11-28-2025

Leave those Good Friday, Cyber Monday, I had time on Saturday gift purchases in the car. Our Wrap It Up! Event is just around the corner.

People have been talking about it. I know because Marolyn Komperud over at the East Troy Family and Community Resource Center heard about it. She receives donations of wrapping paper and ribbons every year along with the gifts for Holiday Help for Families and offered to share her extras. This is why we love East Troy: organizations working together and pooling resources because we know what’s going on. Marolyn offers wrapping paper and our Yarn & Stitch group donates hats and other items to Holiday Help. Big hug.

Our event is the afternoon of December 16^th and the evening of December 17^th. In addition to the wrapping paper, ribbons, and boxes, I just bought candy canes. I don’t know of anyone who eats them, but they do look pretty tied to the packages with a ribbon. Anna is in charge of wrapping; I get to make them pretty.

This event was selected as the kickoff event for this year’s Winter Reading Program, but that isn’t accurate. Miss Maria’s Tea Party would be more accurate as that is on December 1^st when the reading program begins. As always, all ages may participate. Given the timing, the percentage of adult participants have been on the rise each year. There is one reading grid or list that can earn up to five tickets for the drawings. The prizes are on display now.

The Christmas books have another month on display in the library. Come January they will be relegated back into the storage room.

That’s about it for December that I haven’t already written about in earlier articles. Time to transition to recent projects. Our Library of Things items are sometimes difficult for staff to find as we have several cubby holes they could be stored in. That makes them virtually impossible for patrons to find them on their own unless they are in the display cabinet. So often reading prizes or seasonal material fill the space.

Last week, we verified that pictures and descriptions of each item can be found on our website. Those pictures have also been laminated individually and are on permanent display near our entrance. Currently, they fall into five categories: Outdoor Exploration, Reserve, Electronic, Educational, and the new Home DIY. So far that includes our Learn to Knit and Learn to Crochet kits or as I like to think of them as don’t buy the kits and then not use them; borrow them from the library and then not use them. Items are added on a regular basis, so check back often.

Reading Now: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (on several patron recommendations)

Listening to Now: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Round trips to Eau Claire for college breaks will help me finish this year.)