Page 3 - NBY News October 2020
P. 3

Senior in Action:              Cathy Saldin                   Lived Out Her Childhood Dream
           Senior in Action:
          Senior in Action:
          Senior in Action:
           Senior in Action:
                                         Cathy Saldin
                                                                         Lived Out Her Childhood Dream
                                         Cathy Saldin
                                         Cathy Saldin
                                                                         Lived Out Her Childhood Dream
                                         Cathy Saldin
                                                                         Lived Out Her Childhood Dream
                                                                        Lived Out Her Childhood Dream
         Spotlight on Cathy Saldin as told to  When COVID-19 quarantines began, I
       Marilee Marrero Stefenhagen           started sewing again and crafted over 50
                                             face coverings for family, friends and
         Question: Where did you grow up, and  neighbors.  The pandemic put an end to
       what were the early influences that shaped  several of my previous volunteer
       your personality?                     activities. I volunteered as a dog-walker
         “I was born at St. Francis Hospital in  for WAGS Pet Adoption in Westminster
       Lynwood in 1952.  My mother purchased a  for a year before the coronavirus
       home in Huntington Park before she married  restrictions.  I also volunteered at “The
       my father.  For the first three years of my  Source,” outreach to homeless persons at
       life, I was sick with asthma.  My parents had  Norwalk Library and East LA Library.  For
       to find a hotter, drier climate for me, so we  years, I helped raise funds for Friends of                         Celestine, Cathy, Vivian: Above
       moved to San Gabriel.  My older brother,  the Lakewood Libraries at “Taste of                                          Clyde, Cathy: Below
       my 3 younger sisters and I attended San  Lakewood” events and book sales, and
       Gabriel Mission Elementary School and San  fundraised for Friends of the Norwalk
       Gabriel Mission High School   Mother sent  Libraries at “Night of 1000 Stars” and
       us to summer school every year to keep us  book sales.  My party-planning and      Cathy Saldin, 68
       out of her hair.  I recall one of the teachers  fundraising skills have become well-
       required an essay: “What I want to be when I  developed and successful thanks to these  Kauai Waterfall Below
       grow up” which forced me to think about  ventures.
       my future career. I loved spending time with  The reason I wanted to retire was to
       children, and I loved reading books, so I  help care for my grandnieces Celestine
       decided to be a Children’s Librarian.  Sister  and Vivian, and grandnephews Miles and
       Anita was my mentor.  She allowed me to sit  Clyde.  My niece Elizabeth and I went on
       at her desk overseeing the school library  movie dates before the pandemic closed
       during her lunch break.  On Sundays I  down the theaters.  She’s a fan of
       practiced my storytelling skills with the  superheroes, and loves drawing and art.
       preschoolers at San Gabriel Mission. After  Cooking is my hobby, and my goulash
       graduation, I stayed in southern California  meatballs are a family favorite.  Since my
       and earned my Bachelor’s degree in American  parents are both deceased, my siblings
       Studies & English from Cal State LA, then  prefer to gather for holidays at my home
       my Master’s in Library Science degree from  in Stanton.  This arrangement gives me
       USC.  My first school librarian position was  the chance to see my wonderful                                    Regional Rood Bank at (323) 234-3030
       at St. Genevieve High School in Panorama  grandnieces and grandnephews, so I                                    to ask what is needed. See page 5 for more
       City before I returned to San Gabriel Mission  always agree, as long as they chip in for                        on the benefits of waterfalls.
       School as their School Librarian.  But my  groceries.                                                              OK, NBY readers!  Here’s your
       long-term career was with LA County Public  Now that I spend more time at home,                                  challenge.  Tell us how you are being
       Library, where I worked for 37 years as. a  my front and back patio gardens receive                              creative during this pandemic!  Are you
       Children’s Librarian, Library Manager, and  plenty of attention.  I landscaped both                              trying new recipes and sharing your
       Fiction Evaluator.”                   gardens to attract hummingbirds for my                                     cooking?  Scrapbooking, or writing
                                             cats’ entertainment.  My four rescue cats                                  your memoir?  Building playhouses in
         Question: How do you stay active in  are Mirrielle, Pansy, Little G, and George.                               the backyard for the grandkids?  We
       retirement, Cathy?                    The cats enjoy my freshwater tropical fish                                 want to hear your story.  Submit  c/o
         “Because of COVID-19 restrictions, I spend  tank and are amusing company.”                                     nbynews@juno.com or mail to Not Born
       a great deal of time reading novels.  I can’t  Question:  Do you like to travel, or are                          Yesterday! P.O. Box 722, Brea, CA 92822
       always obtain the physical book, so I’ve  you an armchair traveler?
       begun borrowing E-books.  I won an Amazon  “I celebrated my retirement by
       Kindle Fire at the American Bookseller’s  visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, and
       BOOK EXPO, so I read on the tablet or on my  Kauai.  I snorkeled, took helicopter
       mobile phone. My favorite genres are  tours of both islands, and enjoyed
       mystery, paranormal fantasy, and romantic  sightseeing at the beautiful beaches,
       suspense.                             waterfalls and botanic gardens. As a
          Recently, I started working on my family’s  single person, it’s challenging to save
       Scandinavian genealogy.  Using my library  for travel, so I appreciated the
       research skills, I’ve been able to find some  opportunity to visit numerous cities
       unique information which my family hadn’t  while attending library conventions. “
       discovered.  For example, my family’s name  During this pandemic, many families
       used to be spelled Salldin with two L’s.  I  and pets face homelessness or hunger.
       used familysearch.org, an online resource  Check with your local animal shelter
       developed by Church of Jesus Christ of  for information on donating dog or cat
       Latter-Day Saints, to research both sides of  food, or go online to https://
       my family.  A friend asked me to help  wagspetadoption.org.  Check with your
       document her family’s genealogy, and I  local food pantry, go online to
       discovered that we share an English cousin  www.lafoodbank.org  or phone LA       How Will You Keep Holidays Safe?
       ten generations back!

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