First off, I have created a second livejournal page to more or less replace the Hartland Public Library website. you'll find it at http://hartlandpublic.livejournal.com/ The old website remains, but updating a website when you have limited time is cumbersome. The intent of moving content to a blog format is to make it more timely and relevant. Monday morning, I broke my new rule about not working on MY time by spending over an hour writing a post on where do readers go after the Hunger Games. I did so in part because of an elegant response from daughter Sara Beth on her feelings about the series. That, coupled with her sister Lisa's lament about where to go next, started me searching for links to websites where others had already answered this question. I found an abundance of such material and pulled a bunch together, noting which books we already owned. In the process, I discovered half a dozen we did not and used some of our Amazon funds to buy them. The response from other members of the Maine Library community as extremely positive. Yesterday, I added a posting listing the books I cataloged by genre with a brief synopsis as well as a bit of reasoning behind some of the selections. It added a little more time to the overall cataloging process, but should give our patrons as well as those at other Maine libraries an opportunity to see new stuff quickly and with, as the saying goes, some 'value-added' content.

I'm entering territory that is definitely outside my personal comfort level. I'm not a formal, meeting, shake hands, knock on doors sales-type person. I function best behind the scenes with no formal role. The last time I was actively involved in a political campaign was 40 years ago when Brownie Carson ran for congress and lost. All my public activity since has been limited to town budget committees and planning boards. Last week, I stepped outside my comfort zone when Daniel Swain, democratic candidate for the Maine house of representatives asked me to be his public relations person. It took about 15 seconds to agree. Last night we had our first strategy session here at the house and it was incredibly productive. It will allow me to use my knowledge of who in three of the five towns in our district would be good people for Daniel to meet personally, what organizations will be worth speaking to and what some of the important issues locally are.

I'm pumped! We're going to see Gordon Lightfoot tomorrow evening in Orono at the Collins Center for the Performing Arts. This will make the 4th or 5th time I've seen him live. The last time must have been close to 15 years ago in Portland and the most memorable part of that concert was the way a thunder shower synched with his rendition of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

We have another day of fairly heavy and constant rain. While it certainly affects humans, I realize while looking out my back window how many other living things can't be happy about it. Half the apple blossoms are out with the remainder almost jigging in anticipation. The bees who want to pollinate them can't get much done either and the 20 or so birds hanging around our feeders look beyond miserable, oil on feathers or not.