If you are a Boomer, or even a Gen-X'er, you will probably recognize this lament as Charlie Brown's response to the recurring crises in his life - another shutout loss by his baseball team, the missed football kick as Lucy snatches the ball away at the last moment, failure to receive a valentine from the little red-haired girl, the kite hopelessly entangled in the "kite-eating tree." Life is hard for Charlie Brown. Even his own dog, Snoopy, treats him with indifference and refers to him (in thought) as "that round-headed kid."

March 31st marks the 280th anniversary of Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn's birth. His music, said to epitomize the sound of the so-called Classical Era that followed the Baroque period, is noted for its warmth, clarity, and intellect. Composers of the following generation such as Mozart (a close friend of Haydn) and Beethoven (briefly his student) picked up on his innovations and developed them further. Indeed, these followers soon came to eclipse Haydn in reputation, and it wasn't until early in the twentieth century that his music began to receive renewed attention from musicologists and performers.

Years ago, when home vegetable gardens were more the rule than the exception, home yards were not always the focal point of the home. In other words, yards were yards—usually expansive and not necessarily designed landscapes. Vegetable gardens were an integral part of life. As society migrated to more urban living, smaller lots and focused on the beauty of our homes, a grander landscaping focus naturally followed. However, now many are questioning the wisdom of devoting so much money and our precious resources to landscape maintenance when the yard space could be used for more productive use, such as, once again, a vegetable garden.

Everyone Has a Story - Share Yours!

Books All Around!

All around the World

Colors

Animals!

Family & Routine

Augusta Baker's Dozen Storytelling Celebration, Richland Library's annual storytelling festival, cosponsored by the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science and the Richland Library Friends, occurs every April and brings to life the world of storytelling and children's literature. The celebration honors the works and achievements of nationally-known author and storyteller Augusta Baker.