The buds on the trees are opening, and the leaves are appearing. A bit late, I thinks, but then I might be overly anticipatory.

Today I compared the Bright Light Books Project to the seedlings on the kitchen window. They are spindly and straining to get at all available light. Fortunately, the available light is now plentiful, and they do have southern exposure.

The Bright Lights Book Project IS growing, every day it, like the seedlings, becomes more rooted.

Today Pete and I picked up the check for the Mat-Su Health Foundation grant – we

Alys planting the tomato seedlings

met up with Tracy over on Farm Loop Road – she handed me a check for $5,050.00. This is probably a drop in the bucket to the foundation, but it is a huge amount to me. I will spend it wisely. I am most looking forward to paying the stipend for the Meeting House.

We next went to Sutton and checked in on the new distribution center, one we set up at the Native Health Center. It appears as though they could use some more books, so books will be on the way.

I got home and next called Carol McNamara who works at the Sutton Library. I arranged for a library tour next week, for Sierra and Sheila, both of whom now sort, categorize, and clean books on Thursdays. Sierra, 19, wants to major in library science, so this will be an excellent opportunity for her, that is to see the set up of a really aesthetic community library.

Carol and I continued to talk – we are going to get an art project going with the kids who attend (for lack of better words) library camp. Ultimately, they will go home with bookends and books – for their own libraries. As Carol so rightly noted, get books into kid’s hands and you’ve snagged them. I am looking forward to actually working with kids. This is something that I wanted to do all along.

This is a small community, for sure. Finally, I got a hold of Sue Fujimoto who is the volunteer coordinator at the Mat-Su Animal shelter. Lo and behold, yes, the shelter will take all 22 boxes of dog and animal books. And, perhaps, set up a lending library in Sutton, at the library proper. I am relieved – the books are taking up a lot of space, and space is limited.

So yeah, the project has its own momentum. Today I was dreaming about getting a bookmobile and traveling around the state and talking about and distributing books. I think, I can do this. Wait. I know that I can do this. But first, I must line up my crickets who are all leaping all over the place. I next have to (ugh) create spread sheets. This will involve my making several project information/lists.

Ironically, administrative outreach is not my forte; rather, sorting and selecting books for distribution is my forte. Maybe, someday, I will have a paid staff and let others run the show. Dream big, I says. Build it and they will come, I added. The gardening and the book project, they are analogous.

Next: 132. 5/13/21: Duly Noted