American-born British poet T.S. Elliot wrote “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.”
To say the least, it has been quite a year. I am sure there are many people who will choose not to remember, especially those who have a loved one no longer with them or are suffering from lingering effects of the virus, unemployment, homeschooling, isolation and more.
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Yet there are always good things worth remembering. We have been there for each other throughout this in so many ways. We are checking in on neighbors. We support local businesses as best we can. We are finding creative ways to nest at home.
On a more humorous side, how many of you had ever heard of ZOOM before, let alone knew how to use it? It and other virtual platforms have connected us to friends and family, provided entertainment and education, and kept many of us working.
We are not at the end of this yet, but the new year does look brighter. And while our doors are not yet open here at Peninsula Community Library, we are still here for you curbside with books, movies, games, puzzles, craft items, STEM kits and more. Stay safe – we want to see you all again next year!
In the meantime, it is good to look back. Knowing where we came from helps to understand both where we are and where we want to go. With this in mind, I invite you to take a tour of our Local History Room, narrated by the room’s sponsor, Old Mission’s own Tim Carroll.
Hear the “coming to the Peninsula” story of the Johnson-Carroll family, and learn the history behind the room’s ancestral furnishings. Tim has provided funding for the room, as well as support toward the preservation of the stories we share as a community here on the Peninsula.
The script and narration of the video are Tim’s. Mike Eichner of Eichner Production Management donated his incredible videography skills to film the piece. Photos were taken by both Frank Kidd of Frank Kidd Photography and Karen Lueck of A Moment Captured. The project was managed by PCL Local History Librarian Mary Morgan, who did a fabulous job of bringing it all together.
Watch the video below…
On behalf of the Board and Staff of PCL, I wish you a safe and quiet weekend. The time for celebration will come. I leave you with this toast from my husband’s grandmother, offered at all celebrations to this day in the Shurly household:
“I wish you health. I wish you wealth. I wish you gold to store. I wish you heaven when you die. What can I wish you more?”
P.S. PCL will be closed Dec. 31, 2020 – Jan. 3, 2021. The puzzle box, magazine bin and Little Free Libraries are full. Help yourself! See you next year!
A NOTE FROM JANE: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers like the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and magazines like Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So of course, I started my own newspaper. Because the Gazette is mainly reader-supported, I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks my way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the Old Mission Peninsula. Check out the donation page here. Thank you so much for your support. -jb
Happy New Year from Northern Indiana, and thanks the release of that video! It adds such depth to the area. Stand proud up there knowing we appreciate the hard work that has been going into the land there for many generations. Your writings are a mini-visit for those who know and appreciate the dynamics of that peninsula. Best Wishes
Thank you, John! I am glad you enjoy them. I am grateful to the Old Mission Gazette and Jane Boursaw for promoting the library and our community. Tim Carroll did an amazing job with the video along with the crew who helped bring it together!