Book Business, Week of June 1
New column deadlines and short weeks mean I need to plan better! I spent Friday afternoon calibrating and “trying out” our 3-D printer. I’m listening to it warm up now, as we are getting ready to print some cool prizes for Summer Reading.
Summer Reading registration is open and will be closing soon. May has been a busy month and we have been frantically trying to get things in order. Lots of decorations. Lots of planning. Lots of what feels like last-minute “how about this?” conversations. As always, it’s going to come together seamlessly, but it will make us just a bit crazy in the meantime!
By the time you read this, we will have had our first two American Mahjong groups. I am “skited” as I’ve said in the past, scared and excited. Supplies have been ordered and hopefully I can take the how-to book home with me over the weekend and figure out a little bit. We were being totally truthful when we advertised “for beginners.” We are learning WITH you!
We did receive word we did not get what I’ve been calling our “garden grant,” but that doesn’t mean we aren’t looking for more funds. We had a donation late last year and it has been marked for an outdoor area.
Right now our hands are rather full, but we know how to juggle! It is my hope to have at least a small area with seating by fall. It will be nice to get out and enjoy the cooler weather. Our front garden box seems to thrive where it is. It is simply beautiful and we can’t wait to add more color, and even maybe some veggies and herbs to the side.
Our delivery people have been laughing at us because of the frequency of stops. We went nearly two months with no way to spend money and we are making up for it! Summer reading prep is always a bit hectic, but add in grant monies and routine needs, like HVAC filters, and it’s been a steady stream of deliveries.
Of course, emptying our cart of “to purchase” books that have been waiting was the first order of business. Back in late March and April when I was in my reading slump, I found a recommendation for “Laundry Love” by Patric Richardson. I started listening and discovered I not only loved the humor, but the tips and tricks were priceless.
The by-line is “Finding Joy in a Common Chore” and I thought, sign me up! There are only two of us at my house, but my hard-working better half produces enough dirty clothes for a set of twin toddlers. It’s at least a load every day in the summer, and some days, more. And I’m not complaining (much). He reminds me I’m not hauling water from the creek to a fire pit and a rub-board. (If you know me, you know I just rolled my eyes, so insert that emoji!) There is nothing wrong with a hard-working man, but ME finding joy in the laundry is a worthy goal.
About a third of the way through, I thought, after sharing with Sherri and Mary Cate, I need to buy this book for us. There are so many short-cuts for less chemicals and irritants and cleaner laundry. While shopping, he also has “House Love” and I snagged that one too.
I “preach” a lot about mindfulness, because as Virginia Woolf said, “My head is a hive of words that won’t settle.” Finding ways to quiet my mind is a whole other column. I often go back to Thich Nhat Hanh’s lesson of “washing the dishes to wash the dishes.”
The goal is to be present while washing the dishes. Feeling the warmth of the water. Noticing the texture of the washcloth or sponge. Watching the reflection of the light in the soap bubbles. BE there with the dishes, instead of thinking about the next forty eight things you need to do before bed.
I’m not there yet and some days are better than others. But, if either of these titles can make laundry or housework a bit more of a mindfulness exercise than a chore, and with better consequences for us and the environment I’m all in.
As I said, we are juggling. Books are coming in. Programs are being held. We are getting ready for an awesome summer and hope you join us!
Book Business, Week of May 25
Summer Registration is open! Check out our website or social media posts for information on how to register. We can’t wait to share all of our exciting programs with your kiddos. June will focus on prehistoric/ancient times and July will be more U.S. history in origin with a LOT of STEM activities. And as always, there will be books. Lots of reading! We have some pretty cool decorations up too!
If our schedule does not meet your schedule, reading logs will be available. Kiddos can still participate and keep up those reading skills without attending. We hope to have some take-n-make activities available too. You can always try to join us for Summer Story Time on the Square. We have it on our calendar, so add it to yours!
While you are looking for them, check out some programs for yourself! I’m working on a sample right now for a pop-up painting program before the end of this month. We are also taking registration for our Analog Adventures in June, Mahjong!
We’ve been planning this a while and will be learning WITH you. Please don’t come thinking we are experts. We look forward to learning this game alongside you. Due to the current popularity and the standard game requiring four players, we are asking for you to register. This lets us know how to plan!
Oh! I have money! (Cue the dancing girl emoji which is my favorite!) We DID get our credit card exactly when the bank said we would receive it. Honestly, I didn’t spend as much as I thought I would. I’ll be making up for it this week as Summer Reading is right around the corner and we need things, but it is a relief to just get toner in the printer and some out-of-stock items in place.
Last week we were the grateful recipients of a literacy grant funded by the Southeast Arkansas Community Foundation. We will be using these funds for summer reading and some family literacy kits. We can’t wait to share the great plans we have for ALL ages this summer.
In case I haven’t mentioned it lately, our B.R.A.N.C.H. Out Project, Cohort 1, ended a week or two ago. As a reminder, it stands for “Business Research And New Creations Hub” and we not only had a lot of fun, we learned a lot. This is our IMLS Grant funded project that will run through next year.
If you are a small business owner looking for information on how to improve or if you are a budding entrepreneur wondering how to get started, THIS is the program for you. We will be taking applications for a fall cohort later in the summer, but if you would like to be on our waiting list, let us know! It will be worth your time, I promise!
We did get some new books in and finally! Elle Cosimano has given us the sixth Finlay Donovan title, “Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line.” I’ve yet to read this one as my advanced reader site would only give me a snippet. I wanted the whole enchilada, so I’m on hold on Libby with everyone else who listens to audiobooks. But, we have it in house!
New to us and a great title for our thriller readers is “This Story Might Save Your Life” by Tiffany Crum. It features best friends, a true-story survival podcast, and a behind-the-scenes story that makes the reader question everything they thought they knew about everyone involved. I listened to this months ago and still think about it. Highly recommend!
One that has been in my TBR list on my app for weeks now is “The Calamity Club” by Kathryn Stockett. You may remember her as the author of “The Help” and this is another Southern historical title set in 1930s Oxford, Mississippi. It’s a big ol’ hunk of a book, weighing in at 656 pages, but I have no doubt every word will be worth it.
There are a couple more titles I’d love to tell you about, but I’m running out of space! Please sign up for our monthly newsletter where you find out everything first and follow us on social media. Registrations will be rolling quickly as we post programs and we don’t want you to miss out on all the great things we are offering in the coming weeks.