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January-March Outstanding Service Award Nominations From the Basement |
From the Basement
No one expects warm rays of sunshine to invade a basement, but the Friends' basement area had that particular blessing almost every Tuesday of the month. Unfortunately, on December 7, 2000, our special ray of sunshine left this earth for a more perfect place. Arnie Henkel, volunteer and Friend, died suddenly on that day and, due to circumstances beyond mortal control, we never were able to bid him farewell. Affable, able-bodied, chubby, charming Arnie is gone from our midst and only the memories of his grin, laughter, and jokes remain, along with his tins of Danish cookies. There is a little less cheer among the basement crew, but we bustle along, remembering that once upon a time a happy comrade was among us and for that time we are grateful. Wherever you are, Arnie, think kindly of us as you labor "among the stacks and boxes" of the Eternal Library. Interesting things happen in the basement. Back in the spring of 1999, a few University of Texas students came downstairs to work on a photographic project. A month or so later, two of them returned in high chagrin, looking for a misplaced UT library textbook. Apparently, one of the students had brought it with her and put it down on a stack of the collection waiting to be processed for the upcoming Book Sale. The students hunted around through boxes in the area they had used, but to no avail. Leaving the title of the book with us, they left, hoping we would find it and call. Everyone was on the lookout for a handsomely-bound volume titled Manual of Cultivated Broad-Leaved Trees and Shrubs, vol. 1, A-D. The due date stamped on the lender slip was August 25, 1999. Well, the 1999 Monster Book Sale went on successfully, and we headed into preparations for the 2000 Book Sale, sans one UT library textbook. And on August 29, 2000, believe it or not, the impressive volume was found, DEEP inside a box being processed. The student was almost hysterical with surprise and elation when she learned the book was found. I didn't have the heart to ask what kind of fine might be forthcoming, but just felt glad that after ONE YEAR what was lost was found. We are back in full swing, trying to fill at least 1200 boxes with saleable books. Because our number of workers has diminished, we are thinking of working longer hours in a week. We've been missing many faces, including Marilyn LaRonde, whose severely ill mother needed her daughter. (We send our heartfelt sympathies to Marilyn on her mother's demise.) Also missing has been Chuck Childers, a very busy gentleman whom we hope to see soon at the Book Sale, and Erika Stinebaugh, who has been afflicted with a debilitating back problem. We miss all these faces and hope our Friends will return soon. The Saturday crew has Mary Nichol (traveling lady) and Mary Ogle, who has been taking classes to enrich her own personal self. Come visit, please, Mary, and maybe some of that will rub off on us! I know it will be Spring soon, but won't some of our Friends consider helping out for a couple hours once a week (Tuesday or Saturday)? We really do have a most genteel type of camaraderie and even refreshments on the 1st Tuesday. Of course, we COULD have that more often if the ladies weren't so "svelte" conscious. And then, there is always the chance of finding a book for which you have searched or longed many a moon. Please, do consider blessing our little group with your presence. Ms. Grace Turner has been coming back now that the weather is improved (catching a bus to share the fun with us), and Connie Moore is with us often, when she isn't playing Grandmother out in Arizona. If your spouse doesn't like your absence, bring him or her along: we have LOTS of things for all to do. Hope to see you soon…in the basement! Volunteers are like:
(Copied - Independence Gardeners of America Newsletter)
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