Lessons from an Eye-Opening Year As I write, there are only hours left in 2020, hands down the most surreal year of many of our lives. Far from being a time of clear sight, the last year was chaotic, confused, and uncertain. Looking back from the last day of the year, I’m still struggling to […]
Two years ago, my sister invited me to go to the Twin Cities Book Festival with her. I’d never been to a book festival before, but I love books and festivals can be fun, so I decided to go. The TCBF takes place in mid-October on the Minnesota State Fair grounds. In the Eco building, […]
Time is weird. Let’s just acknowledge that. We experience the passing of time in odd and inconsistent ways and it shows in the way we describe it. Time flies, it crawls, it slips by, it stands still. Some months always seem to drag on (February, I’m looking at you) while others are gone in the […]
Change and uncertainty have become the new norm, but there are some things that remain constant. The Packers and the Bears are still rivals, gravity prevents us from floating off into space, and the library will offer a summer library program. You read that right! The library may not be open yet and yes, we’re a […]
Summer is getting closer and COVID-19 projections and precautions have erased many of our typical summer plans. This is usually the time of year when spring fever eases, but this year it’s reaching new and unprecedented heights as the world buckles in for months and even years of recovery. As someone who finds large crowds […]
The mission of the Dabble Box Makerspace at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of making and creating by providing access to equipment, materials, and space. For those who have visited the Dabble Box, you will have seen these three words featured in our space: Play. Make. Share. Like […]
Okay, everyone. Don’t panic. February is here again. Last year, the month of February did its best to break our spirits through record-setting snowfall and feeling like the longest month ever, despite only having 28 days. This year it has 29 days, but it’s going to be okay. February can be a trying month. The […]
The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library is jumping on the cake wagon and joining the many public libraries with cake pan collections! You batter believe it! Libraries around the country have been curating collections of cake pans for decades. Specialty cake pans can be expensive, especially considering how infrequently most people use them. They also […]
“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.” — Rudy Giuliani Well, with one of my grandmothers, it was root beer floats, not cookies, but the point still stands. Grandparents, and those wonderful people who step […]
Midsummer’s Eve, alas, has come and gone; embark upon the drudg’rous plodding path of dwindling days and never-ending nights ‘til the sun’s rebirth at winter solstice. But far from o’er is glorious summer. Nears the month of ambitious Julius; Fiery, famous, frenetic, and fierce as its founder, ‘tis rife with festivities. Then succeeding Julius, as […]