Web tip of the week, Dec. 14, 2015
http://www.merriam-webster.com/game/index.htm
Crosswords, jumbles, naming games, scrabble, Vocabulary quizzes and more
Submitted by Jack Batterson
Dec. 12 Winter Farmer's Market from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Parkade Center (601 Business Loop 70W) Experience the taste of mid-Missouri at the Columbia Farmers Market! Find us every Saturday from 8am to noon (March-October) at the ARC (1701 W Ash St.) and 9am to noon (November-March) at Parkade Center (601 Business Loop 70W). Fresh vegetables & fruit, meat, farm fresh eggs, cheeses, honey, cut flowers, plants, artisan items & more. As a producer-only market, everything sold here is offered by the farmers and artisans who help sustain our region. Food Stamps accepted at all markets. Live music every Saturday! Rain or Shine!
Dec. 12 Breakfast with Santa at Sunrise Optimist Club (2410 Parker St.) from 8-11 a.m. Kids eat FREE and Adults are $5 which goes to programs for children in Boone County. Absolutely the best, most laid back, friendly, breakfast with Santa, Mrs. Clause, and an Elf that a family could ever have! Activities for kids and one on one time with Santa.
Dec. 12 Storytime at Yellow Dog Bookshop (8 S. 9th St.) from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Attendees get 20% off kids' books!
Dec. 12 Cathy Salter's "Notes from Boomerang Creek" at the Columbia Public Library, Friends Room, from 1-2 p.m. "Notes from Boomerang Creek," local author Cathy Salter’s recently published second book, is a collection of meditations on country walks, food shared with friends, travel, art, great books, and the art of writing. The essays have appeared over the past decade in the Columbia Daily Tribune and the Boone County Journal.
Dec. 13 It's a Wonderful Ride: Holiday Lights Bicycle Tour – Starts at Lucky's Market (111 S. Providence) at 5:30. "Spread the holiday cheer and burn some candy cane calories on our tour de Como holiday light ride. Join Getabout Columbia staff on a tour of festive holiday decorations found in and around downtown Columbia – all by bicycle. This family friendly outing will include low traffic streets throughout downtown Columbia, surrounding college campuses and residential neighborhoods. Hot cocoa will be available after the ride. Prizes award for best dressed rider and best decorated bike. Registered cyclists will receive a special treat for your bike. Call 874-7460 to register."
Here are the stories of two children who want Christmas cards this year. If you have an extra card, consider passing it along!
Jack, an 8-year-old boy from Indianapolis, was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes seizures and other medical disorders. His mother said he's had a rough couple of months and has been very depressed. His wish is to decorate the walls of his room with Christmas cards. You can find out more information and Jack's address here: http://fox59.com/2015/12/08/indianapolis-boy-with-rare-condition-just-wants-cards-for-christmas/
Safyre, a five-year-old from New York, is the sole survivor of an arson attack that killed her entire family in 2013. She has had multiple surgeries, including a hand and foot amputation, but she remains a happy child. Her Christmas wish is for Christmas cards. You can find more information and Safyre's address here: http://www.ksdk.com/story/life/2015/12/08/girl-who-lost-parents-in-fire-wants-christmas-cards/76986802/
Web tip of the week, Dec. 7, 2015
http://engineering.missouri.edu/building-updates/trivia/
Each month, beginning in November, the Engineering Communications Department will pose a new question about the Lafferre renovation project on Engineering E-TV.
Yes, there are prizes!
Submitted by Jack Batterson
Web tip of the week, Nov. 30 2015
https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/c.php?g=28105&p=173239
Did you know that HSL has a wonderful website of consumer health resources? One of special interest is under the tab "find a" nursing home. There are several links to finding quality nursing home care.
Submitted by Jack Batterson
VAC Holiday Program Family Wish List
Child’s First Name |
Age |
Boy or Girl |
Height and Weight |
Coat Size |
Shirt Size |
Under- wear/ Bra Size |
Shoe Size |
Pants Size/ Length |
Favorite Colors |
Needs/Priorities |
Would Like/Hopes For |
|
||||||||||||
Janea |
15 |
Girl |
5’5-6” 120 lbs. |
16 girls
Med. Jr. |
16 girls
Med. Jr. |
36C 14 panties |
10 women’s |
16 girls or med. Women |
Teal turquoise |
Pajamas, thermals, underwear, socks, gloves, dresses |
Bike/helmet Mario 3D World Wii u Super smash bros. Wii u, books |
|
||||||||||||
Marisa |
9 |
Girl |
4’8” 79 lbs. |
8 |
8 |
8 panties & undershirt |
Child 5 |
8 |
Yellow blue |
Pajamas, thermals, underwear, socks, gloves jeans, pants, dresses |
Donkey Kong Wii u, Mario Cart 8 Wii u, Splatoon Wii u Doll to practice braiding hair (American Girl) Bike/helmet, books |
|
||||||||||||
Natasha |
4 |
Girl |
3’5” 30 lbs. |
4T |
4T |
4T |
10 toddler |
4T |
Pink purple |
Pajamas, thermals, underwear, socks, gloves, dresses |
Age appropriate Melissa & Doug toys, bi-racial doll, American Girl, Bike/helmet, books |
|
||||||||||||
Joshua |
1 |
Boy |
2 ½” 27 lbs. |
2T |
2T |
Diapers 4 or 5 |
2 or 3 infants |
2T |
Red blue |
Pajamas, thermals, diapers, socks, first walker shoes, mittens waterproof, snowsuit, |
Push cart walker for first time walkers. Melissa & Doug age appropriate toys, board books |
|
||||||||||||
Jeremiah
|
1 |
Boy |
2 ½” 22 lbs. |
2T |
2T |
Diapers 4 or 5 |
2 or 3 infants |
2T |
Green orange |
Pajamas, thermals, diapers, socks, first walker shoes, mittens waterproof, snowsuit, |
Push cart walker for first time walkers. Melissa & Doug age appropriate toys, board books |
|
||||||||||||
Lashanta |
36 |
Mom |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
Suggested household |
Pots & pans, drinking glasses, plates, bowls, mugs, dish rack, |
|
||||||||||||
Robert |
34 |
Dad |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
. |
Gift ideas: |
LED lights for whole house, towels and wash clothes, etc. |
|
We received the December issue of Missouri Life in today’s mail. It includes an article about Charles Dickens’s 1842 visit to St Louis. And the magazine suggests the following events, for Missourians who would like to celebrate the holidays, Dickens-style.
Dec 3-5
Dickens Christmas Faire
Neosho
https://www.facebook.com/events/176351656037804/
Dec 4
A Christmas Carol
Columbia
http://www.concertseries.org/shows/a-christmas-carol/
Dec 5
Dickens Christmas
Warrensburg
http://warrensburgmainstreet.squarespace.com/dickens-christmas/
Dec 11-20
A Christmas Carol
Arrow Rock
http://www.lyceumtheatre.org/production.php?id=193
I’ve recently developed a slight addiction to MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses. They are free (though some offer certificates for a fee). They are open to anyone with an internet connection – which makes them “massive,” with upwards of tens of thousands of students. A huge variety of nationalities, ages, and education levels can be found on their message boards. I’ve found that MOOCs are a fun, low-stress way to keep my mind active for a little while each day, dabbling in areas of interest to me.
The first MOOC that I tried was a module of “The Book: Histories Across Time and Space,” which is presented by Harvard University’s Houghton Library through the edX platform. My interest was piqued when I saw it mentioned on the MU Special Collections tumblr. It was fascinating to learn about the interrelation of language and technology. The course content consists of articles, video lectures, and quizzes. There are nine open-enrollment modules to "The Book," and I plan to explore more of them in the future.
https://www.edx.org/book-histories-across-time-space-0
I am currently working on two six-week courses, which are more interactive in nature than “The Book” is. The first is “Ancient Egypt: A History in Six Objects,” taught by the University of Manchester through the Coursera site. It's an incredibly condensed survey of thousands of years of history, using objects from the Manchester Museum's collection as jumping-off points. From pottery to hieroglyphs to pyramids, this course covers the highlights of Egyptology and has been a lot of fun. There are a wide variety of course materials utilized: chronologies, maps, articles, video lectures, 3D models, quizzes, weekly activities, discussion forums, and a peer-reviewed assignment. There are also supplemental readings available each week for those who want to dig deeper. I will definitely be making a trip to the MU Art & Archaeology Museum in the near future, and I feel like I will have a better background for appreciating its Egyptian artifacts. Hopefully, one day I will have an opportunity to travel to Egypt and see the pyramids themselves!
https://www.coursera.org/course/ancientegypt
The other course that I’m taking is FutureLearn’s “Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales,” hosted by the Hans Christian Andersen Centre in his hometown of Odense, Denmark. We've touched on Andersen's life, the folk tale tradition, and the fairy tale genre. Last week, I read "The Little Mermaid" for the first time and enjoyed it immensely. The course content consists of articles, video lectures, discussion boards, quizzes, and a peer-reviewed essay. A fantastic Danish storyteller reads fairy tale passages as part of the video lectures. The instructor presents questions and invite responses, before offering his own analysis. It's been interesting to see how closely my own interpretation matches (or doesn’t match) the instructor’s, and also to see the variety of interpretations from other students. I do plan to read more of Andersen's tales in the future.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/hans-christian-andersens-fairy-tales
Though the subject matter and format vary, something that all of these courses have in common is enthusiastic instructors. They are obviously passionate about the material and about sharing it with a world-wide audience.
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