Kids and dogs and the library

My hand-picked Saturday event at the Liverpool Public Library this weekend was titled Paws to Read. Handlers from the organization Paws of CNY bring their wonderfully trained dogs into the Children’s Room once a month. Children of all ages can sit on the floor and read to them. Three dogs are at their stations. It…

Taking a holiday from the movies

I took the three-day Memorial Day Weekend with my dear wife Karen seriously. I didn’t go to any of the Regal Cinemas around Syracuse to write our regular Monday movie review. Not Destiny USA. Not Shoppingtown. Not Great Northern. Not even the artsy Manlius Cinema. True confession: I didn’t feel like a movie by myself…

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day to all here in the United States. Let’s honor those who’ve served our country, and the world. I took the photo above at the Veterans Watchfire at the New York State Fairgrounds a year ago. They collected old flags, and then retired them with a proper burning. It was quite the stirring…

Wasn’t it 1986, like, yesterday?

My New York Mets are doing something cool this weekend. They’re honoring the last squad to bring a World Series title to the fans who started that little cheer of “Let’s Go Mets” when they were born as lovable losers in 1962 and the generations since who haven’t stopped reciting that phrase, if not on…

The Secret Service

It’s a holiday weekend here in the States, so I’m glad to rest a bit — short introduction, you see — and simply present our smart weekly Sunday guest column from my Canadian friend, Paul Curran. Welcome to the weekly coffee and tea garden. My name is Paul, I’ll be your barista today, and I’m…

Roof, roof, roof for the Mets

Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle is a Mets fan, just like me and my dear wife Karen. She loves to watch the games with us. I swear. Does your pet show any interest in sports? Does your pet watch TV with you? Does your pet prefer to play fetch in the backyard?

A crafty assignment

My first out-of-the-office assignment for the Liverpool Public Library came last Saturday, down the block at Village’s Washington Park, where Outreach Clerk Dave Witkowski set up a display to help curious fair-goers at Liverpool’s Craft Extravaganza by answering any questions they might have about LPL services. Oh, and he had a great bargain cart from…

Peony couplets

When I came home to the Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighbor of Eastwood after a good day at the Liverpool Public Library Tuesday, two of our powerful peony flowers had deemed it time to pop into existence. It was a powerful sight to welcome me around 4:30 p.m. When I pulled the Chevy…

Now this is the spot to enjoy lunch

It takes me maybe three minutes to walk to this spot from the Liverpool Public Library. There’s a choice. I can spread my sandwich lunch out on a picnic table here at Onondaga Lake Park or lean back on the park bench. It takes maybe four minutes, belly fuller from the Bologna sandwich I’d made…