May 14, 2024: Almost
But not quite a magical day. Still too cold. My workday began at Buggee Park, where I met up with Bill Schmidtkunz who was putting shingles on the little library roof. The sun was shining. It was close to 10:00 a.m. and it was warm, sunny. The Kid’s Kupboard van was on the other side of the park chain link fence, but no one stepped out to say hello. Bill and I chatted about many things. Then, after he was done, he put the old shingles in a black plastic bag and dragged it to his truck. I said, jokingly, I’d hate to have shingles. It is a very nasty illness. Next, I went to the Palmer Senior Center and once again transgressed boundaries. I went to get commodities and took three small cans of salmon. We were told by the commodities police to take just one item. Now in the past one item was one regular size can of salmon. I figured that three small cans equaled one can. As I was packing up the books, the commodities policewoman came over to me |
|
and said that I was to take just one item. I told her about the three equaling one deal and she said, “One is one.” She did not come and wrest my cans away. And I did not tell her what I was thinking, which was that she had no idea of who she was dealing with, in this case, book woman. Things must change there, and they will because change is a constant. Next, on to the Palmer Lion’s Club meeting. I got good news. I had put in for a $500.00 grant for money to send books to villages. The board okayed this, and before I left, Lion Paul wrote me out a check for this amount. Equally momentous – a woman came up to me and said that she had some books. She said she got them at a garage sale. She added that she wanted to continue to gather books for the BLBP because this “gave her purpose.” Then, as we were going around the room saying what we were happy about, she said that she was happy to be gathering books for the BLBP. I felt good because I’d done right in joining this organization and in asking for a sum of money that was in their budget range. I wish that I’d asked for funding for a tricycle bicycle. . . And then, on to the hotel where volunteers were working when I arrived. I knew it was going to be a busy day but busy does not describe it. Books, close to 30 boxes were brought to the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel by the woman who works for Recycle for a Reason. I sorted through them. There were far too many religious books and cookbooks and textbooks. But I went through the boxes at lightening speed and pulled out what I thought would appeal to appreciative readers. And this project was interrupted by my going with Pete to the Mat-Su School District Warehouse where we acquired office swag, a few tables, what will suffice as a box drop, microscopes and the mother of all bookcases – a veritable white elephant. And this evening, yes, I did go for a ride on Hrimmi on Siggi’s Trail. This was the best part of my day. |
|
