Your monthly news & updates |
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A Time Capsule to Mark 130 Years |
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As you know, we will bury a time capsule somewhere on the library grounds this month as part of our 130th Celebration, and asked for your ideas for things to include that would reflect the life of the library in the year 2020. Thank you to everyone who submitted suggestions! As expected, you had creative ideas, including a copy of the Tryon Daily Bulletin, a piece of lace, copies of the library newsletter, and a small Morris the Horse.
We are sure that those who open the capsule in the year 2065, our 175th anniversary, will appreciate this glimpse into a year like no other! We will provide a list of what was finally included in the capsule in the next newsletter.
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Where will the time capsule be buried, you ask? That is a secret to be revealed later this month. Stay tuned.... |
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Save the Date for the (virtual) Holiday Tea!
Thursday, December 10, 3 pm
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Despite the restrictions that have limited our ability to gather, hospitality chair Jane Armstrong has proposed something as close to a real get-together as possible these days, complete with fancy teacups and pots, teacakes and tiny sandwiches--a virtual Holiday Tea. Jane will play “Mother” (a British term for the designated pourer of the tea) but she is looking for some friends to help make the party more festive. So...in order to discover the true tea aficionados we have devised a quiz and the top three winners will become Jane's celebrity hostesses (or hosts) on Thursday, December 10 at 3 pm.
You can pick up a copy of the quiz at the circulation desk or download it from the link below. Complete the quiz and submit it at the library’s circulation desk. It will be dated and forwarded to Jane to determine the top three winners, who will become part of the Holiday Tea Party, to be streamed on Facebook, Thursday, December 10 at 3 pm. In the case of more than three winners, finalists will be chosen based on date of submission.
Whether you are a hostess or a guest at the party Jane promises you will enjoy learning the customs, etiquette and history of teatime, and there will be recipes! So mark your calendars for 3 pm on December 10 and stay tuned for further details.
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A date for next year's Mystery Festival will be announced as soon as possible, but in the meantime reserve every Friday on your October 2021 calendar for the most fun you can have in a library!
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Mystery of the Missing Mystery Festival |
It is no mystery really that among the saddest consequences of this COVID pandemic is the inability to gather, to share hospitality and the fun of hunting a killer among the clues hidden in the library's bookshelves. While we can offer the Virtual Holiday Tea as a consolation, it is a bit more difficult to replicate our famous Lanier Mystery Festival virtually. Remember that Trifle? The bourbon-marinated flank steak and au gratin potatoes? The Bloody Mary bar? And the excitement of trying to beat the clock to solve the clues and discover the villain? Yum and sigh.
Fear not, Gloria Underwood and Clare O'Sheel promise that they are storing up ideas (but not tampering with the menu) for next October and another fabulous Cocktails and Clues evening.
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Tryon is a small town with a bit of everything, and that makes us pretty special. We have the arts, an historic library, restaurants and shopping in abundance. But during a pandemic many of us have had to find new ways of performing normal activities: taking advantage of the Metropolitan Opera’s free online streaming instead of attending concerts; zooming family celebrations without the hugging; and shopping online for a myriad of products from birdseed to embroidery threads, to exotic baking ingredients and craft supplies, things that warranted, in safer times, a trip to Hendersonville, Spartanburg or beyond.
If you have used Amazon Prime for any of these types of purchases, we want you to know that if you click on AmazonSmile before ordering, 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to the charity of your choice. We hope that might be Lanier Library.
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It may seem like pennies, but as we all know, pennies add up, and every little bit helps. So far 25 members have designated the library as their charity of choice and the pennies are mounting! Our goal is to double that number to 50, so the next time you need to order something not readily available in town, Smile and we will too.
Here is the direct link to the library on AmazonSmile:
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Membership Renewal a Click Away |
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Great Books Literary Challenge |
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Lee Cudlip is one of our most widely read library members, and in a variety of genres, so it was no surprise that her completed Great Books Challenge form was the first to arrive. And also no surprise that the number of boxes checked added up to considerably more than ten. Lee managed a large bookstore before retirement, published a book newsletter, has led international literary tours, chairs the library's Media Selection Committee and leads the Book Lovers group. But her passion for reading began long before all of that.
WHY I READ: "It's the whole world between two covers! In fiction, the author tells you how other people think and feel about things, and in non-fiction you can learn about anything in the world. So many books have changed the way I think about things, most recently two nonfiction books:The Emperor of All Maladies: a Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot."
WHAT I READ: Lee says she loved the classics when she read them, but now enjoys modern writing--1950 to present day. Olive Kitteridge is one of her favorite characters, but when asked what character she would most enjoy having dinner with she surprised us with "the father in All the Light You Cannot See: "He was so kind, open and loving," she explains. She loves anything by Mark Twain and has reread Huckleberry Finn at least once. She confesses to reading Olive Kitteridge three times.
ARE YOU WHAT YOU READ OR DO YOU READ WHAT YOU ARE? Lee pondered her answer for a full 30 seconds before deciding that she has always read widely--fiction, mystery and non-fiction--so whether reading widely nurtured an already eclectic mind or created an eclectic mind was difficult to say. In the end, "I am curious and like to learn about a lot of things," she says.
THE SECRET TO BEING FIRST:
"I checked with Jenny (Purtill)," Lee tells us, "and she said it didn't matter when you read the books, just that you read them. Some of these I read in in high school and college, and some when I was a child, but I enjoyed them and in some cases have re-read them over the years."
It does not matter when you read the books, or how many you read as long as you can check off ten. Then you are in the drawing with the same chance as Lee to win a $50 gift certificate to Tryon Fine Books!
WHAT WE SHOULD ALL READ: Lee recommends that we read every one of the books listed in the Children's Classics category. And Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies.
Pick up the Challenge form at the front desk or click here to print a copy: Lanier Library 2020 Great Books Challenge. Submit your list of completed books at the circulation desk to enter your name in the drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Tryon Fine Books. .
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During the yearlong commemoration of its 130th anniversary, Lanier Library celebrates members in this monthly column. The profiles here will introduce you to community members who carry the Lanier card, continuing a cultural tradition begun in 1890. |
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Celebrating Lanier Members
Sandy and Bob Sammons
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One of the first things Bob and Sandy Sammons did when they moved to Tryon from Florida for the first time was join Lanier Library. That was about ten years ago.
“We walked in and immediately loved the ambience of this special historic building, “ recalls Sandy, retired elementary school librarian and author of the Young Reader Series of famous Floridian biographies. Bob, retired IC product engineer from Bell Laboratories, adds, “We both have many fond memories of Lanier and agree that one of the best was meeting Sandra McCall at the circulation desk. We felt at home right away.”
After four years as members, family matters took them back to Florida. For almost six years, the beauty of the Foothills and the charm of the Lanier Library were only distant calls of nostalgia.
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“When we moved back, the Library was closed for COVID,” says Sandy. “As soon as the doors reopened, we renewed our membership. I need libraries in my life and was so happy that the card catalog was still here.”
“Sandra welcomed us back with a warm greeting,” continues Bob. “Since we’d left, I’ve gotten more into biographies and now I also have a new appreciation for the periodicals room. Such a relaxing place.” Sandy praises the children’s book room that had been added while gone. “So bright and cheerful...I’m always interested in the Caldecott and Newberry Award winners.” She also now loves books on self-help, food, and painting. While she paints, Bob sculpts wood.
They may have different preferences in current reading and artistic expression, but of all that they share after 60 years of marriage, one is a commitment voiced by both, “We’ll always be members.”
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Here are the links to our lists of book orders and newest acquisitions. Feel free to contact the library to put your name on the hold list for any you would like to read. You can call us or log in through the catalogue on the website using your library card number for ID and PIN. And, as always, let us know if there is a book or DVD you think would enhance the collection.
Book Lovers club will meet on October 3 at 10 am, at the corner park across from the library on Melrose Avenue. Bring a chair. If the weather does not cooperate, we will meet via Zoom again, so, if you are not already on the Book Lovers email list, let Jenny know you would like to participate by emailing her your name to thelanierlibrary@gmail.com. You will receive a Zoom invitation before the meeting that you need only use in case of rain. Those already on the list will receive the invitation automatically. All are welcome--the more the merrier! In the meantime, here is the list of September recommendations from the group.
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Reviews
Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout
Three times I’ve devoured this amazing novel, finding each reading more enlightening
and memorable.
Elizabeth Strout pens 13 emotional stories orbiting around Olive and the sharply observed people who also live in this coastal Maine community. The sorely flawed Olive, a retired seventh grade math teacher, is wife to Henry, the kindly town pharmacist and mother to son Christopher, a podiatrist who’s about to be married. Neither husband or son can feel close to the prickly, abrasive Olive. Others in town also flinch at Olive’s often thoughtless, judgmental comments.
Yet as the ordinary lives of others unfold, as their secrets and life changing moments come to light, Olive surprises with a brief but pivotal and helpful presence, evidence of compassion and insight.
If you’ve already turned Strout’s pages, I urge you to give it another look. There’s more than one reading here as you mine the slippery slopes of human connection, Strout style.
Review by Lee Cudlip
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One of our favorite new books in the collection is Drinking with Chickens by Kate Richards. It was, in fact, part of the inspiration behind one of our fun new program ideas, "Libations @ Lanier", where library executive director Jenny Purtill reveals through tours and history what makes Lanier Library unique, one room at a time. In October she will introduce you to the history and special features of our main room, including the Mazzanovich painting. |
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Mulled Pear Cobbler
2 ounces brandy
1/2 ounce amaretto liqueur
1/2 ounce Mulled Pear Syrup*
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
GARNISH: thin slice of pear
Prepare glass by filling with crushed ice.
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine brandy, amaretto, Mulled Pear Syrup, and lemon juice and shake until chilled.
Strain mixture into prepared glass and garnish with slice of pear and a light dusting of ground cinnamon.
*Mulled Pear Syrup
1 pear, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cardamon pod
2 whole cloves
1 allspice berry
1 stick cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and heat until sugar has fully dissolved. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain away solids and place liquid in an airtight container and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Makes 3/4 cup.
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Join Jenny by going to facebook.com/lanierlibraryassociation on Friday, October 16 at 6 pm and learn the history of our main room as well as that of the Mazzanovich painting. To view Jenny's last Libations @ Lanier and her tour of the LeDuc Room, go to the library's web page: thelanierlibrary.org. |
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While you sip and learn, hospitality chair Jane Armstrong thinks a snack might be in order, and offers this recipe for a pear and brandy-friendly appetizer. While programming remains in the virtual realm and likewise hospitality, Jane thinks sharing recipes and eating them together during Jenny's programs might be another way to stay connected.
Thyme and Cheddar Cheese Cookies
These slice and bake savory cookies are easy to make and uniquely delicious! Perfect as appetizers/snacks or as edible gifts!
Ingredients:
6 oz good quality white cheddar cheese from a block, not pre-shredded
4 oz unsalted butter, ½ cup, softened
2 tsp cracked black pepper coarsely ground black pepper
1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 heaped tsp of dried thyme
½ tsp sea salt (cheddar cheese is salty too, so add more salt only if you’re using a different cheese)
1 1/4 cups flour
Directions:
- Shred the cheddar cheese using a grater (large grater holes are ideal).
2.Place the butter, shredded cheese, black pepper, salt and thyme in a bowl and mix with a hand-held beater on medium speed. Mix for a few minutes until the butter is creamy and the cheese gets mixed in with the butter.
3.Add the flour, and mix on low speed until the flour forms wet clumps (and there are no dry spots in the dough).
4.Bring the dough together to form a dough ball. Knead it a little if needed (to bring it together). But don't knead too much.
5.Form an evenly shaped dough log that's about 6-7 inches long. Wrap it in plastic wrap. Knot the two ends to form a tightly wrapped dough “sausage”. Refrigerate until the dough has chilled - about 30 min to 1 hour. You can also let it chill for up to 5 days in the fridge, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
6.When you're ready to bake - remove the log from the fridge (or freezer). If the dough is too hard to cut through, let it thaw a little (so that it's still chilled, but easier to cut). Unwrap the dough when you’re ready to slice it.
7.With a sharp knife, cut ¼ inch thick discs from the dough log. Use your fingers to shape the cookies into nice round shapes, if they lose their shape a bit.
Place the sliced cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking tray and let the tray chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
8.Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place the chilled cheese cookies on the parchment paper-lined half sheet pan, with about an inch of space between each cookie.
9.Bake in preheated oven for 10 - 12 minutes for a soft cheese cookie - remove the cookies from the oven when the bottom edges of the cookie are starting to color.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes for a crispy cheese cookie - remove from the oven when the cookies start turning golden in color on top.
10.Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Repeat with the remaining sliced cookies (make sure the half sheet pan is at room temperature for this second batch of cookies - so either use a new half sheet pan, or cool down the previous one to room temp. first).
11.Place the cooled cookies in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. OR wrap them in plastic wrap, and then in foil, and store in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 1 month.
12.Serve at room temperature.
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In order to do our part to control the spread of the COVID virus, we will continue virtual programs for the foreseeable future. |
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Last Month's Online Programs |
Tryon International Film Festival
TRIFF founders and producers Beau Menetre and Kirk Gollwitzer presented a preview of the 60 films and various activities that will make up the 2020 Tryon International Film Festival, which opens on October 9th. They also spoke about their recent trip to Gstaad Switzerland promoting the Festival while forging a Sister City relationship with Gstaad and assisting in the development of the Inaugural Gstaad Human Rights Film Festival/International Children's Film Festival in Paris.
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Our thanks to the Polk County Community Foundation’s Kirby Lanier Library Innovative Events Fund for the support of our Annual Meeting. |
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Annual Meeting with Churchill Biographer Paul Reid |
On Sunday afternoon, September 20, author Paul Reid spoke at our rescheduled 2020 Annual Meeting. Originally scheduled for March of this year, the annual meeting was held in a virtual format due to the ongoing need for social distancing. While we missed the opportunity to socialize with other members after the remarks, we appreciate hearing what Paul had to say about Winston Churchill and how he might view current world events.
Paul strongly emphasized the need to study history, not just to know what happened in the past but to better understand the present and what may happen in the future. Another thread in Paul’s remarks is the importance of following the media, for the newspapers tell us much more than the facts but also the pulse of public opinion. He also recommended reading multiple texts on the same topic because each author brings his or her own perspective into the writing. In Paul’s opinion, Winston Churchill would be encouraging each of us to be studying history in the midst of our turbulent times.
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Lanier Library welcomes all library-friendly dogs, but asks that they remain on leash at all times. |
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Lanier member Denny Crowe was in over the weekend with Henry to look over the library's Christmas decorations with an eye towards refreshing them. It's amazing that for floral professionals like Denny Christmas is already on the "to do" list! We are grateful, not only for the time she volunteered to ensure a beautiful 2020 holiday display, but for the exquisite and extravagant floral arrangements we have enjoyed throughout the year. |
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Elizabeth Peek came in to deliver her Great Books Challenge form with ALL the Caldecott books checked off! She got an extra bonus when Monica Moffat stopped in with Mindy and stayed for some playtime. |
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Lanier Greeter Dog Nick enjoyed his special treat al fresco last Sunday as he and Steve Aldred sat outside and enjoyed the beginning of Fall weather while catching up with neighbors and friends. |
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Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: Our Introduction to the Mystery Genre |
Thanks to Lanier Library Board members Jane Armstrong and Tim Boyce we are pleased this month to have in our display case a tribute to the two early series that probably introduced many of us to the pleasures of the mystery genre--its puzzles that needled solving, villains that needed comeuppance, and the first inklings of empowerment as kids.
Tim, who has collected the Hardy Boys books since the third grade offered the following reminiscence, which will stir more than a few fond memories for the rest of us of the joys of reading these books as kids.
"I began my love affair with the Hardy Boys (Frank and Joe) in the third grade, says Tim. "My homework assignment was to bring in a book to read while the teacher graded our end of year tests. Naturally, I remembered this injunction about five minutes before the school bus was to arrive. Luckily, my older brother’s copy of The Twisted Claw was conveniently lying on the dining room table. I scooped it up—mission accomplished.
"Once I had handed in my test paper, and settled back into my desk seat, I entered the world of the boy detectives, and I was hooked. I soon ran through my brother’s supply of mysteries, and started to accumulate my own (having a paper route was a big help).
"In the third grade, the distinction between fiction and nonfiction is not always clear, and I was convinced Frank and Joe Hardy lived somewhere near New York City and led the most desirable life any young boy could imagine—a motorboat, a jalopy, girlfriends, and adventure galore. It did begin to dawn on me that no two boys could rack up 50+ adventures without ever getting even a single year older, but by then I didn’t care—it was escapist fiction, and I happily escaped.
"Only later in life did I realize that the Hardy Boys were the gateway to my lifelong reading habit—and book collecting habit, which has provided me with almost as much pleasure as reading all those death-defying, cliff-hanging, danger-flirting mysteries did in my youth."
The display will also include a Nancy Drew Quilt that Jane made to present to the library in honor of former library director Amber Keeran. It will hang in the Children's Room, which Amber created and decorated during her tenure as Library Director.
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Just for fun, a bit of history on Nancy, Joe and Frank:
The first volume in the long-running Nancy Drew series, The Secret of the Old Clock, was published 90 years ago, in 1930, under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The first volume in the Hardy Boys series was published three years earlier, in 1927 under the pseudonym Frank W, Dixon.
Both Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books were written by a series of ghost writers, continue to have been updated over the years, and are still being written. Both have inspired TV shows and movies, as well as video games.
While she became the first empowered heroine to teenage girls at the time, in the '30s, some viewed Nancy as a poor role model, contradicting adults while she squared off with the villains.In fact, many libraries and bookstores refused to carry the Nancy Drew stories. Despite -- or because of -- that disapproval, kids collected the books voraciously, and in the midst of the Depression, used copies were shared and traded like trading cards are today. As a result, any kid, even those who couldn’t afford new books, would very likely get to read every adventure starring their favorite character.
Come in to enjoy the display and stir up some fond memories!
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Jane has also promised some interactivity in the display, sprinkling questions about the two series throughout the display for you to answer. Word is there may be a prize. |
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Sandra's November Shelf Display, "Don't Be Clueless" complements this month's display of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries with a selection of adult mysteries designed to intrigue. Sandra is adding an interactive twist to her display as well: Post-it notes. If you have read and enjoyed any of the books in the display, pick up a Post-it and add a comment to stick on the book cover. As always, Sandra's displays are designed to be dismantled by interested readers. Come in and discover a mystery author you may have missed, and perhaps even a whole new series. |
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Thank you to Jane Armstrong and the Tryon Lacemakers for their display of the amazing lacework being done by the group. We were all overwhelmed by the intricacies of the work and the skill it must take to complete even the smallest piece! |
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The "musings" found in the back pockets of returned books continue to arrive from a variety of members. Sandra has left some in the books for more to discover, and perhaps join in the game. We share here our latest musings and hope they bring a smile to your day. |
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OCTOBER MUSINGS
Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once!
It was a whole lot easier to get older than it was to get wiser!
"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative." Oscar Wilde
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What's in a name?
Original titles that the authors fortunately rethought:
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane would have been Private Fleming, His Various Battles
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen would have been First Impressions
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis was nearly known as The Village Virus
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell would have originally been about a character named Pansy rather than Scarlett and would have been titled the same!
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Lanier Library | 828-859-9535| thelanierlibrary@gmail.com |
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