Posted in Explore and Discover on May 3, 2023 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole Most people are familiar with the tale of the bright-eyed, bubbly Ariel from Disney’s animated version of The Little Mermaid. However, in most tales, mermaids are not quite so friendly, or aesthetically pleasing. The oldest recorded mermaid story is the Syrian goddess Atargatis, the woman who dove into a lake and was […]
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Tags: adults, books, creatures, fantasy, kids, mermaids, monsters, movies, myth, mythology, reading, sea, teens, tweens
Posted in Explore and Discover on February 22, 2023 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole Random Acts of Kindness Random Acts of Kindness Day was February 17, 2023, and while it was perhaps overshadowed by Valentine’s Day, it still serves as a great reminder that we can all be kinder to each other every day of the year! Research has shown that being on the receiving end […]
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Tags: adults, books, DVDs, kids, kindness, parents, proquest, teachers, teens, tweens
Posted in Explore and Discover, News on January 26, 2023 at 4:00 am
By Abra Cole I come from a long line of puzzlers (people who enjoy puzzles). Growing up, we played with simple shapes with wooden knob handles that we clumsily assembled. As we grew older, the complex puzzles with 1000+ pieces became the standard. Most holidays and family gatherings still include at least one epic puzzle […]
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Tags: adults, books, community, jigsaw puzzles, kids, library challenge, parents, puzzles, teens, tweens
Posted in Explore and Discover on December 21, 2022 at 6:00 am
For some of us, this is the season of overwhelm. Expectations we have for ourselves or that others have for us can be downright unbearable during the holidays. This year, I propose trying a different approach to the holiday season. Namely, let’s take a step back, give ourselves a little space, and try to find more meaning in doing less. If you ha […]
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Tags: adults, booklists, books, parents, reading, teens, tweens
Posted in Explore and Discover on November 8, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole What Is a Zine? Zine (pronounced “zeen”) is short for magazine or fanzine. A zine is a publication that is not professionally published and not officially related to any brand, series, or company. Fanzines started in the 1930s as science fiction enthusiasts wrote and published their ideas about the topic to share […]
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Tags: art, artistic, crafting, creativebug, fanzine, hobbies, online classes, personal narrative, self-publish, writing, zine
Posted in Explore and Discover on August 31, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole If you’re a gardener, this time of year usually means two things: it’s seed saving time and we’re due to get our fall crops planted. This summer has been a little strange for many Inland Northwest gardeners. The heat came later than usual, and it was preceded by unusually large amounts of […]
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Tags: books, gardening, how to, seed libraries, seed saving
Posted in Explore and Discover on July 6, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole Ah, summer! The sun is shining (we hope), the grass is green, and pollen is everywhere. For some of us, this is the season when we head outdoors as much as possible, to dig in the soil, go on walks, explore nature, and get dirty every day. For others, none of this […]
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Tags: adults, armchair travel, board games, booklists, books, CDs, coffee table books, community, dice games, DVDs, games, kids, Libby app, nature sounds, overdrive, parents, reading, teens, travelogues, tweens, virtual tour, World Book
Posted in Explore and Discover on April 6, 2022 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? And since springtime represents fresh starts, new beginnings, and growth, it is a great time to consider adding volunteering to your routine. You can freshen up your schedule, make new connections, and grow as a human. How cool is that? In the Spokane […]
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Tags: adults, booklists, community, food, parents, teens, volunteer, volunteering
Posted in Explore and Discover on January 27, 2022 at 7:00 am
Wintertime can be beautiful, calming, and quiet. But it can also bring on the doldrums. Here are some ideas that you could try to help lift your mood. […]
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Tags: adults, books, CDs, cookbooks, music, outdoors, relaxing, self-care, sunshine, winter
Posted in Explore and Discover on October 13, 2021 at 6:00 am
Delicious, wonderful, comforting food. This time of year is perfect for enjoying all the warm tasty foods that we couldn’t make (out of season ingredients) or didn’t want to make (too hot for baking!) during the previously sweltering months. […]
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Tags: apples, bread, cheese, cookbook, cookbooks, delicious, pies, pumpkin, recipes, soup, stew, waffles
