Fall is in the air! Cool nights, warm days – well mostly! Some people think that the more formal sounding word “autumn” originated in Great Britain and that “fall” is an American term. Actually, both words came from across the pond.
Autumn is the older word, from the Latin word Autumnus, but no one is sure where the Latin word came from. The word was popular right from its first use in the 1300’s. The word used before was “harvest,” which was often confusing since some crops are harvested in other seasons.
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Poets were especially enamoured of the autumn season, often referring to the fall of the leaves which was shortened simply in the 1600’s to “fall.” In 1755, Samuel Johnson, who was British, included the word “fall” in his dictionary, but by the middle of the 1800’s, as the course of history diverged for the U.S. and Great Britain, “fall” became an American term and “autumn” British.
Regardless of what you call it, most of us love this season of change, harvest and pumpkin spice! AND, there is still much going on at your library!
Coming Up at the Library
Anniversary Party. Join us Saturday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. to celebrate five years in our lovely new building! Enjoy the music of Barbara Jordan’s The Commoners. Enjoy a complimentary cherry sundae, and take a look at our history timeline in the foyer. Our history is impressive, and we have included photos and documents! Because the weather forecast is not conducive to using the Children’s Garden that day, we will be in the Community Room, no picnics.
Singing the Good Old Songs Again. The last of our summer concert series happens on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m., with Gary Brandt and Jackie Davidson. Bring a picnic and chairs and enjoy the sounds we all know and love. Jackie sang with the New Christy Minstrels. Rain venue is the Community Room – no picnic.
Artists in the Library. Browse and shop the Friends of PCL Art Sale on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.. Local artisans offer their work for personal use and holiday gifting! Thanks to Becky Dykstra for chairing this event!
Kids’ Market. Kids can sell homemade goodies, crafts and collector’s items like baseball cards, Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. There is no fee, but PARENTS MUST fill out and sign a registration form available in the library by Sept. 14 and remain with their child during the event.
OOMPAH PAH! The Friends of PCL sponsor their first ever OktoberFest on Sunday, Sept. 29 from 2 – 5 p.m. “Brats, Brews & Brainbusters” features food, music and TC trivia. Tickets are $30/person at PCL and must be purchased in advance. All proceeds benefit PCL! Probst!
The Regulars
- Peninsula Insights meets with speakers of interest at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. The League of Women Voters will be featured on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
- Story Stew for preschoolers is offered the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at 11 a.m..
- Reading Dogs return Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 3:30 – 5 pm.
- Threads meets Mondays, 10-noon. Bring a project, work among friends!
- Gentle Yoga happens on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. for a small fee.
- Pageturners Book Club meets the 3rd Thursday at 6:30 pm. Books are available on a first come basis.
- Practice Spanish at our Spanish Meetup, on the 3rd Saturday at 10:30 am.
- Wing Watchers, our birding group, meets Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. Speakers, films and discussions are featured.
- Takeout craft bags are available for kids the 1st full week of the month. Adult craft bags seasonally. While supplies last!
- Talks with Tim (Carroll, that is!) happen on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 2 p.m. by the fireplace. Share your stories and ask our local historian questions!
At Your Service
PCL offers a Library of Things, a Seed Library (BRING THOSE SEEDS IN NOW), books, movies, puzzles, games, explorer bags, large print books, a Children’s Garden with a play village and more.
Little Free Libraries have books for the taking. Stay Sharp Kits are available for adult patrons in memory care. Printing, faxing, copying and laptops available onsite. Check out STEM kits for kids! Wireless service accessible in the parking lot 24/7. Limited notary service available by appointment.
When I was a little girl in a suburb of Detroit, the piles of leaves that parents would rake into the street and burn was a big part of fall. All the neighborhood kids would be out too, running and playing. While we now know that all those fires burning at once were not good for air quality, I do hold those memories dear. I’ll leave you with this poem, also a favorite of childhood, by Robert Louis Stevenson:
Autumn Fires
In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!
Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.
Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!
Enjoy the changes of the season!
–Vicki Shurly, Director of Peninsula Community Library
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