Veterans Day

November 11th is a day to honor all veterans on a national scale. This particular date is quite significant, given that on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice was called between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War. The following year, November 11th was celebrated as Armistice Day. It became a legal federal holiday in 1938. After WWII and the Korean War, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The library has a wide variety of resources to help honor American veterans on November 11th and all year long.

CDs
The Civil War: Its Music and Sounds
United States Army Field Band
United States Marine Band

DVDs
Band of Brothers
The Deer Hunter
Full Metal Jacket
Muse of Fire
The Pacific
Platoon
Vietnam: A Television History
The War
WWII in HD

Fiction Books

All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque
The Marines of Autumn by James Brady
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
The Sandbox by David Zimmerman
The Thin Red Line by James Jones
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson

Non-fiction Books
Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie
Joker One by Donovan Campbell
The Last Stand of Fox Company by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin
Never will We Forget: Oral Histories of WWII by Marilyn Mayer Culpepper
Radioman by Ray Daves

Websites
History.com
Lehigh Valley area Veterans Day events (from The Morning Call)
U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Veterans of Foreign Wars

Interesting Facts
~There are currently about 23.2 million military veterans in the United States
~9.2 million of those veterans are over the age of 65
~1.9 million veterans are under the age of 35
~Congress passed a bill that moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October, in 1968 (the law went into effect in 1971.) President Ford returned the holiday back to November 11th in 1975, due to the date's historical importance
~Britain, France, Australia and Canada also honor the vets of WWI and WWII on or near November 11th

How will you commemorate Veterans Day this year?

Interesting facts found on History.com's Veterans Day Facts page.
Information about Veterans Day found on History.com's Veterans Day page.

Pumpkin vs. Jack O'Lantern

Now that we are in the thick of the fall season, the age-old question returns...what should be done with all of those pumpkins? From baked goods to scary lanterns to unique centerpieces, pumpkins are one of the most diverse plants around. With so many options, it can be hard to decide on the best use of your "pompion." Read on for fun facts and festive ideas.

Pumpkin
Recipes
~AllRecipes.com - Includes recipes for savory dishes, such as Pumpkin Turkey Chili and Pumpkin Fritters, along with sweet treats, such as Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins and Granny Kat's Pumpkin Roll.
~FoodNetwork.com - Embrace your inner TV chef by sampling some of the unique pumpkin recipes from big names like Paula Deen, the Barefoot Contessa, Bobby Flay and more! Recipes range from Pumpkin Mousse Parfait to Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream to Spicy Pumpkin Seeds and beyond.

Decorative Ideas
~No surprise here, Martha Stewart offers some eye-catching decorative ideas for pumpkins. Give the Pumpkin Cachepots or Glittered Pumpkins a try.
~Real Simple has easy, no carve pumpkin ideas that make great use of tape, tacks and paint.
~Good Housekeeping is another handy resource for no fuss, no muss pumpkin decorating. Don't miss the beautiful celestial vase.
~Kaboose.com shares some cute ideas, such as Eeeek! Pumpkin, Swarm of Bats Pumpkin, Creepy Eyeball Pumpkin and Giant Pumpkin Bowl.

Fun Facts

~Pumpkins are fruits. They are a type of squash in the gourd family.

~The largest pumpkin ever grown was 1,689 lbs. It was grown by Joe Jutras of North Scituate, Rhode Island.

~In colonial times, pumpkins were emptied of seeds and filled with milk, spices and honey, then baked in hot ashes for a tasty treat.

~Pumpkins are 90% water.

~French explorer Jacques Cartier first called pumpkins "gros melons," which translates into "pompions," which has developed into "pumpkin."

~U.S. farmers produce more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin annually.

~Pumpkins were once recommended to help remove freckles and cure snake bites.

Jack O'Lantern
Recipes (although recipes tend to fall under the pumpkin category, there are a few that bend the rules a little)
~Martha Stewart's Jack-o'-Lantern Tartlets, Pumpkin-Seed Brittle and Stew in a Pumpkin
~Betty Crocker's Jack-o'-Lantern Cake
~AllRecipes.com's Jack-O-Lantern Burgers

Carving Ideas
~Go back to basics with this helpful Pumpkin Carving Primer from Disney's FamilyFun website. Two other nice resources are the jack-o'-lanterns 101 poster and the Pumpkin Carving Tips: Carving the Perfect Pumpkin article, also featured on the site.
~After you learn all there is to know about pumpkin carving and are ready to go, Disney's FamilyFun site also provides ideas for what to actually carve into the pumpkin. Visit the Printable Halloween Patterns & Pumpkin Carving Templates page and the Jack-o-Lantern Patterns & Ideas page.
~Never one to miss a craft opportunity, Marth Stewart comes through again with impressive ideas for pumpkin carving. Check out her Carrot-Nose Jack-o'-Lanterns, Starburst Pumpkin Sconces, Jack-o'-Lanterns Made Tall, Spooky Silhouette Designs, Pierced Openwork Pumpkins and Pumpkin Creatures.
~Why carve alone, when you can host a pumpkin-carving party? Real Simple provides a step-by-step guide to throw a smashingly successful event. The guide includes a play list, menu ideas and carving tips.

History of the Jack O'Lantern
~The practice of carving jack o'lanterns began in Ireland with the myth of "Stingy Jack." According to legend, Stingy Jack played a few tricks on the devil in his lifetime. When he died, God would not allow Stingy Jack into heaven, due to his misdeeds in life. The devil would not allow him into hell, since Stingy Jack had duped him twice and make him promise not to take his soul. With nowhere else to go, Stingy Jack was forced to wander the earth with nothing but a burning coal to light his way. He placed this coal in a carved-out turnup for easier transportation. The Irish referred to him as "Jack of the Lantern," which developed into "Jack O'Lantern" over time. Irish and Scottish people started carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes, in order to scare away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. Immigrants from Ireland and Scotland brought this tradition to America, but soon found pumpkins to be an easier plant to carve.

Pumpkins are a staple of Halloween and the fall season, in general. Their versatility allows chefs, bakers, crafters and families, alike, to express themselves in fun and unique ways. What will you do with pumpkins this year?

Sources of fun fact info: History.com and the University of Illinois Extension's Pumpkins and More site
Source of Jack O'Lantern history: History.com

Roller Derby

Roller Derby is on the rise! This action-packed, full-contact sport is the fastest growing female sport in America. Have you heard of it? Chances are you know a roller girl, are a roller girl or have at least seen Whip It. If your curiosity is peaked, read on for a quick intro to this wildly popular sport and links to more resources.

History
-The birthday of Roller Derby is August 13, 1935, the day that Chicago promoter Leo Seltzer debuted The Transcontinteal Roller Derby. It was initially started to compete with the Dance Marathon mania and was meant to be an endurance test. Teams of one man and one woman took turns skating 57,000 laps. It caught on in a flash, attracting 20,000 viewers in just the first week.
-Roller Derby was transformed in 1938 when New York sportswriter Damon Runyan saw some competitors get jumbled up during the race. He mentioned to Seltzer that making the event full-contact and keeping score might increase audience numbers.
-During the 1950s, television helped add to the popularity of Roller Derby. The show's fan base increased and legends were made out of competitors such as Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn.
-Roller Derby's popularity lagged in the '70s, while the gas crisis and overhead costs caused Leo Seltzer's son (who had taken over the business) to shut down the show. Several promoters tried to revive Roller Derby, but none had any staying power.
-The game was successfully resurrected several years ago, through the tenacity of all-girl leagues rising up around the country. Today's Roller Derby is more of a sport, with female athletes paying to play, training throughout the week and following a fixed set of rules, enforced by referees.

Rules
Roller Derby has a defined set of rules. Here is a brief summary:
-Teams are made up of ten players, with no more than five players on the track per team - One Pivot, three Blockers and one Jammer.
-The Jammer has a star on her helmet and her role is to score points by passing opponents.
-The Pivot has a stripe down the middle of her helmet and sets the pace for the pack.
-The Blocker sets up plays to help her teammates or sets up blocks for opposing Jammers.
-There are a total of four referees - two Jammer Referees and two Penalty Referees.
-The game consists of four eight-minute periods.
-Play begins when the first whistle blows and starts the pack. The Jammers begins when the second whistle blows. Jams can last up to 60 seconds or when the lead Jammer calls it off.
-There are rules regarding leaving the track, penalties, legal and illegal blocks.

Resources
-Pamela Ribon, author of Going in Circles (which she amusingly refers to as Eat, Cry, Shove), wrote a very interesting article for Oprah's website called Show Me Who You Really Are: How Roller Derby Can Save Your Life. The article discusses her experiences playing roller derby, especially in conjuction with her divorce.
-A&E has a site devoted to its show Rollergirls, where much of the information for this post was found. It includes a history of the sport, rules, lingo and profiles of some real roller girls.
-The Women's Flat Track Derby Association has a comprehensive website featuring info about leagues around the country, FAQs, news, stats and more.
-Get to know the local Roller Derby organization - the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls - by visiting their website.
-Check out Whip It, Drew Barrymore's directorial debut starring Ellen Page. This movie is about a small-town girl with big dreams who finds an outlet on the Roller Derby rink.

The Mother of Father's Day

Did you know that this year marks the 100th anniversary of Father's Day? It all started with a young woman from Spokane, Washington.

Sonora Smart Dodd was just 16 years old when her mother passed away, leaving her father, William Jackson Smart, to raise six young children. He did such an admirable job that upon hearing a Mother's Day sermon at Central United Methodist Church in 1909, Sonora was spurred to propose a similar honor for fathers. With the help of Reverend Dr. Conrad Bluhm (her pastor at Old Centenary Presbyterian Church,) the Spokane YMCA and the Ministerial Alliance, Sonora organized the first Father's Day on June 19, 1910. Sermons honoring fathers were given throughout the city.

This special day did not receive national recognition for many more years. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge celebrated Father's Day and encouraged the states to follow suit. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a proclamation for Father's Day to be celebrated on the third Sunday in June and for flags to be flown that day on government buildings. In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon signed a proclamation officially marking the third Sunday in June as Father's Day.

What began as a young woman's wish to honor her own father's dedication to his family, along with recognizing all fathers , has become a 100-year-old, worldwide, annual celebration of fathers, grandfathers, uncles and father figures.

Click here to learn more.