Friday -- Library Day

When I listed my "changes' for 2012, I mentioned that getting more organized about my volunteer work was an important goal.  As in the work world when you are disorganized in your approach to your job, disorganization when it comes to volunteer work has the same negative impact.  Recognizing that I was becoming pretty frazzled trying to give time to Woman's Club activities, responsibilities as Treasurer of the Friends of the Library, and  management of the Friends bookstore, I decided to be firm about assigning days in my weekly schedule and sticking to them.

Fountain in front of the library

So Friday is Library Day.  Actually, it is Friends Bookstore Day.  Every Friday.  And I have missed very few of them.  It is a day devoted to sorting through books donated by library patrons.  Some donations are wonderful.  Others -- not so much.  Why do people donate filthy, smelly, moldy books to the library?  What do they think the library can use them for?  They end up in the dumpster and could just as easily be tossed in the garbage can at home.  The Fridays that I have to deal with such a donation are the pits. And, unfortunately, these are usually HUGE donations requiring a lot of time on my part.  It takes time away from sorting and pricing the good books.  That means they don't get into the bookstore in a timely manner and if they aren't there, they can't be sold.  And it means more days I have to allot in my schedule to sort books so that they are ready to be put in the store when the shelving team comes in on Tuesday.

Friends Members ready for the big book sale

Our bookstore is an "honor system" type of store.  The bookstore is within sight of the circulation desk, but the librarians are busy helping patrons check their books out and sight of the bookstore is often blocked by the person standing in from of them.  Therefore, some books "walk" and we know it.  But we keep the prices low so most people can afford them.  $1.00 for hard covers over 3 years old. Varying prices for newer releases -- but never more than $4.00.  Soft covers (paperbacks) are priced at 10% of the original retail price.  So a soft cover priced at $15.00 sells for $1.50 in our little store.

In 2012 we sold $17,466.00 in books, magazines, and other media.  I wrote the check to the library on December 31.  And I wrote a second check -- the investment gains during 2012 on the Friend's managed portfolio.  The Friends gave the library a total of $50,000 this past year.

Libraries are vital to a free society.  Many community leaders have forgotten or may never have known how important they are.  I am glad we live in a city in which our elected leaders (Mayor and Commissioners) recognize the importance of our library and do what they can to keep the doors open and a staff in place.  Our donation goes toward enhancements: programs for children and adults, modern computers, and a myriad of things that make our library a place where people want to come and spend a little while.

Fridays are special for me.  Speaking of which -- I need to get moving!

Starting A New Year with Good Intentions (Again)

Last January I made a few promises to myself.  So let's see how I did with the changes I outlined on January 8, 2012.

Change #1:  Less time on FaceBook

I did cut back on FB.  And, surprisingly, I really did not miss it all that much.  I still post to the Irresistibles private group and share a few pictures, but don't play as many games or spend as much time there.  I will continue to reduce the time there.

Change #2:  More time creating my blog.  Adding more memories to it.

Wow!  I failed miserably at this one.  I created a grand total of 71 blog entries in 2012.  I really need to get back into the groove on this one.  Today is the first day of a more active blog in 2013.  I'll shoot for 100 for 2013.

Change #3:  Less disorganized volunteer time.  More organized time.  Certain days will be off limits.

Yay!  I did do well with this change.  And, as a result, I think I really accomplished more and did not feel as though I was being run ragged.  I will continue to give myself those days of freedom to do things for myself.  Sometimes it pays to be a little selfish.

Change #4:  More time for my art work.  More time for painting and jewelry art.

And I did accomplish this and even took up a new interest:  card and bookmark creation -- gift bags and other paper crafts.  And it has become part of a volunteer effort.  My guest bedroom is full of gift bags, tissue, cards I and friends have made, bookmarks and a myriad of embellishments.  It is so much fun.  I'll continue to work on this.

Change 5:  Less of me physically.  Meaning I have gotten serious about a healthier lifestyle.

Yay!  YES!  20 pounds down from this time last year.  I am eating healthier meals and feeling good.  And  I am in a group of online Weight Watchers who have targeted a 24 pound loss by Christmas 2013.  So far I am ahead of goal.

Change 6:  More time being physically active.  Meaning more time allotted to exercise.

I have been more active.  I wear a pedometer daily and have a minimum number of steps I need to take daily and another (higher) target I have to meet twice weekly.  It is part of the 24# program.  I have a bum less foot due to breaking it a long time ago.  It is true that when you break a foot, it is never quite right again.  So I cannot walk the causeway the way I wanted to, but I can walk more throughout the day with resting the foot when it hurts.

So, overall, it was a successful year.  I am healthier.  So I am hoping for 2013 to continue along the same lines.

It should be another happy new year for me.

It Would Have Been a Beautiful Day

to go to Anclote Key for the lighthouse open house.  Butch dropped Trish and me at the kiosk on the docks and headed on back home to finish getting the tree and decorations out of the attic.  Trish forgot a hat so we crossed the street and bought visors.  When we got in line at the kiosk, there was obviously some kind of complication.  Apparently the boat that was to take us out to the island had lost its stirring and was marooned.  They would have to be towed in to the dock.  So I called Butch and he came back to the docks to get us.

We dropped Trish back at home in Pointe Alexis and on the back to our place, we took a detour through our "attitude adjustment," which is known to others as Fred Howard Park, a Pinellas County beach park.  And what would have been a lovely day for the boat ride became a lovely day for a ride through the park.  The following pictures were taken from the passenger side window as we rode through the park and out the causeway to the beach.

And when we got home, we got the rest of the stuff out of the attic and put the tree in its stand.  I got no further when the first light strand I picked up wouldn't light.  I decided it could wait until this morning.  And I tackled it after THREE cups of coffee to fortify me.  In less than an hour, I was swearing like a sailor and had a blister on my right index finger from trying to pull those blasted little bulbs out of their sockets to test them in a working string.  Butch saw the injury, told me to go bandage it, and then took over.  We never did get that string working.  I did, however, get others working and after a couple of hours, the lights were on the tree.

I stopped for a glass of Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry.  Just to calm my nerves which were about shot.  I had a little dog "dogging" my every step.  I had stepped on him twice.  He was already upset because we had moved his bed and put the tree where his bed is supposed to be,  He kept trying to walk under the tree to find his bed even though we had shown him where it was a dozen times.

Next came the strings of pearls, my Victorian dolls and other lacy ornaments, and then the crystal and Hummel ornaments.  Then all the glass and porcelain.  And, VOILA!  A decorated tree.  I didn't have one last year because my surgeries prevented me from being able to do the bending and lifting; and I told Butch he didn't have to try to do it for me in addition to everything else he had been doing for me.  So this year, I am doubly glad to have it up.

Soooo...I will leave it up until after Epiphany.  After Christmas, I will buy a new, pre-lit tree and this tree which just turned 25 years old will be discarded.  And all the new tree and the decorations will be stored in a closet as I had some anxious moments watching my husband climb a 6 ft. ladder to climb up into the attic.  Apparently, he needs to access a different part of the attic instead of the area he can get to with the pull down staircase in the garage.  I didn't ask the obvious question.  I wasn't looking for a fight.  I was just happy to have the stuff down safely.

Merry Christmas, everyone!