And…just like that…it’s 2019! In fact, because I let an early holiday-related deadline sneak past me, we’re already more than a week in. How in the world, and when, did that happen? My mother used to tell me, and yours probably told you too, that the older you get the faster time seems to pass. Now that I’m the mom—and even the grandma and great-grandma—I can vouch for that.
First, Halloween decorations were barely off the shelves in the store before Christmas ones appeared. (I’ve discovered that part of that phenomenon is that there’s a category called ‘Fall’ which lumps Thanksgiving in with Halloween.) And I suppose Christmas and New Years and end-of-year inventory reductions are lumped to give way to Valentine’s Day cards and candy.
So, when someone called to remind me about the upcoming Annual Ruth Hughes Memorial Library Silent Auction, I decided it figured right in with this week’s column. The auction will run from February 6th through the 13th. To make it easy for us all to remember, that means Wednesday through Wednesday the week preceding Valentine’s Day. Between now and then, the library staff and Friends of the Library would be happy to accept either cash donations or items for the auction. Especially appreciated are theme-based baskets or items which can be bundled.
I’ve been thinking what to donate. The first item to pop into my head—maybe to use in a basket—was a silly little rhyming alphabet book titled P is for Poop, written by Ben Luster, one of our son Michael’s college friends. (Now that they have both become fathers, they appreciate the profundity of such things.) Interestingly enough, while Ben and Mike were both attending U of M, Mike’s wife Jenny, who at that time knew neither of
them, was taking an early childhood class from
Ben’s father, a professor
at Michigan State.
Shortly thereafter, Professor Luster suffered
a fatal heart attack. Since that deeply affected all three of the young
people, it provided a
catalyst for my kids to
give Ben’s book some exposure on my Facebook page. Of course, remembering that time as well, I jumped right in and bought several to pair with packages of diapers as baby gifts (after “proof-reading,” of course).
The main branch of the library is located at 211 N. Almont Ave. in Imlay City. The phone number is 810-724-8043. The library has a wonderful and welcoming community space as well as meeting and quiet study rooms. Computers, wi-fi access, and fax and copy services are also available for public use. There is also a full schedule of classes and events from which to choose. Come on out and support this wonderful gem in our little community. For more information,
including a calendar of upcoming events, see www.ruthhughes.org.
Email Willene at willenetanis@aol.com.
Willene Tanis is a longtime resident of the Imlay City area and an active volunteer in the community. Many readers find her 'Perspectives' column to universal and uplifting
