Wanderings…

Libraries are restful.  Libraries are lively.  Libraries are personal.  Libraries are social. Libraries are safe-havens.  Libraries are a force for fun and farce.

This year’s running joke…… We put a bottle of unscented hand sanitizer on the circ desk.  Before we knew it – an unknown student adorned it with a note – “BORING scented.”  As soon as Kathy (my assistant) saw the note, she made a sticker for the bottle that said “Scratch and Sniff”.   Then we sat back and watched.   Amazing the number of students who came up and did exactly that.  Various reactions:

• puzzled looks
• shrugs
• “But …. it doesn’t smell’! (Well, says I, it’s UNSCENTED!)
• Sheepish looks when they realize they’ve fallen for a joke – followed by loud laughter
• “I can’t BELIEVE I actually fell for that.”
• “You guys are crazy.”

The other day I came in and discovered that the joke goes on.  Someone had attached a nicely lettered sign saying :

“Smell it – You know you want to!”

On a different playful note …..

Today’s morning announcement:

Drop off your questions for the advice column in the question box in the library – right next to Mr Potato Head.

I am not entirely sure if they are referring to Darth Tater who sits ON the desk…..

Or me who sits BEHIND the desk!

MAY THE FARCE BE WITH YOU!

And here is another educator having fun at Darth Tater’s expense.  Darth Tater Puns.

Those crazy folks in Minnesota.   Who knew?

You may have seen a clip of this wedding on national news.  Here is the whole thing.  I can’t stop watching it.  SO much fun!!!

Thanks so much Jill & Kevin.  May your life be filled with the joy you shared with the world on your special day!

It’s official. As my friend Kathy commented, whatever you wore in high school is now a Halloween costume. For Halloween, most of our staff came dressed like we dressed in high school. It was rudely suggested that I should come dressed in a toga. The nerve!

I showed them. As you can see, I have the most “classic” outfit in the bunch. What you can’t see is that the ancient volume of Shakespeare I am clutching has a sign on it:

Martha Washington was my BFF in Ye Olde Colonial High School back in 1749.

Our students had the era a little confused – but I am told there were kids asking “Was Mrs Henry REALLY in high school during the Civil War?”

Here’s the gang. A fun time was had by all!

I enjoyed reading Doug Johnson’s recent blog post – Your Source For Humor

I’ve been thinking about my own source for humor for a couple of days. I am not sure entirely – but I just find life hilariously funny. I think I got my sense of the absurd from the grandmother who raised me. She was an imposing Irish woman who faced many hardships in her life – not the least of which was the death of her daughter and son-in-law (my parents) and the subsequent inheritance of a 2-year old granddaughter to raise. Just when most folks are contemplating retirement, my grandparents were starting all over again with potty-training, first days of school, girl scouts, teenage trauma and on and on. Bless them!

My grandmother’s letters were always a source of hilarity to my college roommates. How I wish I had saved them! She always signed the letters T.O.B. – The Old Bag. I remember one letter vividly. As if raising me was not enough – she also took in another granddaughter whose parents split up. Merrie was about 10 when I went to college. In her letter, Grandma wrote: “You won’t believe the latest. Merrie wants a bra. You may as well put a bra on a WORM!!” That image has always stayed with me.

My grandfather had his funny moments as well. While home from college one weekend, I lost an earring. My grandmother thought perhaps it had fallen inside my bra. Having rather the figure of a worm myself at the time, I joked that it had probably fallen straight through onto the ground. Both grandparents laughed. Then we went back to school where we joined up with my boyfriend (future husband). While out to dinner, they asked Bob if he liked his dorm room. To which Bob replied – “It’s great. My closet is so big – I have nothing in my drawers.” Silly us – neither of us noticed the humor potential of that particular statement. But the next thing you knew – my grandfather whispered something in my grandmother’s ear, rendering them both helpless with laughter. Being young, and evidently humor challenged at the moment, Bob and I had no idea why they were laughing and my grandmother would not tell me till later. Evidently, when Bob had commented on the contents (or lack thereof) of his drawers, Grandpa had whispered: “SHE’s got nothing in her bra. HE’s got nothing in his drawers. WHAT do they do for entertainment?”

One of their greatest gifts to me was a sense of humor. All my file cabinets – real and virtual – have folders titled “Humor & Inspiration”. Humor is truly the gift of a life worth living. I am grateful to those 2 special people for so many things – and I miss their laughter and love every day.