December is here, bringing with it Bingo’s Birthday Month, International Calendar Awareness Month, National Stress-Free Family Holidays Month, Safe Toys and Gifts Month, and Universal Human Rights Month. Today is National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day, which draws attention to the plight of the homeless across America.

It’s hard to believe, but Wednesday is the 30^th anniversary of the world’s First Successful Heart Transplant. Thursday is Bathtub Party Day. Since most people today take showers instead of baths, this is a day to relieve stress by immersing yourself in a long, hot bath and recalling some of the luxury of days gone by.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

At Wednesday’s 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. storytimes, it’s back to basics with colors in stories and activities. Saturday morning’s 10:00 storytime activities feature snow.

BOOK TALK

If you’re looking for last minute gift and decorating ideas, you’ll want to check out some of the library’s holiday craft books. Here are a few titles provided by librarian Rosie Klopfer: "101 Things To Do for Christmas," by Debbie Trafton O’Neal; "175 Easy-To-Do Christmas Crafts," edited by Sharon Dunn Umnik; "American Christmas Crafts and Foods," from Better Homes and Gardens; "Best Holiday Crafts Ever," by Kathy Ross; "Christmas Craft Source Book," by Gail Lawther; "Christmas With Jenny Beyer"; "Countdown to Christmas," by Charlotte Argyle; "The Everything Christmas Book," by Teddy Cameron Long; and "Handmade Christmas," by Martha Stewart.

Some special titles include "Earth-friendly Holidays," by George Pfiffner; "Glorious Ribbons," by Christine Kingdom; "Mary Engelbreit’s Christmas Companion"; "My Christmas Craft Book for Kids," by Anna Murray; "Nature Crafts for Christmas," by Dawn Cusick; "Timeless Ornaments," by Leisure Arts, Inc.; "Christmas Celebration: Santa Fe Traditions," by Richard Clawson; "Celebrating the Jewish Holidays," by Sharon Kalman; and "Hanukkah Crafts," by Judith Hoffman Corwin.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pediatrician Norman Weinberger, MD, author of "You Just Don’t Duct Tape a Baby: True Tales and Sensible Suggestions from a Veteran Pediatrician," suggests the following helpful hints for dealing with children who have colds. First, offer fun fluids. Usually, the more fluids a sick child can drink, the better it is. You can make colorful Jell-O water by doubling the amount of water in the Jell-O recipe or make enticing flavored ice cubes by freezing juice or other liquids.

Another helpful liquid is a cup of hot, decaffeinated spice tea. Add lemon and honey, and wait until it cools slightly before serving. The tea is soothing and warm, which will combat stuffiness and open up the nasal passages. The honey in the tea can help soothe a sore throat, and the lemon soothes and coats the throat with Vitamin C.

And don’t forget to make some good, old-fashioned chicken soup. According to Dr. Weinberger, not only will it make your child feel better, but making the soup will keep Mom or Dad too busy to worry! Although these remedies are suggested for children, they’re guaranteed to appeal to the child in all of us with colds!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

"The best time to relax is when you don’t have time for it." (anonymous)