The Grinch, Succulents, Community Service and Christmas in Appomattox

Waving in December in a green and grinchy way! The Jamerson Library celebrated the heralding of the Holiday Season with a green car and the fuzzy green grumpy one by participating in the Christmas Parade as a part of Experience the Holidays in Appomattox. The Library also was a part of the great Sweet Stocking Search on Saturday. Just another weekend filled with books, movies, community outreach and more! Don’t forget that there is a gingerbread photo station outside the front doors, a Grinch banner in the foyer, and, when the community room is not in use, a fireplace and Christmas tree photo station for patrons to make use of.

December comes from the word decem, “ten”, because this had been the tenth month of the early Roman calendar. Although it’s our 12th month, the name never changed. December’s birthstone is turquoise and the flower is the orchid. A few observances in December are: National Pear Month, National Write A Business Plan Month, Operation Santa Paws, Universal Human Rights Month, Chanukah (4th–12th), Kwanzaa (26th–1st), Rosa Parks Day (1st), International Cheetah Day (4th), St. Nicholas Day (6th), National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (7th), Dewey Decimal System Day (10th), Gingerbread Decorating Day and Gingerbread House Day (12th), Bill of Rights Day (15th), Crossword Puzzle Day (21st), Winter Solstice and Yule (21st), Christmas Eve (24th), Christmas (25th), Pledge of Allegiance Day (28th), and New Year’s Eve (31st).

For parents who registered their children for the Neighborhood Forest’s Fall Indoor Plant Program, the succulent kits have arrived at the Library. You may pick up your succulent kits at the Library until Friday, December 12th, during normal business hours. We will be reaching out by sending reminder emails and phone calls. Any succulent kits not picked up after this date will find new homes or be adopted out at the next plant swap.

This year, the Library is sponsoring several outreach programs. One is “Elves for Elders”, hosted by Central Virginia Alliance for Community Living, Inc. (CVACL). Patrons are encouraged to pick an ornament tag off the tree, located in the Library’s foyer, and help provide Christmas to a local senior citizen who may not otherwise have one. Gifts are due back by 5:00 pm on December 5th. CVACL requests that you do not wrap gifts, but instead put them in a bag or box with the ornament tag. There is also an option to bring in lotion, puzzles, tissues, gift cards, blankets, towels, gloves, hats, or other items to help put together needed gifts for ornament tags that were not taken or not returned.

We also have a box for St. Anne’s Community Christmas Tree outreach near the circulation desk for patrons to bring in lightly used and new gifts for children from preschool through high school age. St. Anne’s works with other local churches to help provide Christmas gifts for families in need. If you have an extra toy, blanket, socks, coloring books, art supplies, books, clothes, or other such items you are encouraged to donate, and help spread the Christmas Spirit throughout Appomattox.

The Library is accepting donations of Meal in a Bag Kits, which will be distributed to households throughout our community to help ensure that every family has access to a warm and nourishing meal during the holidays. Donations may be dropped off at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library during regular business hours. Thanks to a generous donation from the Women of the Moose and the Moose Lodge in Appomattox, the Library is putting together numerous Meal in a Bag Kits. We have added new recipe cards to our website and look forward to working with St. Anne’s Episcopal Church to make sure that those families in need are provided for. If you would like to participate, the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library has a box of gallon-sized zipper bags with recipe cards in them, so all you have to do is fill the bag and return it to the library. For a list of suggested items and sample recipes, please visit our website at: https://www.jrjml.org/tbtc/ to view the Meal in a Bag recipe cards. Your participation and generosity will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors this season.

Looking to get your Christmas gifts wrapped? The Appomattox County Library Association (ACLA) along with Library Staff and volunteers will host their first “Wrapping For a Cause” on Thursday, December 4th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm inside the Library’s community room. Get your gifts nicely wrapped, complete with bows, in exchange for a monetary donation. All donations will go to ACLA to support the Jamerson Library.

Catch the Christmas Spirit! Join the Jamerson Library staff at the Moose Lodge’s “Santa’s Crafty Pizza Party” on Saturday, December 6th, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Come do “make and take” Christmas ornaments with us! You make an ornament to put on the tree, and take one home with you! There will be pizza, pictures with Santa, ID Kits and more! Moose Lodge participation fees do apply.

In observation of the Christmas Holiday, the Library will be closed from Wednesday, December 24th, through Friday, December 26th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Saturday, December 27th, starting at 9:30 am. The book drop, located at the back of the building, will remain open.

If you have any questions or concerns about this article or other library-related topics, please feel free to call us during normal business hours.

Article/Photo Submitted by
Katharine G. Bloodworth
J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library

The Library receives a steady supply of new and donated items, we would like to highlight the following:

DVDs
    Anne of Green Gables
    Finding Normal
    Miracles From Heaven

Community Calendar

December 1st, Monday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 1:00pm–3:00pm. Doriane Mills from the Adult Learning Center will be at the Library to answer your questions and help you sign-up for classes to earn your GED.

December 3rd, Wednesday – Preschool Story & Craft Time at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library hosted by Holliday Lake State Park, starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. Ranger Chance will feature the book “Three Little Beavers” by Jean H. Diehl. Beatrix the beaver longs to be good at something. Her brother, Bevan, is an expert at repairing the lodge with mud and twigs. Her sister, Beverly, is a superb swimmer and underwater gymnast. What makes Beatrix stand out? To find out more, make plans to join us. We will have a simple craft project and snacks. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons.

December 4th, Thursday – Wrapping for a Cause starting at 5:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Support ACLA’s (Appomattox County Library Association) members, friends, family and volunteers as they wrap your holiday packages in exchange for a monetary donation. All funds raised will be used to support the Jamerson Memorial Library through this 501(c)(3) friends of the library-style organization.

December 6th, Saturday – Jamerson Library’s Creative Class for Adults (18+) starting at 10:00 am in the Library’s community room. Learn to make paper ornaments out of recycled books, Christmas cards, scrapbooking supplies, and other embellishments. You must be pre-registered to attend. You can register online at: https://www.jrjml.org/adult-program-registration/ .

December 6th, Saturday – Catch the Christmas Spirit! Join the Jamerson Library staff at the Moose Lodge’s “Santa’s Crafty Pizza Party” on Saturday, December 6th, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Come do “make and take” Christmas ornaments with us! You make an ornament to put on the tree, and take one home with you! There will be pizza, pictures with Santa, ID Kits and more! Moose Lodge participation fees do apply.

December 8th, Monday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 1:00pm–3:00pm. Doriane Mills from the Adult Learning Center will be at the Library to answer your questions and help you sign-up for classes to earn your GED.

December 8th, Monday – Sun Bonnet Stitchers will meet at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 10:00 am. Anyone interested in sharing or learning a skill like crocheting, knitting, quilting, needlework, sewing, or other related hobbies is encouraged to attend. Enjoy good company while sharing patterns, exchanging ideas, learning new projects, or teaching others. This meeting is open to anyone willing to teach or learn, yes gentleman, this includes you too!

December 9th, Tuesday – Jamerson Library’s Tween STEAM program starting at 4:00 pm in the community room. Learn how to make snowball (pom pom) catapults just in time for winter fun! Snacks will be served.

December 10th, Wednesday – Preschool Story & Craft Time at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. The Library will feature an age-appropriate book followed by a simple craft project and snacks. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons.

December 10th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library’s Teen Book Club starting at 3:30 pm in the community room. This month’s featured book is “The Enchanted Sonata”, written by Heather Dixon Wallwork. Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!), and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker. Whisked away to his world–an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince–Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells…and the future she thought she wanted.”The Enchanted Sonata,” a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, it will captivate readers of all ages. There are multiple copies available at the circulation desk.

December 10th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library Christmas Movie starting at 5:30pm in the community room. After a villain kidnaps Santa from the North Pole, an E.L.F (Extremely Large and Formidable) operative must partner with the world’s most accomplished tracker to find Santa and save Christmas. This Movie is rated PG–13. Free refreshments will be provided.

December 11th, Thursday – Girls Who Code at the Jamerson Library starting at 4:00 pm in the community room. Girls Who Code is a club designed to help young women learn about science, technology, engineering, and math and how they integrate into their everyday lives. The Jamerson GWC club welcomes new members from 3rd grade to 12th grade. Please register at https://www.jrjml.org/girlswhocoderegistration/.

December 11th, Thursday – Jamerson Library’s Adult Book Club starting at 5:30 pm in the Library’s community room! This month’s book selection is “The Blind Contessa’s New Machine” by Carey Wallace. Carolina Fantoni, a young contessa in 19th-century Italy, is going blind, but nobody believes her: neither her parents nor her fiancé, the town’s most sought-after bachelor. Only her friend Turri, the eccentric local inventor, understands. But as darkness erases her world, Carolina discovers one place she can still see — in her dreams. In them, she can not only see, but fly, exploring new worlds in her own mind. Based on the true story of the blind woman who inspired the invention of the typewriter. We have multiple copies of this book to borrow and return on your honor. Please see a friendly staff member at the circulation desk to obtain a copy.

December 13th, Saturday – Wrapping for a Cause starting at 10:00 am in the Library’s community room. Support ACLA’s (Appomattox County Library Association) members, friends, family and volunteers as they wrap your holiday packages in exchange for a monetary donation. All funds raised will be used to support the Jamerson Memorial Library through this 501(c)(3) friends of the library-style organization.

December 15th, Monday – GED Outreach @ the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library. From 1:00pm–3:00pm. Doriane Mills from the Adult Learning Center will be at the Library to answer your questions and help you sign-up for classes to earn your GED.

December 16th, Tuesday – Wrapping for a Cause starting at 5:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Support ACLA’s (Appomattox County Library Association) members, friends, family and volunteers as they wrap your holiday packages in exchange for a monetary donation. All funds raised will be used to support the Jamerson Memorial Library through this 501(c)(3) friends of the library-style organization.

December 17th, Wednesday – Preschool Story & Craft Time at the J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library starting at 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. The Library will feature an age-appropriate book followed by a simple craft project and snacks. Everyone is welcome to attend with the understanding that this program is intended for preschool patrons.

December 17th, Wednesday – Jamerson Library’s Cookies With Santa! Parents and guardians bring the kids out to meet Santa Claus! Enjoy cookies and juice or milk in the community room from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Don’t forget to bring a camera or your phone to capture some great family memories at the local Library!

December 18th, Thursday – Hot Chocolate and Legos at the Jamerson Library from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the community room. Due to an early-release school day, the Library will be providing hot chocolate, snacks and Lego fun for students of all ages.

December 18th, Thursday – Wrapping for a Cause starting at 5:00 pm in the Library’s community room. Support ACLA’s (Appomattox County Library Association) members, friends, family and volunteers as they wrap your holiday packages in exchange for a monetary donation. All funds raised will be used to support the Jamerson Memorial Library through this 501(c)(3) friends of the library-style organization.

December 19th, Friday – Hot Chocolate and Legos at the Jamerson Library from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the community room. Due to an early-release school day, the Library will be providing hot chocolate, snacks and Lego fun for students of all ages.

December 20th, Saturday – Wrapping for a Cause starting at 10:00 am in the Library’s community room. Support ACLA’s (Appomattox County Library Association) members, friends, family and volunteers as they wrap your holiday packages in exchange for a monetary donation. All funds raised will be used to support the Jamerson Memorial Library through this 501(c)(3) friends of the library-style organization.

December 24th, Wednesday – Library Closed, no Story & Craft Time.

December 25th, Thursday – Library Closed.

December 26th, Friday – Library Closed.

December 31, Wednesday – No Story & Craft Time.