The attendees were so enthused about the event, which included a presentation of some newer yarns and garment samples, that a spring bus trip is now in the works.

Participants will travel down to Lion Brand's Manhattan store and then on to their New Jersey warehouse on a date to be determined. If you'd like to attend, please call the library at 895-3707 and leave your name and number or email.

If you missed Tuesday's event, or would like to learn more about Lion Brand, visit their website at lionbrand.com.

And remember that Textile Tuesdays are still being offered at the community room of the Town Hall each week. Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. - you can bring your projects and sewing machine and work for as long as you'd like during that time.

This month the Quilters' Circle meets at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 27.

The Knit and Crochet Club also meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the library. 

   

 by Ellen Bryan Obed

 

Sometimes a book comes along and I will want to give it a try simply because I like the cover or the title. Twelve Kinds of Ice is one of those books and did I get lucky. This book is a gem!

  Ms. Obed has created a winter wonderland of prose turning the different stages of ice into an art form that generates mystery, a sense of community, as well as the spirit of imagination.

  This story is a wonderful "shared read" for adults who will revisit the magic of winter's past while young people savor the excitement that ice truly brings.

Twelve Kinds of Ice is 61 pages long and has captivating illustrations by Barbara McClintock.

 

                        Carolyn Thorenz

                        Children's Room Coordinator

Apocalypse now...or maybe later 

 Whether you're holiday shopping or doomsday prepping, you're probably aware there's a nasty little rumor out there that claims the world might end Dec. 21.

The good news is you still have time to read a good book! And there's plenty apocalyptic material out there for the grabbing, whether your interest is in fiction or non:

If pandemics are your cup of tea, David Quammen uses Spillover to examine how diseases like Ebola and SARS emerge, and which plague on humanity might be the last.

Cataclysmic cosmic events more to your liking? Death from the Skies! is the book for you! In it astronomer Philip Plait explores the myriad ways in which the universe could obliterate us all (makes for a great stocking stuffer!).

If you're concerned such nonfiction scenarios might put you back on the Xanax, fear not - there's plenty of more soothing, fictional  material out there, such as the zombie apocalypse tale World War Z (soon to released on the big screen).

And for your nighttime viewing pleasure, there's also The Walking Dead on AMC, a classic in the making. Though the second half of the third season doesn't start until February - so let's hope the Mayans were wrong!

Charlie and Janet Kessler have been running the 44 Wallkill Ave. restaurant for 32 years. Each month (on the first Friday and third Saturday), they offer the special on snow crab.

The restaurant also features a full menu of delicious seafood and steaks, as well as drinks and desserts. They're open Thursday to Sunday evenings.  

Photos will be taken from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 15 and 16) for a cost of $9.95 with Pet Perks. Five dollars from every purchase will be donated to the Walden Humane Society. It's a great way to support a good cause and grab a memento of Christmas 2012 with your pet.

The database and archive provides free access to U.S. Census indexes and images, as well as other historical records, articles, and local histories.

Though you can't subscribe to HeritageQuest as an individual, you can gain free access to the site through the Ulster County InfoPortal on the Wallkill Public Library's website! All you need is your library card number to log on.

This year, I tried something new.  I took the time to write notes and comments in my planner along with jotting down significant accomplishments, both personally and professionally, all throughout the year.  I must say it is a far better feeling to look back on 2012 and feel a sense of accomplishment because I can actually pinpoint the good stuff, the things that made me laugh harder, love deeper, feel clearer, work better and dream bigger.  Some incredible things have happened to me this year and I am so grateful I wrote them down so I can remember them and feel good about all that transpired to move me closer to my goals.
 What makes me so proud is that 2012 has been a remarkable year for the Wallkill Public Library, and I would like to remind you of some of the greatest accomplishments our awesome staff and volunteers have pulled off this year:

*This was the year we took over a baseball stadium on a blistering hot day in June and promoted libraries and all we do to a sports audience of 5,234 people. "Geek the Library Renegades Baseball" was a joint venture, initiated by our library, collaborating with 19 area libraries, and two library systems to make it a great success.  It even landed us in  "Impatient Optimists," the international blog of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

*Thirty awesome kids from the Wallkill area performed to two audiences of over 500 people, belting out original songs and performing their hearts out to make our "Books Alive!" children's theater project a particularly memorable year. A completely volunteer-run effort, we could not provide this opportunity to the kids if not for the continued passion, creativity and commitment of Adrienne and Jim Perine and composer, Barbara Ganin.

*Our record-setting summer reading program featured more programming than any other RCLS library - 114 programs - and over 339 participants...more than any other summer.  Thanks to the incredible efforts of our children's coordinator, Carolyn Thorenz and children's programming assistant, Christine Adams, we broke records and made lots of new library friends.

*We are forging a solid relationship with our school district to help implement the common core curriculum standards - hosting educational field trips, providing after school help, assisting parents, students, and teachers with our awesome online research tools and print materials, and conducting a Parent Workshop in January at the invitation of assistant superintendent, Yvonne Harrington.

*This weekly email blast goes out to over 700 people and is painstakingly created anew each week by the efforts of Lisa Palmer.  Our outreach is incredible now because so many are informed through this weekly communication tool. Thank you, Lisa!

We can't wait to see what 2013 brings!  Our dreams are big and our community is so supportive and appreciative.  We thank you all for your encouragement...it keeps our staff motivated and going strong.  I encourage you to take this New Year's Eve to start a new tradition and put out a jar with slips of paper nearby, or keep a notebook handy, or jot notes into your smartphone of each thing you accomplish this year, the good stuff, the celebratory comments, the things that made you laugh, the awesome things you or your kids have learned....whatever good thing it is, write it down.  On New Year's Eve, 2013, take it out and go through the list and marvel at all you have done and all the good that has been shared with you.  Perhaps we will all start out the new year with a boost of optimism, a feeling of being loved, and great hope for all that is possible in the days to come.

And now  let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been. - Rainer Maria Rilke

 

Mary Lou Carolan
 Director