Back in February I had this idea ,which was to get newspaper boxes and turn them into little libraries. This was a plan that has had many twists and turns. The Frontiersman Newspaper had boxes, and the clerk there said they’d pony up and part company with a few of them. Well and good. Then the Alaska State Fair donated space so we could paint these boxes. The Valley Arts Alliance were at first gung-ho about giving an assist with this endeavor but then backed off.

So there I was, with one box, and no one to give me an assist. One of the VAA members did, on her own, paint one of the boxes – it is still at the recycling center. I don’t think she’s finished painting it.

I abandoned this project for a while, but I returned to it a few weeks ago. The head librarian at the Sutton Public Library put forth the idea that the kids could decorate the boxes. I said this was a great idea.

Well, in talking with numerous people about these boxes, I realized that they would need to be sanded and primed, and a base layer of paint put on them before the kids decorated them.

Sheila painting a newspaper box

This is because kids don’t have the patience for this kind of thing. Heck, I don’t have the patience for this kind of thing either, but I am an adult, so although I lack patience, I have drive, which manifests itself in having objectives.

So yesterday Pete and I went and picked up three boxes, which were waiting for us at the rear of the Frontiersman building. We loaded them into the truck and then went to Spenard Builders and purchased sandpaper. We then went to the re-use shop at the Mat-Su Borough Landfill, and got a few different colors of paint.

Last night I sanded two boxes. This morning, I sanded a third one. I also applied primer. Then I began painting. I did have assistance with the latter. Sheila, who categorizes and sorts books at the meeting house on Tuesdays, joined me. I had asked for an assist because I was short on time and knew that she, being crafty, would do a good job.

She did an excellent job, painting one box green and then putting the finishing touches on the second box, one that I had already painted. Me, I discovered that my patience for this kind of thing was limited – it’s sort of like pulling weeds. I’d much rather have been riding.

Pete cut a board for the inside of one of the boxes, which will act as a shelf. So the job got done. Now on Tuesday we’ll take the boxes to the Sutton Library, and if the kid’s agenda isn’t too full, they will paint them.

I say, mission accomplished. Or is it? Might I get a few of these boxes in front of a few of the vendor stands at the Alaska State Fair? A daunting prospect. I should abandon this idea.

Next: 191.7/11/21: The Dog and Pony Show Extravaganza