We are toast .....or are we?

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I guess Nancy and I are toast ... in theory anyway. We were working on the second floor moving books in the stacks and noticed a fire alarm was going off. Of course we ignored it. After all yesterday workmen were testing the alarms, so why should today be different. The alarm sounded for ten minutes or so when we heard footsteps on the stairs. Honza came in saying, “Go outside. This is a serious fire drill.”

I was not sure how to interpret “serious fire drill.” Did this mean there was a fire? That would be serious. Or did he mean this was a real fire drill? The latter was the case. We followed Honza outside to the parking lot. Well, as you probably can guess, we were the last out of the buildings. All the kindergarten kids were there along with other adults. A number of the little kiddies were playing and adults were talking. As we arrived everyone was sent back into the buildings. Being toast or not, we returned to our work in the library.

Several sections in the library had become so filled with books that no new books could be filed in them. However there are other sections with empty shelves. By rearranging the books we decided we could make room for returned and new books to be shelved in their proper locations. We set to work in the morning and successfully made room in three areas where the problem existed. Lifting and moving books, stooping and standing as we moved the books has to be good cardiovascular exercise. All-in-all I would estimate we moved about 15,000 books. There is still one area we need to finish. Maybe tomorrow.......

At the time of the fire drill the temperature was actually above freezing and miracle of miracles some snow was melting. Nancy and I kept the library open this evening until eight o’clock. At five Nancy went to the chapel to choir practice. The European Baptist Federation is having a high-level meeting here on Saturday the 19th of March. When she returned to the library a little after six she said, “Burrrrrrrrrr, the temperature is really dropping outside.” She was right. When we left the library after closing up at eight the sky was very clear and again it was cold and getting colder.

There is a library key we are to turn into registration after closing up. “When does it warm up here,” I asked the young woman on duty.

She smiled, “Oh, sometime this month.” I hope she is right as I am ready for some spring like weather.

Another day of farewell. Shaynah and Emanuel left returning home to California. Both will be missed. Emanuel is a very friendly boy, always smiling and talking with people. He never meets a stranger. Everyone he meets is a friend. Outside if he is not sledding in the snow he is practicing his long poled wushi. Shaynah, his mom, is a friendly woman, always willing to help others and is an excellent teacher. In California she is a social worker. We are sorry to see them leave.

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