About a month ago, at a Bright Lights Book Project Board of Director’s meeting, I took scissors and a piece of paper and made an analogy. I explained that the paper was the BLBP and then cut edges off the pieces of paper, and said that in cutting corners, that those on the BLBP board were diminishing the project.

I don’t think anyone understood what I was getting at. Maybe this was a good thing. My actions served to strengthen my resolve; I decided to stop my whining and work harder, for I then understood that though change is a constant, it can be slow. In time I will have a staff of hard-working individuals who will see the importance of putting in time enough to get the job done.

I definitely don’t have this now, and this is okay. The past two weeks are now a blur. There was the trip to Old Harbor, then after, I had to deal with the fact that there were few kids’ books on hand. Fortunately, Black Birch Books and the Mat-Su School District, and today, the Value Village Thrift Store, came through. And tonight, Title Wave Books said that they have books for us.

We are set on children’s books. This was mainly on my part, although Pete and Robert did the book pick ups.

Not only did I get the book situation squared away this week, but I also prepared for the Iditarod School Field Trip to the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel. They came, they saw, they conquered, and then they went home. 22 or so Preschoolers, or P-Ks as their teacher, Cassandra, called them. When she wanted their attention, she said “P-Ks,” and they looked up, waited for her dictate, and followed suit.

I had a good time. A brilliant move on my part, we had to wait for a bit for the other parents and children to arrive, so I gave them crayons and coloring books. This worked out really, really well, for the children immediately started coloring and putting stickers on the pages.

The others arrive. I began singing the “Happy if you know it” song, read them The Cat in the Hat, had them do the Hokey Pokey, then finished with the Night Before Christmas; instead of reindeers, the one’s pulling the sled, or accompanying it, are cows. The Cat in the Hat, it really is a good book – there is a lot going on there. After, Cassandra, the teacher, told me how she reads the book, by taking on the roles of actual characters. Next time. I am learning by asking real educators questions.

And reading the Night Before Christmas, uh uh – not such a good idea. The children were then ready to move on. And the embedded comparison between that book and this book was lost upon them.

I didn’t think that it all went that well, but well, if I hadn’t stepped up to the plate and orchestrated this whole thing, I would not have learned anything.

After, we went to the Mat-Su Health Foundation holiday gathering. This was a bust for me. Pete is far better at stepping into a room and working the crowd. At heart, I am and will always remain an introvert.

Next: 333. 12/7/24: Hoping to Get Back in the Zone