THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512190074
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
The Friends of the Carrollton Library wish to thank all of those citizens who worked so hard to make our Dec. 10 Christmas Homes Tour a success.
To the families who so graciously invited us to open their homes and spent weeks decorating and countless hours ensuring every detail was attended to, we extend our most heartfelt gratitude and thanks. Lt. Col. and Mrs. Harry E. Lee, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Chandler, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Barlow and Mr. and Mrs. Scott Brower, without your dedication we could not have had a successful tour.
Thank you to all of the local florists who furnished the beautiful arrangements displayed in each home - Smithfield Gardens Inc., Little's Flower Shoppe, Smithfield Flower Shop and Mitchell's Florist. We thank you all for your participation in our project to raise funds for the new Carrollton Public Library.
Our special thanks to all of those dedicated bakers who provided the refreshments. Last but not least, thank you to all of those wonderful people who braved the cold and spent the afternoon enjoying four of Carrollton's most beautiful homes.
A special thank-you to Linda McNatt for her outstanding article covering the home tour and to John H. Sheally II for his beautiful photographic art.
Madeline Miller
Tour chairman
Hazel Jennings
President of Friends of the Library Life of a librarian brings her great joy
The joys of being a librarian in a small-town library are numerous. Patrons are so supportive and complimentary that my spirits are lifted in some way almost every day.
One afternoon while I was shopping for groceries in a local supermarket, a young Hardy Elementary School boy came bouncing up to me. He was obviously very excited about something. ``Mrs. Brady! Mrs. Brady!'' he said. ``We wrote and made our own personal books at school, and I dedicated mine to you!'' My heart was warmed through and through by this child's heartfelt gesture.
A mother of two preschool children who both attend the library's weekly story hour programs brought me homemade bread and a note that read: ``Thank you so very much for all of your hard work and dedication to my children and the children of Smithfield. You are an inspiration and a wonderful role model to many.'' I keep that uplifting note visible in my office so I can refer to it on those days when things aren't going so well.
Then there's the library patron who brought lunch for the entire staff. She had prepared an entire meal of Chinese food, which was absolutely delicious. Would that be likely to happen anywhere but in a small-town atmosphere? Perhaps, but it was still very special to us.
And then there's the grandmother who, when her grandchildren were young, saw the importance of exposing the children to a library environment. She consistently brought them to library programs and for school research as they grew older. Now one of those grandchildren is in college and the other in high school, but Grandmother still remembers me with an ornament for my Christmas tree, as she has done for all the years I have known her and her family. But this year, it was most precious and meaningful. Inside my beautifully wrapped Christmas package was another tree ornament, but accompanying that gift was a note: ``This Christmas ball is almost 45 years old. It was on my grandchildren's aunt's Christmas tree and on their dad's tree. It has been used over and over. You can put it on your tree and remember our family.'' I was so touched that I cried. When I read the note to my husband, tears welled up in his eyes, too.
I am so fortunate to live in an area where people take the time to say thank you in many different ways. I am indeed blessed to have a job that I absolutely love and to be exposed to people like the citizens of Isle of Wight County.
Bless you all during this holiday season and throughout the year.
Emma Jean Brady
Branch manager
Isle of Wight County
Library/Smithfield Branch by CNB