Month: May 2021
May Is National Correct Posture Month
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WHAT IS POSTURE?
Posture is how you hold your body.
There are two types different types of posture: Dynamic and Static.
-Dynamic posture is how you hold yourself when you are moving, like when you are walking, running, or bending over to pick up something.
-Static posture is how you hold yourself when you are not moving, like when you are sitting, standing, or sleeping.
HOW CAN POSTURE AFFECT MY HEALTH?
Poor posture (such as slouching or slumping over) can affect you head to toe, contributing to a number of problems:
Cause neck, shoulder, and back pain
Cause headaches and jaw pain
Cause knee, hip, and foot pain
Decrease your flexibility
Affect how well your joints move
Cause Shoulder pain and impingement
Affect your balance and increase your risk of falling
Make it harder to digest your food
Make it harder to breathe
Misalign your musculoskeletal system
Wear away at your spine, making it more fragile and prone to injury
HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY POSTURE IN GENERAL?
- Be mindful of your posture during everyday activities, like watching television, washing dishes, or walking
- Stay active. Any kind of exercise may help improve your posture, but certain types of exercises can be especially helpful. They include yoga, tai chi, and other classes that focuses on body awareness. It is also a good idea to do exercises that strengthen your core (muscles around your back, abdomen, and pelvis).
- Maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight can weaken your abdominal muscles, cause problems for your pelvis and spine, and contribute to lower back pain. All of these can hurt your posture.
- Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes. High heels, for example, can throw off your balance and force you to walk differently. This puts more stress on your muscles and harms your posture.
- Make sure work surfaces are at a comfortable height for you, whether you’re sitting in front of a computer, making dinner, or eating a meal.
HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY POSTURE WHEN STANDING?
- Stand up straight and tall
- Keep your shoulders back
- Pull your stomach in
- Put your weight mostly on the balls of your feet
- Keep your head level
- Let your arms hang down naturally at your sides
- Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart
HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY POSTURE WHEN SITTING?
So many of us spend a good deal of time sitting – either at work, at school, or at home. It is important to sit properly, and to take frequent breaks:
- Switch sitting positions often
- Take brief walks around your office or home
- Gently stretch your muscles every so often to help relieve muscle tension
- Don’t cross your legs; keep your feet on the floor, with your ankles in front of your knees
- Make sure that your feet touch the floor, or if that’s not possible, use a footrest
- Relax your shoulders; they should not be rounded or pulled backwards
- Keep your elbows in close to your body. They should be bent between 90 and 120 degrees.
- Make sure that your back is fully supported. Use a back pillow or other back support if your chair does not have a backrest that can support your lower back’s curve.
- Make sure that your thighs and hips are supported. You should have a well-padded seat, and your thighs and hips should be parallel to the floor.
POSTURE TEST
You can take a posture test at home without any equipment. You will need someone’s help to take a measurement with a ruler or tape measure.
First, stand against the wall, with the back of your head touching the wall. Place heels 6 inches out from the wall.
Your buttocks and both shoulder blades should be touching the wall. Have someone measure the space between your neck and the wall. Also, measure the distance between the wall and the small of your back.
Both these measurements should be less than 2 inches. If the measurement is greater than 2 inches, you likely have poor posture and a curved spine.
There’s an app for that.
New Items ~ May 2021
FICTION
Act your age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert. The flightiest of the Brown sisters crashes into the life of an uptight B & B owner and has him falling hard – literally!
The Affair by Danielle Steel. A French author’s extramarital affair affects various member of his wife’s family.
All the cowboys ain’t gone by John Jacobson. The main character is an old fashioned hero worth rooting for with much Indiana Jones-style derring-do as he travels from Texas at the turn of the century to join the French Foreign Legion.
Cloudmaker by Malcolm Brooks. A soaring novel set during the summer of Amelia Earhart’s final flight, a tale of American ingenuity and optimism set against the backdrop of a deepening Great Depression.
The consequences of fear by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs uncovers a conspiracy with devastating implications for Britain’s war effort during the Nazi occupation of Europe.
Danger in numbers by Heather Graham. Deep in the Everglades, an eerie crime scene sets off an investigation that sends two agents deep into a world of corrupted faith, greed, and deadly secrets.
The drowning kind by Jennifer McMahon. A chilling novel about a woman who returns to the old family home after her sister mysteriously drowns in its swimming pool…but she’s not the pool’s only victim.
Eternal by Lisa Scottoline. Three people involved in a love triangle find everything they hold dear is tested as Mussolini’s power grows and laws change in Rome.
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. A story of a family occupying two different countries, Columbia and the United States.
The Kaiser’s web by Steve Berry. A newly discovered dossier from World War II might change the course of Germany’s upcoming elections.
Klara and the sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. An “Artificial Friend” named Klara is purchased to serve as a companion to an ailing 14 year old girl.
The ladies of the secret circus by Constance Sayers. A magical story spanning from the jazz age in Paris to modern-day America of family secrets, sacrifice, and lost love set against the backdrop of a mysterious circus.
The lamplighters by Emma Stonex. A gorgeous and atmospheric novel about the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from a remote tower miles from the Cornish coast – and about the wives who were left behind.
The last bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, a woman discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed – a force that triumphs over even the darkest night of the war.
The lost apothecary by Sarah Penner. An aspiring historian in London finds a clue that might put to rest unsolved apothecary murders from 200 years ago.
The lost village by Camilla Sten. In 1959, 900 villagers disappeared without a trace. How can an entire village full of people just…vanish? This delivers maximum dread with remarkable restraint. As the situation goes from bad to worse to terrifying, readers will revel in the chills.
Meet me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher. Marin Cole has never: seen the ocean, climbed mountains, taken a risk in her life. But if her sister’s plan works, she just might do all three.
Never far away by Michael Koryta. Placed in witness protection in remote northern Maine, Leah risks exposing herself to the dangerous forces of her past when her homesick children run away.
The nine lives of Rose Napolitano by Donna Freitas. This explores 9 possible outcomes when a woman who has never wanted children marries a man who gradually decides he does.
Of women and salt by Gabriela Garcia. The daughter of a Cuban immigrant take sin the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE and seeks to learn about her own family history.
The other Emily by Dean Koontz. Haunted by the unsolved disappearance of the love of his life a decade earlier, a writer visits her suspected killer in prison before meeting a woman who uncannily resembles the person he lost.
Other people’s children by R.J. Hoffmann. A riveting novel about a couple whose dream of adopting a baby is shattered when the teenage mother reclaims her child.
The phone booth at the edge of the world by Laura Messina. Two bereft people find themselves seeking a garden at the top of a hill in Japan, where a disconnected phone allows the grief-stricken to send their voice into the wind as they talk to those they have lost.
The red book by James Patterson. This puts the characters through hell in a story that’s top-drawer crime fiction.
Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman. Alex Delaware is traversing the forbidding place known as L.A. and exhuming the past in order to bring a vicious killer to justice.
What’s mine and yours by Naima Coster. The integration of a North Carolina school ties together a pair of seemingly unconnected families for two decades.
NEW DVDs
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) starring Gail Gadot and Chris Pine
News of the world (2020) starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) starring Shia LaBeouf and Dakota Johnson
The snake pit (1948) starring Olivia de Havilland
The enchanted cottage (1945) starring Dorothy McGuire and Robert Young
NONFICTION
Birds of Maine by Peter Vickery. This offers a detailed look at the state’s birds – from the Wild Turkey to the Arctic Tern – with info on migration patterns and how Maine’s geography and shifting climate mold its birdlife.
Fears of a setting sun by Dennis Rasmussen. The surprising story of how the Founding Fathers came to despair for the future of the nation they had created.
Fourteen (talks) by (age) fourteen by Michelle Icard. The 14 essential conversations to have with your tween and early teenager to prepare them for the emotional, physical, and social challenges ahead.
The hill we climb by Amanda Gorman. The poem read on President Biden’s Inauguration Day by the youngest poet to write and perform an inaugural poem.
Lady Bird Johnson by Julia Sweig. A look at the policy initiatives and the leadership style of the first lady during her time in the East Wing.
Restoring your historic house by Scott Hanson. The complete comprehensive guide for homeowners on how to accommodate contemporary life in a historical house.
Sensitive is the new strong by Anita Moorjani. The power of empaths in an increasingly harsh world.
Shooting Midnight Cowboy by Glenn Frankel. The history of the controversial 1969 Oscar-winning film that signaled a dramatic shift in American popular culture.
Sidelined by Julie DiCaro. This is a sweeping takedown of misogyny in America’s sports media and professional leagues. It’s all about sports, culture, and being a woman in America.
Wait, I’m working with who? by Peter Economy. The essential guide to dealing with difficult coworkers, annoying managers, and other toxic personalities.
Where we find ourselves: the photographs of Hugh Mangum, 1897-1922. These are interesting on so many levels and is Americana at its most compelling, real buried treasure brought to life.
Winter pasture by Li Juan. A warm portrait of stark, strenuous lives in remote China as a woman journeys with a family of herders in winter. It’s a rare look at a disappearing world.
The women of the Bible speak by Shannon Bream. They lived timeless stories – by examining them, we can understand what it means to be a woman of faith.
Children’s Books
PICTURE BOOKS
Birdsong by Julie Flett
Curious George goes swimming by Margret Rey
Granddaddy’s turn : a journey to the ballot box by Michael S. Bandy
I am perfectly designed by Karamo Brown
I promise by LeBron James
Love you forever by Robert Munsch
Northbound : a train ride out of segregation by Michael S. Bandy
Spring stinks by Ryan Higgins
V is for voting by Kate Farrell
Vote for our future! by Margaret McNamara
Welcome to the party by Gabrielle Union
Your house, my house by Marianne Dubuc
CHAPTER BOOKS
Alone in the woods by Rebecca Behrens
Ancestor approved : intertribal stories for kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Clean getaway by Nic Stone
Loretta Little looks back : three voices go tell it! by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Two roads by Joseph Bruchac
Wings of fire : the dangerous gift by Tui Sutherland
GRAPHIC NOVELS
The Great bunk bed battle by Tina Kugler
Hilo. Book 7, Gina the girl who broke the world by Judd Winick
History Comics. The Challenger disaster : tragedy in the skies by Pranas Naujokaitis
History Comics. The Great Chicago fire : rising from the ashes by Kate Hannigan
History Comics. The Roanoke Colony : America’s first mystery by Chris Schweizer
NON-FICTION
Beginner’s world atlas by National Geographic Kids
Buzzing with questions : the inquisitive mind of Charles Henry Turner by Janice N. Harrington
Dinosaur lady : the daring discoveries of Mary Anning, the first paleontologist by Linda Skeers
The great bear rescue : saving the Gobi bears by Sandra Markle
Heartbeat by Doe Boyle
Hello neighbor! : the kind and caring world of Mister Rogers by Matthew Cordell
Insects by the numbers : a book of infographics by Steve Jenkins
Kamala Harris : rooted in justice by Nikki Grimes
Marie’s Ocean : Marie Tharp maps the mountains under the sea by Josie James
Student World Atlas by National Geographic
National parks of the U.S.A. by Kate Siber
The national parks : discover all 62 parks of the United States by Stefanie Payne
Space : a visual encyclopedia by DK
Whoosh! : Lonnie Johnson’s super-soaking stream of inventions by Chris Barton
William Still and his freedom stories : the father of the underground railroad by Don Tate
Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review