December 14th, the day of the Valley Quilting Guild and Bright Lights Book Project quilt and book silent auction. The quilters (I was told) spent eight weeks preparing for this. The event was a huge success because the volunteers who orchestrated this event were motivated and took the initiative to get things done. I can’t say that the BLBP board members worked as hard – but they did their share.

I woke up at 6:30 a.m. and was awake when Susan, the organizer, walked in the door. She turned on the lights of the former banquet room and I got dressed and put away my sleeping bag and foam pad and together we got to work, doing quilt administrativa, making sure that bid numbers matched up with the numbers on the quilt. I make it sound simple, but it was not.

We were shortly thereafter joined by two other BLBP/VQG volunteers, Jan and Jana, who under Susan’s guidance, did various odd jobs, like moving the quilts outside the former banquet room and into the lobby and putting the reading pillows the quilters made (which were going to be on sale) on the tables.

There was so much to be done; I could spend pages and pages going into detail. Suffice to say, when other helpers arrived, I backed off and took care of little things, like making sure that signage was on the windows and doors and put tablecloths on the food tables. I also sectioned off the room by putting yellow tape crosswise across one side of the bookshelves and a table crosswise across the other side of the table. This way, access to the bookcase stock was limited. I didn’t want to be wasting time telling people that we are a distribution center.

I decided to go over to the Koslosky Center and drop off books and supplies for those who were doing a sewing exhibition there. I also put a sign on the wall indicating that free books were available. A very satisfying endeavor, considering that we were once told to remove the BLBP bookcases.

I had gone with Pam to the Koslosky Center – we next went to the Palmer Senior Center, and there we talked with vendors and customers about the project and the quilt sale. From there we went to the Colony House Museum and checked out the former Colony house first floor, then went upstairs and checked out the top floor, which had a Santa theme. Shari, who also set up the exhibit, also had included our books.

Onward, to the borough building. Outside, two people from the reindeer farm were walking reindeer around. For a moment I thought that I’d like to own two reindeer (you can never have just one); then I remembered that I want a donkey.

I couldn’t help but think that if I had an income, we’d have purchased a place with more land, and pasturage for the horses and donkeys. Yes, I’d have two.

Returned to the hotel, and the rest of the afternoon and evening watched the auction progress. I got the quilt I wanted, and the BLBP/VQG members all pitched in to purchase a quilt, one that has books on a bookcase, which Susan made, for the BLBP. A great way to end the day.

Next: 341. 12/15/24: Overcast