Mountains to be conquered

I know. I know I said I would post more often. First I moved to Vermont for the summer and then I just got busy doing...I don't know what, but I didn't make time for this blog. There were seedlings to be planted and hiking to be done and pictures to be taken. The first picture here is Mount Abe in Lincoln, VT. 4,006 ft. Not quite as easy a hike I was expecting for the first one of the year, but I guess we started strong!

My Blogging Style

I decided that I can't keep up with a blog if I expect myself to write long and insightful entries - Those are more of a once in a while thing. I think that a picture that I've taken and a blurb about that picture is what I like best and what I am capable of doing.



I am currently thinking about where I was a year ago today - Costa Rica. Best tax return ever. What do I remember most about it? The smells of the ocean intermingling with the thick spicy air. The welcoming and smiling people. The delicious food, fresh bread every morning and the best fruit I have ever had. The sounds of the tree frogs and bugs after a morning rain shower. Oh Costa Rica, you have left a mark on my heart.

It's starting to get to that point of spring when I actually like this season. The grey trees and the mushy ground are gone and in replacement there are beautiful budding leaves and bright green grass. It is picnic season. And reading a book on the porch season. And being oh so appreciative of the outdoors season.

A blast to the past

Last year at this time spring was on the horizon and we were in Portland, Maine. I miss a lot of things about Maine. The food, the ocean and above all the people. One great memory of mine from hundreds of great memories is wrapped up in this photo.

Long time no see. Look at me!

While I was gone from the blog-o-sphere I made really yummy pizzas...




...And I learned how to knit. See, I made a beer cozy!



A couple other big things that have happened:
I finished my first semester of library school (Yay) and I got an internship this summer at the Fletcher Free Youth Library in Burlington, VT (Which I am really excited about!)

Second semester of this program is wrapping up, so it is that busy time again. Cramming in group meetings, working on projects and essays, and trying to keep sane. I am really going to try harder to keep up with this, I would love to document my summer internship and all my other adventures.

Until next time...

Field Trip!

I didn't know you take field trips when you are in graduate school. Well on Nov. 9th at 8am, a bunch of librarians got on a big yellow school bus marked "special" on the side. We were on our way to Quebec City. We toured three libraries, a public one, a government one, and a historical society one. The third one was beautiful, it was the perfect romantic notion of what a library should be. Two stories of shelves, a spiral staircase, dark woods, and busts of important looking men. Even Charles Dickens had spoken there. I could not have visited this library with a better group of people...walking around I heard, "I never want to leave..." "Can I just live here?" Hushed whispers proclaiming what everyone was thinking...this is why we are in library school.

Squash, Corn Stalks and Pumpkins...Oh My!

October has brought much cooler weather to Montreal and the leaves have already changed into their fancy outfits for the year. When I was looking forward to Autumn last month I forgot that in mid-October midterms happen. The next week is not going to be as enjoyable as before, but I did manage to make some time to visit the Atwater Market. It's only a 15 minute walk from the apartment and there are pumpkins galore. I bought this little one because it was being such a good model for my photo-shoot. Not only are there pumpkins, but everything else you can imagine that is in season. Both indoor stalls and outdoor stalls, five different butchers, an Italian shop selling fresh pastas, and an amazing bakery. I will be going back with Rory in a couple weekends to buy our big pumpkin for carving and roasting seeds.

Mont Royal

Katie (my roommate) and I hiked up Mont Royal yesterday. The weather was perfect, maybe a bit too hot, the sky was clear and at the top we could see for miles.
There is a huge cemetery on the mountain, we explored it for a while. There are various enclaves of nationalities, the Chinese section was my favorite.

Ramen noodles and Mac n' Cheese...no more

Settling into a new place costs money. Money + graduate student do not mix. Not only do I need money for basic necessities, but everywhere I turn there is a cute little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, or a fantastic smelling Indian restaurant, or a fancy bar to get a fancy drink. Oh and the shops. Boutiques and underground malls! So the job hunt was on. I say was...because I will no longer just be eating ramen noodles and mac n'cheese (unless I want to), since I am recently employed. I was hired by the Montreal Childrens Hospital, in the family reference library. Not only do we loan out books explaining diseases that affect children, but provide internet access for the parents who need to connect with the outside world. I am so happy that I got this position, I think it will provide great experience and will also be very rewarding!

This is a link to the Family Resource Library at Montreal Childrens:
http://www.mchfamilylibrary.ca/page.asp?intNodeID=9068
(copy and paste it)

Seymour Ave: My new residence

La Belle Province: Montreal

New city, new apartment, new school, new friends, a complete change in my environment. Montreal has left an impression already. Walking down the street I hear a hundred different languages, smell the fresh bread from the boulangerie, and see faces from all over the world. The sounds of summer are still echoing in my ears; the street construction rages on, drowned out only by the shrill cry of the cicada. Yet, I am really anticipating autumn in the city. The crisp cool weather, the crunch of the leaves under my feet, and the comfort of a thick sweater. I know it will come soon enough, but my mind associates these sensations with the institution of higher education. A Masters in Librarianship, not surprisingly entails a lot of reading. However, it still came as a surprise to me when we were assigned to read over a hundred pages for the following lecture. I was also a little surprised by my decision to go back to school so soon after completing my undergraduate degree, but now that I am here I know it was the right thing to do. Montreal feels like home already.