"The next morning as Emily unlocked her door to leave for work she glanced over at the To-Do list. There scrawled on the list was “Take the package from under the floor board in the kitchen area. Give it to the man with a black leather cap on the subway A Line."

I was twenty when I bought the car. A pale blue sedan, scratched along the doors, but the price was right. The salesman at the used lot called it “a starter car, nothing fancy, but reliable.” And he was right—it ran smoothly, better than I expected for something that had seen its share of miles. It became my freedom—drives to class, late-night grocery runs, weekend trips out of town. I didn’t think of it as anything more than metal and wheels, until the night the rain

I didn’t know what to do. I looked at Leo, he was looking at his feet and simply standing there. And then she talked, “Do not go to the little red house.”

But the tiger machine, that was a different story. It took an experienced machine attendant to keep it working. The machine growled and rumbled throughout the day, the oven in its belly needing constant stoking with chunks of coal large as a man’s hand.

This month’s recipes use dried or powdered sumac. The spice comes from the fruit of the Sicilian sumac plant (Rhus coriaria), which is dried and ground. The taste of dried sumac compares to that of a fresh-squeezed lemon. It is sharp and tart with hints of sweetness

Photo image caption: "Diane Burgeson, librarian with the Rochester Hill[s] Public Library, displays the 300 postcards pertaining to Rochester. Many of the cards - some dating back nearly 100 years - contain writing on the back." One of the questions we get asked a lot at the library is, “ Do you have a local history room ?” While we do not have a physical room, we are pleased to share our virtual space, Greater Rochester History Online (GRHO). GRHO has its origins in 1993, wh

A public library is the perfect place to have open, non-judgmental conversations to learn what brings us together, and to challenge what drives us apart.

Furikake is a Japanese seasoning typically served over rice. Blends of furikake vary, but the most common ingredients include nori (dried seaweed), black and/or white sesame seeds, pickled red shiso leaf, and fish flakes. Other mix-ins include salmon, wasabi, or MSG. There are also vegan and vegetarian mixes available.