Volunteers beautifying the Sisters Library

Walking into the Sisters Library any time of the year is always fascinating, thanks to the volunteers who beautify the lobby's display cabinets.

A display might be a collection of locally made, hand-made crafts by a local artist that are on display for the Friends Annual Art Exhibit (January 22 to February 25, 2010). It could be the collection of David Uttley's African art pieces, Leart Jett's custom-made jewelry or, this holiday season, an assortment of candles set up by library volunteer Roxie Waloweek and her sidekick, Teri Chipman.

Waloweek is a "retired" florist who will never retire. Her pleasure in life is to create displays that make people feel good and appreciate the air they breath, as is evidenced by not only her beautifully arranged collection of candles on display, but the pieces she arranged in the Fireplace Room in the library.

"Work is all that I know how to do," Roxie says. "I worked in my flower shop, I worked hard at home as a child. I cared for my husband - my best friend - for many years after he was incapacitated by strokes, and I still work hard today."

That she does - not only putting away books two to two-and-a-half hours every Sunday as a volunteer at the library, but also taking care of the planters at the library.

That effort requires hours of backbreaking work, and that's where Teri Chipman comes in.

Teri's a lot of years younger than Roxie, but like Roxie, she too loves to work at gardening. In exchange for all the hard work Teri puts in helping Roxie, she gets cooking lessons.

As you stop and gaze at Roxie's candle display you'll notice some very petite, life-like candles twinkling in small glass jars. There is no open flame involved, they're battery-powered, and the safest candles to use.

"Yes," Roxie says, "I do have to replace the batteries in those lovely little candles about every three days" - which beats burning your house down because you forgot the live ones.