Potluck & Peaceful Beginnings will be celebrating its 15th year in 2012. The popular first-day-of-the-year community celebration, featuring poetry, puppets, music, food and crafts for all ages will again take place at Skidompha Library in Damariscotta from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 1. Over 200 people attended last year, enjoying the array of fun activities.
Local musicians of all ages will perform madrigals, folk songs, gypsy music and classical arrangements for violin and cello. The traditional public Round Sing will close the afternoon. Rosie Benson and friends will oversee bookmaking in the computer room off the main lobby. There will be opportunities to write and read haikus.
Puppets and craft activities are an important part of Peaceful Beginnings. Melissa Glendenning will perform a puppetshow featuring magical 
handmade puppets in the children’s library. Ed Cote Small will bring puppets and perform as well. Between puppetshows, there will be ongoing gnome and duct tape wallet crafting in the children’s library. Alexsandra Tomasulo, a Walpole potter, will host the clay table. Over the course of the afternoon, area poets will read selected works in the Porter auditorium of the library.
Everyone is encouraged to bring food for the informal potluck. We hope to see you all on New Years Day–invite your friends! For more information, call Jenny Begin at 563-3781.
