61° Rainy

Just home

tomorrow

know you are prayed for

I do know librarians are under recognized.  I’ve had 3 outstanding librarians in my life… Mrs Hansen in HS, Joanne L in Earlville and Jill B here in my village.

“They threw away my card catalog like it was garbage—and with it, my life’s work.”

I didn’t cry when my husband passed.
Not when they tore down the diner where we shared pie on our first date.
But the day they wheeled out those oak drawers—the ones with my handwriting on every tab—I stood behind the front desk and wept.

Forty-three years. That’s how long I wore this nametag. Same brass pin. Same coffee ring on my desk. Same chair, one wheel that always stuck. And every morning, without fail, I unlocked the front door of the Grant County Public Library like I was opening a treasure chest.

Because that’s what it was.

It wasn’t just books we kept. We kept people.
I knew which boy needed a quiet place after his father drank.
Which mother needed job listings printed before her shift at the plant.
Which farmer wanted the almanac just to remember what his father used to read.

The library was the living room of our town.
And I was its lamp.

Back in ’82, the roof leaked so bad we read under umbrellas. In ’96, the heater went out and we all sat in coats, reading aloud to stay warm. Once, a little girl named Rosa brought me a can of soup because she said I looked tired.

Now, Rosa’s a nurse in Des Moines. She sent me a Christmas card every year until they took away our mailbox to “save funds.”

Last week, they came with clipboards. Said everything would be digitized. “Modernized,” they called it. “Accessible from anywhere.”
But they never asked where here was.
They don’t know that Mr. Dillard uses the globe in the corner to remember where his brother died in ’Nam. That the Braille Bible on the third shelf is the only one within a hundred miles. That we had a little shelf by the front window for obituaries—because not everyone in town gets the paper anymore.

That mattered to someone. It mattered to me.

I tried to stop them.
I said, “You can’t just throw away a century of hands.”
They said the catalog was “redundant.”
I said, “So am I, then?”

They didn’t answer.

So today, I sit at my desk for the last time.
No more morning rustle of newspapers. No more crinkled bookmarks left by loyal old hands. No more “Miss Ruth, can you help me find…”
I suppose Google knows better now.

I look out the big front window. There’s still that old elm tree—the one couples carved hearts into. Still the cracked sidewalk I tripped on in ’77, broke my wrist shelving Steinbeck. Still the same warm light that used to fall on stories that smelled like time.

A boy walks in. Maybe ten. He’s got wild hair and shy eyes.
“Are you the librarian?” he asks.

I nod.

He pulls a paperback from his coat. “I finished it.”
I take it gently. “Did you like it?”
He nods. “I didn’t know books could make you cry.”

I smile. “That means it was a good one.”
Then I reach into the bottom drawer.
Pull out an envelope. Inside, a paper card—my last library card, the kind with ink and smudges and a little crooked line where the stamp never lined up right.

I hand it to him.
“Keep this. Someday, it’ll mean more than a password.”

He clutches it like it’s gold.

And maybe it is.

As he walks away, I realize—
They can take the building.
Take the catalog, the shelves, the budget, the staff.

But they can’t digitize love.
They can’t backspace belonging.
They can’t replace a woman who remembers every book you ever checked out—because she believed you’d grow from each one.

So yes, I was a librarian.
But not just for this town.

I was America’s librarian.

And somewhere, in quiet corners and dimming rooms, I still am.

53°F SSE6mph SR0537(0437) SS(2040)1940

Morning Offering given _{“Jesus, take me as I am, summon out what I should be, place your seal upon my heart, Holy Spirit dwell in me.”}

Village, peaceful and cool

Coffee -pod

Today:
•Read Zechariah 14. This will complete another book of the Bible. This morning I read, “You think the Bible is boring? You must be reading it like a textbook. Read it like an adventure novel.”
•RIAY Day 199: What the Garden Reveals
•Meditations for Each Day pg.283 “Our Passions”
•St. Camillus de Lellis shows us that we must reach out to the sick in hospitals and health care facilities.

Nice time last night joining MK and RK for pizza at Badger Crossing. This morning is reflexology and chiropractic appointsments. Then off to Nelson Ag in Westby with a friend for a bit of shopping. Later in early evening will take another friend to the train in La Crosse after which I will head to Iowa where I will spend the night at DD#4’s, returning home in early morning 4am with a person who needs to come up here for the day.
There are peas and beans in the garden that need picking and celery that needs cutting. The flagstones have been set out around the garden but still need digging in. Our flowers are beautiful this year. I realize I keep mentioning them but I cannot get over how lush they have become.
The kitchen awaits the application of wainscoating (life events have prevented this from happening) while supplies to do the job languish in the garage. Apparently I am never suppose to have a completed kitchen, we started the project the year Jason graduated from high school. He is now 24. Perhaps it will be done before people come for the funeral. (No one has died, but someone will, and we will have company before and after it.)
I still need to figure out how to put the digital calendar on the tablet. Maybe what I need to do is put it here on the labtop and share it with the calendar here and sync them. Too complicated for this old girl.

Know you are prayed for.

Founded in Russia

Used mostly by Russia, India, Brazil, Mexico, and the Middle East

No end-to-end encryption unless you are using a secret chat

59% of its users are male

It shares legal & illegal adult content

Is known for not keeping track of illegal content/as in porn

Used for hooking up

Public groups can share inappropriate content

Telegraph is considered a red flag

Group chats hold up to 200,000 users

So why would one use it?

54°F NNE8mph SR0537(0437) SS2041(1941)

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful, but damp; over an inch of rain fell yesterday. With a confirmed tornado south of us around Dodgeville, WI

Coffee good

Today
•Read Zechariah 13
•RIAY Day 198:The Love of Jesus
•The Blessed Martyrs of Compiegne _{proved that no revolution, or change in government, should alter our words and acts of faith.}
•The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood pg.103 “Be at Peace and Worship Me in the Blessed Sacrament”
•Meditations for Each Day pg 282 “The Voice of God”
•A Snippet of Family History, the man’s side…
Roger Cummings (1838-1901) married Catherine Kelley(1843-1908) they had nine children. R&C’s 6th child, Thomas Richard Cummings (1875-1953), married Hannah Agatha Behan (1880-1959); they had eight children. T&H’s 6^th child, Roger W Cummings(1917-1993) married Irene Lamey Hogan(1925-2017) they had 8 children. R&I’s 1^st child, Roger Thomas Cummings, married me. We have 11 children.

Morning all…
Rained again yesterday, I think I was told 1.25″ of the wet stuff. A town south of us, Dodgeville, had a confirmed tornado. We are looking at more rain later today. Lots of conspiracy theory talk about the weather these days. Makes one wonder, but at this point, I am grateful for the rain, for our water to be replenished, and for lush flowers. Flooding is the 2nd worst disaster to take lives. We must remember how powerful it is and keep ourselves safe.

Know you are prayed for.

65°F SSW9mph SR0536(0436) SS2042(1942)

Morning Offering given

Village quiet with rain clouds looming

Coffee strong

Today:
•Read Zechariah 12
•RIAY Day197: Mystery of Light
•We remember: Clair & Lorraine P whose 92^nd wedding anni would have been today and HannahC who would have been 145 today. May they rest in peace.
•St. Mary-Magdalene Postel _{in her work to educate girls, illustrated the importance of teaching the young about our faith}
•The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood pg 102 “Mother of the Redeemer of all Mankind”
•Meditations for Each Day pg 281 “Entrusting Ourselves to God”
•A Snippet of Family History-the man’s…
Dennis Hogan (1804-1879) married Elizabeth Gavin (1808-1860). D&E had ten children. Their 5th child James Hogan (1844-1920) married Mary Agusta Kennedy (1923-) J&M had eight children. Their 4th child James Hogan (1882-1944) married Martha Elizebeth Lamey (1889-1975) J&M had seven children their 6th child Irene Lamey Hogan (1925-2017) married Roger W Cummings (1917-1993) R&I had eight children. Their first child Roger T Cummings married me. We have 11 children.

Good Morning!
What a fun day it was yesterday with 6 Amish teachers in Lansing, IA at “Horsfall’s Variety Store” (opens@9). Anything and everything you can imagine in there with single file aisles packed full. There was no room left in the cargo space of the Expedition. Then it was off to New Albin, IA to “The Way Station” a thrift store (opens@10) with fun staff and good items at a reasonable price. Today will be an easy day for which I am grateful.

Know you are prayed for.

66°F SSW10mph SR0535(0435) SS2042(1942)

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee bold and flavorful

Today:
Read Zechariah 11
RIAY Day 196: Invited to the Kingdom
The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood pg. 101 “Pray that Families will have Great Reverence for New Life”
Meditations for Each Day pg. 279 “A Life of Fervour”
A Snippet of “Family History:” the man’s side
Michael Edward Lamey (died in 1897) married Bridget Troy (1801-1886). M&B had six children; their 4th child, Thomas Lamey (1841-1892), married Bridget Burke (1853-1915). T&B had eight children; their 8th child, Martha Elizabeth Lamey (1889-1975), married James Francis Hogan (1882-1944). J&M had seven children; their 6th child, Irene Lamey Hogan (1925-2017), married Roger William Cummings (1917-1993). R&I had eight children; their 1st child, Roger Thomas Cummings, married me. We have 11 children.

Shopping day for me.

Know you are prayed for.

60°F SW7mph SR0534(0434) SS2043(1943)

Morning Offering given: _{Jesus, take me as I am, summon out what I should be, set your seal upon my heart, Holy Spirit, dwell in me.}

Village peaceful

Coffee strong and aromatic

Today:
Read Zechariah 10, be sure to take note of the verses that speak to you. How is your bible reading going?
RIAY Day 195: New Wine New Life
Remember Margaret Heffernan today may she rest in peace.
St. Henry II _{demonstrates that the best leaders prioritize the needs of those they serve}.
Meditations for Each Day pg. 277 “Accepting the Will of God”

Morning! It’s Monday once again. Time to review the schedule for the week and create your list for today. Be sure to include some downtime on that list. The “Superman” movie yesterday was interesting, but not one I would see again. Eating Chinese afterwards with Jason & Silver was great! Got decent sleep last night, with an easy day ahead of me.

A snippet of “Family History”, the man’s side
Kearn Charles Kennedy, 1816-1872, married Margaret Grant, 1819-1894. K & M had 6 children: their 3rd child, Mary Kennedy, 1850-1923, married James Hogan, 1844-1920. J & M had eight children: their 4th child, James Francis Hogan, 1882-1944, married Martha Elizabeth Lamey. J & M had 7 children: their 6th child, Irene Lamey Hogan, married Roger William Cummings. R & I had eight children: their 1st child, Roger Thomas Cummings, married me. We have 11 children.

Know you are prayed for.

71⁰F WSW6mph SR0533(0433)  SS2044(1944)

Morning Offering given

Village peaceful

Coffee…pod

Got home at 4, headed to bed.

Later

67°F WNW12mph SR0532(0432) SS2044(1944)

Morning Offering given

Village damp, rainy excess of 15″ in last 14 days

Coffee strong

Today:
Read Zechariah 9
RIAY Day 193: Faith in the Silence
St John Gualbert teaches us that we should never seek revenge and always accept God as Judge.
St. Jason, patron of Converts
We remember Irene C and Julia C, two women who shaped their families. May they rest in peace.
The Apostolate of Holy Motherhood pg 99 “The Sacrament of Penance”
Meditation for Each Day pg 275 “The Grace of God”
Wow! What storms in Iowa yesterday. 90mph winds, walls of rain, flash flooding. Davenport, Cascade, Monticello, Dubuque, and moving over into WI & IL

Know you are prayed for