December at the Arts Center

December days are upon us, and the countdown to Christmas has begun. Actually, it apparently began months ago for some people as we received our first Christmas card of the season in August. Anyway, once Advent begins, holiday events seem to be in full swing, and the Fosston Community Library Arts Center has its share of them.
The Daisy Hagen Auction for the Arts will be held Saturday, December 12. This event, a major fund-raiser for the FCLAA, is held every two years. More than 100 items have been donated for the auction, including autographed books, quilts, baked goods, stained glass, a handmade knife, loads of gravel - in a word, there’s something for everyone. Linda Lohmeier will be the auctioneer. Items may be previewed beginning at 5:30 with the auction to begin at 6:30 p.m. Of course, refreshments will be served.
On the following evening, Sunday, December 13, at 7 p.m. Orland Aspen’s vocal students will present their Christmas recital. There will be both solos and duets. This program is free and open to the public, so come and hear some beautiful Christmas music.
Many of our holiday customs center around food, and two programs at the library during December feature the culinary traditions of two different ethnic groups, as Natasha Boru demonstrates how to make Russian Peroshki on Dec. 1 and Quinn Olson makes lefse on Dec. 8. Both programs are scheduled for 7 p.m. and there will be the opportunity to taste the freshly-made goodies.
On Wednesday, Dec. 9, an old-fashioned Christmas family fun night is scheduled from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Bring the kids and they can string popcorn and make paper chains to decorate the library tree. There will probably be hot cider to drink.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas will be shown on Monday, Dec. 21, and also Tuesday, Dec. 22. The first showing is for the younger kids, the second for the teens, but both are at 3:30 p.m.
The new display in the Sorenson Gallery should be up this week. It features wood block prints by four different artists. Watch for more information.
The writers’ group will not meet in December, but plans to resume in January on the third Thursday of each month.

The Question

"Are we here yet?"
Confined in her car seat,
Karina wants to know.
Almost three, she doesn't quite grasp
The finer points of "here" and "there."
She only want to know
If this long car trip is soon to end
And so she asks again:
"Are we here yet?"
And what a question that is, almost existential,
For the answer can only be "Yes."

- Kay Carlsen

November is upon us, and after this damp, dreary October, I suspect everyone is hoping for some dry weather. I realize that November is not noted for its sunshiny days, but maybe this year’s atypical weather patterns will continue, and we’ll have some September-type weather in November. If not, there will still be some bright spots at the Fosston Library. Once again, the used book sale held last month was a huge success, bringing in between $1,200 and $1,300 to be used for library programming. With nothing selling for more than a dollar, that’s a lot of items. Thanks to everyone who donated and to all who purchased those great bargains.
For those of you interested in researching your family’s history, there will be a workshop at the library where you can learn how to use online genealogical resources. It will be held on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. with a LARL staff member from Detroit Lakes here to instruct. The class is free, but you may want to call the library ahead of time as space is limited.
Also, if you are in need of basic computer training, that’s also available at the library the second and fourth Monday of every month. Call 435-1320 for more information.
Two movies will be shown at the library in November: Pocahontas for the kids’ matinee on Monday, Nov. 23, and 17 Again on Tuesday, Nov. 24, for the teens. Show time is 3:30 p.m.
Watch for a new display in the Sorenson Gallery. An exhibition of wood block prints is scheduled to go up sometime mid-month.
The date for the auction for the arts has been changed to Saturday, December 12. This is the major fund-raiser for the Fosston Community Library Arts Association, held every two years. If you’ve never attended, it’s a great opportunity to bid on a number of unique items and to enjoy the wonderful refreshments provided by the Athenian Club.
Now for a few more odds and ends:
The writers’ group will meet on Thursday, Nov. 19.
There is still the possibility of securing a violin teacher if there are enough students interested in violin lessons. Contact me at 435-6710 for more information.
The library will be closed on
Wednesday, November 11 (Veterans Day) and also on Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving Day).