Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Christmas at the Farm

Saturday, December 4, 6:00-10:00 pm
Salomon Farm Park, 817 W. Dupont Rd.

Mark your calendar now and join the folks at Salomon Farm for a traditional Christmas celebration on the farm with a live nativity scene, horse and tractor drawn wagon rides, stories from St. Nicholas and refreshments. There is no admission charge; however, free-will donations are welcomed. For additional information please call Tony Acosta at 427-6008.

New Fiction in the Teen Room!

Click on the book cover for more information!























Seventeen Magazine's Taylor Swift Speak Now Sweepstakes

Taylor's new record is all about being honest and saying how you feel. Tell Seventeen Magazine in 1,000 characters or less about a time you told someone how you really felt - or a time when speaking out helped someone in need, righted a wrong or gave you your own "voice” - and you could get the chance to tell Taylor in person!

10 readers will also win an autographed copy of Taylor's new album, Speak Now.

Beginning November 16, 2010 at 12:01 AM (ET) through January 4, 2011 at 11:59 PM (ET), go to the website and complete and submit the entry form. Winners will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received on or about January 7, 2011.

One grand prize winner will win a trip for winner and guest to meet Taylor Swift in 2011, location and date to be determined. In the event the winner is a minor, the traveling companion must be parent or legal guardian. Prize includes round-trip coach air transportation for two people from major airport nearest winner’s residence and hotel accommodations for two people for two nights (one room, double occupancy).

Ten first prize winners will receive a “Speak Now” CD signed by Taylor Swift. Winners will be notified via phone, e-mail or postal mail, at Sponsor’s discretion, on or about January 12, 2011.

Limit one entry per household. Open to females between the ages of 13 and 29 who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia at time of entry.

For more info on the contest rules, visit the Rules page.

Monday, November 29, 2010

New Manga and Nonfiction

Click on the image to find out more information!

























Santa & the Reindeer

Saturdays, December 4, 11, 18, 12:00-4:00pm

Have little brothers or sisters? Like reindeer yourself? Santa and two of his reindeer will be on site at the Botanical Conservatory to greet the children while Mom and Dad take pictures to capture the moment. Explore the Conservatory in its holiday glory; this year’s theme is “Candyland”. Regular Conservatory admission fees apply: $5/adult, $3/child age 3-17. Children 2 and under are free. For info, call 427-6440.

Leaky Cauldron Wizarding World T-Shirt Contest

The Leaky Cauldron website has its December contest posted!

You are the owner of the struggling wizarding clothes shop, Bolts and Bobbins, trying to drum up business. You hit upon the idea to get more kids into the shop. You’ve decided to market a line of T-shirts for Hogwarts students bearing slogans, quips, and phrases appealing to teenage wizards and witches.

For December's contest, create an original design for a T-shirt you think could be a best-seller. Winning entries will be made available for our readers to download and transfer to their own T-shirts!

General Rules:

* Anyone 13 years of age and over may enter the contest.
* One entry per person.
* All submissions must be the original work of the contestant.
* All entries must meet PG-13 standards of decency and good taste.
* The first place winner will receive a handcrafted wand donated by Wizard Wood Wands (changes monthly) and 200 MyLeaky points. Second, third, and honorable mention(s) will receive 150, 100, and 50 MyLeaky points respectively.
* Please refer to the FAQ if you are not sure of something.
* If you have any questions not answered on the FAQ, or would like to discuss this Contest, please come to the Contest Corner Forum of The Leaky Lounge.


Contest Rules

* Design a T-shirt (via computer or hand) to be sold to teenage witches and wizards. Base your design on an originally worded slogan, quip, or phrase. You may put a wizarding twist on an existing joke or saying if the change gives the words a new meaning. Please do not include quotes or illustrations from the HP books, interviews, movies, official licensed products, or any such official media, owing to copyright issues.

* Please remember this contest is for teenage witches and wizards and not for us as readers and fans so quips like "I've got a SIRIUS obsession" would not work for this contest since Sirius is considered a criminal in the wizarding world.

* Your design may be for the front or back of the shirt, or both, and may include an illustration. An illustration or fancy design is not required since simplicity works just as well to showcase the slogan.

* Please create a full-scale illustration of your design which can be copied for screening onto a t-shirt. Create a separate illustration showing the format and placement of the slogans on the shirt (front and back if needed). You may indicate the colors you recommend for both the shirt and the printing if you feel they are important to the overall effect.

* Please submit your entry in .jpg, .png, or .gif format. You may submit two files (one for the full scale design and the other for the format (front/back in one file)). File sizes no larger than 2 MB, please.

* Please include the name you would like to have appear with your slogan (real name, Leaky Lounge, MyLeaky, etc).

* All submissions must be e-mailed to contests@the-leaky-cauldron.org by 11:59 pm (EDT) on December 17, with "T-shirt Slogans" in the subject line of the e-mail.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

New Books!

Click on the book cover to find out more about the item!




























































Saturday, November 27, 2010

Holiday Tales From The Heart

As part of state government's celebration of the holidays, a very large Christmas tree will soon be placed in the rotunda of the Indiana Statehouse. Students can help bring the holiday tree to life by transforming their favorite seasonal memories into ornamental storybooks.

Write about your favorite "Christmas memories" in tiny handcrafted books and submit them by mailing or delivering decorations to the Statehouse Tour Office located at 200 W. Washington St., Room 220, Indianapolis, IN, 46204.

Submitted storybook ornaments will be hung on the Statehouse tree at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14. Selected stories will be featured on Daniels' website at www.in.gov/gov/firstlady.

Certain guidelines should be followed when constructing books:

* Decorations should be no larger than 8 inches square;
* Decorations may contain short stories of up to 300 words;
* Decorations should be made out of non-breakable or non-perishable materials like construction paper, poster board, pipe cleaners, wood, yarn and photographs;
* Decorations should have hooks or fasteners attached; and
* Decorations should be labeled with names of students and their schools.

Mail or deliver decorations to the Statehouse Tour Office located at 200 W. Washington St., Room 220, Indianapolis, IN, 46204. Please keep in mind storybook ornaments will not be returned.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November was formally proclaimed.

This first harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast.

Foods That May Have Been on the Menu

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
Meat: Venison, Seal
Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
Fruit: Plums, Grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources.

The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food. Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper, however, was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.

In the seventeenth century, a person's social standing determined what he or she ate. The best food was placed next to the most important people. People didn't tend to sample everything that was on the table (as we do today), they just ate what was closest to them!

Our modern Thanksgiving repast is centered around the turkey, but that certainly wasn't the case at the pilgrims's feasts. Their meals included many different meats. Vegetable dishes, one of the main components of our modern celebration, didn't really play a large part in the feast mentality of the seventeenth century. Depending on the time of year, many vegetables weren't available to the colonists.

The pilgrims probably didn't have pies or anything sweet at the harvest feast. They had brought some sugar with them on the Mayflower but by the time of the feast, the supply had dwindled. Also, they didn't have an oven so pies and cakes and breads were not possible at all. The food that was eaten at the harvest feast would have seemed fatty by 1990's standards, but it was probably more healthy for the pilgrims than it would be for people today. The colonists were more active and needed more protein. Heart attack was the least of their worries. They were more concerned about the plague and pox!


taken from http://www.history.com

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Festival of Trains at Science Central

On November 26th, 27th and 28th, the Festival of Trains will be taking place at Science Central. Train enthusiasts of all ages are invited to observe model train sets provided by various local model train groups. Climb aboard for holiday fun with a visit to the Twelfth Annual Festival of Trains at Science Central. Area model railroad and historic railroad groups will be chugging in to Science Central Station to fascinate the young and old alike. The weekend will include an extravaganza of model railroading in conjunction with several area model railroad clubs. Kids (2 yrs & under) get in for free. Everyone else pays $7.00 admission. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Downtown HolidayFest

On Wednesday, November 24, Downtown HolidayFest takes place! If you've never been to it before, it's the night when the large Santa is lit, along with the Wells Fargo tree and the One Summit wreath. The Festival of Gingerbread will be open in the Historical Museum, and so will the Festival of Trees at the Embassy. The lighting ceremony starts at 5:00pm.

From 4:00-7:30 p.m., Santa’s Workshop at the Community Center (233 W. Main St.) will be taking place. Start off your downtown celebration at the Community Center with free holiday activities. There will be balloons, crafts, refreshments, movies and a free photo with an elf. Donate a new or gently used bear and enter a drawing to win a giant elf bear. Kids can shop for inexpensive holiday gifts for $1 or less at the North Pole Stop-n-Shop. Mom and Dad can shop that night, too. Community Center patrons have been crafting holiday items to sell on Candy Cane Lane. The money raised from the crafts will be donated to the Community Center’s wellness classes. Finally, check out the expanded Santa’s Workshop light display on the Community Center roof!

Holiday Kick-Off Party at the Botanical Gardens, 5:00-9:00 pm. Enjoy hot chocolate and a cookie, make a wish, meet Mrs. Claus, get a photo with Santa. You can also meet Becka and Teeka, two live reindeer that know all about the North Pole. Come along for the ride! Regular Conservatory admission fees apply.

Experience 150 amazing gingerbread creations on display at the Historical Center! Admission required, all ages welcome! Festival runs November 26 - December 12.

Holiday Houses for Habitat is one of Fort Wayne's newest holiday attractions, where hundreds of "snow village" homes, manufactured by Department 56, are showcased at the Grand Wayne Convention Center for families to enjoy throughout the holiday season. Individuals and families can sponsor a Holiday House for just $25, the proceeds of which will go to build real houses for those in need, through the efforts of Habitat for Humanity! Come join us from 6-9 p.m. during HolidayFest’s Annual Night of Lights.

The Festival of Trees at the historic Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel is a highly anticipated tradition during the holiday season. For one week in November, the lobbies of the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel are transformed into a beautifully decorated wonderland of Christmas trees. Founded in 1984, the Festival of Trees is a fundraising and community goodwill event that supports ongoing operational and restoration efforts for the Embassy Theatre Foundation, Inc. Visit the Festival of Trees during the HolidayFest! Admission required.

Or just come to be part of the event. Hot cocoa is available from street vendors. Live music will be played. It's an amazing, fun time for everyone!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

HeadWaters Park Outdoor Ice Skating Fun!

This year the ice rink opens for the season on Saturday, November 21 and runs through February 28. There will be an ice skating show at 2:00pm that day, with an encore presentation at 7pm to celebrating this season's opening.

Skating admission will be: $5 for children ages 14 - adults, $3 for children 13 and under. Skate rental (for those needing skates) $2.

12:00-10:00pm Friday and Saturday.
12:00-8:00pm Sundays.
3:00-8:00pm Monday through Thursday.

Every Friday Free for children under 14.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What is Veteran's Day?

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

An Act approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday — a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.


taken from http://www1.va.gov

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Vote for Your Favorite Animal Shelter!

The Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder.com are sponsoring the Shelter Fan Photo Contest. Enter your pet's photo and the name and location of your favorite rescue organization to give them a chance to win a $2,000 grant to help animals! Rescue organizations in Fort Wayne are Aboite Feline Sanctuary & Adoption Center, Allen County SPCA, Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control, Fur Heaven's Sake, GO CATS GO, H.O.P.E.- for- Animals, Happy Tales Rescue Club, and Perfect Paws Pet Rescue, Inc.

For your photo to qualify, please ensure that it is a happy pet photo. The contest celebrates the accomplishments of your favorite rescue organization with happy pets in happy homes. Please click here to learn more about the Shelter+ Challenge and how you can help your favorite rescue organization win, or to place your vote!

The contest ends at midnight (PST) on December 19, 2010.


The Prizes for the favorite shelters are:
Grand Prize: One $10,000 grant!
Second Prize: One $5,000 grant!
Third Prize: One $2,000 grant!
Dark Horse Prizes: Eight $1,000 grants!
Shelter Fan Photo Contest Prize - November: One $2,000 grant!
Shelter Fan Photo Contest Prize - December: One $2,000 grant!
State Winners: Fifty-one $1,000 state grants
Canadian Winners: Three $1,000 grants will be awarded.
International Winner: Two $1,000 grants will be awarded.
Weekly Winners: Thirteen $1,000 grants will be awarded, one for each week of the Shelter+ Challenge.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Halloween Party

We had a Halloween party a couple of weeks ago for Teen Thursday. We played toilet paper mummy, pin the tail on the cat, had a balloon relay race, eyeball toss, and a balloon pop for prizes. Books, trinkets, and candy were given away and a good time was had by all! Check out the pics:


Saturday, November 6, 2010

Good Stuff to Read!

Click on the book cover to find out more information about the book!

















Friday, November 5, 2010

New Books in the Teen Room

Click on the image of the cover to find out more about the book!





































Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Check out the Big Kitties!

Do you have a cat? I bet not a cat like these! This is a video from the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida. After Halloween, they gave the cats pumpkins to play with. Do cats play with pumpkins? Watch the video to find out!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Seventeen Magazine's Fiction Contest

Seventeen Magazine is holding a contest where females between the ages of 13-21 can have a chance to talk to Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins! One grand-prize winner will a cash prize of $5,000; have the story published in a 2011 issue of Seventeen; and receive a phone call from Suzanne Collins. (Male or female, if you have not read The Hunger Games, you should go check it out right now - it's amazing!)

To enter, fill out the form and include an original fiction short story of no more than 500 words. You can also enter by mailing in your entry to: Seventeen, 2011 Fiction Contest, 300 W. 57th St., 17th Floor, New York, NY 10019. The deadline to enter is December 31, 2011. All mail-in entries must be post-marked by December 31, 2011 and received by January 7, 2011.

All entries must include an original fiction short story of no more than 500 words. Entries must be must be typed, double-spaced, on one side of each sheet of paper, and must not have been previously published in any form, with the exception of school publications.

All entries will be judged by a Seventeen editors and Suzanne Collins, based on the following criteria: 33% originality, 33% creativity and 34% writing ability. Multiple entries are permitted for this contest.

Open to females, legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada who are 13-21 years of age in their state or province of residence at time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, Quebec Province and where prohibited by law.

For the full official rules, check out the website.