Still Pinching Myself That I Get Paid For This (Truly Grateful Series)

I haven't shared with you for a while what I've been up to at the library lately.  It's been a busy summer.  The summer reading programs at the main library and at each of our five branches have been in full swing, and I've been busy promoting them all.

I've been taking lots of pictures of the events and writing press releases and articles about them to send to the local newspapers.

Boys line up in the parking lot for a scooter race at a carnival held at one of our branch libraries.  They found the scooters were harder to steer than they realized!

Other games were going on elsewhere, like ring toss, water games, and hula hoop contests.

At a carnival held at another one of our branches, a tug-of-war was a big hit with the kids attending.

The parachute games were quite popular too.  There was even a miniature parachute for the littlest visitors to play with.  They had fun tossing a bean bag up in the air on it.

Playing all those games can make a person pretty hungry, and what's a summer party without a picnic to enjoy?

Don't forget to save room for an ice cream sundae!

Teacher Thursdays story times gave the kids a a chance to learn new things about other people and places in keeping with the summer reading program theme of "One World, Many Stories."

A visit from the mascot of the Ft. Wayne baseball team was popular with the kids at several of our branch locations.

He signed autographs and posed for pictures with the kids to their delight.

Arts and crafts are always fun too.  These two brothers are working with homemade play-doh.  The cans are to use as rolling pins to flatten the dough.

This little boy made a bowling ball and was working on a gingerbread man.

His brother made a gingerbread man too.

A magician impressed the kids with his many tricks and illusions.  A particular favorite was the illusion he created by threading a very large needle and yarn through the center of a balloon without popping the balloon.

There were visiting authors who read their own books to enthusiastic listeners.

I did some other work too, besides traveling from one library to another and promoting their programs.  I also designed brochures like those above,

printed bookmarks to give away to patrons,

created promotional flyers to post on doors and bulletin boards and handouts for patrons to pick up at the circulation desk,

and used my computer to design and print signs such as this one for our annual Friends of the Library book sale.

Updating this sign with current messages is another one of my duties.

These are letters I took down from the previous sign that was posted.  Below is the box in which I file the letters and numbers when they aren't being used on the marquee sign. 

Oh, and because I wear a lot of hats here at the library (Some of you already know I like to wear hats!), I've also been helping to keep the flowers watered outside of our building during these hot days of summer.

How about you?  What have you been up to this summer?

Lord, for a job that I love and enjoy every single day, please let me be truly grateful.