 Seed swapping is a tradition as old as time. Come by the library on Saturday, January 25, between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. with any seed you’d like to share with others, either by swapping or giving. This is a great way to diversify your seed supply. Local gardeners will be on hand to offer gardening tips, discuss native plants, and organic gardening.
 The Lookout Mountain Strummers, a musical group started by Mickey Luck, is primarily a mountain dulcimer group, but all instruments are welcome. Some of the instruments played include fiddle, guitar, mountain dulcimer (standard, baritone, and bass), bowed psaltery, and even a hammered dulcimer on occasion. The musicians play both in unison and harmony, with strumming and fingerpicking.
The group will perform at Moon Lake Community Library on Saturday, December 14, at 11 a.m. This is a relaxed time for the musicians to enjoy playing together, while others sit and listen or browse for books. Light refreshments will be served. Musicians are welcome to join the group, which meets at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church on alternate Thursdays. For more information, call Liz Baker at 256-634-0402.  As World War One came to a close, tens of millions of people around the world contracted influenza in the worst pandemic in human history. Alabama was not spared the misery, and almost 150,000 Alabamians became ill in every part of the state. Thousands, including whole families, died. Stores, theaters, fairs, schools, and even churches were closed to try and stop the spread of the disease. With not enough doctors or hospital beds to tend the sick, neighbors pulled together to care for one another. This talk explores the story of the great influenza in Alabama and around the world.
On Monday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m., Moon Lake Community Library will host Jim Baggett, who will present this multi-media program on the pandemic. He will also share with us a Mentone connection to the 1918 Influenza. Jim Baggett is Head of the Department of Archives and Manuscripts at the Birmingham Public Library and Archivist for the City of Birmingham. He has served as president of the Society of Alabama Archivists, Chair of the Jefferson County Historical Commission, and as a trustee for several historical associations. Jim has lectured throughout the U.S. and in Europe and has been featured on Alabama Public Television, Alabama Public Radio, National Public Radio, and C-SPAN. He has authored two books on Alabama history, edited three others, and has written more than fifty articles. Jim lives with his wife and daughter in Birmingham and Mentone.  The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, caught in the tragic sweep of history, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini (2003) transports readers to Afghanistan at a tense and crucial moment of change and destruction. A powerful story of friendship, it is also about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
Everyone is free to join in the discussion. Enjoy playing a variety of games with your neighbors and friends (old and new) at Moon Lake Community Library. Bring your favorite game or come learn how to play a new one. Bring a finger food to share in the pot luck. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided. All ages are welcome.
Fridays @ 6 pm 12/13 • 1/10 • 1/24 We very much appreciate your ongoing support of Moon Lake Community Library, one of our area’s most valuable resources. Please join us at our annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 15, from 3 until 5 p.m. Bring your holiday cheer and community spirit, and spend time socializing with your neighbors. We want to thank you for your support throughout the year and give newcomers a chance to get to know the library. Refreshments will be served. Area businesses have generously donated a variety of wonderful door prizes, and author Ann Rutland will read from her delightful children’s book, The Happy Life of Christopher Tree.
The Christmas village, which Mentone resident Mickey Luck constructed for the library many years ago, is currently on display. Children, especially, are enchanted by the scene, which features the Yuletide train as it passes through the village. We’re looking forward to another vibrant year in 2020 and invite you to be a “Friend of Moon Lake Library.” Friends are vital to the ongoing success of our community library. Your financial donation directly supports our ability to meet our expenses of book and DVD purchases, utility bills, wireless internet, librarian’s salary, catalog software, furnishings, and supplies. Our book sales alone do not meet our expenses, so our budget is very limited. The future of Mentone’s community library depends on the financial support of the community in order to survive…and thrive. This year, we are offering “perks” to our Friends. Those who donate $100 or more will be offered one of our new tote bags and your choice of five free books from our sale shelves. Those who donate between $25 and $99 may purchase a discounted tote bag ($5) and select two free books from our sale shelves. Every donation makes a difference, and we want you to feel appreciated.  CAPTAIN ROGER HILL, co-author of the captivating book, DOG COMPANY: A True Story of American Soldiers Abandoned by Their High Command, will speak on SATURDAY, 11/16, at 10 a.m. This is a free program.
From the publisher: “The Army does not want you to read this book. It does not want to advertise its detention system that coddles enemy fighters while putting American soldiers at risk. It does not want to reveal the new lawyered-up Pentagon war ethic that prosecutes U.S. soldiers and Marines while setting free spies who kill Americans. “This very system ambushed Captain Roger Hill and his men. “Hill, a West Point grad and decorated combat veteran, was a rising young officer who had always followed the letter of the military law. In 2007, Hill got his dream job: infantry commander in the storied 101st Airborne. His new unit, Dog Company, 1-506th, had just returned stateside from the hell of Ramadi. The men were brilliant in combat but unpolished at home, where paperwork and inspections filled their days. “With tough love, Hill and his First Sergeant, an old-school former drill instructor named Tommy Scott, turned the company into the top performers in the battalion. “Hill and Scott then led Dog Company into combat in Afghanistan, where a third of their men became battlefield casualties after just six months. Meanwhile, Hill found himself at war with his own battalion commander, a charismatic but difficult man who threatened to relieve Hill at every turn. “After two of his men died on a routine patrol, Hill and a counterintelligence team busted a dozen enemy infiltrators on their base in the violent province of Wardak. Abandoned by his high command, Hill suddenly faced an excruciating choice: follow Army rules the way he always had, or damn the rules to his own destruction and protect the men he'd grown to love.” Policy and rules of engagement have already changed as a result of the experiences of CPT Hill and the men under his command in Dog Company, a unit of the 101st Airborne. He says there’s more to be done, and he’ll be here to talk with us about it. He considers himself a truth teller. Anger often arises in those who read or hear his story, but he offers calls to action – practical ways we can each support active military and veterans. Books will be available for sale (paperback $20, out-of-print hardback $30) and CPT Hill will be happy to sign books. https://www.captainrogerhill.com/  Menlo fiber artist Pamela Moniz will teach a beginner’s needle felting class on December 7 from 1 until 4 p.m. at Moon Lake Community Library in Mentone. This class will introduce you to the art of needle felting with wool. You will start with a pre-made base and learn how to build a unique character face with expressive features. For those interested in learning to create larger character dolls, this is a great beginner class. The $35 class fee includes all supplies needed, including needles and a foam base that can be reused for future needle felting projects, as well as sufficient wool to complete your project. This fun class fosters imagination and humor as these little creatures come to life. The class is limited to 10 participants, so pre-registration is requiring by contacting Pamela at 240-426-8317 or [email protected]. Bring a friend and receive a $5.00 discount.
 Kerry Breithaupt's dot mandala rock painting classes have been very popular, and this month she’s offering a twist—painting on glass ornaments.
Participants often comment on how relaxed they feel when dot painting. You will complete one ornament to take home. A $15 fee includes instruction, an ornament, and all supplies. The two-hour class will meet on Saturday, November 16, at 1 p.m. at Moon Lake Community Library in Mentone. Pre-registration is required. Email [email protected]. |
