The Grinch is gone

     I kicked him out yesterday.  Him and Scrooge, too.
     You see, we decorated the library yesterday.  Pulled out all the Christmas decorations and had a ball!
     It really started with our director, Melody, hanging huge, curly, red and green paper stars over the circulation counter.  I mean they are HUGE!  And they are so pretty.  They hang from the ceiling and were no easy job for her and our janitor, Mitchell.  But with a regular-size ladder and a short wooden stool, Mitchell, who must stand at least six feet, was able to put those long pieces of string up on the ceiling tile carriers.  And the stars hung over the library.
      Next, Johnnie and I worked on the two lighted cases in the main foyer.  She brought in her porcelain Christmas ornaments, the Norman Rockwell kind, in red and pearl white.  We placed them on top of sparkling white felt, bunched up like clouds (actually scrunched over stacks of books), and added huge, debugged pine cones and glistening greenery.  In one case, Aileen's chubby Santa sat in the center; in the other case, Melody's antique-y Christmas tree with tiny decorations.  After we were finished, everything sparkled in the lighted cases and the festive feeling began to float through the building.
     But we weren't finished!  For months Melody had been talking about making a Christmas tree out of books for the foyer table.  While Johnnie and I worked on the cabinets, behind us Melody was stacking huge green books on the round table covered with a green tablecloth.  As she neared the top of the tree, the books became smaller and smaller, until a tiny one sat at the top.  And on top of that little book, she placed a three-dimensional, yellow paper star.  Then in all the little crevices of the books, she added tiny, wooden toy decorations.  It's a sight to behold.  What a clever idea for a library, huh?  Books!  Just love them!
     But we didn't stop there!   On top of the lighted cabinets, we put books about making Christmas crafts, like ornaments, stockings, trees...books all the way from Martha Stewart to Leslie Linsley.  Our table near the nonfiction bookshelves have Christmas books, too...'Tis the Season for Frosty Good Stories...and Johnnie's little cloth Christmas tree her sister made.  We even placed Christmas books on our bookcase at the circulation counter.  I mean, you won't be able to read fast enough to read all the great Christmas stories we have for you.
     But let me tell you what really chased the Grinch and Scrooge away.
     Today Corlis White's little Day Care tiny tots came to sing for us.  Five little 3-to-4 year-olds, dressed in their Christmas shirts (one little girl had on a long green dress and brown boots).  They had their Santa hats on their heads, too.  They sang "Holly, Jolly Christmas" and kissed each other profusely.  They sang "Jingle Bells" and rang bells as big as their ears.  They sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and watched us all sing with them.  Then as "Frosty, the Snowman" played on the CD player, they tossed Frosty up and down in a multi-colored parachute they all held.  Believe me, their giggles were the delight of the event!  They put good cheer in all of us and we are definitely in the holiday season mood.
     Now you know why the Grinch is gone!  Don't expect me to talk about him (or Scrooge) again.
     In fact, I still have the December calendar to put up in the lighted case just outside the door.  And while I do it, I think I'll sing along with the Christmas songs I have playing on my computer.  I'm in the mood!  It's December!  And Christmas is coming!
     We are ready to bring you good cheer.   Drop by and soak up some Christmas atmosphere.