Currently viewing the tag: "summer"

The North Shore is the place to be for festivals running all summer long. From the Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach, to the Salem Maritime Festival, to Gloucester’s famous Greasy Pole Contest of the St. Peter’s Fiesta, if you need to get out of the bustling city head north and explore these historic New England towns along the coast. Transportation is simple and easy, plus the MBTA is now offering $10 rail weekends. You can get to about any of these festivals by taking the Newburyport/Rockport line on the Commuter Rail.

 

St. Peter’s Fiesta! June 26-30, 2019  ~ Gloucester, MA

National Sand Sculpting Festival at Revere Beach July, 26-28, 2019 ~  Revere Beach, MA

Yankee Homecoming July 27-August 4, 2019  ~  Newburyport, MA

Salem Maritime Festival August 3-4, 2019  ~  Salem, MA

Festival by the Sea August 3, 2019  ~  Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA

39th Annual Gloucester Waterfront Festival August 17, 2019  ~  Gloucester, MA

Annual Rockport Jazz Festival August 4-11, 2019  ~  Rockport, MA

Best of the North Shore (BONS) Event August 20, 2019  ~  Ipswich, MA

Rockport Celtic Festival August 23-25, 2019  ~  Rockport, MA

RiverFest Seaside Music Festival August 24, 2019  ~  Gloucester, MA

Gloucester Schooner Festival August 30 – September 3, 2019  ~  Gloucester, MA

Peabody International Festival Artisan and Maker Street Fair September 8, 2019  ~  Peabody, MA

 

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It’s that time of year again! As you finish up your last exams, polish up your final papers and turn in your final assignments, please stop by the 4th floor Library Service Desk to return any outstanding materials before you leave for the summer. Just a friendly reminder to those graduating this May, we need your items back before Friday May 17th so that we can sign off on your accounts.

Sticking around for the summer? We’ll be here for all your information and borrowing needs.

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Library books

https://pixabay.com/en/books-door-entrance-italy-colors-1655783/

It’s that time of year again! As you finish up your last exams, polish up your final papers and turn in your final assignments, please stop by the 4th floor library service desk to return any outstanding materials before you leave for the summer. Just a friendly reminder to those graduating this May, we need your items back before Friday May 18th so that we can sign off on your accounts.

Sticking around for the summer? We’ll be here for all your information and borrowing needs.

We thought it was great that the 4th was a Monday last year, since it gave us a 3-day weekend, but we’re thrilled that the Tuesday holiday this year gives us a 4-day weekend! The weather forecast looks good, so why not take advantage of all the 4th of July activities in the Boston area?

The quintessential Boston 4th of July celebration is the Boston Pops performance and fireworks show on the Esplanade. Visit the official event website for a rundown of the schedule and more event details. CBS Boston has also put together a handy guide with viewing location suggestions and other useful tips. Want to hear the music but don’t want to deal with the crowds on the 4th? The Pops will be doing a rehearsal (minus fireworks) on Monday July 3rd.

For fun throughout the weekend, head down to Boston Harborfest . Dedicated to celebrating Boston’s harbor and history, it’s the largest 4th of July festival in the country and features tons of activities, some free and some paid. Here’s the full schedule.

Don’t want to fight the crowds for Boston fireworks on the 2nd or the 4th? Here’s a list of all the fireworks displays planned for this summer in MA. Of particularly local note, Somerville will be having a display tonight (6/29) at 9:15pm and Newton and Waltham will also have fireworks displays on Tuesday 7/4.

Want to keep learning while the library’s closed Sun-Tues? Why not take in a historical tour with National Park Service or visit the Colonialfest at the Old North Church?

 

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, we hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe Independence Day. And don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

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Movie Popcorn and Candy

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/popcorn-cinema-ticket-film-1433327/

Which do you prefer?

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Is it just us or have a lot of books been making appearances on the big screen lately? Rolling Stone just released their 2017 Summer Movie Preview and we couldn’t help but notice that one of Stephen King’s books made the list. On August 4, 2017,  The Dark Tower, the first installment of an adaptation of King’s  Dark Tower series will hit theaters (Check out the trailer on Youtube). The film is technically a continuation of the novels, but will draw on elements from the The Gunslinger, the first book in the series. Borrow a copy from us and read the book first!

Interested in other movies that were books written by Stephen King? Check out his website for a complete movie list from A to Z.

 

 

With the 4th falling on a Monday (yay 3-day weekends!) and a beautiful weather forecast, all the elements are in place for a great Independence Day! Here are our suggestions for how to enjoy a happy and healthy holiday weekend:

The quintessential Boston 4th of July celebration is the Boston Pops performance and fireworks show on the Esplanade. Visit the official event website for a rundown of the schedule and more event details. CBS Boston has also put together a handy guide with viewing location suggestions and other useful tips.

For fun throughout the weekend, head down to Boston Harborfest . Dedicated to celebrating Boston’s harbor and history, it’s the largest 4th of July festival in the country and features tons of activities, some free and some paid. Here’s the full schedule. Don’t miss the fireworks over the Inner Harbor on Saturday night!

Don’t want to fight the crowds for Boston fireworks on the 2nd or the 4th? Here’s a list of all the fireworks displays planned for this summer in MA. Of particularly local note, Somerville will be having a display on Thursday 6/30 at 9:15pm and Newton and Waltham will also have fireworks displays on Monday 7/4.

 

Image courtesy of www.centercutcook.com

Image courtesy of www.centercutcook.com

Hosting a barbeque? Check out our post from last year about quick summer desserts.

Since lots of sun is in the forecast, don’t forget the American Cancer Society‘s mnemonic device for protecting yourself:

Slip! Slap! Slop!® and Wrap
Slip on a shirt.  Slop on sunscreen.  Slap on a hat
Wrap on sunglasses to protect your eyes and sensitive skin around them

Have a Happy 4th of July!

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Stuck in the city for the summer but wish you could travel?  Be transported for an afternoon with a book from our collection!

travelbooks

Here are eleven, arranged by location from nearest to farthest:

Martha’s Vineyard by Ray G. Ellis and Ralph Graves — This one has a lot of pictures; perfect for flipping through on one of the couches by the leisure reading. 

Vintage Nantucket by A.B.C. Whipple — Poetic history and lore of one of New England’s most popular vacation spots. 

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering American on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson — A journey through American wilderness with prolific travel writer Bill Bryson.

McCarthy’s Bar by Pete McCarthy — Rambles through Ireland.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed — An emotional trek down the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Oaxaca Journal by Oliver Sacks — Narrative of a trip into Oaxaca by famed physician and writer Oliver Sacks.

My Life in France by Julia Child — Classic memoir of a culinary great.

Paris in Love by Eloisa James —  Here’s a review from one of our staff members.

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle — A columnist and his wife uproot their life and move into a 200-year old farmhouse in France.  

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah MacDonald — A sometimes irreverent, sometimes thoughtful chronicle of two years living in India.

The Island of the Colorblind by Oliver Sacks — An Amazon reviewerdescribes this as “a mini-vacation for the scientifically curious.”

We’ll have them out on display on top of the Leisure Reading shelves on the 4th floor so you can find them easily. Enjoy and Bon Voyage!

 

 

 

 

 

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The weather is beautiful and finally hot! So that means the last thing we want to do is turn the oven on or spend time laboring over a hot stove. Salads are always a good summer meal option, but why not try a cold soup?

IceSoup

This might do the trick.

 

My favorite cold soup is šaltibarščiai, a traditional Lithuanian cold beet soup. It involves a lot of chopping, but overall it’s pretty easy to make. It is also delightful shade of hot pink. I recommend using kefir instead of buttermilk, but you can also omit the eggs and dairy make it vegan-friendly and no less delicious.

Not in the mood to use the stove at all? Martha Stewart’s Avocado, Radish, and Basil Soup is a no-cook recipe–just throw everything in the blender!

There are also cold soups to satisfy your sweet tooth. Try something like this cold berry soup. The ingredients may seem like an odd combination, but they go together surprisingly well.

If you’d prefer solid food,  try one of these no-bake desserts.

And for those times when you just can’t beat a craving for a cookie, here are some instructions for making cookies in a pan on your stove. It uses low heat, so shouldn’t warm your kitchen up too much!

Stay cool.

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Grinnin Gator

Grinnin’ Gator (Chandler Hummel) | CC by NC-ND 2.0

We did it! It finally seems safe to say that winter is over and it’s time to enjoy sunshine and warm temperatures. Now that you’ve packed away your sweaters, it’s also time to brush up on sun safety.  While sunlight helps us produce much-needed Vitamin D3, sun exposure also increases the risk of developing skin cancer.

Here are three quick and easy ways to refresh your knowledge!

1. The American Cancer Society has a rather onomatopoeic slogan to help you remember four key ways to enjoy the sun safely:

Slip! Slap! Slop!® and Wrap
Slip on a shirt  Slop on sunscreen  Slap on a hat
Wrap on sunglasses to protect your eyes and sensitive skin around them

2. Not sure what sunscreen to buy? Check out EWG’s 2015 Guide to Sunscreens to learn what to look for in a sunscreen and to see the effectiveness of different brands.

3. For more sun safety tips, you can also check out our infographic-filled post from last year.

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Summer Café Hours begins May 15th!

Summer Hours are: Mon-Fri 7:30am – 3pm

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