwood who, with her camera, made it memorable. The more photos she took, the more bird varieties appeared in her camera's eye. These included Hawks, and Bald Eagles. Peggy asks us to browse through the gallery, enjoying the extraordinary color and beauty of Indiana birds and wildlife that perhaps you may have missed during the enduring cold, icy season Hoosiers call WINTER!

This exhibit has expanded from her previous exhibit of oil paintings to include her newer hobby of photography. She started photography as a serious hobby over 30 years ago. With guidance from a then local wedding photographer, she became adept at seeing beauty through the lens of the camera. She has done wedding photography, baby and senior portraits in the past, but much refers to focus on florals and animals as a hobby. Her photography background also enhances her reference material for painting.
With her exhibit at the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery, Peggy has her paintings hanging at the Rotary Jail Museum, Country Hearts and Flowers, Turkey Run Inn and in the Covered Bridge Art Gallery in Rockville. She is a Jailhouse Artist, part of Mike Bowman's Library Art group and plans to join the Paint-In artists in Montgomery County later this year.

Throughout his life Curt L. Wilkins has always enjoyed building and refurbishing furniture as a hobby. After retirement, his wife suggested he find something to occupy his time and keep him out of the house! While walking through a mall one day they came upon a man who demonstrated carving names out of wood. While the gentleman was carving his wife's name, she asked Curt if he could do that. With his male ego intact he said "well of course I can!" Soon after, to Curt's surprise a scroll saw arrived at his home where he was informed it was a Birthday, Father's Day and Christmas present all rolled into one. This was in 1998 and he has enjoyed working with it ever since. Curt found local mills where he could gather his supply of oak, cherry, walnut and pine woods. This lumber had to be planed, stacked, and dried. Wood selection is very important to a piece. After deciding what he wants to create, he has to choose the color and even which way the grain is flowing. Knot holes and even blemishes can be worked into the project. While waiting for the wood to become ready, Curt started looking for and buying patterns and practicing them on pieces of scrap lumber he had around. Family members received lots of wood pieces as gifts that year. His first pieces were sold to friends of friends and through word of mouth his reputation spread like wild fire. Soon he began receiving requests. Now his projects may be seen at art fairs and galleries throughout Indiana and Florida.
His greatest pleasure comes from doing animals, most especially wolves which are his favorites. By using the grain of the wood he can bring out the animal's features. Sometimes he even leaves bark on the edges to help a picture look more rustic.

Genealogy Club Meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County's monthly meeting is scheduled for

Tuesday June 14th

7:00pm

Larry Truitt, Paster at Sugar Plains Friends Church, will present 

"Computers and Genealogy".

The meeting will be held in the Donnelley Room at CDPL.

As always, the public is invited!  

If you'd like more information, please call (765)362-2242, Ext. 118 or 624.

French phrases in literature

Occurrence of foreign phrases are often used by authors to convey a specific meaning that perhaps is best expressed in another language. Dictionaries of word and phrase origins can be very helpful in figuring out what the author wants to convey.

Here are some often used French phrases and their meaning:

bete noir - literally means "black beast." It is used figuratively to refer to a person on think which is disliked on feared.

coup de grace - means the "finishing stroke," often the blow that ends a person's life.

faux pas - literally means "false step." It is usually used to mean social blunder.

en plein air - in the open air

espirit de corps - means spirit of the body. It is the common spirit existing in the members of a group and inspiring enthusiasm, devotion, and strong regard for the honor of the group

gauche - in French means "left, warped or clumsy;" however, in English it used to mean graceless, tactless, or socially awkward.

laissez-faire -a doctrine opposing governmental interference in economic affairs beyond the minimum necessary for the maintenance of peace and property rights

nom de plume - means name of the pen, but in English is it used to mean pseudonym or pen name.

nouveau riche -a person newly rich

roman a clef -a novel in which real persons or actual events figure under disguise

savoir faire - knowing what to do, a capacity for appropriate action; esp: a polished sureness in social behavior

Sources:

"Internationally Used French Phrases."


Morris, William. Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. New York: Harper and Row, 1988

Summer Reading Reminder

Summer Reading Program at the
Crawfordsville District Public Library!

Sign-up begins Tuesday, May 31, and runs through Tuesday, July 12



Reading:
Anything you like as long as it's your reading level!

Drop-In Story Times:
Every Thursday for all ages

Drop-In Crafts:
A new one every week: Bald eagle, Patriotic bug magnet, Patriotic wand, Uncle Sam hat, Patriotic streamer, Patriotic foil frame

Prizes:
Patriotic glider, Beach ball, Chinese yo-yo, Food coupons, Slap bracelet, and many, many more!

Special Programs:
Dr. Insecta's Bug Lab -- June 16 (6:45 pm)
See a Juggler! Be a Juggler! -- July 12 (6:45 pm)

Adult Summer Reading

Coming Soon! Take Your Chances at the Library CDPL's Adult Summer Reading Contest


Begins: June 1st
Ends:July 29th

Read 10 books in 8 weeks and you could win a prize!

The participant with the highest total points will win a prize.

Sign-up starts June 1st

Questions will be answered in your ‘Start-up Packet!’

Paint In!

You are invited to come to a very informal "paint-in" with Michael Bowman. You can come to just watch artists paint, you can bring your own materials (any genre) and paint, or you can come to just ask questions. Mike will be here to help you get started or help in any other way he can.

For: Ages 10 to 100 (younger or older if interested)
When: May 24th
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Crawfordsville District Public Library

Children’s Program Room

Have gardening questions?

Drop-in Q & A about Gardening!
May 26th from 6 to 8 

What types of flowers attract hummingbirds?
How can I control weeds in my garden?
What type of grass will grow under a fir tree?

If you have any gardening questions like these, now is your chance to get professional answers from Ed Sheldon of the County Extension Agency and four members of the Flower Lovers Garden Club.

Drop in anytime with your questions!
Sponsored by CDPL

Words from the Old West!

Words enter the English language in some wonderful and unique ways. In the early days of the western frontier trail riders were "pretty tough customers and didn't have much use for book learning. As a result they talked a salty and colorful lingo." Hoosegow, maverick, hoodlum, rustler are all words that the cowboys introduced into the English language.


Here are some others terms from the old west that you may have seen or heard:

• Ace in the Hole - a hideout or hidden gun
• A Lick and a Promise - to do a haphazard job
• Arkansas Toothpick - a long knife ( also known as a California or Missouri Toothpick)
• Buckaroo - cowboy, usually from the desert country
• Bug Juice - whiskey, booze
• Kit and Caboodle - the whole thing
• Cahoots - partnership
• Catawampous - crooked, skewed
• Clodhopper - a rustic, clown
• Dude - an Easterner, anyone dressed in upscale town clothes

Want to know how to found out such words? We have at your library a reference book as well as a book you can check out. Find it in the catalog here:

Morris, William. Morris dictionary of word and phrase origin. New York: Harper, 1988.

See also:
Legends of America. http://%20www.legendsofamerica.%20com/we-slang.thml

Genealogy Club presentation on May 10

Come hear about "Grids on the Ground -- Urban Orientation -- Part 2" by Jim Swift (professional surveyor) at our next Genealogy Club meeting:

May 10
7:00 pm
Crawfordsville District Public Library
Public invited!

Call 765-362-2242 ext 118 or 119 for more information!

CDPL adds Encyclopedia of the Bible

The library has received new reference books about the Biblical text and history: The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. This 5-volume set contains topical entries with full-color illustrations, and will be helpful to students and researchers. The books, part of the reference collection, will be available for in-library consultation only. Please see a reference librarian for further information on these materials, or to request help with researching a specific topic.

Alethea Luce and The Young Rajah

On Friday May 6th at 10:45 a.m., Turner Classic  Movies will be showing another film with Crawfordsville ties. The 1922 silent film The Young Rajah is based on the 1895 play Amos Judd by Alethea Luce.

Alethea Luce was born in Crawfordsville in 1869 to David W. and Julia Wade Hartman. Luce's grandfather, Isaac F. Wade, was the city's first editor and edited the Crawfordsville Review.  After her mother's death, Alethea was adopted by her aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Luse, and split her time between Crawfordsville and Chicago.  Luce is listed in many cast lists of productions in New York and London.  Although this is the only screenplay attributed to her name, Luce was a well-known female playwright of the stage.

Read more about The Young Rajah online at IMDb and TCM.

You can view photographs from the film at this blog.

If you want to see more Rudolph Valentino films, CDPL has The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik in our DVD collection!

Happy Birthday, Niccolo Machiavelli!

Niccolo Machiavelli: "Is it better to be feared than loved?"

Can the man who's name is synonymous deviousness, cruelty, and corrupt totalitarian government be misunderstood? Is this the case with Machiavelli?

Niccolo Machiavelli was born May 3, 1469 in Florence the son of a jurist. His life spanned the highest point in Florence's cultural achievements until its downfall. He entered Florentine government as a secretary. However, he soon was engaging in important diplomatic missions and meeting with the powerful politicians of his time. Unfortunately, this all came to an end in 1512 when the Medici family returned to power and he lost his office.

He soon turned to writing to gain favor with the ruling Medicis. His most famous work The Prince, modeled after Cesare Borgia of the Papal States, was an attempt to ingratiate himself with the Medicis. For Machiavelli politics was about the "getting and keeping of power." The ruling family disagreed with the book, but the public reaction was that of outrage. They wondered how anyone could think such cruel thoughts as presented in the book. "Does a prince never lack legitimate reasons to break his promise?"

Machiavelli did not realize his ambitious goal to return to government and died June 20, 1527.

For more information on this controversial man check the CDPL for copies of The Prince and Machiavelli on Modern Leadership by Michael Ledeen.

In the Gallery -- May 2011

ANGELS & EGGS with A SPLASH OF COLOR


As the Curator of the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery, I am often asked how I find the artists we feature. The short answer is - I find them wherever I go. Our current wall-artist is one example of how this works.

Indianapolis artist Sandy Ezell was a judge at the Indiana State Fair two summers ago and so was I. We judged children's art together with a third artist. When judging was over, we had lunch together and shared bits of our lives. She told us she was currently a practicing artist and teacher. My ears perked up! Back home, I looked up her website and wow! Did I ever want to share her work with our community. That was July 2009. Our first gallery opening was May 2011, but we made the deal…And here she is.

A SPLASH OF COLOR: Watercolor Paintings by Sandy Ezell is hanging in the Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery from April 29 to May 31st. Enjoy!

A native of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Sandy first pursued a career in music, receiving her B.A. from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. After her children were in school, Sandy was looking for something creative to do that would fit in with her children's schedule, and found she was interested in watercolor painting. Since then Sandy has taken classes at the Indianapolis Art League and taken workshops from master artists around the country. Floyd Hopper, Marilyn Hughey Phillis, Maxine Masterfield, Al Briollette, and Barbara Nechis are some of her teachers. Sandy is presently on the faculty of the Indianapolis Art Center and teaches water media at the Watercolor Society of Indiana and Lawrence Community Education Program, J. Everett Light Career Center and demonstrates for organizational workshops for as requested. Sandy's husband Jim and a friend built a two-story studio for her right in her own backyard. Soon after the building was complete, Sandy began using the first floor for a custom framing business, leaving her painting studio to sitting high in the clouds overlooking a backyard flower garden and pond filled with bright orange goldfish to spice up the scene; most definitely a tranquil setting for artistic dreaming. A few summers ago, HGTV was filming for the show Our Place and called Sandy for an interview about her experimental water media techniques. Having only a few days notice, Sandy was ready and willing to do the interview right in her colorful garden. The segment introduced viewers to new ways to use watercolor.Always expanding her vision, Sandy is currently exploring new techniques in water media with a goal of allowing the viewer to become more involved in the painting. If everything is spelled out, it's only a one-sided conversation. By creating impressions and abstract areas, someone looking at the painting can bring their own experience to it and see something unique to them. Then the artist and the viewer have a more interesting discussion.

HELEN MILLIGAN'S EGGS & ANGELS by Nanette Kentner Helen Milligan's daughter

Helen Milligan's love of eggs started over 90 years ago! As a child she looked forward to decorating Easter eggs with her brothers, William and Emery Bunnell. She enjoyed the day after Easter even more when she could crack the shells and eat the hard boiled eggs, even though eggs were never her favorite thing. It was always the egg shell that fascinated her! After cracking open the colorful shells, she used the tiny fragments to create intricate mosaic patterns on paper. That was the very beginning of her life long love affair with the incredible, non-edible "shell of an egg"!

"Growing up with Helen Milligan as a mother was always interesting" writes daughter Nanette, who assumed all kids', grew up with creative mothers like hers. One day Nanette returned home from school to be greeted by painted life size carousel horses standing side-by-side in their tiny living room. Helen had spent the entire day painting them for the Psi Iota Xi Annual Charity Ball. Oil paints, pastels and water colors were as common on their dining room table as forks, knives and spoons were to most families. The sewing machine was always set up and ready to create curtains, slipcovers and clothes. Helen designed many matching outfits for her children. When Jackie Kennedy was in the White House, Nanette's Barbie doll sported exact replicas of the latest "Camelot" fashions. Once, Helen wanted a new sofa and her husband said "No". Imagine! Not to be stopped by a small disagreement, Helen pulled the old sofa out into the yard, mixed up a huge pot of Rit Dye, and guess what? When Helen's husband returned home that afternoon, there sat a "grand new" elegantly purple sofa right in the middle of the living room! Knitting, crocheting, sculpting and of course acting are just a few of Helen's varied artistic talents, but for her, the sweetest of these is egg decorating. She decorates mostly chicken eggs, but has used duck, goose, turkey and tiny quail eggs when available. Using manicure scissors, she cuts a perfect oval in each egg, empties the contents, yolk still intact and uses tiny paint and eyeliner brushes to paint the elaborate scenes inside each egg shell. Among Nanette's favorites is one of Helen's first decorated eggs when she used a feather shed by their parakeet, Gorgeous George. Helen's love of eggs further inspired her to create sculptured angels. With a basic cone and bent wire for the arms, a whole egg shell is placed atop the cone and vintage cloth dipped in a mixture resembling wallpaper paste is draped over the foundation. Tiny bits of lace, ribbons and beads add interest, but the egg faces are always left unadorned. One of Helen's angels was recently placed in the History Room at Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church where the Milligan family has worshipped for many decades. Angels and eggs are often given to family and friends, but are never sold. At 95, Helen exhibited her latest painting "Flora" in the Downtown Art Exhibit last fall. It now hangs on the wall of her great-granddaughter's bedroom.

Author signing! -- Dr. Larry Williams

Dr. Larry Williams Will be here May 9th from 12pm to 3pm to promote his second novel: Vengeance is Mine

"Vengeance is Mine is the much- anticipated sequel to Larry Williams' first novel, Devil's Backbone. The story brings the reader back to Somerset where harassment, kidnappings, and murders become the focus of Police Chief Luke Johnson. The victims, the perpetrators, and the suspects are an integral part of this small town and force Luke to not only protect those who mean the most to him, but to question the integrity of some of Somerset's trusted citizens. The characters, action and tone of Vengeance is Mine all work together to make a first-rate tale." --Pat Berry

Sponsored by CDPL

The Language of Baseball

English like many languages has some colorful and unusual words. Many of these originated as descriptions for sports. None more so than baseball. Test yourself on your knowledge of these baseball terms.

Bean ball - a ball pitched directly at the batter's head, to force him back from the plate.

Bench jockey - a player or coach who taunts members of the opposing team from his place on the bench.

Blooper - a weak fly ball which falls beyond the infield and short of the outfield.

Cripple - ball pitched when the count on the batter is three balls and once strike, so called because the pitcher usually needs to "groove it" for a strike.

Duster - the pitcher's term for the pitch a batter calls a bean ball.

Rhubarb - an argument on the playing field, especially a noisy, vehement one involving an umpire and players from both teams.

Sitting in the catbird seat - sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes.

Source:

Morris, William. Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.

Dick Murray's Joy of Painting

Date: April 30th
Time: 9am to 3pm
Where: CDPL's Classroom
Cost: $50.00

Have fun learning the Bob Ross "Wet on Wet" technique!

Supplies needed (Only Bob Ross Supplies because they are specially made for the Bob Ross Technique)

• #5 Painting Knife
• 1 in Bob Ross Landscape Brush
• #3 Bob Ross White Bristle Fan Brush
• #2 Bob Ross Script Liner Brush (Sable)
• 16 x 20 in canvas (Med/landscape)

ALSO:
Wear something you can get paint on (and you probably will), roll of paper towels, and old rag, odorless thinner and a plastic or metal pail for cleaning brushes.

 

Feel free to bring a drink, snack, and lunch!

Sign-up at the Circulation Desk! Library sponsored!

Altered Books!

Altered Books/Art Journaling

Class offered by Linda Snyder
(Sign-up at the Circ Desk)



Date: May 7th
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Where: CDPL's Classroom

What to bring: Your own photos, recipes, and/or any memorabilia you want to incorporate into your project. Linda will provide everything else.

Cost: $20.00

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), known now as the "Bard of Avon," was an English playwright and poet whose fame is international and whose works have been translated into every major language. Shakespeare was a well-known author in his own time, but it was not until the 19th century that his fame achieved a high level from which it has not descended. Who in America does not remember some obscure High School English class where one was "forced" to read a play such as Hamlet or recite one of Shakespeare's famous sonnets? If you didn't appreciate Shakespeare then -- and most of us didn't -- why not give him another chance today?

Check out Shakespeare's works @ CDPL!

After-Hours Genealogy Research

Want to do some genealogy after hours?

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will have one of its popular "After Hours Genealogy  Research" programs on Friday, April 22 from 5 to 9pm at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.

5:00 -- Pizza supper and Research -- no charge -- donations accepted toward pizza -- Donnelley room
5:45 -- Research in the local history and reference area, 2nd floor (no time limit on computers)
9:00  -- final closing

Advanced arrival {Before 5:00 pm) is required. Library is locked at 5:00 pm. Visitors are welcome.

Please confirm your expected attendance by Wednesday, April 20. 1-765-362-2242, Ext 118 or 624 or gen@cdpl.lib.in.us.

Queen of Free's Royal Grocery and Coupon Seminar

Queen of Free's Royal Grocery and Coupon Seminar!

When: April 16th from 9 to 11am
Where: CDPL's Donnelley Room

During this two-hour session, you'll learn some of the best grocery shopping strategies from me, the Queen of Free, a gal who rarely pays full price for anything and has a penchant for scoring things for free.

• Learn the best places to find coupons! There are so many more places than just the Sunday paper.
• Gain strategies for matching coupons to sales to maximize your savings.
• Find an organizational and time management strategy that fits couponing into your busy lifestyle. It takes minimal minutes out of your week (and can be multi-tasked).
• Discuss some basic shopping strategies to help you get the best bang for your buck.
• Think through some basic home management skills that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Ask the Queen your most burning questions about home finance.

• Enjoy a fun morning, filled with humor, personal reflection, and of course some free giveaways from the Queen of Free herself.

Cost is only $12 and includes a Coupon Binder of your very own to take home at the end of the day!Become a Money Saving Lord or Lady in the Court of the Queen of Free where you can indeed "Daily Save Money and Get Something for Nothing." Looking forward to seeing you there so that together we can change our worlds one penny at a time! Sign up at http://www.queenoffree.net/ (Deadline April 10th)

Sponsored By CDPL

Happy Birthday, Charles Baudelaire!

Charles Baudelaire (April 9, 1821 - August 31, 1867) was a French poet, essayist, and art critic. He also produced the first translation of Edgar Allen Poe into French, introducing this notable American author to France. Baudelaire is best know for his poetry, however, and his most memorable work appeared in 1857, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil). Baudelaire was known for his combination of classic French poetry forms and meter with modern, everyday subjects. Many were critical of Baudelaire's controversial verse although it is generally granted that this poet helped pave the way for even more radical -- and liberating -- experimentation with French poetry.

You can find Baudelaire's most famous work, The Flowers of Evil, at CDPL.

Happy Birthday, Barbara Kingsolver!

April 5, 1955 is the birthdate for Barbara Kingsolver, This respected novelist, essayist, and activist graduated from DePauw University in 1977. CDPL has several of her fiction titles and her nonfiction book, Animal, vegetable, miracle: a year of food life.
She wrote her first novel while suffering from insomnia. Bean Trees was written from inside her closet when she was combating sleeplessness. It was enthusiastically received by critics when it was published in 1988. Her media break came when The Poisonwood Bible, a tale of Baptist missionaries in the turbulent 1959 Belgian Congo, was selected by Oprah for her book club.

Kingsolver says, "the power of fiction is that it creates empathy. If I write a novel, I'm inviting you into someone's life." Novels by Kingsolver at CDPL are Another America, The Lacuna, Prodigal Summer, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams and Bean Trees. The opportunity exists for you to come into someone's life at CDPL.

View Kingsolver works in the online catalog

Sources:
http://www.notablebiographies.com/

http://www.kingsolver.com/biography

Genealogy Club Meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will meet on Tuesday April 12th at 7 pm in the Donnelley room of the library. Members of the Genealogy Club of Fountain County will present “Genealogy Club Membership Growth”. The public is invited!

Interested in joining the Genealogy Club? Call: (765) 362-2242, Ext 117 for more information or e-mail us at gen@cdpl.lib.in.us

Author visit: Marlene Lewis

Author Marlene Lewis will be @ CDPL April 9, 12pm to 3pm
Her titles include Adult Fiction: Imaginary Minds
Children’s Books (Best Buddies Series): Jolly Gets a Skateboard, Jolly and His Friends
Meet the author and/or buy an autographed copy of one or all of her books!

Photography Classes

Photography Classes! First Class is FREE!

Thursday March 31st 6:30 to 8pm

Thereafter $60.00 for 6 additional classes that will be held every Thursday beginning April 7th.

You can find a pamphlet with all information at the Circulation Desk.

Highly recommended to get the most out of your digital camera!

Easter Egg Hunt on April 16th

CDPL's Youth Services Department will hold an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 16th at 10 a.m.. This event is geared towards children aged 3 to 8.  

Registration is required so call 362-2242 ext 115 after April 1st to sign up. 

Don't forget to bring your Easter basket!

Free Banjo Lessons!

Free Banjo Lessons March 31 and April 14!

Teens: 5-5:30pm
Adults: 5:45-6:15pm

Bring your 4-string tenor banjo if you have one!
(The instructor will have a few banjos to use if you do not have one.)

Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011

Celebrate the life of Elizabeth Taylor by checking out these biographies at CDPL!

How To Be A Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood by William J. Mann
921 Taylor, E.

Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner
920 Kas

A Passion for Life: The Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by Donald Spoto
921 Taylor, E.

Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor by C. David Heymann
921 Taylor, E.

CDPL also has some of Taylor's best loved movies available on DVD!

National Velvet DVD FIC NAT

Life with Father DVD FIC MY

Father's Little Dividend DVD FIC ELI

The Last Time I Saw Paris DVD FIC LAS

A Place in the Sun DVD FIC PLA

Giant DVD FIC GIA

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof DVD FIC CAT

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? DVD FIC WHO

Stephen Crane in The Crime Doctor's Courage

Turner Classic Movies will present The Crime Doctor's Courage on Tuesday March 29th at 1pm.   This 1945 mystery film features Crawfordsville native Stephen Crane in the role of Gordon Carson.

 The Crime Doctor's Courage was a part of the Crime Doctor series of mysteries that were released throughout the 1940s.  The films were based on the CBS radio program of the same name.

For more information about the film, visit TCM's movie database.

New Books!

Don't forget that the library displays its new adult non-fiction books in a separate area on the 2nd floor! You'll enjoy browsing among the recent additions that the library has to offer. Did you know that most new items also circulate for the same period as the non-new items?

If you want to see all the "new" items when you do a catalog search, simply choose "New adult non-fiction" from the Limit by drop-down box and then hit Go!

You'll then see just the new items -- and at the time of this post, there were more than 500 choices.

You can use the same drop-down to find all new fiction, too (which is shelved on the 1st floor).

In fact, you can use this drop-down to limit your choice to many different types of books and materials. If you need help, just ask a librarian!

Oil Painting Class

Jan Brown's oil painting class wil be held on March 15th at 5pm in the library. This instructor uses the Bob Ross Wet on Wet technique. All you need is a 16 x 20 inch canvas and $40 for registration. Call 362-2242 ext 109, the CDPL Circulation Desk, for details.

Pi Day at the Carnegie!

Celebrate Pi Day!

The Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County will host the 3rd annual Pi Day on Saturday March 12, 2011 from 2 pm until 4 pm.  Wabash College Society of Physics Students will help visitors explore with light, waves, lasers, and pressure.  This event is free and aimed at the whole family. 

Call 765-362-4618 or email carnegie@cdpl.lib.in.us for more information!