Between 2010 and 2019, Cauli Le Chat (2006?-2020), feline roving reporter for Mooresville Public Library (Mooresville, Indiana), reported all things interesting to cats (and humans) happening at the library. Related stories from across the state (and beyond) were also included.
Since it's Halloween, I decided to join the kiddies who are trick-or-treating tonight. I was wearing my swell mask, especially designed for moi by Buffalo Gal and Drawer Dude, who actually crafted it using his impressive artistic skills. I blogged about it before, but you'll want to see it again.
Eerie Night-Glow Illumination
Makes Me One Spooky Cat
Better Give Some Treats, Because My Tricks
You Don't Want to See
I made the proverbial haul, I must say. Here is a photo I took showing my hand-made Halloween basket (personally weaved by The Lady With the Red Hair) loaded with kitty treats. Thanks, "Flat" Cauli III, for standing-in for moi, since somebody had to operate the digital camera.
I'd share some, "Flat" Cauli, but we're watching your waistline.
Pretty successful evening's work, if I do say so myself. Too bad Halloween only comes once a year!
What better way to wind-up October SpookFest than by chowing down on some tuna-flavored treats?
Chomp, Chomp, Chomp,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Halloween News Beat
P.S. Mike Oldfield composed his first instrumental album, Tubular Bells (1973), which was the first LP released by Virgin Records. The record remained on the British pop music charts for 279 weeks, selling a reported 17 million worldwide. A shortened version comprised part of the soundtrack to the motion picture The Exorcist(1973), which set what was then a new standard for realistic graphic, violent representations of supernatural evil. Some especially sensitive audience members passed out or became physically ill during particularly vivid portions of the movie. By today's standards, it is fairly tame. Watching the movie today has a nostalgic feel, particularly since gratuitous graphic violence is now the norm in the horror genre. Fortunately, one may enjoy Oldfield's musical masterpiece without watching the film.
One of my Library's young adult patrons, who used to be called teenagers, wondered why I didn't do the readers' advisory thing more often with YA-targeted books. It's a fair question. It has been a long time since I was a teenage feline, and for my human minions, it has been even longer. We're talking glacial time scales here. So our recollections of what those periods of our lives were like are not as sharp and crisp as they once might have been.
Still, I offer a full-service blog, so if a patron would like a YA title reviewed, then who am I to nay-say?
Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, by Maureen Johnson, is a young adult novel first published in 2005. The main character, Ginny Blackstone, receives 13 blue envelopes from her recently-deceased Aunt Peg, who died rather suddenly after preparing the letters. Peg, who labelled herself as a "runaway aunt," agreed to pay Ginny's expenses in a trip across Europe, provided that Ginny obey four simple rules:
Rule #1: Ginny may bring only what fits in her backpack.
Rule #2: Ginny cannot bring guide books, phrase books, or similar foreign language aids. She is also not allowed to keep journals.
Rule #3: Ginny cannot take her own money, credit cards, etc., because Peg will have provided for her expenses.
Rule #4: Ginny must leave all electronic devices behind.
It is that final rule that would be well-nigh impossible for most teenagers to follow. Aunt Peg, however, has good reasons for restricting what Ginny carries with her on the trip. Some adventures are best experienced without distractions, like cell phones, laptops, cameras, and other techno-gizmos. Having to make one's way in foreign cultures without any language crutches forces the traveller to focus on what is happening at the moment, sharpening one's wits and self-sufficiency skills. It is always easier to travel light, and the backpack rule ensures that Ginny won't be burdened with baggage, both actual and emotional. It is also quite convenient that somebody else is paying for the trip.
Ginny is to open the envelopes in sequence at various places as her European tour progresses. Could you wait to open them, one-by-one, as you travelled along, perhaps uncertain as to your next destinations or objectives? I know several people who would open them all at once, but that would, of course, spoil the fun and ruin the plot.
The book is a journey through self-discovery, as well as revealing to Ginny many aspects of her aunt's life about which she was previously ignorant. Aunt Peg's untimely death makes this journey even more poignant and meaningful to Ginny, and, consequently, to the reader.
Perhaps YA girls will enjoy this book most, but I think YA guys could benefit from its insights and revelations. When someone offers you the trip of a lifetime, don't say no. Just go. You'll regret it later if you don't.
Click here to access my Library's online catalog to place a hold on this book, if you have an Evergreen Indiana library card.
Maybe I should travel more myself. All expenses paid, of course. How about it, Boss Lady? I could be the Library's foreign correspondent.
Dateline, London or Paris--Sounds Pretty Nice to Moi,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Readers Advisory News Beat
P.S. "Handle With Care" comes courtesy of The Traveling Wilburys, from the band's aptly-named debut album, The Traveling Wilburys, Volume I (1988). If you have never heard of this group, then visit the official web site. You teenagers may not recognize the players, but anybody over age 30 should have no trouble. Certainly, folks from my minions' generation have known them (and enjoyed their music) for half a century (for some of the band) and nearly so (for others).
Let's wind-up October SpookFest with a little local history. Everyone lives in a "ghost town," in that there is much local history that has transpired before those of us currently living here (or wherever) were born. Around Mooresville, Indiana, the ghosts of our past may be found wherever one looks at the historical records. Those, fortunately, are readily available in the Indiana Room at Mooresville Public Library.
While we're talking about local history, let's remember that October is also National Family History Month, and so we should take some time to appreciate our roots. Or root beer. It's your call.
Not a Root Beer Fan, Myself,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Historical News Beat
P.S. Visit the MPL YouTube Channel to watch more local history videos from our "treasure trove" playlist.
Local folklore around Mooresville, Indiana maintains that you will get one wish granted if you make it at exactly midnight on Halloween night (October 31/November 1) at the base of the gravestone of Samuel Moore, town founder (1799-1889), who is buried in the Old Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Cemetery (commonly known as "Old Cemetery") one block from the center of downtown. I learned this from Broadway Gal, who held a truly cool and kinda scary Halloween stories reading last evening (Friday, October 28, 2011) at Mooresville Pioneer Park, where a candlelit crowd sat spell-bound as she told her moderately terrifying tales.
Broadway Gal's Spooky Halloween Storytelling
at Mooresville Pioneer Park Last Evening
(Broadway Gal is Standing on the Right)
Besides several families attending were moi, accompanied by minions (The Lady With the Red Hair and Scowl-Face), as well as "Flat" Cauli III. I kept in the dark at some distance away, as I like to observe news events unobtrusively, and, anyway, candle flames could scorch my fur. "Flat" Cauli appeared in my stead.
The Lady With the Red Hair and "Flat" Cauli III
(Extra-Spooky With Those Golden Eyes!)
I've blogged about Samuel Moore before, but if you really want the low-down on our town founder, you need to visit Scowl-Face's blog; or you may watch the video (below). He can tell you more than you ever wanted to know, or listen to, about Samuel or the town's history generally.
"Narration" of Samuel Moore at the Old Settlers Picnic (1885)
by Mooresville Public Library
I was intrigued by Broadway Gal's firm grasp on our local folklore, but I had anticipated this particular legend and visited Old Cemetery before coming to the Scary Stories Reading. It was approaching dusk when minions, "Flat" Cauli III and I arrived. I was prepared for anything, and The Lady With the Red Hair and "Flat" Cauli showed considerable spunk, but Scowl-Face hid in the backseat of the car and refused to get out. (Can you say wuss-puppy?) So I had to operate the digital camera.
T.L.W.T.R.H. & "Flat" Cauli III
at Old Cemetery Entrance (Founded 1829)
"Flat" Cauli III Standing Guard
by the Maple Tree at
Old Cemetery Entrance
Samuel & Eliza Moore are buried near the back of the cemetery. "Flat" Cauli climbed the tombstone, but no disrespect was intended, since kitties climb everything, and Samuel liked cats. Eliza, not so much, but she appreciated hard-working, mouse-catching felines.
My little expedition also visited the graves of Washington and Mary Conduitt, which are just a few feet from Samuel and Eliza's. Mary was their daughter. Wash Conduitt built her a house, but she died before moving in. Broken-hearted, Wash couldn't bring himself to live there alone, so his parents-in-law, Samuel and Eliza, took possession of the house. It is the last standing home of the founder of Mooresville.
As we left Old Cemetery, The Lady With the Red Hair and "Flat" Cauli III posed by the commemorative stone indicating the approximate location of the old M.E. Church (1839-1882). You can learn more about the site by clicking here.
T.L.W.T.R.H. and "Flat" Cauli III
on the Old M.E. Church Stone
That's the Washington/Mary Conduitt grave marker sticking out of the top of The Lady With the Red Hair's head. Sorry about that.
Have we got a couple of videos detailing the history of the Mooresville M.E. Church? You had to ask. Once Scowl-Face gets going on local history, there's no stopping him.
So, what about my Halloween wish at Samuel Moore's grave? Well, for starters, it's not Halloween yet, so I'll have to return next Monday (October 31). Then we'll see how much canned tuna-in-oil Samuel's spirit can deliver for moi. That would probably be quite a bit, since, in life, Samuel Moore was a merchant. He established the first trading post in the area and had a general merchandising store for over half a century at the center of downtown (the intersections of Main and Indiana Streets). Once again, ol' Scowlly can clue you into the details. That is, if you can get him out from the backseat of our car. He's still shaking like a leaf, hiding there from the boogie men.
"Flat" Cauli III and "trusted minions" will be doing a "slobberdog and horsey show" at the Indiana Library Federation (ILF) annual conference next month in Fort Wayne, Indiana. (I will be roaming around behind the scenes, as a roving reporter should, so you might see me there, too.) Here is an excerpt from the ILF schedule of workshops.
Animal Odyssey: How Resident Pets Can Market Your Library Through Online Social Networks (1 LEU/1 PGP)
Imagine a public library in a small Hoosier town of less than 2,000 residents. The library’s local cat has his own blog that has 73,000 readers! (It’s Tober, the Thorntown [Ind.] Public Library Cat.) Library resident animals are a powerful, yet often under-utilized marketing and public relations tool, as famously demonstrated by Dewey Readmore Books, the (late) cat at Spencer (Iowa) Public Library, about whom many bestselling books have been written. Learn to use social media, such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, podcasts and YouTube, to give voice to your library pets and, through their unique and humorous perspectives, promote library programs, collections and events. Give you library a global online footprint while patrons (especially kids) enjoy following the antics and insights of your library’s animanls, be they cats, birds, rabbits, other furry mammals, fish or reptiles.
Presenter(s): William R. Buckley, Mooresville Public Library; Janet E. Buckley, Greenwood Public Library
Audience: Public Librarians, School Librarians, Support Staff, Technology, Children’s Librarians, Cataloging/Reference, Library Trustees, Library Directors, Marketing/Communications Room: Harrison C _________________________________________________
If this sounds interesting, and you're planning to attend, we look forward to seeing you at the workshop.
For those attending, as well as those unable to attend, we have an MS-PowerPoint slideshow (presentation file) that is downloadable from 4shared.com. Just click the hyperlink below to access the download site.
2018 UPDATE: Sorry, but the file is no longer available to download. That stinks.
We hope to see you at ILF in November!
Grab Moi Some Goodies From the Vendors, Minions,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
ILF News Beat
P.S. Unfamiliar with ILF? Here's a video explaining what the organization does for Hoosier libraries.
So when am I going to get to go on a helicopter ride around here, Boss Lady? Just asking.
I Have a Pilot's License, You Know,
Cauli Le Chat MPL Roving Reporter Honeymoon News Beat
P.S. Frank Sinatra's rendition of "Love and Marriage" (1955) was first used in the production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town broadcast on the television program Producers' Showcase (1955). It was later used as the theme to the television series Married ... With Children (1987-1997).
I received an anonymous comment to my previous blog, which I think might have come from Cataloger Queen herself. Quoting, now:
Figuratively speaking, ЦАРИЦА is a queen, but literally it means 'wife of the Tsar' (or Czar). The word for queen is КОРОЛЕВА. It'd be easier to write this stuff if I had a Cyrillic keyboard, but, alas, I don't.
So Cataloger Queen's "auxiliary Cauli name" should be КОРОЛЕВА. Can we get that in Cyrillic? Not with my keyboard.
Thanks, anonymous commenter, for correcting our Russian. When it comes to languages, we need all the help we can get.
Don't forget about Broadway Gal's (Miss Suzanne's) scary Halloween stories this Friday (October 28, 2011) from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Pioneer Park in Mooresville, Indiana. Click hereorclick herefor the details.
Be there, or be square. Better yet, be scared, or be squared. Hey, I thought of an idiomatic expression! Think it will become part of the popular vernacular? Me, neither.
Not a Scaredy-Cat, Myself,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Children's Programs News Beat
P.S. Storytelling reminded me of "Telling Stories," by Tracy Chapman, from her album by the same name (2000).
Exciting travel news on the "Flat" Cauli front. "Flat" Cauli I is travelling to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, with one of the families that attends the Library's homeschool group. (We'll talk about "Flat" Cauli II's upcoming adventures in a future posting.) Meanwhile, "Flat" Cauli III will visit Greenwood Public Library next week to present my "slobberdog and horsey show" that we'll also be doing at the 2011 Indiana Library Federation (ILF) annual conference next month in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
That's a pretty full agenda for "Flat" Caulis. Lucky for moi that there are many "Flat" Caulis. While they're out-and-about running down cool travel stories, I'll be right here blogging away their reports, plus my own to boot. I offer full service blogs, after all.
"Flat" Cauli III found many interesting Halloween decorations last night as she romped around the Library. I, too, was romping inside the Library, but I had to keep a low profile, because Boss Lady says some patrons are allergic to felines. Go figure.
In the Youth Services Department, there was an elemental nature spirit inhabiting a tree with some spooky pumpkins. "Flat" Cauli thought it was the cat's pajamas.
We should have some terrific travel sagas during my November blog postings. The stuff of feline folklore! Magnificent legendary tales that will be retold for generations. Or at least until supper.
Wish I Could Travel With "Flat" Caulis, But Someone Has To Work,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Travel News Beat
P.S. Travel reminded me of "Beyond the Sea," by Bobby Darin (1960), which has been included on many of his "greatest hits" compilations.
P.P.S. "Lucifer Sam" was a ship's cat and spooky to boot. Here is Pink Floyd singing about Sam (and "hip-cats" generally) on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).
I found the perfect Halloween book for moi on a book display in my Library's Youth Services Department.
Have you spotted it yet? I'll give you a hint: Look for my likeness on the cover.
If memory serves, Los gatos is Spanish for boy domestic cats, and Los gatos negros are boy black domestic cats. It would be Las gatas negras for girl black domestic felines. At least, that's the way I recollect what little Spanish I used to know back in my days (in a previous life) south of the border. Ask me about that story sometime.
This book mixes Spanish and English words to tell a scary tale that's just perfect for early grade school children but is probably too intense for preschoolers. I would have included a book trailer, but (and this will probably shock and dismay you), my library hasn't made one yet! For shame, Scowl-Face. What do you do all day back there in the Indiana Roving Reporter Room? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.
Since I haven't yet read the book, I can't do the readers' advisory thing and give you a review. Submitted for your perusal: one children's author's opinion of the book.
Learn About El Día de los Muertos and Halloween (and the differences between these holidays and celebrations) by searching our online Evergreen Indiana catalog. Type-in those terms (or others you may think of) into the search line and see what you retrieve. But don't be scared. You can always visit my Library to check-out the books you find, if you have an E.I. library card, like I do.
"Flat" Cauli III (there are many "flat" Caulis--sounds like a James Thurber book) knows how to use the MPL self-checkout computer. That puts her one-up on Scowl-Face.
We Need a Book Trailer For Los Gatos Black -- Just Saying,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Children's Readers' Advisory News Beat
P.S. Cliff Richard sang his hit single "Devil Woman" (1976) on television. There's probably a video online somewhere. Since it's the mid-1970s, that explains the lame graphic effects. But, hey, it looked cool back then. The song, which includes lyrics about a cat (actually, a "witch's familiar," or an elemental spirit), appeared on the album I'm Nearly Famous (1976).
Eerie pumpkins have sprouted all around my Library yesterday afternoon. It happened following Wild Thang's 2s and 3s Time and Story Time sessions. Coincidence? I don't think so!
I noticed the first one when I checked the dry erase board across from the Circulation Desk, upon which CircMaster and her staff note the important library happenings for the day. This cheerful-looking fellow appeared quite harmless, but that's what these ghoul-possessed pumpkins want you to think. I'm wise to that game, so better watch yourself, Mr. "Happy" Pumpkin. Try to bite my tail, and you're going down.
This slightly sinister dude was sitting beneath the dry erase board in Youth Services. Look at those teeth! Don't be fooled by that vacuous stare, either. There's some major evilness plotting behind that wide-eyed glare. (That vacant look reminds me of someone . . .) Got it! Scowl-Face. Dead-ringer. Well, the pumpkin's nose is smaller. Just saying.
Haunting the Circulation Desk were these two spirited pumpkins. Anime-Manga Gal seemed totally immune to their scariness as she assisted a patron on the telephone while researching the question on one of the Circ PCs. She's totally tough and would give them both a good thumping if they got out of line. Aren't you supposed to thump pumpkins anyway to see if they're fresh? Or do they "get fresh," and then you thump them? Only if the pumpkins are guys. That's what Buffalo Gal says.
It sort of looks like Anime-Manga Gal might already have "cleaned the clock" of the pumpkin on the left. Hey, spooky Pumpkin, you were warned!
This pumpkin pair was guarding the kiddy door to the Children's Program Room. The one on the right is kinda goofy, but, once again, that's a ploy to lull you into a false sense of security. The one on the left is a zombie. How can I tell? You have to know these things when you're a black cat.
At the Youth Services Information Desk, I saw this neat-o mural that Cataloger Queen said was made by one of Broadway Gal's youth patron groups. I was so dazzled by the graphics that I've forgotten now which group made them. Sorry about that. (Oh, I should clear up an ambiguity. We have two Cataloger Queens at my Library. One is Anime-Manga Gal, and the other is in the photo above, whose "auxiliary Cauli name" will now be цари́ца. [I know she can read Russian, so I hope she appreciates my little joke. I only hope I got the word right. If not, I can always blame Scowl-Face. Here was my source for the Russian, цари́ца.])
I loved this part of the drawing! See how they've captured my essential Cauli-ness? I especially liked the symbolism of a topsy-turvy world. We felines can do that. Just ask The Lady With the Red Hair.
I'll continue with some other interesting sights I discovered during my library visit last night. Meanwhile, I need to find an English-Russian dictionary. Wikipedia has its limits, you know.
Remember to Punch Scowl-Face, цари́ца, If That Russian Word is Wrong,
Wild Thang (Miss Jaymi) and Sammy the Toucan have just made this really cool Halloween Special video for their Explore to Learn: Early Literacy Fun blog. Let's watch!
You saw it here first! Well, I did, anyway.
Preeeeetty Spooooooky, I'd Say,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Early Literacy News Beat
P.S. Halloween wouldn't be complete without "The Monster Mash" (1962), by Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1938-2007), whose official website keeps Bobby and his number one hit song alive for generations of new listeners.
Fifi & Scruffy Playing Dominoes With Grandpa in Conway, N.C.
Cuddling on a Hammock Under Palm Trees on the Beach Dunes
Honeymoon Cottage on the Beach
Enjoying the Beach's Fine Playground Equipment
The Beach All to Themselves (Jellyfish Alert)
But You Can't Keep Good Slobberdogs
Away From the Surf
Running the Rapids Calm Waters of the Lazy River at THE DUNES Resort
Fifi & Scruffy Were a Big Hit With the Crowds of Adoring Fans
Posing For Another Photo Op
There are more pictures to share, but that's probably enough for this blog. I don't want your downloading times to be too long! I can't wait to see the helicopter that Fifi and Scruffy flew around the beach! I don't think they were piloting, though. Could be, however. They're mighty talented for slobberdogs.
Glad You Had a Good Time on Your Honeymoon, Scruffy & Fifi,
Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Marital Bliss News Beat
P.S. Enjoy a kinescope clip from the live television program The Honeymooners (1955-56), if you can find one online somewhere. The series was based on a recurring comedy sketch that ran on The Jackie Gleason Show from 1951-55. The Honeymooners, which was presented like a single-set stage play, helped establish the situation comedy format. Surprisingly, the show ran for only 39 episodes, due apparently to Jackie Gleason's insistence that "they couldn't do better than that," so he decided they should finish with their best work rather than slide into mediocrity. Many television producers should have followed that advice over the years.
