Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

One look at the cover, and I had to read it. How could I resist that handsome face, with his wise eyes and distinguished whiskers? Well, maybe you won't be able to either.



One freezing January night in Iowa, Vicki and her fellow librarians found a bedraggled kitten in their book drop. (Poor kitty poor kitty! Poor baby!) But it was a lucky day for that cat, because he spent more than a dozen years after that as the pampered and beloved library cat of the Spencer Library. His sweet face, heartwarming story, and lovable personality won him friends and admirers around the globe. But this is not just a random story about a cute cat - stories from Vicki's life and the life of her small town moving from decade to decade are woven in with it, giving it a strong context and greater relevance in the bigger picture.

Vicki Myron hit on a winning formula with this true story. Her anecdotes are charming but not too precious, and she makes her life, town, and cat real to the reader. This is an "Ohhhh!" book. It would make for great family reading, a good gift, or something nice to read when it's cold outside and you're not feeling all that. Three stars (a C+ in the new system).

*Specially included: a free picture of my own rescue cat.

caffeine free kombucha

I just finished a glass of my first-ever caffeine free kombucha, which totally worked, yay! I read a definitive online reference that said that the kombucha brewing process does not change the caffeine level in the liquid matter, and I decided to give it a try. I figured that the caffeine might be required in a non-consumptive way. But, in fact, I got a perfectly nice brew out of it. I made it with Tulsi Tea, which is roobois-based and very spicy. Deeelicious. Perfect for fall.

Right now I am also making pickled garlic, which I mentioned earlier. The garlic is starting to taste all mellow and yummy, but my roomies have been complaining about the smell. Hee. But it will be done soon and then we'll have tasty garlic all through the winter. Today I also started a pickle batch from the coleslaw stuff I got at BJ's. It's going pretty well so far.

Then I will take a break from pickling, since we're having a bit of a problem with fruit flies. C'est la vie. We're just about out of farmshare veggies anyhow.