National Reading Month

National Reading Month is here again! For some interesting trivia, or ways to celebrate reading this month, please read the following articles:

https://bookriot.com/national-reading-month-march-2024/

https://nationaltoday.com/national-reading-month/

If you’re looking for a fun and unique activity for any kids in your life, the Columbia Public Library will be hosting a Reading to Rover event from 5:30-7:00 on March 10th. The “Rovers” in this instance are therapy dogs. Find out more about this activity here: https://events.dbrl.org/event/12833858

Also, as a reminder from last year’s post, some independent bookstores here in Columbia are Yellow Dog, the Peace Nook, and Skylark. There are also the book sales at the Columbia Public Library.

I hope you all have a wonderful National Reading Month!

5 Minute Speed Drawing Challenge

Looking for a challenge that doesn’t take much time?
This one only takes 5 minutes of your day, and requires nothing more than pencil and paper or pen, or tablet and stylus. For a twist you might not have thought of, use a ballpoint pen. They can be great drawing tools that can produce light or dark lines. Other tools that work great for the purposes of learning to draw quickly and more simply are kid’s markers such as Crayolas or similar generic brands. If you don’t want to use the provided prompt list then there are plenty of drawing challenges that would pair well with this, or create your own. To find out all about this challenge, please visit https://kickinthecreatives.com/5-minute-march/.

Missouri Quintet Recital

If you would like to listen to a woodwind recital accompanied by piano then the Missouri Woodwind Quintet and Dr. Rachel AuBuchon will be performing on Feb. 24th from 7:30-9:00 at the Sinquefield Music Center. You can find out more here: https://calendar.missouri.edu/event/missouri-quintet-recital-with-dr-rachel-aubuchon?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=Mizzou+Events+Calendar

Missouri’s Climate and Weathering With You

If you are interested in the topics of Missouri, weather, and/or watching animated films, then this event is worth knowing about. It starts with a lecture about Missouri’s hydroclimate and closes with a showing of the movie “Weathering With You.” This event starts at 6:00 p.m. on Feb. 18th at the Ragtag Cinema. You can find more information about the event and tickets at this link: https://ragtagcinema.org/film/weathering-with-you/.

Audio Book Decision: Speed

So, in a world of a million choices and growing, here’s yet another you can make: How fast you want to listen to your books. You can read the article here: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/22/nx-s1-5251440/is-there-a-right-way-or-wrong-way-to-listen-to-an-audio-book.
I found it interesting, both in what genres get race car treatment, and at what speed the average person’s comprehension starts to decline. Clearly, YouTube needs more speed options. I’ve never sped through an audio book, but I do this trick to informational YouTube videos all the time. So, have you ever sped through an audio book? Would you do it again?

Lettermo Challenge for February

The approach of a new month means the start of new challenges, and this one is a great excuse to dust off address books. You basically write a letter a day, skipping Sundays, then actually mail them to someone. You also respond back to anyone who writes to you. For more information on this challenge, including ideas on who you could write to, please visit the site here: https://lettermo.com/. You can also officially join the challenge as well.