P365: Winnie the Pooh [036]

Finally! I found a room in the library that actually has books - the Children’s room!

Not only does this book house all the children’s books, but it also had the original collection of Winnie the Pooh and friends that were originally owned by Christopher Robin.

Winnie the Pooh turns 90 this summer and will also be in theaters on July 15. :)

P365: New York Public Library [023]

As you know, I often go to the library because I mentioned it so many times on this blog.  The New York Public Library is probably one of my favorite places in the city.

This was the first time I went to the one across the street because it’s open later.  It was neat passing by the main one though and having the picture turn out as clear as it did. Success! :)

NYC: Library

Check out my other blog, The Library Adventures, to find out about the New York Public Library! :)

UP History

On Facebook, the University of Portland put up some old photos of the campus.  It's so interesting to see how the school has changed over the past 109 years.  UP is rich with history from its founding in 1901 to its expansion in 2009 with the purchase of River Campus, the establishment of Fields and Schoenfeldt Halls, the Bell Tower, and the renovation of the Engineering Hall (aka Shiley Hall).  Even with all these physical changes to campus, UP still rings true to its mission of Teaching, Faith and Service.

So it's fun Friday, and they made a game out of these pictures.  Whoever guessed the correct year first for each picture won!  They gave away soccer tickets to the men's game vs. Oregon on August 25. GO PILOTS!

But yeah, check this out (all photo credits go to the University of Portland archives):

1938

1950

1971

1985

1997

(I won soccer tickets by guessing this one correctly after two guesses) 

2009

Isn't it amazing to see how UP has expanded and changed over the years?  I can't wait to see where the future takes UP.  I know it will continue to grow and establish itself as a distinguished institution. 

Ah! Can't wait to visit UP in a couple weeks! See you at the game! :)

P.S. I feel like this should be on the library blog...oh well. 

BOOKS: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

After reading Wuthering Heights, I checked out what books I haven't read on my bookshelf.  Browsing over my Harry Potter shelf (yes, I have a shelf dedicated to the lightning-scarred wizard), I found The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which I received as a Christmas gift a couple years ago.

The book is a collection of wizard fairy tales.  It was first introduced in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I read one story a night, which was just enough to get through it in five days.  Good bedtime stories too.

I was most intrigued by "The Tale of Three Brothers" because it directly connects with The Deathly Hallows.  I recognized it within the first few sentences.  Guess I really am a Harry Potter nerd and definitely won't deny it.

Another story I found interesting was "The Warlock's Hairy Heart."  It was a bit gruesome (well, as gruesome as a children's book can be), but that was what made the story so twisted. 

Anyway, it was a quick read before finding a more challenging book.  Reviewing my bookshelf again, I found a couple unread books that were gifts or that I bought in high school.  I wanted to check out some other options I had but quickly became overwhelmed with how many books I wanted to read.  I wish my house had a database, like the library, so that I could see what books we had.  I was hoping to read The Count of Monte Cristo, but I don't think we have it.  So until my next BOOKS blog post...

BOOKS: Wuthering Heights

If there is one thing I missed while being in school, it's definitely reading for pleasure.  

I haven't been able to get into the groove of reading for years because each book was connected to a homework assignment - book reports, summer English Honors homework, chapter summaries, essay questions, papers, etc.  As much as I enjoyed reading some of those assigned books, I felt that I was often looking for that deeper meaning, instead of just enjoying the author's written word, taking in each description and truly appreciating the masterpiece that was written. Probably why I'm not a huge fan of Steinbeck (memo to self: try re-reading his work).

This might sound crazy, but even reading Harry Potter seemed like an assignment.  That was my fault though.  In summer 2007, I was determined to read the whole series before the seventh one came out.  I was a week off and then actually had to dive into the last installment.  I really enjoyed reading the whole series, but at some points of that last book, I was just like, "Man, they're still in the forest. *sigh*"

Well, with school done (for now), I've decided to try hitting the books once again and just reading for the joy of reading!

The first book on my list was Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.  I think I only have this book because I was supposed to read it for class but never got around to it.  Just kidding.  I started reading it but never passed the first two chapters because I was having difficulties following all the characters.  Finally, I read passed those first two chapters and found it to be an interesting yet complicated story.  The story follows and intertwines the lives of three generations of families living on the moors of England - lots of family drama, combined with romance, friendship and loyalty.  The relationships of the characters can get confusing at times, but I liked it.

I definitely feel accomplished after reading it.

Looking on my bookshelf, I noticed that there's actually several books that I haven't even opened.  I plan to read those books and then check out other books around the house.  Yeah...basically going to go through all the books in the house like Matilda.  Then it's off to the library! ;)

Speaking of the library, if you haven't already, you should check out this other blog I write for with my friends at UP: http://adventuresofrickandtarra.blogspot.com/.

I'm so excited for reading again! :D