Visit the Libarary part 3

Betsie Bay, Frankfort, Michigan

Imagine getting your favorite novel and going out on a deck facing the bay. The boats are coming and going from the marinas. You might see a wedding taking place across the bay. You may spot the eagles flying over. The fragrance from flowers may waft by. It is beautiful.

It isn't just in your imagination.

I became friends with the Benzie Shores District Library when I was studying at Baker College. I didn't have internet, so this was one place I could complete online homework and research. (The other was the McDonalds in Benzonia, but that is another story.) The staff is so helpful! 

And of course, there was recreational reading to be done. I really enjoy the variety of large print books that are available here. I met quite a few new-to-me authors, such as Alan Bradley, who has a great series of mysteries that feature a young heroine named Flavia De Luce. (I still read books by the armful!) The staff also helped me to sign up with my Kindle and enjoy even more books. Though I prefer the old book in hand, there is a certain handiness to the Kindle.

It is the Benzie Shores District Library that put  the old newspapers on a digital database so we can all enjoy them. The advertisements are a riot! From Lydia Pinkham to other miracle cures to car dealerships through the ages and grocery store prices, it is amazing! There are lots of interesting stories included too: Letters from solders in World War I to home, mysterious finds like an ox shoe embedded in a tree, the awful tornado in the 1950s and the Coho fishing tragedy on Lake Michigan. Great source of history! Plus, the gossip section had to do with family and friends coming from different cities to visit home and friends, weddings, school gatherings, church gatherings, barns burning down and more. There is a lot of basic humor and human nature included in these little snippets. They are the thing I miss most about our local newspaper these days.

The Benzie Shores District Library has wonderful displays in this window box. There was an amazing one of clocks of all sorts, another of antique toys.This is vintage shoes. Suitable books accompany the displays.

There is a magnola tree a the window, in full bloom right now. 

The library is available to the whole of Benzie County and to our summer visitors who come by boats or by car to cottages around the lakes. In the summer, the Frankfort Farmer's Market is right next door in the park on Saturdays. 

Who wouldn't love this chair??? 

Children's and preteen books

There is a children's reading times and sometimes puppet shows! It is fun to listen to the stories right with the children.  There is a lot of community involvement with this and our other local libraries.

There are cubicles for those who need a quieter place to study. The painting features the Royal Frontanac.

Visit the Library part 2

A long time ago, a fella had an idea to connect the Crystal Lake in Benzie County to Lake Michigan. At that time, Beulah was called Crystal City and didn't have railways or much of a beach at all. Thank God for ole Archibald Jones and the Tragedy of Crystal Lake!

Darcy Library

Because of this, and the development of a beautiful downtown area right by the beach, there is certainly a fine library downtown as well, called the Darcy Library. This is the new Beulah Library. See that garage door on the building behind the library? The old library shared the village office building and was packed full of great books but not much space. 

The library is spacious and comfortable, with a great selection of music CDs and movie DVDs as well as a wide selection of books for all ages. There is even a wonderful area to enjoy reading  magazines and newspapers:

Inside the library there is a colorful welcome: The art reaches right out to you! There are Native American sculptures inside and out, with a beautiful sculpture out the door on the downtown side of the library. The library kind of reminds me of a crazy quilt inside, fun and active.

The view from the front door towards downtown.

This was copied from the library's website under Library and Garden Art. Simple and beautiful! 

It is called Tribes of the Great Lakes, by Freddy Joseph Raphael

This is the children's area. 

The thing about Darcy Library is the reason behind the name. You see, Darcy was a little dog that welcomed patrons and made reading fun! As mentioned below, Darcy served for 17 years as a therapy dog. There was a lot of love in this compact rescue doggie, and it is a fitting tribute that the library bears her name.

borrowed from the Darcy Library website

Darcy has passed, but her legacy lives on with Rosie! Rosie reads with youngsters who come in and visit the library on Thursdays. That is to say, the little ones read to Rosie. Either way, she is a real delight!  

Cora Baker and Rosie, photo shared with her daddy's permission.

Now, for us history buffs, there is a great treasure at Darcy Library that I have yet to really explore! The Helen Tanner personal research library and maps are housed in a special room. Her field of expertise was in the Native Americans of the Great Lakes region. So many treasures, including maps carefully kept in special file drawers. When she initially began her research, there really wasn't much written about the Great Lakes tribes. 

This room is full of treasures to hunt through and so much to learn. 

So, when you visit Beulah, make sure to find the library and enjoy all the treasures within, living, written, or created. 

Visit the Library part 1

I am a book-a-holic. I can read easily three books at once without losing the train of thought in each. Books are my vacation, my day dreams, my childhood, my teachers. How did I get so involved in books?

Dr Doolittle series. If you haven't read them, you really should.

It began with the library.

Mills Community House is the only remaining building from the Benzonia Academy. It is a proud building with front steps leading up to double doors. A stately Mission-style grandfather clock ticks away the words being read in the children's section, in the Michigan Room, in the non-fiction or fiction, in the periodicals.It is a three-story building, where I used to meet for Girl Scouts and my brother went to preschool in the basement. The top story, amazingly enough, was a gymnasium and is now used for plays and craft fairs and more.

The amazing old grandfather clock

Bet my name is still on the library card in these!

Books came before even swimming (and you couldn't keep me out of the water of Crystal Lake!) As soon as I was able to, I would take out six or more books on loan and be done with them before the two weeks were even half gone. So many old friends remain in the library, I am glad to see. Walter Farley's "The Black Stallion" series, the Dr Dolittle series, Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew still hold a place at the Benzonia Public Library, which is center stage at the Mills Community House.

The library has undergone a recent remodel. It was scary thinking the old hallowed halls were going to be modernized but I do think it is a job well done. It certainly was needed. The bathroom is a real blessing! (Anyone else slightly scared when having to use the old facilities?) I do miss some things: The mission style furnishings, the podium with the wonderful huge Dictionary on it. Some of the old familiar titles have moved on.

A great place to read local history, check the news paper, or just settle in and read.

There are computer stations at the library, of course. Searching for for title, author, or topic is now done without pulling out the little drawers from the alphabetical file boxes. Library cards are electronic as well. But no fear! So many people prefer the feel of a book in hand, the smell of paper, the magic of turning the page, that our libraries are quite secure, thank you. I miss seeing the names and dates on the book cards. There was something satisfying in seeing who else enjoyed a favored book.

The neat thing, now a days, is the events, services, lectures, reading programs, and of course, the Bruce Catton writing contest, targeted for young writers in the local schools here. Bruce Catton was well known for his civil war books and local history, and was pretty much raised at the Academy. The submitted writings for this contest are well worth reading!

The library is much beloved by many of us who grew up here. This library is one of three in the county, the oldest and most historic. Lots of rainy day fun is inside, lots of good books as well. 

For history buffs, like I am becoming, there is a great deal of materials within these walls. The original copies of our local papers dating back to the late 1800s. These are also available online through the Benzie Shores District Library website, and a link is included in the Benzonia Public Library's web site as well. It is so interesting to  read some of the old articles. Even the advertisements are amazing.

A collection of books from the Benzonia Academy are highlighted in this beautiful bookshelf.

These two historic markers are located at the front of the Mills Community House grounds. 

Next stop: Darcy Library, Beulah, Michigan

Signs of the Season: Yard Sale

It is a sign of spring: Yard Sale and Garage Sale signs popping up like Trillium all over the place, on the main roads and way off the beaten path. Comes with spring cleaning. A form of recreation for the shoppers. A lot of work for the people doing the sales. A chance to run into old friends and make new friends. A treasure hunt!

Yard Sales, estate sales, garage sales: flea markets and farmer markets. The call to me is loud and enduring. How many generations of my family made a living off of trading and selling? Oh, just a few. My Dad and Uncles were well known for it. It gets in your blood, you know.

In my case, I love them because I am a story teller, a nosy bugger, with an eye for value and good things!

You just never know what you will find, either! A couple of years ago, suddenly fencing foils were appearing at multiple yard sales. Sauna cabinets, too. Remember those from the old TV sit coms? I have seen cadaver tables at one, a coffin cart at another.

I go to estate sales with mixed feelings. Quiet respect for the loss experienced. Avid curiosity of the life or lives lived. The story teller in me finds all sorts of things of interest! A recent estate sale had two things that piqued my interest: A photo of an airplane and a copy of a patent. There are a lot of stories just with those two items, and I plan on reconnecting with the family to at least get the love story out of them.

I love seeing the houses at estate sales. So many innovations for storage and décor! House breathe their memories.  Quite often you will see the pencil marks showing how the children have grown. A list by the door at one sale reminded the man of the house to make sure he had his keys, a handkerchief, eyeglasses, medications all taken; notes to keep upright and walking.

It is fun to see how people repurpose items!

Flea markets and farm markets are a lot of fun to visit.  A different kind of garage sale with lots of interesting food, crafts, antiques, and just plain ole stuff. You can

Copemish Flea Market in the 70s

find all sorts of antiques that will make you think, “Good gravy, I used to have this! Wonder what ever happened to it? This is sure worth a lot of money! I could get rich on my old stuff! “

I kind of miss flea markets with livestock, but things keep on changing.

While I love those TV shows like Antiques Roadshow and Pickers, I think they have kind of spoiled the hunt for some of us. Sometimes these shows and Ebay push prices up too far, and it is hard for both the seller and the buyer to be kind about these sort of things.

You sure can find some fancy items at some sales!

Now here is a fun idea for you folks to do while enjoying your summer yard sales and garage sales: Make up a list, like a scavenger hunt list or maybe even Yard Sale Bingo. Search for things like a hairy pig, a painting of cows, ceramic happies (those ceramic children that everyone seemed to have for sports or what have you.), board games or puzzles, macramé art… the possibilities are endless! Whoever wins gets their choice of lunch. Better yet, find a white elephant type object to be a traveling trophy!

Have fun, and don’t forget to get some good stuff at these sales!