My now good friend Cathy Stone, who is the BLBP artist in residence, has often said that doing good comes back to you. I did not fully comprehend this until tonight.

I think the book project happened because I was ready to learn this major life lesson. I am now involved in a project that has grown beyond my wildest dreams. All I knew when I first salvaged those books at VCRS was that I could not let them be shredded. And they were slated to be shredded. VCRS did not then have a bookstore. They had shredders. They also did not have any place to put books, so my putting them in various places on the processing floor was understandably a source of frustration.

I remember driving home with Pete after the holiday book sale, after having an argument with the VCRS education person about the remaining upstairs books and wondering why I could not let go of the matter and simply let the recycling center deal with the books.

I also was unable to let go of this matter after Sarah at the Meeting House said that she wanted her space back. I do now understand this.

The project just continued to grow – there were other setbacks and other times I ought to have abandoned ship.

Tonight – I again realized this project has grown beyond my wildest dreams. Two years ago we first did Trick or Treat Street – I put some books out on a chair, out on the corner. Last year I coerced BLBP board members into our setting up shop inside, and having appreciative readers come into the front part of our space and picking up books off a table.

We did what we did this year, building on what we did last year. We had the same set-up. I also saved Halloween books all year. I asked Hally who is the administrative genius at Kid’s Kupboard to partner with us. She set up shop, with a shelter, right outside the side door of the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel. This, plus having two volunteers (Alex and Calli) wearing sandwich boards at the corner, got the line of human traffic moving in our direction. I also made a space in which our partners, The Alaska Literacy Project, passed out information.

I was nervous beforehand because such things can be hit or miss. But it all went as planned. The families started streaming in at 4:00 p.m. And the steady stream kept up until 7:00 p.m. Robert hung out at the table with me and passed out bookmarks. Me, I recommended books and restocked them when they began running low. Pete stood by the door and passed out bookmarks and talked to people, mainly telling them about our project.

After, Hally, Pete, Alex, Calli, and Lawrence (our new volunteer coordinator) all hung out at the back table and ate pizza and talked. I have in the past had a hard time participating in group conversations. But I was at ease with those who I now consider to be dear friends.

And this is what I have gotten back in sending books out into the world – good friends. Yes, tonight I thought, all the ups and downs, this has been well worth it.

Next: 288. 10/25/25: Eventful Life