With gigabytes of storage at our fingertips, I hope a paper devotee needs a file cabinet. As we continue our “rightsize” winnowing of household items, this morning’s activities included moving this freebie to the curb and giving away an assortment of woodworking clamps to our friend Ethan E. as he begins building furniture. He will return in September for the small freezer chest, a pile of lumber, and motley assortment of nuts and bolts, nails and screws (more stuff gone!) Already out of the house and at a new home is the two-drawer cabinet that I bought in 1976 at the Eau Claire Book & Stationery store when I started library school at UW-Madison.
PS – Three hours on the curb and then it was wheeled down First Street on a dolly!
There are no quiet days at our construction site. They hung sheetrock on a Saturday, finished siding the house on a Sunday and work proceeds steadily Monday through Friday. With our red door key (to match the red doorknob) we check the progress every few days. We are not looking for errors so much as we are curious as to the flow of all these sub-contractors who slip in and out of the timeline.
During one early evening visit, we discovered the electrician missed running the conduit for the in-floor outlet in the TV room. Unfortunately, we did not catch this omission until after the slab had been poured. But, as it was clearly noted on the approved plans, a worker with a concrete saw cut a trough and the electrician ran the wire exactly to my request. I had laid out the perfect viewing dimensions of the new TV room using a triangular ruler, graph paper, and snips of to-scale cover stock representing the furniture. Just as requested, we now have a double outlet 6’-5” from the west wall and 9’-6” from the south/garage wall for over-the-shoulder task lighting. The patched floor is ugly but all will be hidden when the LVP is installed.
With steady progress at the site, we fill our days with behind-the-scenes tasks. Two Men & A Truck walked through our 1st Street house and provided estimates for packing and moving. We selected window dressings at Hirschfields. And we continue the onerous task of evaluating 40 years of detritus tucked in closets. The timing of recent family visits allowed us to repurpose four bags of books and a unique selection of Cubs swag. As the days and weeks progress, our to-do list will continue to grow.
With the distressing early morning news, my blue bubble burst. This had not been the bubble of childhood afternoons or wedding party favors for showering the departing couple, but one of those iridescent spheres created by a gigantic backyard wand. With political chaos swirling like Pigpen’s cloud of dirt, I took consolation in my location – my blue bubble. While not a native Minnesotan, I have called this state home for over 40 years. This liberal state of Paul Wellstone, Hubert Humphrey, and Walter Mondale. This progressive state of Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith, and Peggy Flanagan.
While preferring a blue haze, I am not so delusional as to ignore the reality that Minnesota is really purple. It is red where my Congressional representative refuses to meet with constituents who would object to inhumane GOP policies. It is violet when we must rally to protest early morning ICE raids in Rochester and proclaim No Kings. But politically motivated assassinations and attempted assassinations should only happen in some dystopian universe not in the quiet residential neighborhoods of Brooklyn Center and Champlin.
Since the first appearance of those red ball caps, I have wondered to which greatness we want our country to return to:
Before 1974 when women could not get a credit card without a male co-signature?
Before 1960 when U.S. Marshalls were needed to protect a small six-year girl going to kindergarten?
Before 1920 when women could not vote?
Before 1865 when human beings were bought and sold as property?
While my late advocacy work at the State Capitol tended to focus on those legislators from our southeastern corner, I knew Representative Melissa Hortman and Senator John Hoffman to be library supporters, people of integrity, honoring the diversity in our communities, seeking equity for all of this State’s residents, and working for the inclusion of all. The murder of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, John, and the wounding of Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, make a shameful statement of American life. And yet, even with an active shooter at large and police warnings to stay home, Minnesotans from Bemidgi to Rochester from International Falls to St. Paul gathered by the 100s and expressed their constitutional right to assemble and proclaim No Kings.
Since March 6, when we selected Solstice Place as the location for our new house, we have scouted the neighborhood with a close eye for any progress on our lot. And today was the day for changes! The trenches have been dug for the footings and a nearby pile of dirt rests ready for future grading. Meanwhile, while waiting for the actual construction to begin, our days have been full of decisions, decisions, decisions.
Our first appointment was at the lumberyard for interior and exterior doors, door hardware, windows, and a hand-railing for the front steps. This visit gave us a sense of what would follow. With each visit there were offerings as bid and then the possibility to make choices from a broader selection outside the basic budget. For example: we were happy with the door levers as bid but opted for a different style kitchen faucet with the cost difference being our responsibility.
The tile store definitely lived up to the “and more” part of its title as we selected birch cabinets, granite countertops, sinks, LVP flooring, and (yes) tile for the bathrooms and the kitchen backsplash. We needed two visits for all those decisions. We even stayed within our allowance for flooring and tile but, I must admit, we went a smidge over in the cabinet category.
As our construction package includes new stainless-steel appliances, we will leave our functional white appliances on First Street. But even at the appliance store there is a lot to consider: slide in or free-standing stove? freezer on the bottom, side, or top? range hood or cabinet fan? Plus, double checking consumer ratings for reliability.
It took two appointments to determine the location of all the disc lights, although we were steadfast in our choice of decorative blue fixtures for the kitchen and dining room, the brushed nickel for the bathrooms, and the exterior, prairie-style lighting. From lighting we progressed to plumbing – from the kitchen faucet to the shower heads from grab-bars to towel racks the choices we made this morning will (hopefully) be the last, at least for a couple of days. But, in the meantime — we have a hole!
Folktale advice directs the gardener to plant potatoes on Good Friday. We opted for a more scientific approach and waited until the soil temperature reached 50°F. That occurred this weekend. The 20 hills of organic Kennebecs are the first of the plantings in this last garden on First Street.
And to boost the yield of late summer produce, I tried a slightly different approach when adding eggshells to my raised, square-foot beds. Usually, I just crumble the shells in my garden-gloved hand but after reading that smaller pieces release more nutrients, I put the food processor into garden service.
With the stock market appearing to have recovered after spiraling into a tariff black hole the likes of which we had not seen since 1987 (and that time we lost half of our portfolio’s worth!), it was reassuring to learn that all of our lumberyard decisions – exterior and interior doors, door hardware, and windows – are already in a local warehouse. We had worried that the price of Canadian lumber might escalate to the point of making our construction project nonviable after the current administration insulted our nearest and “best-est” neighbor.
Up until now, I had only thought in terms of big-ticket items (appliances and roof tresses) as being affected by the roiling rhetoric in this uncertain trade environment. But, the instability in the market also has a negative impact on small entrepreneurs like local yarn stores (LYS).
Knit Camp and the 2025 Traveler’s Club – Marie Greene is worried that the future shipments for our upcoming virtual adventures to Germany, France, and British Columbia could be affected by shipping strikes, trade issues, or other disruptions. She will combine three quarterly packages into one box. While not a big deal, I will just have to be patient and open each package at the assigned time rather than acting impulsively when my box arrives, it is sad to think the American business environment is that unstable.
Yarnology in Winona, MN – Having weathered the global pandemic, they promise to make it through this new gale but they are urging customers to be flexible. Exact shades of favorite yarns may not be available and to buy an extra skein when purchasing for large projects as they may not be able to replenish weights, colorways or dye lots.
Stash in Charlotte, NC – Has informed its customers they are stocking up but to brace for the worst. Often yarn stores order directly from small companies and, in the past, were able to avoid tariffs due to the small size of the orders. “The de minimis exemption has been off, on, off, on and so on and no one knows what to expect.”
During the market swings, pundit noise, and alerts from different yarn and knitting sources, I find the Hokey-Pokey is the earworm in my head.
You put the tariff on, you put the tariff off You put the tariff on and shake it all about You do the Hokey-Pokey…
With the purchase agreement signed and two-days to deposit the earnest money, we are one step closer to owning the “villa” on Solstice Place.
While there is still a myriad of decisions to be made some details are known. We have a sketch of our new home. We know the exterior colors. A large portion will have horizontal-siding in a rich indigo reminiscent of new blue jeans. The gable peaks will be finished in driftwood-colored shakes (imagine sunlight on silvery gray wood washed up on a rocky Lake Superior shore.)
After several weeks of graph paper drawings using a scale ruler, we know exactly where the in-floor electrical plugs will be set into our slab-on-grade floor. I determined the “perfect” placement of our furniture (everything fits!) I even modified the bathroom layout to ensure we have sufficient space to easily accommodate the turning radius of a wheelchair (should one of us need this accommodation.) We have earmarked two media consoles as possibilities in the TV Room to hold a new 65-inch screen and our existing external sound bar. Between online wish lists and upcoming showroom visits we hope to narrow additional choices quickly and minimize expensive change orders.
Practicing our right to assemble has morphed from an occasional occurrence triggered by an extraordinary event into a regular activity.
My first rally of 2025 was on a frigid, below zero, February day protesting the administration’s rough handling of local immigrants. It was Rochester’s reaction to an early morning ICE raid which removed two restaurant workers without any communication with their families or access to legal assistance. We eventually learned they were removed to a maximum security, for-profit prison in Louisianna despite being in the midst of asylum-seeking legal procedures.
Today’s demonstration was one of over 1,200 of Hands Øff rallies held around the country. Hundreds gathered in Rochester, tens-of-thousands at the Capitol in St. Paul with nearby events from Austin to Wabasha, as well as in every state capitol. This was about showing up, being seen, being heard, and not backing down. Some participants carried signs listing a range of worries, others held hand drawn poster boards focused on specific uncertainties ranging from Social Security to cancer research, from free speech to reproductive rights, from education to national parks; and, of course, hands off libraries. The list goes on and on as it seems nothing about American life is sacred or safe.
I find being aware of the administration’s latest shenanigans, whether I do a quick check or a deep dive, puts a bruise on my spirit and I must remind myself to look to beauty. Poet Lynn Ungar wrote this verse yesterday as we readied ourselves for today’s Hands Øff rally and the work yet to come.
April 5th
I don’t know how this all turns out, and neither do you, but I have to confess it doesn’t look good. I wish we were headed for a picnic, for a waltz in the park. I wish we were not ruled by broken men who want to damage everything that they cannot possess. I wish I could tell you what we do now. The street is littered with the petals of cherries that bloomed before the big wind came. Tonight there will be frost, and tender buds will burn. But still, the woods are unfolding into green, and just outside my door some frog is bellowing for all he’s worth. Who knows what happens next? All I can tell you is that the fields are ablaze with dandelions who have never known the meaning of defeat.
Depending on the era, librarians and library trustees have not been immune from attacks on library collections. What is different today is the scope and scale of the intent to thwart basic library services.
Within the tsunami of Executive Orders coming from the Oval Office, libraries and museums came under attack on March 14. By Monday, March 31, ALL staff at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) were placed on leave. And, State Library Agencies were notified that their federally funded grants were terminated, effective April 1, 2025.
Cloaked in sheep’s clothing under the guise of reducing the federal bureaucracy, this is really a wolf huffing and puffing to blow the house down. While local tax dollars fund a major portion of library operations, in big and small communities, the federal funding is the glue that unites libraries into an effective network sharing system.
In Minnesota, these federal funds which “the President has determined are unnecessary” [Section 1. Purpose] fund a wide range of programs and services affecting daily library operations and individual library users. Among those services in jeopardy but not limited to just these:
MNLINK or statewide interlibrary loan and delivery, which ensures that residents have access to the information needed to fulfill their lives, regardless of geographic location.
Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) – a unique partnership with local history centers and libraries to digitize fragile historical items and provide a snapshot of Minnesota life through the centuries with easy online access to over 60,000 pictures, maps, letters, postcards, and objects.
eLibrary Minnesota (ELM) – a broad selection of online research databases for users seeking information for class assignments, improving career skills, or seeking reputable medical information.
The entire IMLS budget, including staffing, offices, and the pass-through funding to each state and territory constitutes 0.00146% of the federal budget. An amount so small within a ginormous budget that were this a science experiment an electron microscope would be required yet huge in meeting the needs of individual library users. Please contact your Members of Congress and urge your Senators and Representative to protect federal funding for libraries by preventing the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Graphic credit: show up for our libraries – American Library Association (ALA). MNLINK, MDL, and eLm – Minitex.
While every cemetery holds hallowed ground, the rolling green hills of Arlington National Cemetery go beyond the grief filled quiet found in other places. The space, the land, the very air holds that which is holy knowing each white marble headstone, row upon row, represents an individual braver than I am. Whether volunteers or draftees, these men and women were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our American way of life.
The Washington Post recently revealed that the sweeping efforts to exclude any reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion by the new administration’s Department of Defense has resulted in information about notable African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and women buried at the Cemetery being unpublished, altered, or hidden. My librarian’s heart and my American soul hurt knowing that DOD has blocked or removed information about these brave Americans simply because their stories have been deemed too “woke”.
I am not a military strategist. But it seems to me that with a growing list of global hot spots potentially threatening national security, DOD staff time would be better spent focusing on today’s threats rather than obscuring historical information on its various websites. The valiant efforts of the Tuskegee Airmen or the stories of brave women pilots who flew planes from manufacturing centers to the front in WWII should not be hidden simply because the individuals who performed those tasks were not white males.
Photo details – While laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier occurs frequently, I have only ever known one person who performed this ritual. I was invited to attend the ceremony when my dear friend Margaret retired from senior service at the Pentagon. I regret my decision to stay in Minnesota to manage some long-forgotten library task. I wish I had followed my heart to Washington, D.C. when she performed this honorable act on January 6, 2012.
This photo captures the moment she presented a wreath to the honor guard. Her husband Tom, a retired Air Force Colonel, stood to her left and her two sons stood at attention. (Edward in the Marine uniform and Peter in AirForce blue. He is still on active duty as a Lieutenant Colonel and Squadron Commander.)
Knit+ Librarian 