LSA News

No. 86, December 2007

If you have anything you want in the next newsletter, send it to lsaweb@lists.uoregon.edu

Index Krampusz and Mikulás Come to Oregon! by Laine Stambaugh LSA Sale Brings Holiday Shopping Cheer The 2007 Special Olympics Summer Games by Paul Harvey Never Too Many Cookbooks by Rose Layton The View from Hidden Spring by Pam DeLaittre "Fact File" Answers Events of Interest Announcements People in the Library

The annual LSA Holiday Sale was held on November 29

The World Around Us
Krampusz and Mikulás Come to Oregon!
by Laine Stambaugh

Andras Liszkai is currently visiting with us here at the UO Libraries for six months (October 2007-March 2008), while completing a Hungarian-American Foundation fellowship as a library science intern from Bekes, Hungary. We thought it might be a wonderful opportunity to get to know him and to ask him about people, culture and customs in his home country, particularly at this time of year.

Andras Liszkai

LS: December and January is a time for holidays all around the world, both religious and cultural. What would be happening in Hungary at this time of year and what are the customs associated with that?

AL: We actually have two Christmases in December. One is for Santa Claus and one is for the Baby Jesus. Santa Claus, in Hungary, comes on the 5th of December, at night. Kids put their boots in windows and Santa Claus puts sweets and Christmas gifts in their boots so the kids get them on the next morning, which is the 6th.

LS: Are these actual boots? Here we have Christmas stockings. Is it a special kind of boot?

AL: No, most people wear boots for winter. Even if someone doesn’t have boots, they just get some old boot from the closet and put it in the window. So the boots are filled by the morning by Santa Claus. So, this is the first Christmas event we have. And of course, the other one, we celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December, at night. I think the most important difference between Hungary and the USA in this sense, is that on Christmas evening, it isn’t Santa Claus [or Mikulás bácsi, ‘Uncle Mikulás] who delivers presents for us, it’s the Baby Jesus. I don’t know why it turned out that way. I suppose it’s just a different understanding of our version of Christianity we have there.

LS: How is Baby Jesus supposed to deliver the presents? Do they just appear?

AL: They just appear. It’s the same as here.

LS: We have the story of Santa Claus and his reindeer arriving, coming down the chimney and leaving presents.

AL: We also have that story, regardless of the culture. We don’t really think of ‘Jesus’ as Baby Jesus, the religious [connotation]. We think of a person who is actually closer to Santa Claus, a happy or holy person. I think there are no religious connotations there at all. It’s just a different version of Santa Claus, and different terminology. As I mentioned, we only celebrate Christmas for a day. And, usually, the 24th of December is for decorating the tree and making Christmas dishes. I don’t know what you have for Christmas dinner here. I suppose you have turkey?

LS: Sometimes.

AL: In Hungary, we mostly have fish. Both roast fish and there’s a Hungarian specialty just like goulash, a special kind of fish soup. So either this or that.

LS: What does your own family do that might be a little bit different or unusual?

AL: Is the term, ‘Advent?’ You have it here?

LS: Yes.

AL: My family celebrates the Advent. There’s this thing usually found on graves in cemeteries.

LS: A wreath?

AL: Yes, we put an Advent wreath on our door with candles in it. Each candle represents a different day of Advent. We stop arguing for the day [smiles]. My father has his own special recipe for fish soup I mentioned, which was handed down by his father.

LS: So, have you learned how to make that yet?

AL: [Laughs]. Well, no. Not completely, but yeah, I am quite familiar with it. I’m a big friend of animals and chopping the fish’s head is a bit cruel to me. So that’s why I haven’t done the soup yet.

(story continued)

LSA Sale Brings Holiday Shopping Cheer
photos by Laura Damiani

Marilyn Mohr and Katie Sloan admire pottery by Michiyo Goble

The holiday season was just getting underway and attending the LSA Holiday Sale on November 29 was a sure reminder that the season for cheer is here. It was a cold and rainy afternoon, typical Oregon winter holiday weather, and the perfect day to be inside shopping without having to leave the warmth of the library. This year’s Sale showcased a large variety of beautiful and creative handmade arts and crafts and a cornucopia of homemade delectable treats as well as interesting rummage sale items.

Cherry cheesecake made by Bruce Tabb

Bruce Tabb graciously baked and donated not one, but two elegant desserts to raffle off. The festive cherry cheesecake was won by Laura Willey and the oh-so-sinful “chocolate boozy cake” (for after work of course) was won by Tom Stave. Judi Byrum won tickets to the Duck women’s basketball game. Pam DeLaittre once again organized the event and said, “Thanks to all who participated, helped, supported and went to the sale.” All proceeds from the raffle and consignment fees will be donated to Food For Lane County.

(click here for more pictures from the sale)

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games
by Paul Harvey

Danny, Chuck and me at Host Town Welcome Ceremony

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games were my second opportunity to coach Special Olympians at the international level. The first was the 2003 Games in Dublin Ireland, the first time the games were held outside of the United States. This year they were hosted by Shanghai, China, the first time they were held in a non-English speaking country. (The 2005 Winter Games were held in Nagano, Japan, but we’re talking about the Summer Games here.)

There is no way I can do justice to my experiences here. I won’t try to. I will try to capture some of the high points, and even a low point. There was simply too much that happened, in too short a time.

Plate of food, lovingly arranged for aesthetic purposes

We arrived at the Yalong International Hotel, our home for duration, after the very long flight. And customs. And registering for our credentials. Everyone was exhausted and ready to sleep until the games were to begin in five days time. I knew better.

The time prior to competition is called the Host Town Program. We were shuttled around Shanghai to participate in various cultural activities, allowing our hosts to be part of the World Games experience. Each athlete was assigned a volunteer who served as interpreter and shepherd. This freed me to take pictures, without having to keep a constant eye on the four athletes in my charge. I took over 3000 pictures on the trip, earning the nickname of Mr. Picture from the volunteers.

I also took pictures of just about every plate of food I ate. I found myself arranging things on my plate at the buffets with an eye toward how it would look through my camera’s eye.

(story continued)

Never Too Many Cookbooks
by Rose Layton

My cookbook shelves are bulging and the composite board shelving is starting to sag with the weight of the fifty-two volumes in my cookbook collection.

Some of my cookbooks have followed me from move to move throughout Eugene in the last couple of decades. Others were a bonus that I inherited when I married my husband. A much-used copy of The Joy of Cooking is held together by a pink binding bundle string and has the burned tattoo of an electric stove coil on the back cover.

Here are some recent cookbooks and food reads that I'm recommending this shopping season and adding to my already bulging shelves:

• Cooking by James Peterson ($40.00)

  This book is like going to culinary school without all the expense as it takes you through simple techniques and basic cooking methods to refine your techniques—giving you recipes to learn and live by.

• Holiday Baking by Sara Perry ($18.95)

  A gift that keeps on giving when you use this cookbook to plan your holiday baking and food gifts for your family and friends.

• A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain by Paul Richardson ($24.00)

  Another dreary Oregon winter weather sets in and I want to escape to sunny Spain while I read this book. Not a traditional cookbook, but enough descriptive travel/food writing to inspire you to make dinner plans at El Vaquero for tapas.

• How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food (How to Cook Everything) by Mark Bittman ($35.00)

  The author of The Best Recipes in the World and How to Cook Everything, Bittman is the writer for the New York Times weekly column "The Minimalist". I'm not a vegetarian, but I loved this cookbook so much, I didn't even miss the meat.

• The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen with Nigel Slater by Nigel Slater ($40.00)

  I needed a Pepto-Bismal tablet after I finished, because I positively gorged on this book during two marathon reading sessions this summer. This book touts cooking seasonally, buying locally and organically, and shares Slater's culinary diary over a years' time with great recipes and beautiful pictures accompanying each entry.

• Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition—2006 by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker ($35.00)

  Hundreds of brand-new recipes, updated recipes from previous editions, and a total revamp that brings back the original content that was lost in earlier edits to give you a source for great recipes for the way we cook today.

The View from Hidden Spring
by Pam DeLaittre

The garage construction site

Last February we had a garage constructed that was large enough for our vehicles and would get them out of the rain and away from the peacocks. I had been unable to wash my car and keep it clean in the spring because the feral peacocks would attack the reflection of themselves in the car during mating season. A benefit of the construction was that dirt had to be moved from the site to create a level foundation on our hillside for the garage. We moved the soil to an area in our "Spring" pasture (that is the one the spring flows through) and created a large level area with 100% sun available to it. I had an ulterior motive.

The finished garage

When I had gone to the "Home Show" the year before I had seen the most useful greenhouse. But I couldn't figure anywhere on our property that would be level enough to site the 8 x 8 fiberglass one-piece construction. Now, though, I had just the place! Directly across from the garden and chickens, next to a water source, and in complete sun! This would be the way to start our spring much earlier than the May planting dates we end up with now due to elevation and wetness.

The dirt platform where the greenhouse will sit come December 21

This year when I went to the Home Show, I once again visited the "Solar Gem Greenhouses" booth, which was in one of the greenhouses. I was just as happy with their product as the year before (you know how sometimes things aren't quite the way you remember them!), if not a bunch happier. Kirk wanted me to think about it because while the Home Show price was good, it still was a substantial investment. So we walked through the entire show, then I went back and bought one!

My greenhouse is my Christmas and birthday and ? present. It will be delivered at no cost to our farm on December 21, and set up where we want it at that time. It is delivered complete, no assembly is required, no foundation is required, it has automatic ventilation, non-yellowing finish (gelcoat—the same as speed boats), and a cedar work table with hanging rail. Last but not least is the double shelf table with hang rail and potting tray. Can you tell I'm excited?

Please go ahead and visit the Solar Gem Greenhouses web site to see what my new greenhouse will look like!

Orbis Cascade Staffer Has a Taste for Latest "Fact File" contest

For our last trivia contest, we asked you to identify dishes associated with holiday celebrations around the world. Though we were certain that our feast looked delectable, we had but one staff member brave enough to sit down and participate in our File File "feast." Congratulations to Debi Baker, business manger of the Orbis Cascade Alliance, who will be receiving a gift certificate worth $10.00 toward purchases at the Duck Store.

You may revisit the clues in the November issue of LSA News.

1. Mofongo
2. Lefse
3. Coconut
4. Reindeer
5. Tourtière
6. Iceland
7. Æbleskiver
8. Koliva (Kutya also acceptable)
9. Bûche de Noël
10. Tamales

Events of Interest

As well as featuring upcoming LSA events, we'd like to get the word out about events staff are involved in that might be of interest to co-workers. If you'd like the world, or at least your co-workers, to know about something cool coming up, please email Harriett Smith or lsaweb.

LSA EVENTS

Tuesday, December 11, 2007: Celebrate the winter holiday season with friends and co-workers at the LSA Holiday Potluck. We'll gather in the Knight Library Browsing Room between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and as always there will be festive music, seasonal decorations, and good cheer to go around. Bring your favorite dish to share with your co-workers. You are welcome to bring guests to the Potluck; please bring a little more food if you do so.

All dishes should be table-ready with serving cutlery, and breads should be pre-sliced and placed in a suitable bowl or basket. Microwaves will be available, and there will be materials available with which to label your food, e.g. "vegan" or "Special Squash Pie".

For questions or to help with the Potluck, or if you'd like to donate a turkey, please email Megan Dazey or phone her at 6-1853.

Former employees who need transportation should email Stephanie Midkiff or phone her at 346-1661. If you can bring greenery for decorations, please contact Stephanie.

NON-LSA EVENTS

Through Wednesday, December 12, 2007: The Library is collecting items for the Toys for Tots program this holiday season.  Please bring a new, unwrapped toy or book suitable for children up to the age of 14 to Library Administration before December 12.  The collection box will also be in the Browsing Room during the Holiday Potluck on December 11. If you have questions, please email Sheila Gray or phone her at 6-1891.

Saturday, December 15, 2007: The Eugene Sacred Harp Singers will be at the Holiday Market at the Lane County Fairgrounds at 11:30 a.m. Free.

Sunday, December 16, 2007: Catch David Landazuri and Accordions Anonymous at the Holiday Market at the Lane County Fairgrounds. They're playing at 1:45 p.m. Free!

Sunday, December 16, 2007: The Eugene Sacred Harp Singers will hold their annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. at the Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard Street. Join David Landazuri, Jean Murphy, and Harriett Smith as we sing both for and with you (no singing skills needed, just the desire to have fun). The music is a cappella shape-note hymns, a traditional music style dating back over 300 years. We'll finish the concert with cookies and hot spiced cider. Free, but donations gratefully accepted. We are not a religious group.

Thursday, January 31, 2007: The Eugene Sacred Harp Singers will be featured at the noon Hult Center SHOcase concert. Starts at 12:15 p.m. Free.

Announcements:

Knight Staff Lounge adds paper. Due to popular demand, starting next term the daily edition of The New York Times will be available in the Knight Library staff lounge along with the Oregonian and Register-Guard. Happy reading from LSA!

Attention musicians! There is still one more slot for someone who would like to provide background music for the LSA Holiday Potluck (see Events) on December 11. If interested, contact Terry McQuilkin.

People in the Library
edited by Jen Lindsey

Welcome:

Margaret Bean - Access Services Date started: November 12 Job Title: Resource Sharing Librarian Previously: Before joining Access Services, I worked at the Science Library as a reference librarian. I also worked part-time for OSU as a Reference Librarian. Prior to moving to Oregon, I worked for 15 years for a private company in Michigan as their librarian. Education: I did my undergraduate degree in Comparative Literature at Scripps College in Claremont, California. I received my MLS degree from UC Berkeley. Family: My husband Jim and I have two children: our daughter Megan is a graduate student at Northwestern studying social psychology, and our son James is a freshman music major at UO. Best way to spend the weekend: Playing tennis, both singles and doubles. Favorite movie: Wordplay

Goodbye:

Staff announcements and photos by Jen Lindsey unless otherwise indicated