nichole's auxiliary storage

New jail finds

There are a few new jail finds up this week. And an awful lot of good publicity from MetaFilter and la Repubblica.it. I sometimes forget how poignant these little items can be when you see them for the first time.

Plus, check out the redesigned, refreshed Jail Library Group web site, and, as always, the group's Amazon wish list.

Update: Big day. Dugg, then boingboinged. Again. Bedtime now.

"Music that soothes the soul"

There's a sincere, if slightly heavy-handed and a little tardy, piece on the benefits of UWEC's Music Therapy program in this week's Spectator:

Angela Boinski, 27, an inmate at the Sauk County Jail, participates in the anger management class UW-Eau Claire music therapy students facilitate every week.

"These women are lifesavers," Boinski said, with tears in her eyes, during Friday's session.

I haven't gotten a reply from Vice Chancellor Tallant, either. Makes me grumpily wish I'd made bigger alumni donations so I could threaten to withhold them.

Crocheted Settlers of Catan blanket

Finally finished this, a Christmas (2006) present for a big Settlers fan:

Last CSA box of the season

We just picked up our last box of Vermont Valley veggies. This weekend I'm going to have a squash-roasting fest, probably freeze most of the little Cucurbitas and see if there are any seeds worth baking up. (I save the salt from pretzel bags for just this purpose.)

The daikon and beets will get pickled; the cabbage will attempt to become something like Jamerica's peppery stir-fry. Chard is easy, as are onions and garlic.

The potatoes I gave away because we still have 2 bags from previous weeks. That was a factor in my reluctant decision not to renew our CSA membership - I found I just can't keep up with the abundance, even with a half share. Plus, I missed shopping the farmers' markets. We often went without eggs and cheese because I can't stand the storebought stuff anymore (so spoiled) and yet felt that the CSA box was supposed to sub for marketing.

This was the first year I made it to any of the u-picks, which I am going to miss. Scenic drive in the country, picking tomatoes with friends, swapping sauce tips - so much fun.

Music therapy at UWEC uncertain

Via the Spectator, the campus paper at my alma mater, UW-Eau Claire:

Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Steve Tallant announced Friday morning his recommendation to cut the music therapy program in the face of a strained budget with other departments and programs taking priority.

This is incredibly bad news if it happens. UWEC has the only accredited music therapy program at a state university (the other is at Alverno, a private women's college in Milwaukee - a fine program, but not necessarily accessible to everyone).

When the news first came out that the program was threatened, I wrote the chancellor, hoping an alum's voice might help - but maybe not without wodges of cash. Here's my (redacted) letter, which did not receive a response. So I'm going to try writing Vice Chancellor Tallant.

Dear Chancellor Levin-Stankevich,
I am a proud UWEC alumna. I recently read in the Spectator Online about the dilemma facing the University regarding the Music Therapy program. I wanted to write to share my support for the program and the university, and to ask if there is anything I can do to help.

The Music Therapy program was the single most attractive aspect of UWEC when I was choosing a school. Even though I eventually took a different path and became a librarian, the program meant a great deal to me when I was at Eau Claire. Professor Rasar's dedication and expertise is still an inspiration.

I understand that this is a very complicated subject, but I would just like to reiterate my desire to help in any way I can. Thank you for your time.