In the paper

Our library's Annual Craft Day kicks off our Summer Reading Program. Yeah, sure, we do a lot of crafts every week at various story hours, but we spend several months getting ready for Craft Day. This year, we had 17 different crafts spread out in four rooms, with enough to make 125 of each craft. The place resembles a zoo for two hours.



I brought my camera. I much prefer to hide behind my camera than to sit in front of a bunch of kids and explain something to them. (Such as this flying lizard, which was made at the table I sat at for part of the time.)



My boss submitted a few of my photos to the local newspaper, and the ones in this post were chosen to be published last week.



Unfortunately, taking photos was more dangerous than I thought. As I was sitting on my heels, trying to get a girl framed in a shot, I took a few steps backward, bumped into a toddler, and lost my balance. As I tried to avoid crushing the poor kid, all of my weight landed on my hand. I sprained my wrist and have had a bandage around it for the past two weeks.

I should win an award for hurting myself in the most ridiculous, lame ways. If someone had caught me on film, I'd surely be on America's Funniest Home Videos.

Pictures in the news

Our library's children's department held it's eagerly-awaited annual Craft Day a few weeks ago, kicking off our Summer Reading Program. We have a lot of weekly crafts for the various story hours, but that's small potatoes compared to Craft Day.

I submitted photos to the local county paper, and these were published last week.



We start preparing for Craft Day in December. This year, we had 15 different crafts for the kids to make, along with face painting, and over 30 volunteers helping out. We plan for 100 kids; this year, we saw about 150.



It's always a fun day; although I'm not in charge, I'm always terribly anxious about it beforehand and greatly relieved at how smoothly it ran once it's over. And the kids have a BLAST.

Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas

I'm still getting caught up on my photos for the month of December.

Come Home to Franklin County Christmas is an annual event held early in December on a Friday night. Main Street is closed to traffic, the stores and library stay open late, there are carriage rides, food, street musicians and other exhibits and attractions up and down the few blocks.


The county's very own Wright Kids performed again this year in the children's department at the library. This was especially nice for me. I was working and able to get a great (and uncrowded!) view. These kids made the top ten during Season Three of the TV show America's Got Talent; they are very popular around here. We know them well at the library too, some of the sweetest, down to earth kids you could ever meet.

Sage, Baruch, Levi

Little sister Selah joined for one song but preferred to hang out in the Gingerbread House. This photo made our county paper. Incredibly, Robert posed for the picture. (Okay, maybe not "incredibly," but surprisingly!) We didn't know it made the paper until our neighbor called to tell us he'd seen it.


The Wright Kids were followed by a 14 member flute choir in one of our meeting rooms. The paper published this photo of mine also.

This Christmas event is always an exciting and busy evening. I look forward to it, and I'm also glad it comes only once a year!

More pics from the paper!

Proof that they are happy to use my photos just for printing my name in the paper. Of course, it's a two way street. I am happy to give them photos just for printing my name. Haha.

The first photo is from our annual Craft Day. We'd planned 13 different crafts, with 100 of each available. Over 120 kids participated.

Two weeks ago, I led a tie dye program for over a dozen teens. It was a great turnout, hot and humid outside, but at least it wasn't raining. I was far too anxious to enjoy it, but everyone else did!

In the news: Me!

This photo appeared in our local county paper last week, including my name for the photo credit!



They've printed one other picture of mine (just including "Courtesy of Library Staff). Of course, this time, I emailed the photo in myself and put my name on it, haha.

I sent in several pictures from our Library Craft Day last week, but the paper chose to print other photos--a burning house, a local dairy's customer appreciation day event, and the Annual Antique Tractor Day. This place is getting too exciting, I'm telling you.