Plant, Book and Bake Sale
Saturday, May 18, 9am-2pm

Baxter Memorial Library is preparing for our annual Plant, Book & Bake Sale on Saturday, May 18th! That’s right, it’s back, and you – and your plants, books, and baked goodies – are invited!

Plant Donations
Because of the presence of the Asian Jumping Worm in Vermont, we’re selling only houseplants and seedlings – no transplants this year. So, if you’re starting seeds, please consider planting a few extra 4- or 6-packs for the library!

Book Donations
Have books, DVDs, or audiobooks on CD that are looking for new homes? We’d love to have them for our sale! You can drop off items the week of the sale, May 13-16 during open hours. Please don’t leave donations on the porch. Because finding homes for unwanted books is extraordinarily difficult these days, we are only able to accept sellable items in good condition. Check out our guidelines for donated materials for details.

Baked Goods Donations
Want to help the library by baking something scrumptious? We’re looking for pies, tea breads, cookies, cakes, bars, or anything else that would satisfy a sweet tooth! Please let Shana know what you plan to contribute by emailing the library or calling 763-2875.

Extra Special Treats!
Emerson Gale and Co. will be on hand to provide music 10:30am-12:30pm, and we’ll have a fun kids’ craft 11am-1pm. Woohoo!

Cookbook Club
Next date: Saturday May 25, 2-4pm
Cookbook: Six Seasons Cooking: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden

Welcome to Baxter Memorial Library’s Cookbook Club! (No, there’s no membership required.) Wondering how it works? Before the gathering, each person will choose a recipe from the same book, and everyone will bring in their dish to share. The result is a potluck with lots of talk about cooking and recipes and how to improve on them. Why not help create a sense of community by getting to know your neighbors, making new friends, and cooking and eating some delicious food?

And this month, each attendee will get a chance to win a pair of colorful pot holders made with organic cotton loops from Solmate Socks (back when they were headquartered in the Upper Valley)!

Here’s what you need to know:

A copy of the book is held at the circulation desk; feel free to flip through and take a photocopy of your chosen recipe home with you.
Each person must bring a dish. (If you want to bring a friend or family member, you’ll each need to bring a dish.)
Dishes don’t have to be complicated or fancy; any recipe from the book is fair game! (Except alcoholic beverages – sorry!)
We don’t have the ability to reheat food or keep it warm, so keep this in mind when choosing recipes.
You’re responsible for bringing serving utensils, but we’ll provide paper goods and utensils for eating.
If you follow a certain manner of eating (vegan, gluten-free, etc.), and the chosen cookbook doesn’t reflect your diet, please feel free to tweak the recipes to suit your needs. Not only will you guarantee yourself something to eat at the potluck, you’ll be able to show everyone how you did it!
If you have food allergies, please know we can not guarantee an allergen-free space.
There will be copies of each recipe available to take home with you.
At the end of the gathering, everyone will choose the next cookbook together!

If you have additional questions, just email us at sharonbaxterlibrary@gmail.com or call us at (802) 763-2875.

Ongoing Events

Chatty Crafters
First Thursdays, 2-4pm

Calling all crafters! Bring your own craft project to work on, meet other craft enthusiasts, and share ideas and skills at our monthly meeting of the Chatty Crafters! Any craft is welcome (at the discretion of the librarian (chainsaw sculpture might be a bit much, for instance)). Why not spend a few fun hours crafting and chatting with your neighbors on a Thursday afternoon?

Weekly Game Day
Tuesdays, 3-5pm
Stop by the library after school on Tuesdays and bring your favorite games: Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, Chess, board games, RPGs, Yahtzee – whatever floats your boat!

The Sharon Health Initiative at Baxter Memorial Library
2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 2-3pm

The mission of the Sharon Health Initiative is to provide personal attention, assessment, advocacy & referral within the healthcare system, especially for our elders who need assistance aging in place. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm, feel free to stop by and chat about what the Dena Wilkie, the Community Health Care Coordinator, can do for you! Questions? Email Dena at sharonhealthinitiative@gmail.com or give her a call at (802) 230-8458.

Weekly Storytime
Thursdays, 10:30-11:00 am

Join us for a half-hour weekly story time every Thursday at 10:30. Stories will be geared toward toddlers and preschoolers, but older and younger siblings are welcome, too! Stories, activities, and general merriment – woohoo!

Short Story Club
Anytime

No time for a book club? Baxter Memorial Library’s Short Story Club has your back. No novels. No meetings. Just great short stories.

The January/February selection is “Any Way the Wind Blows” by Seanan McGuire. This charming short story from a New York Times bestselling author follows the travels of Isabelle Langford, an airship captain in the Cartography Corps, five years into her seven-year contract, who’s tasked with exploring parallel worlds. What those different “layers of reality” contain is a mystery; they could be home to everything from carnivorous pigeons to Greek gods — and why do so many contain a version of New York’s iconic Flatiron Building?

“Turns out they were right. There are only so many wonders you can see before you start thinking longingly of your own bed in your own room in your own home, of the pillows battered into the shape of your head, the mattress that knows every curve of your body better than a lover ever could, the heater that rattles in that way that turned into white noise years ago, unremarkable, soothing, memorable only in its absence.

“I don’t think I’ve had a decent night’s sleep in five years, and I still have two more to go, and I hate this.”

You can pick up copies of the story at the library, see what others thought of it in the SSC binder, and add your own reflections.

If you haven’t yet seen Eileen Lanza’s gorgeous new queen-size quilt for the library’s sixth annual quilt raffle in person, stop by and take a look! This year’s quilt is bright and fun (and the pattern almost resembles stacks of books)! Want a chance to win it for your very own? You can purchase tickets at various fundraisers and town events throughout the year – or simply stop by the library any time we’re open. The drawing will be held at the annual Cookie Walk in December. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Good luck!