Polish pottery on display at the Beach library
Weekly Activities
– Preschool Story Hour for children on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 10:30 a.m.
– Magazines Galore! class on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 10:30 a.m.
– Book Discussion Group on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 10:00 a.m.
Activity Details
Those who desire better command and understanding of locating articles in online databases would do well to register for the Magazines Galore! 30 minute tutorial on Sept. 10 devoted to the ins and outs of searching. The class is purposely short to encourage remembering basic tools and techniques so that future use becomes routine. Again, pre-registration for this session is necessary.
The Book Discussion group meets Sept. 15 and will be probing “The Thin Man” by Dashiell Hammett. Often referred to as an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, Hammett created enduring characters that tend to linger in the reader’s memory, such as Nick and Nora Charles in “The Thin Man”. It’s not suprising that the Book Group chose this title as, in addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on film, Hammett is regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time.
What is interesting about Hammett is his dropping out of school at the age of thirteen and going on to work a succession of low-paying jobs, including freight clerk, railroad laborer, messenger boy, and stevedore, and finally working on and off as a detective for the Pinkerton Agency. He enlisted in the army during WWI and contracted TB and after service realized that his failing health made it impossible to continue as a detective. He tried his hand at writing and that ultimately resulted in some of the most popular detective stories of his time.
Upcoming Events
Knitters meet again on Sept. 16.
Our dog handler is on a family trip so no Dog Day this month.
Writer’s Group meets on Sept. 17.
Scrapbooking session on Sept. 21.
Boleslawiec Ceramics
In the display case on the second floor is an exhibit of Polish Pottery. The beauty of these Boleslawiec Ceramics consists of decorating underneath the glaze. The decorations, in the form of branches, flowers, birds and religious motifs, were introduced onto the ceramics before the process of burning and by means of special punches.
Polish Pottery has a reputation for being extremely durable. Each piece is handmade and hand-decorated. The vibrant colors are chosen according to Polish custom, producing a great diversity of brightly hued stoneware dishes. A clear advantage of these pieces is that they are oven, microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe. They are completely safe for use with food and intended for everyday cooking.
Our thanks to Kristin Nenninger for sharing these pieces from her kitchen.
Artist of the Month
Our artist for September is Gretchen Johnson. A resident of the Beach since 1990, she thoroughly revels in the medium of acrylic paints. After her four children were grown, she started painting in oil as she traversed through Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa and California. After moving to Florida, she joined the Beach Art Association and has found a home there that encourages and stimulates her painting.
She finds painting both frustrating and satisfying but always challenging and calling out for greater achievement. When you view her paintings on display in the Conference Room, you’ll likely note she sees no need to always paint with the same style as acrylic paint seems to handle anything that prompts her. Her blending of soft colors is a therapeutic break for the eyes and for the mind.
Enjoy the exhibit from “Shrimp Boats Home,” “Gladiolas” and “Painted Lady” to “Waterfall,” “Moonlight Sail” and “Happy Bouquet.” Gretchen can paint the representational subject such as in “Beach Patterns” and “Quilt” but yet achieve a strong abstract design marked by bold color and brushwork as in “Red Onions.”
Sewing
The Ft Myers/Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Sewing Guild has stocked the Display Case near the DVDs and Large Print with creations from their sewing efforts. Many of these items are ones they donate to local care agencies.
The American Sewing Guild is an organization for people who find sewing a creative and rewarding activity, folks who find sharing the benefits and joys of sewing almost as much fun as sewing itself. One plus is the group is open to sewers from all levels of sewing experience, and one can guess any aspiring sewer would get benefit of suggestions and advice to make the experience worthwhile.
Near the display is also a brochure on the Guild which offers more background and contact information.
As a library, we can tell sewing remains active as we get regular requests for additional titles in this area. You can enjoy basics such as “The Complete Book of Sewing” (646.4 COM) and “Double Take Sewing” (646 DOU), as well as ones with lots of practical directions, such as “10-20-30 Minutes to Sew,” (646.404 ZIE) “Creative Living: Thirty Two Projects” (646.21 ABB) and “99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf” (646.404 BLA).
Library Hours
Don’t remember library hours? Call for information. When we are closed, a recorder gives the hours of operation, either on 765-8162 or on 765-8163. Except for holidays, which would be mentioned on the recorder, we are open Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. 5 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.