My husband and I were in Lubbock recently and stopped for a quick lunch at an establishment that purported to be a cafe. As we entered the premises, we picked up on several clues that the “cafe” was actually a dive bar. Committed to actually eating a meal, not drinking it, we stayed. The food was adequate but we felt sorry for the waitresses whose uniforms included Daisy Duke shorts.
But the best part of the experience was finding educational posters throughout. The English spelling rule of “I before E except after C” had a new twist as “I before E except in Budweiser.” A life lesson was even broached by the late comedian, George Carlin: “One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, FLOOR!”
So much for our foray into the outside world. Here at Rhoads Memorial Library, we are happy to be in our comfortable, air-conditioned facility where a water fountain in the foyer provides a drink of cool water to the thirsty. So, while no food or drink is allowed in the library proper, we do offer, for your entertainment, 20,000+ items, including some newly released books. Ready for checkout, these include: -”Lion and Lamb” (a novel) by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski; -”Happiness” (a novel) by Danielle Steel; -”Canary Girls” (a novel of historical fiction) by Jennifer Chiaverini.
That last book, “Canary Girls,” follows the women who built weapons urgently needed by the British military during World War I. As men left Britain’s factories early in the Great War to enlist, struggling arsenals put up recruitment posters beckoning women to “Be the Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun.”
Thousands of them, from all walks of life, responded. The “munitionettes” worked grueling shifts, often seven days a week, handling TNT and other explosives with very little protective gear. In fact, resulting illnesses and yellowed skin brought on by various chemicals they handled caused them to be dubbed the “Canary Girls. “
For relaxation, they gathered on the soccer pitch where class distinctions and fears for their men fell away. As the “war grinds on and tragedy takes its toll, the Canary Girls persist despite the dangers, proud to serve, determined to outlive the war and rejoice in victory and peace.”
We will be closed Saturday, Sept. 2, in observance of Labor Day Weekend. We will re-open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5.
Until next week, Happy Reading!