The year groans towards a close and another semester heady with change nears resolution. We’ve almost made it through! We’re now entering a precious time with copious excuses to try new sweets, cast lights and decorations about, skip workouts, and spend long stretches lying about sipping hot beverages while ensconced in flannel and/or hideously festive sweaters. It is the perfect time to stock up for the upcoming holidays with productive inside distractions and richly spiced, soul-warming preoccupations in addition to those comforting extra calories. We in Ramsey Library are here to help you find bibliophilic insight and inspiration for those long drives, of course, but we also are here to help you get your creative on with fun gear to check out (see our like flex kits and technology check outs), friendly staff to help you (Get help here!), and amazing spaces full of new possibilities like our CrAFT Studio and Media Design Lab. For some timely personal recommendations though, look no further than below for our Ramsey Staff Selections for November 2022! Here are some neat things we in Ramsey Library have come across lately that might give you some good ideas. Happy Festive Days UNCA!
What: The Huberman Lab Podcast’s The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice Episode.
Why: As the holidays approach, this podcast about our brains and gratitude might just surprise you. It flips most everything you’ve heard about gratitude practices.
By: Barbara in Ramsey Library’s Resource Management and Technical Services
What: Well Played Asheville
Why: Check out the board games Ramsey has – you can rent them – and then head downtown to the new Well Played location (owned by UNCA alums!) to try one of over 700 board games!
By: Cate in Ramsey Library’s Career Center
What: Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
I would recommend this Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe to anyone who wants an easy and delicious slow-cooker meal! I make this all the time and it always turns out great. You can eat it over rice or noodles. It makes a decent amount, so it can feed maybe 4 people. If you don’t have 4 people, the leftovers are delicious 🙂
By: Grace in Ramsey Library’s Career Center
What: Ramsey Library
Why: Ramsey is the perfect mix of peaceful and quiet, but still surrounded by a community. I like that I can focus in the comfort of those around me.
By: Isabel in Ramsey Library’s Career Center
What: UNCA’s Smoothie Lab (especially the Subatomic Smoothie!)
Why: The Smoothie Lab is a wonderful addition to the ambience of the Ramsey Library. Getting a snack and a nice drink brings a nice touch to working at the Career Center. Getting a coffee or a smoothie has been the right pick me up for whenever I don’t quite have time for breakfast. My personal favorite is the Subatomic smoothie. What’s yours? 🙂
By: Jackson in Ramsey Library’s Career Center
What: Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
Why: My favorite book lately has been Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes. It gives a fresh and in-depth perspective on the representation of women and female characters in Greek mythology. I would highly recommend taking a look at it!
By: Abby in Ramsey Library’s Career Center
*Available to UNCA through our Asheville-Boone-Cullowee (ABC) Express from ASU. Request here: https://wncln.wncln.org/record=b11725302~S1
What: Owl Bakery on Charlotte Street
Why: If you can’t be bothered to go to West Asheville, deliciousness is close at hand on Charlotte Street! It’s not cheap, but does seem thoroughly of high quality. Even their simple offerings are more than attractive: they are mini fragrant visits to a foreign boulangerie on a Sunday (your day off). I can almost hear French spoken in the buttery crunch of pastry and feel cobblestone streets underfoot while enjoying them. I always say the simple stuff is where you can tell if bakeries are paying attention or just slinging toasted dough. Owl Bakery is a worth it weekly splurge.
By: Jon in Ramsey Library’s Research Services
Ramsey Staff Sidebar Selection: Transparent Language Online
Did the pastry remind you that you’d like to travel and taste all the deliciousness of the world abroad? In that case, you’ll need some language skills to order from menus and to ask directions! We have you covered! Our Transparent Language Database can help you learn over 110 languages, has no ads, and has plenty of native audio and learning-enhancing interactivity. You can study either online with a desktop computer or on your phone with their iOS and Android apps. Access Transparent Language here by logging in with your UNCA credentials. Once you create an account via this link, you can then download the app and have full access. Let us know if you have questions! Also, if traveling is appealing, check out UNCA Study Abroad’s exchange programs and the faculty-led trips coming up here: https://bulldogsabroad.unca.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll
