CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING

Get ready to loosen your belts. It’s Thanksgiving time! During this season, thoughts of turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce occupy the thoughts of many. Lavish tables are set with china and decorations. Some people look forward to a feast, some look forward to family time, and others look forward to watching sports on television. Game plans are coordinated for bargain shopping on Black Friday, and many mounds of dirty dishes are created after a bountiful feast is consumed.

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with family and friends and to be grateful for life’s blessings. At each annual gathering, traditions and memories are made that last for years to come. While we make our own memories year after year, Thanksgiving is steeped in tradition and our country’s history.

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Newsletter | November 2011

November is here, and we’re all familiar with the post-Halloween dilemma of what to do with those leftover pumpkins. There are always the traditional choices of pumpkin pie or toasted pumpkin seeds, but the good people of the World Championship Punkin Chunkin Association have another suggestion: join the Chunk. Punkin Chunkin is now a fiercely competitive televised event, but when it began in 1986 it was just some friendly pumpkin tossing in a Delaware field. These days it draws thousands of people to a large open field, where they watch pumpkin cannons, catapults, and trebuchets toss pumpkins hundreds of yards away.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PUNKIN CHUNKIN

Thanksgiving traditions

The location of the first Thanksgiving celebration in America is debatable. Some say it occurred on the Plymouth colony in 1619, some say it was held in Virginia as early as 1607, and some say that Spanish settlers in Florida held Thanksgiving celebrations as early as 1565. Most Thanksgiving celebrations were held during a year of plentiful harvest. The Plymouth celebration stands out because the settlers’ food harvest was not plentiful, but the Wampanoag Native Americans helped by providing the colonists with seeds and teaching them fishing techniques. While the origins of this holiday are not exactly clear, a tradition was sparked, and by 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday of every November as Thanksgiving.

Even though Thanksgiving is a wonderful time, it can be stressful to plan and execute a feast for a large crowd. Whether you hope to celebrate simply, or in style, the High Plains Library District is sure to have resources for all ages that detail the holiday’s history and traditions to help you plan your ultimate Thanksgiving celebration.

Traci, Farr Regional Library

Books:Budget Celebrations: The Hostess Guide to Year-Round Entertaining on a Dime by Shelley Wolson

Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie

How to Cook a Turkey: And All the Other Trimmings by The Editors of Fine Cooking Magazine

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FEATURES The New Thanksgiving Table: An American Celebration of Family, Friends, and Food by Diane Morgan

Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America’s Favorite Holiday with America’s Thanksgiving Expert by Rick Rodgers

The Thanksgiving Ceremony: New Traditions for America’s Family Feast by Edward Bleier

Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday by James W. Baker

Thanksgiving: The True Story by Penny Colman

Videos:Martha’s Classic ThanksgivingThanksgiving

Websites:Everything Thanksgiving (Martha Stewart)http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/holiday-turkeys

Food Network Thanksgiving Recipeshttp://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/thanksgiving/index.html

Founders Give Thanks (Library of Congress)http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/thanksgiving/

Thanksgiving Recipes (Allrecipes)http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/holidays-and-events/thanksgiving/main.aspx

USA.gov Thanksgiving Resourceshttp://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Thanksgiving.shtml

FEATURESThe Strategy of Punkin Chunkin

Sound frivolous or silly? Well, you may be partially right. But punkin chunkin actually calls on many prized skills! To win the Chunk, you’ll need excellent math skills, solid strategy, knowledge of engines and engine repair, a healthy competitive spirit, and plenty of good sportsmanship. The 2011 event is closed to new entrants, but you can start preparing for 2012 now with these resources from your local library. And if pumpkin carving or baking is more your speed, well, we can help you there, too.

Meagan, Farr Regional Library

Books:The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery by William Gurstelle

Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices by William Gurstelle

The Catapult: A History by Tracey Rihll

Geometry: A Self-Teaching Guide by Steve Slavin and Ginny Crisonino

Play with Your Pumpkins by Joost Elffers, Saxton Freymann, and Johannes van Dam

Holiday Pumpkins: A Collection of Inspired Recipes, Gifts, and Decorations by Georgeanne Brennan

Video:Lords of the Gourd

Databases:Small Engine Repair CenterScience Online

Websites:World Championship Punkin Chunkin http://www.punkinchunkin.com

Punkin Chunkin on the Science Channelhttp://science.discovery.com/tv/punkin-chunkin/

Library Resources for the Winter Months

Winter is coming. In fact, it’s already begun. What are you going to do all winter? Oh, we’ve got answers.

• Looking for another book? Try any of our great Libguides. We’ve got Book Lovers’ Central, which includes author interviews and a personalized reading list option. Or, find out what library staff is reading on our Staff Recommendations Libguide. We even have a page devoted to graphic novels.

• What about a movie? Everyone needs a great movie on those winter nights. Check out 24 Frames Per Second, our film Libguide.

• Who could forget music? We’ve got a great music libguide to keep you up to date on upcoming shows, new releases at your library, and just about anything else music-related. Plus, we also offer a personalized playlist service. Fill out a short survey and get music recommendations suited just for you.

• Thinking about getting an e-reader? Having

trouble getting ebooks and audio ebooks onto your device? Look no further than our ebook and e-reader guide.

• Ever thought about picking up a language? Maybe now’s the time. Try out Mango Languages, the library’s interactive, multimedia language tutor.

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Families | Fun Family FoodNovember 5, 1:00-2:00 pm

Carbon Valley Regional Library

Let’s stir up some fun in the kitchen! Carol Wiggins of Stir It Up Cooking School will show us how easy it is to get your family involved in healthy meal preparation. The kids will be mixing up a dish to share.

For families with children in 1st grade & up. Kids must be accompanied by adult. Space is limited; tickets will be handed out 30 minutes prior to program.

Teens & Tweens | Project BlackoutNovember 5, 6:00-8:00 pm

Carbon Valley Regional Library

It is night, the library is dark. Solve one clue to get to the next. Get to the end as soon as you can.

SPECIAL EVENTSAdults | Health TalksNovember 15, 6:30-7:30 pm

Farr Regional Library

Dr. Patricia Sorbo of the Weld Family Clinic of Chiropractic leads a session on “Raising Healthy Children in an Unhealthy World.” She will present tips for parents and grandparents to help children live healthy lives in an increasingly stressful world.This program is presented as a community partnership event. Sponsorship or co-sponsorship of this event does not constitute the Library’s endorsement of the content or views expressed during the program.

Adults | Local History Series:Out of the Coal Dust - A History of Erie, CONovember 16, 7:00-8:00 pm

Erie Community Library

Join us for a look at historical images of Erie, presented by former professor and Erie resident Jim Stull. Jim’s brand new book, Images of America: Erie, contains 213 photgraphs from the mid 1800s to the present. Each chapter begins with a narrative that includes early settlement, buildings, mines, and farms. A book sale and signing will follow the presentation.

SPECIAL EVENTSAdults & Teens | Drop the Shopping: Crafting for ChristmasNovember 25, 10:30 am-2:30 pm

Centennial Park Library

Come take a break from shopping. Relax with crafting and refreshments. Instructors will be available for quilling, beading, knitting, and stamping small holiday projects. Come and go as you please.

Adults | Tech Petting ZooNovember 29, 6:00-8:00 pm

Farr Regional Library

Library staff and representatives from Aims Technology Playground Committee and Barnes & Noble will be on hand to answer your questions and demonstrate devices such as a MP3 Player, iPad, iTouch, NookTM, NookcolorTM, Sony eReader, KindleTM and more. Drop in for a hands-on exploration that will expand your technical literacy horizons.

Library Service in EvansTuesdays, 10:00 am-11:00 am

Evans Public Computer Center

Although Greeley is the location of three High Plains Library District branch library buildings, did you know that you can still get great library service in nearby Evans? Evans seniors gather at the community center for the low-cost senior lunch and plenty of good company every week and the High Plains Library District is working to support this active community, bringing entertainment and information to Evans seniors every Tuesday morning at the senior lunch.

Each Tuesday, for an hour before the senior lunch is served, Evans library patrons have access to a High Plains Library District librarian and a table full of large-print materials available for check-out. Senior readers can request that specific books be delivered to them at the lunch and can return books there as well, offering a higher level of convenience and service to a community group that may find it difficult to get to a library branch.

And although the service may be centered around the Evans senior lunch, it doesn’t have to be limited to Evans seniors! Anyone who visits the community center between 10:00 and 11:00 am on Tuesday mornings is welcome to drop by the library table and ask for information, sign up for a library card, check out a book, or just visit with other readers. So next time you find yourself in the neighborhood on a Tuesday morning, be sure to drop by, say hello, and maybe find something great to read!

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LIBRARIES

PUBLIC COMPUTER CENTERS

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AFFILIATED LOCATIONS

BOOK DEPOSITSBriggsdale Library42089 WCR 70, Briggsdale, CO 80611

Pierce Senior Center321 Main, Pierce, CO 80650

Grover Community Library230 Chatoga, Grover, CO 80729

Mead Community/Senior CenterP.O. Box 626, Mead, CO 80542

Hill & Park Senior Center4205 Yosemite Dr., Greeley, CO 80634

Milliken Senior Center1101 Broad Street, Milliken, CO 80543