The Monthly Liaison: November 2021 |
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Before the Turkey Trot, there was the Turkey Derby on Main Street in Hailey. Photograph from the Pedro Salom Wood River Journal Photograph Collection in the Center for Regional History. |
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Mr. Watts, the principal, towered in the hallway between classes at Robert Stuart Junior High School. He stood with his legs planted firmly just more than shoulder-width apart, his hands clasped behind his back, his face stoic. The raucous wave of teenagers parted around him; the teasing and yelling turned to whispers. I never heard him shout or even saw him grimace, but I always scurried quickly past him, hunched under a bulky blue backpack.
Many years later, my mother crossed paths with Mr. Watts again. She told me that he was long retired; his wife had died. I imagined his square shoulders sloping a bit now. These days, he told her, he liked to go sit in the barn and listen to the horses eat.
This strong figure, who had loomed at the edges of my junior high experience, had all but disappeared from my memory – but now I saw him freshly, removed from the hallway frenzy. I saw him leaning against a wooden stall, settling into a stillness that gathered as the horses shifted their heavy hooves on dry straw and chewed their hay. I felt the quiet gather around him.
Now, when I find myself in a chaotic moment, I sometimes draw upon this image of Mr. Watts - not the Mr. Watts I rushed by in the school hallway, but the one I never saw in a barn alone with his thoughts - and I think of the ways we can sit with solace and settle our minds, among horses or beneath stars or in the gentle pages of open books.
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Jenny Emery Davidson, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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By Carter Hedberg
Director of Philanthropy
It was November in Minnesota as I shivered in the cold on my Grandma Tesch’s front porch. I was waiting for my favorite cousin, Debbie, to appear. Thanksgiving had arrived and it was quite an event as all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my mother’s side gathered at my grandma’s home.
I was second youngest of 37 grandchildren and some of my older cousins were already married with children, so understandably, there was quite a cacophony of noise and confusion as everyone gathered for dinner.
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Carter Hedberg, Nancy Goodenough,
and the Famous Tart
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It was thrilling to watch the house fill with my extended family, and being a potluck, it filled with food ranging from a traditional Thanksgiving turkey to family favorites like lime Jell-O with canned pineapple and cottage cheese; pickled herring and beets; and lefse. Grace was said and we celebrated the union of food, family, and gratitude.
These holiday celebrations at my grandma’s home occurred throughout the year and instilled in me a deep appreciation for the connection between food and gratitude. After all, who doesn’t love being surprised by cinnamon rolls on a Sunday morning baked by your Aunt Edna, or a special dinner at a restaurant to celebrate your marriage!
I often experience this kind of gratitude at the Library. I've been delighted by a jar of homemade ketchup from a Library friend, or a pancake mix from Hell's Backbone Grill & Farm. . . or a special birthday tart created by a coworker.
Which brings me to Nancy Goodenough.
“The main reason I bake for others is because I love seeing the smiles when I deliver something sweet.” ~Nancy Goodenough
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Not only does Nancy love to bake, but she is fabulously successful at it. . . she really should be a contestant on the “Great British Baking Show,” if that were possible. Nancy was a part-time librarian for several years and would often create special birthday cakes for her coworkers.
Nancy loved a challenge, and one year when she asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday, I told her I would love something with fruit, hazelnuts, and lavender. Et voila! A fabulous pear tart appeared!
When I asked her why she shared her baking, Nancy told me, “The main reason I bake for others is because I love seeing the smiles when I deliver something sweet.” She continued, “A couple of years ago, I delivered cookies to two elderly ladies, and it was a wonderful feeling to see what a small gesture meant to them.”
More often than not, small gestures feel like big ones!
Today, I feel immense gratitude for the friends I’ve made, the people I work with and the generosity I’ve witnessed during my time at the Library. And what a tasty bonus that it has often included a delicious cookie, a lovely lunch, and on occasion, a glass of champagne.
Happy Thanksgiving dear Library friends and thank you, Nancy. . . and Grandma! Cheers!
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Nancy's Sweet Book Recommendations |
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Baking: From My Home to Yours
By Dorie Greenspan
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Simple Cake:
All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake
By Odette Williams
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Dorie's Cookies
By Dorie Greenspan
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THANK YOU to Our November Donors! |
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Julia and George Argyros
Francie and Ed Blair
Roberta and Ronald Bloom
J.V. and Toni Brown
Janne and Henry Burdick
Maureen and Paul Draper
Amy Fineman
James Deering Danielson Foundation
Damaris D. W. Ford - Landmark Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Roy Lightbody
Lisa and Bob Mayer
Claudia McCain
Sherri and Jim Meeks
Ellen Downey and Andrea Nasi
Robert Ordal
Karen Oswalt and Baxter Craven Young
Peter and Quin Curran
Susan and Reuben Perin
Brynda and Craig Petrie
Tedde and Jim Reid
Pamela Sandine and Joseph P. Williams, Jr.
Sterling Realty Organization
John M. Walker
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Page Turner Society
Big Wood Landscape
Kathleen Diepenbrock and Kelley Weston
Claudia and John D. Gaeddert
Elaine and Michael Phillips
Narda Pitkethly
Gay Weake
Anita Weissberg
Tribute Gifts
Martha and Ross Jennings in memory of Graner Thorne
Patty Smith and Dorothy Sherwood in honor of Griffin Nico Toshalis
In Kind
The Haven
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The Community Library is supported by people who believe in the free flow of news, entertainment, and information. You can make a one-time gift in any amount, large or small. As a member of the Page Turner Society, your recurring monthly gift helps sustain the Library's programming. There are many ways you can choose to give, and Carter Hedberg is here to assist you.
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Year-end Tax Planning: If you're 70½ or older, you may want to consider making a gift to The Community Library from your traditional IRA. You can donate up to $100,000 without it being considered a taxable distribution. The deduction effectively lowers your adjusted gross income
and it counts against your required minimum distribution.
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