Not only was her memory as sheer as her stockings, but each thing it held shone through every other one so vividly that all were hopelessly suffused.

So says Paul Eluard.

My next big program at work is the School-Age Storytime series that starts in the fall. It is a 6-week program and this will be my first time doing one for school aged patrons. I am exhausted with the Preschool Storytime and look forward to working with the older kids. My plan is the base the entire 6 weeks on the Jerry Spinelli book Stargirl, which I consider required reading for any and everyone. There is a fabulous message of creativity and self-acceptance which are extremely important for anyone but especially elementary and middle school aged kids. Ideally I will no longer be in this library by then, having secured my degree and a position as a librarian but I enjoy the planning all the same. Though I imagine the program will be sparsely attended, if it all. I had 2 people show up for my GLBT storytime, to my grave disappointment. The statistics for my library’s zip code show that 70% of our residents live below the poverty line. Our program attendance is sporadic and nearly impossible to judge. However, the amount of young patrons who come in unattended and spend the entire day, without meal-breaks, is mind-blowing and wildly depressing.

Moving on, I look forward to a surprise day off on July 4th. I have plans with Jane and Bunny to get pho and taro shakes (because what spells YAY America more than Vietnamese food?) for lunch. Perhaps I shall spend it cleaning my house. I came across a poem that I adore though I am not sure of the author which I shall post below:

I always liked housecleaning
even as a child
I dug straightening the cabinets
putting new paper on the shelves
washing the refrigerator inside out
and unfortunately this habit has carried over and I find
I must remove you from my life

“It is better to be bored on one’s own than with others” – P. Bonard