Celebrating February

February is full of interesting historical tidbits and holidays, some that I didn't have a true appreciation for until I read up on some of them. I thought it would be a fun activity to dive into some of the celebrations that occur in this chilly month and get to know them a little better. Let's begin!

Some of us anticipate the coming of Valentine's Day, a welcome reprieve from the winter weather filled with gratuitous amounts of candy and flattering cards. Not all too surprisingly, it may have originated in unison with Roman fertility festivities during this time, though the holiday's true origins are vague at best. Formal valentines and the way we celebrate the holiday today began in the 1500s with commercially printed valentines becoming a mainstay in the 1700s. 

Those of us who choose to celebrate this holiday enjoy planning the best way to appreciate the loved ones in our lives, though in modern times it has extended beyond just a single significant other. I've sent cards and/or candy to close friends and family on Valentine's Day simply because they are important people in my life. Personally, to me, celebrating any holiday is better than none during this time of year. It gives a much-needed break to the otherwise monotonous cloudy skies and snowy landscapes that grow long and dreary.

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Then there is the humorous tradition of Groundhog Day, where a Pennsylvanian groundhog pops out to see if there will be another 6 more weeks of winter (for those of us who didn't keep up with this, he predicted a longer winter - BOOO!). This European-originated tradition actually happens during the midpoint between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and continued its relevancy as a encouragement and reminder that spring is coming. It started out with those in the Middle Ages believing bears and badgers interrupted their hibernation to check if spring was on its way around this time of year. German immigrants to America brought this tradition with them, but since they couldn't wrangle a bear or badger onto their ships they adopted a groundhog as substitute as they were plentiful in the "new world".

Funnily enough, despite his extravagant name of "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sages of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather-Prophet Extraordinary", he only predicts the season's change accurately 40% of the time. That is only slightly better than our own human meteorologists (haha, just kidding...). Thanks to our modern day technology, you can enjoy watching this event at 6:00am sharp on February 2nd every year, again and again and again... 

For our Christian friends, there may be something a little more solemn and reverent to celebrate on February 2. Candlemas is a time that shares a major similarity with Groundhog Day. There is no marmot involved, but rather it is a time to reflect on the coming of spring. It is a celebration to remind people of the natural cycles in life which involve that of spring overtaking winter, as well as the more hopeful themes of life overcoming death and light prevailing over darkness.

Another interesting fact about February is that the last full moon was often called the Snow Moon due to the snowy conditions in the last month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. However, North American tribes referred to it as the Hunger Moon due the scarcity of food during this time of the year.

President's Day also happens this month which traditionally honors George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, though all-in-all it is for recognition of every U.S. President. It was first celebrated in the 1800s, but was heavily debated starting in 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill in order to give people longer weekends throughout the year. Despite oppositions that the holiday be split and celebrated on the actual birthdays of both presidents, it has been widely accepted as President's Day by retailers in order to promote sales. It is also the day that public ceremonies in Washington and throughout the country are held.

Lastly, let's talk about the Winter Olympics! The Nordic Games began in 1901 in Scandinavian countries and was not officially recognized as the Winter Olympics until 1924. Oppositions by Scandinavian countries to create the Winter Olympics rose from their own Nordic Games as they did not want to give up this tradition. After adding figure skating and ice hockey to the modern Olympics and many of their own people going on to secure medal after medal, the opposition died down. After 1994, the Winter and Summer Games became held every 4 years and alternates in even-numbered years.

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Despite being the shortest month of the year, February is full of celebrations that offer rich history, even more than I anticipated upon first glance. We can continue to recognize important people, events, and contributions when we become aware of the significance of each one. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to keep information at the forefront of understanding in order to keep our traditions alive. It is helpful to have a calendar with official celebrations, but when faced without one we are still capable of honoring our humanity. As winter gives way to spring, the human spirit presses on.

Book Suggestions For Littles and Middles

If you are tired of trying to figure out what to read to your kids or want a concise list of books that is appropriate for their age, stop by the library and inquire with us. We have book suggestions that we can share with you, especially if you decide to join our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, as well as different formats to help you along. We provide reading kits for your littles to practice their budding reading skills or tablets preloaded with games that will foster a love for learning and reading. Certain littles can sign up for story time and join our librarian/library clerk as you sing and read along. There is also a virtual option so if groups are not your thing, you can do everything from reading along with the read aloud to doing the activity, all from the comfort of your own home.

If you are looking for a quick way to search for books, you can visit our online catalog here. You can log into the system using your first initial and last name (with no space) and your library card number (without the "P"). Then you will be able to search for specific titles using the search box in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Another great way to find books is to search for book finding sites or book lists online. Some of the few that come to mind are: 

• GoodReads
• Brightly
• Common Sense Media
• Book Trust/Bookfinder
• PBS KIDS
• Focus on the Family
• ALA/ALSC

You can find more with a quick search on Google. However, I would like to list some notable children's books from 2024 to get you started on some great reads for your little(s) to middle(s).

LITTLES

The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith

Motivated by a sense of duty, a young boy utilizes his artistic talent to address the issues in his community and create change.

Beneath by Cori Doerrfeld

While grieving a loss, a child and their grandfather go for a walk in nature and observe examples of things under the surface that cannot be seen.

Big by Vashti Harrsion

A young girl confronts the shifting meaning of being called “big” as she grows up, ultimately owning the adjectives that feel right and rejecting the hurtful ones.

Evergreen by Matthew Cordell

Evergreen the squirrel faces her fears as she journeys through Buckthorn Forest to deliver soup to sick Granny Oak.

Have You Seen My Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon

A young child with an invisible dinosaur laments about the struggle of finding something lost.

Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey

When Henry is thrown off balance by a change to his routine, he learns strategies to cope and participate.

Nell Plants A Tree by Anne Wynter

The past and the present of a family are connected by the planting and growing of a tree.

The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung

A biracial boy learns to connect to his two cultures and embrace his grandmothers through dragon stories. 

What a Map Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan

A raccoon narrator introduces maps of all kinds, from houses, cities, stars and even the human body, and teaches how to read and create them.

MIDDLES

Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith

The epic poem Beowulf gets a kid friendly graphic novel retelling where children are the heroes fighting against the forces of adulthood.

Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories From BIPOC Authors edited by Aida Salazar and Yamile Saied Mendez

Periods are destigmatized in this short story compilation that shows a multitude of ways this rite of passage can be experienced and celebrated.

Elf Dog & Owl Head by M.T. Anderson

This humorous and wondrous adventure of a boy and his magical dog is a timeless coming-of-age story marked by masterful world-building.

Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt

In this novel-in-verse, Selah struggles to follow her self-made rules of being “normal” and learns it is okay to be different and advocate for her needs.

Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O'Shaughnessy

When her nan dies, Mo goes into foster care and discovers the power of food and found family through cooking and sharing recipes.

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln

In this British country house mystery, Shenanigan Swift must solve a murder at a family reunion.

Credit: All descriptions have been pulled from https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb.

What are your fond memories of Portland District Library?

I recently came across a historical document that outlined a personal account from a patron that routinely utilized the library. He and his family were lifelong frequenters of the library, and his personal account of their 3 generations spending time within the walls of our library was touching. It reminded me that there is so much history surrounding this building aside from its historical significance as a Carnegie library. I spent what precious time I was afforded within these same walls, escaping to other worlds and finding solace in the quiet peace I could find here. Those memories were always held dearly until I began working for the library in my adult years, and now I get to make new memories here.

What sort of memories do you have of our library? Are there members of your family that can regale you with tales that included trips to the library? We would love to hear all about it. You can share here or online via out Facebook page!

New Year, New You?

I have to admit that I fit in with the mass of the population whose new year's resolutions consists of getting healthier and looking different. I don't know about you but I know that my goals are more about living longer with a better quality of life and feeling better about myself. Being an advocate for positive change, I find the process of making resolutions invigorating. In the past, I have asked myself more dire, serious questions, but this year I am thankful to be asking smaller and more achievable ones.

I almost always set a goal to exercise more in general and I will say that doing so at least 30 minutes a day has (and will most likely always) help me. I find that many people share a similar goal, whether it be to actually make use of that gym membership or to finally be able to say you have participated in a marathon, I believe this is such a worthy goal. It's not only about feeling good about the way you look, but feeling good about the way you are. For myself, the aftereffects of incorporating more exercise in my routine enables my body to simply be. If you know, then you know.

The other task is more monumental: what can I do to change the way I look, and how can I do it in a way that improves rather than detracts? Now, I am not just talking about pure aesthetics, though in a highly visual, interconnected world there is some of that in play. But, rather, in a bigger and more substantial way, how can I make changes to differentiate myself so that I feel more like me? There are so many ways to become more authentic, but to change a few things on the outside does help get more trivial things out of the way to make room for the heftier, weightier work: the inside stuff.

I have long reflected and done work on the inside, now I am realizing that it came at a cost to my outside. I get to choose how I represent myself in the world, not just with my actions, thoughts, and expressions but how I decide to show up - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, all the -y's. We have been given such a gift to be able to choose in this life, and it is so much stronger than it first appears. If anything, I am wishing you a year of choosing.

Lastly, let me leave you with a challenge, ask yourself: What will I choose this year?

If your New Year resolution, like mine, isn't about exercise or losing weight, but limiting the number of seeds and plants you can purchase for the summer, then, you know that the official gardening season has begun once those colorful seed catalogs start coming in the mail. 

I spend weeks in January poring over every page of the seed catalogs, looking for exotic scents, edible flowers (I do love duel purpose greenery), as well as plants that might increase my growing season. 

I understand that some people are NOT planners. They have beautiful, wonderful, thriving gardens and flower beds that require no planning at all.

I am NOT one of those people. I have to have a plan!

My first step is to get out my trusty garden binder where I have a map of my garden  (on graph paper)  and what I planted the year before. Once I have my binder, I review last years notes and yields in order to appraise what worked and what didn't. (I definitely didn't mulch or water enough last year).

Step two; I ask myself questions.

Am I happy with my garden/flower bed layout? Do I even need to order new seeds?  Do I need to fix or replace any equipment? Is there a new technique I want to learn? (I want to grow microgreens indoors this year). Do I want to enlist my 8 year old and design a butterfly-friendly garden? What is my budget? We axed any new projects this year and intend to focus on increasing efficiency and productivity, so we will definitely be doing more succession planting and mulching this year.

Step three; order seeds. Last year my sister had great success with an early yield tomato plant, so I will definitely try that this year, along with ordering my 'old' reliable heirloom seeds, and maybe a couple of fancy flowers to keep the bees stopping by my garden. 

There is a delicate balance between wants and needs, dreams and reality, and effort vs reward. Gardening is not for the faint of heart, but it is well worth it for the taste of that fresh produce that you planted and nourished with your own exertion. Even if you only start with a single container of Sweet Million tomatoes on your back patio or porch,  

January in Michigan is the perfect time to take small steps to plan ahead and prepare your garden for the upcoming season. For me it is also a great way to shake away those post-Christmas blues.   

   

Other optional January to do's:

[] Inventory seed starting supplies if you want to start seeds in March/April

[] Clean and repair tools.

[] Inventory pantry and calculate what you need for the upcoming harvest.

[] Prune trees.