August 28 - End of Summer Reading Program Celebration

During the summer, children visiting the library were able to get "passports" in which they got a stamp for each country they visited through books. On August 28, there was a grand celebration marking the end of the summer reading program. Eighteen children and a lot of parents and grandparents showed up.

The party was billed as "Games and Snacks from Around the World" and it was that indeed.  The first game was Mexican Bingo.  Then there was a scavenger hunt with an international theme. Each team's clues were related to a country and the object they found at the end was from that country. Then the kids got to show off their dexterity by seeing how many garbanzo beans they could pick up with chopsticks in one minute.

Finally came the food! There were offerings from 10 different countries, topped of by a magnificent "Scandinavian Princess Cake."

Many thanks to Library Director Lynn Roy and her volunteers.

August 7 Children's Activity - Tibetan Tales

At the August Children's Activity, in recognition of the celebration being held at Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling, the focus was on things Tibetan.

The activity included reading from Tibetan Tales for Young Buddhas and making Tibetan prayer flags.

June 5 Children's Activity - Eliza and the Dragonfly

Vershire resident Susie Rinehart visited the library to read her book, Eliza and the Dragonfly.

May 1 Children's Activity - Making Mothers' Day Gifts

The focus for May's Children's Activity was making gifts for Mom.  Here a few of the children proudly display the cards and gifts they (with some help and guidance) made.

April 22 Visit by Author Sandra Levesque

A dozen people arrived for the final event in this winter's Library's Local Authors Series.  Co-sponsored with the Vershire Historical Society, the evening featured Sandra Levesque from Bethel.

Sandra talked about her experience in recreating the three-generation story of her family’s assimilation to America, compiled in her book, Under a Fig Tree: A Family Memoir.  Her research pieced together photographs, letters, documents, recipes, and scraps of cultural lore. The book tells the story of her grandparents, as well as the Scafidi family, the broader Sicilian community of Rutland and her childhood in that community. Her research culminated with retracing her grandparents’ journey, first through Ellis Island, and eventually to the vineyards at the foot of Mount Edna and to her grandparents’ villages in Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo. She also discuss the challenges of creating a voice, maintaining discipline, and finding the missing pieces in compiling a family memoir.

The session was preceded by delicious Mulligatawny soup and carrot soup (thank you Jean MacDonald) and fabulous fresh baked bread (thanks to Richard Loughborough) all topped off by lemon flavored Genetti cookies with lemon flavored flavored icing (from a recipe in Under a Fig Tree and baked by Lynn Roy).  It was an informative and enjoyable evening.

March 6
Celebrating Dr. Seuss

Just last Tuesday, March the Two, was Dr. Seuss' birthday,
which our librarian knew.

If he was still with us now, he'd be one hundred six,
and we would say "Wow." 

So what better thing could we do,
than to read from his books, and not just a few.

So at ten o'clock sharp the reading started.
Reading was not for people faint-hearted,

with so many children gathered to hear,
listen with care and then give out a cheer. 

All in all it was quite a session,
with readers coming in endless procession. 

     First Anna,
          then Andi,
               then Cheryl, Phill, Lynn. 

      With so many books,
               where to begin?

Then John had a turn,
          and when he was done,
we found in the kitchen
          there was even more fun. 

It seemed that while the reading went on,
two cakes were baked - Thing Two and Thing One.

Certainly then, it was time for a break,
so all could taste some birthday cake.

But enough with eating,
and on with the reading. 
So then came Dawn, and Barbara was next,
each of them reading the Dr. Seuss text. 

Then before you knew it, people went home,
and the books again were left all alone.

March 4
Laura Waterman Visits the Library

As part of the Local Authors Series, Laura Waterman came to the Library on Thursday, March 4, to read from her book Losing the Garden - The Story of a Marriage.

Laura and her late husband, Guy, homesteaded for nearly thirty years in Corinth.  They were known for their love of the mountains and respect of the wilderness.  Guy struggled with chronic depression and chose to end his life in the mountains in the winter of 2000.  Laura's book shares the details of their lives together and how she has carried on in the years since Guy's death.

More than a dozen people showed up for the opportunity to meet Laura and discuss her book.

Chinese New Year at the Library

Jeanny Collins, who was born in Hong Kong and moved to the US when she was four years old, visited the library on February 6 to share Chinese New Year with eleven excited little kids.  She told about many of the customs surrounding New Year, including bringing gifts of fruit, making steamed cakes and giving gifts of money in small red envelopes.  She also told about the Chinese astrological signs - 2010 is the year of the tiger!

Then the children got to experience what they had learned.  They colored pictures of the astrological animal of the year they were born, sampled mandarin oranges and steamed cake, and then they each received a small red envelope.  The envelope contained "Vershire Dollars" which they could spend at a special book sale in the library.

Thursday, January 28
Aaron Hoopes Visits the Library

As the first event of this winter's series of visits from local authors, Aaron Hoopes author of several books, discussed his book Breathe Smart: The Secret to Happiness, Health and Long Life.>  Afterwards he led the nine people who attended in some gentle breathing exercises.