The People I Have Found

Until you've seen this trash-can dream come true
You stand at the edge while people run you through
And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you ....

And I thank the Lord for the people I have found
I thank the Lord for the people I have found

"Mona Lisas & Mad Hatters"

Elton John (lyrics by Bernie Taupin)

from the album Honky Château (1972)

 As I have wandered the streets throughout my life, I have met many a feline and canine friend and foe, and for each and every one, I have been profoundly thankful, for they have taught me the joys of companionship, the strength of vigilance, and the stimulation of unexpected encounters that make life interesting.

But it has been the kind humans I have known, those who have sheltered and fed moi, that have made the greatest impact.  Street life for cats is dangerous and difficult.  We treasure freedom, but we also desire security and serenity.  My human friends have shared this with moi and so much more.  Some felines never encounter a human hand extended with love and kindness.  I have had my share of unpleasant human confrontations.  Ultimately, it has been people like Kindly Couple, who have shared my forever home, along with my colleagues and patrons of Mooresville Public Library, that I shall always cherish and remember.

 As I travel toward my next adventures, there are welcome faces purring and head-butting, barking, or making other friendly noises.  They may be simply hanging out, enjoying the companionship.  Together, we continue our journey.  I will miss those left behind, but there are many roads ahead, and I am confident that we shall once again cross paths and rub cheeks against ankles.  Hope to see you soon.  I have loved you all.

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  Please enjoy this beautiful song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Watch Where You're Standing

My library has a new display, even though October is still a couple of weeks away.

Click Photos to Bigify

Paranormal phenomena have occurred throughout the library, as our online handout explains.

Click (Above) to See Online Handout

Of course, we have videos about it.

Ghostly Hoosier Haunts:  Haunted Mooresville Public Library (Part 1) (2021)

 

Ghostly Hoosier Haunts:  Haunted Mooresville Public Library (Part 2) (2021)

 

Ghostly Hoosier Haunts:  Haunted Mooresville Public Library (Part 3) (2021)

 

MPL Promo Trailer (2017)

Is the Library Haunted?

by Mooresville Public Library

During your next visit to the library, see if you can find all the haunted spots shown in the brochure.  Maybe something out of the ordinary will happen to you.  Only watch where you stand.  There may be a disembodied spirit taking up that space.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Help Reunite the NYPL Lions

The New York Public Library lions, Patience and Fortitude, have been greeting patrons since 1911.  When Patience disappears, Fortitude must search the library high and low before sunrise, when they both must return to their pedestals.  Can you help them be reunited?

MPL Book Trailer #464

Lost in the Library:  A Story of Patience & Fortitude

by Josh Funk (illustrated by Stevie Lewis)

This delightful children's picture book will entertain young readers while they help Fortitude search for his lost friend, learning about the New York Public Library along the way.

If you ever have a chance to meet the lions in person, you should.  They are quite an impressive pair!  I met them at the end of 2011, as I previously blogged.  Buffalo Gal took my picture and everything.

Moi with Patience (or is it Fortitude?)

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Today's Word is Moi

Indiana librarians keep up with the latest developments in the Hoosier library world by reading the Indiana State Library's digital newsletter, Wednesday Word.  Guess who's featured in today's edition?

Moi

It's a very nice article celebrating our over half a million blog views.  Click here, then scroll down, to read it.

It's not commonly known, but the Lady With the Red Hair, one of my minions, wrote for Wednesday Word back in the late 1990s and early 2000s when she was head of the Indiana State Library Catalog Division.

There are many fine spokescritters (several felines, but also bunnies, birds, fish, and other friendly faces) in Hoosier libraries across the state.  We are highly effective public relations officers who can really draw in the crowds.  Here are just a few famous friends:

• Chance (and the late Tober), boss cat at Thorntown (Indiana) Public Library;
• Morgan the Library Bunny at Morgan County (Indiana) Public Library;
• Oliver the Library Cat at Clinton (Indiana) Public Library;
• Carnegie the Library Cat at Brazil (Indiana) Public Library;
• Westfield Washington Public Library (Indiana) has fish (I call them swimming dinners) as its spokescritters (following my suggestion blogged in 2011).

To find further library spokescritters around the country, take a peek at this blog post.

If your library doesn't have a spokescritter, we highly recommend adopting one.  Somebody's got to keep all those humans in line.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Beyond Books

Lady RaDA has created a cool "beyond books" display featuring lots of fun items you may checkout with your Evergreen Indiana library card.  The display is across from the library circulation desk, next to the Paul Hadley paintings.

Minions, make with the photos (click them to bigify):

The only item missing that would make the perfect display would be some canned tuna-in-oil.  I'd check that out, pronto.  Well, I'd have my minions check it out for moi.  I'm not sure how I'd return it to the library, however.

If you have any questions about checking out these items, just ask our circulation staff or Lady RaDA herself.  I'd explain it all, but my department is cuteness, which actually explains itself.  Just look at my photos, and it's self-explanatory.

Yep.  Pretty Much.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

A Big Red Slobberdog, For Sure

The library's float in the 2018 Old Settlers Parade featured everybody's favorite big red slobberdog.  Not my first choice, as it should have been a famous feline (such as moi?), but I guess Garfield was busy.

I see Clifford had his Evergreen Indiana library card at the ready.  That's one smart slobberdog!  You can't checkout all our books, movies, audiobooks, playaways, music CDs, and other great stuff without one.  (Well, technically, you can, if you have a statewide PLAC [Public Library Access Card] or a blue Evergreen Indiana card, but that's hair-splitting details I'll let our circulation staff explain.)

As always, click the photos to bigify.

BizMeister said that Clifford's tail was designed to wag in the wind, but there wasn't much breeze on this really hot, humid day, so we didn't get a chance to see it.

Teen Titan came up with a brilliant idea to use library bookcarts to showcase reading (with cute slobberdog puns) while having a central serving location for sweet treats.  It's a long-standing tradition for parade participants to toss candy or other goodies to the crowd, and, in the past, the tossing was primarily done from the float or the vehicle towing it.  The bookcarts made it much easier for Teen Titan and Lady RaDA to get the goodies out to the youngster folks watching along the parade route.

Float design was once again orchestrated by the Decorinator and BizMeister, whose ingenuity matched all previous outstanding library parade floats (the library has a well-earned reputation for excellent float design and execution).

The library float design and construction team once again outdid themselves with a terrific display.  We're including two photos, in case anyone blinked.

I'm still a tad bit peeved that no felines were featured with our float.

Hold On!

Nice save, Teen Titan and Lady RaDA!

Although they weren't part of the library float, there were some really big dudes standing nearby.

Hey, horseys!  Don't forget the poo-bags.  Just saying.

Minions, run down and take some photos of the library float in the parade.  I'll just curl-up beneath a nicely shaded tree in front of Paul Hadley Middle School.

Don't forget to visit the library to get your paws on a book (or other items).  And don't miss the Old Settlers Festival at Pioneer Park in Mooresville (today through Tuesday).  That's August 5-6-7, 2018 for those without calendars.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

Local History Puzzles Ol' Scowlly

Anthony Woodside wrote a nice article in the Mooresville-Decatur Times (Wednesday, June 27, 2018, pages A1-A2) about the library's local history quizzes on Facebook and Twitter. I bet Scowl-Face hurt his back taking all those bows.

Besides hogging the front page of our local newspaper, Scowl-Face has blogged (of course he has) about using social media (particularly Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) to promote local history.

For moi, local history is largely a matter of remembering where and from whom I can get extra free meals and how often those meals will be served.  My library's people patrons, however, seem to really enjoy reminiscing about the way things used to be.  They call that nostalgia.  As long as it doesn't interfere with my din-dins, I'm okay with that.

Boss Lady will probably need to hire more staff just to carry around Scowl-Face's swelled head.  Honestly, how he gets that thing through doorways is a minor miracle.

Your Roving Reporter On The Go,

Cauli Le Chat

P.S.  Want to watch some of the library's local history videos?  Sure you do.  Click the player above to start.