So the New Year flies in and drags Old Man Winter with her, seeding the sidewalks with sleet, ice pellets and snow.

Oh, but the second week finds sunshine sparkling the snow left behind on the sidewalks, and the children come out to be squinting shyly in the sun, wondering where the rest of the snow bunnies went.

It’s a ragged world; changes occur with a gasp of breath and howl of frigid air. Where are we going this time? we ask. And the answer depends on where we stand: bravely in every gust or cowering inside, refusing to be tossed around.

Then the next Fury hurls sleet into the wind, splitting the clouds with ice and a wail. And with each gust the New Year sails ahead guiding and directing the tempest. How long can this continue? Where will the sails in the skies steer us?

Quiet settles with the snowflakes gently floating, and Howling drowns with a whimper, a cough and a sigh. Sunlight peeps down at a shifting sweep of white, as below, the tempest drifts quietly away. Silence assumes the end of another storm, and all sigh their relief.

January will chase into February soon, raising a song of hope. Something new may overtake our experience, raising a flag of triumph for a new day.

Here, in Lied Battle Creek Public Library, our working staff really enjoys decorating for holidays. I mean, we sometimes get so carried away that all you can really notice is the decor. Should you come in unaware,you might be startled at the blatant garishness of our efforts.

Take the month of October, if you can. We are leaping into one of our best collections of Fall and Halloween decor.  (Don’t tell anyone, but there’s a ‘dead witch’ under our easy chair–well at least her legs are.) Once in awhile, during October, someone will ease into that chair without noticing the legs sticking out underneath (purple stockings and orange shoes is a tip-off). But sometimes they do notice and they pull out the headless torso and toss it aside. One does want to be careful not to annoy the deceased.

Black cats, orange strings of lights with black spiders dripping from them, and ghastly decorated leafless trees adorned with pumpkins and creepy smiling pumpkins are not our only talents. There are evil-looking black owls perched in the Young Adult room on a ledge infested with black and silver feathered nests and the demanding warning – BEWARE!

Ghosts and  creepy pumpkins’ faces peer in from the windows. A giant black spider with a purple back and evil red eyes glaring down from the ceiling encourages you to COME IN!

Of course we have the run-of-the-mill Autumn leaves to settle your nerves a bit before you leave. We don’t want anyone to think there’s something unusual about our library. You will drop in, won’t you? We really miss you when you don’t. Ha ha ha ha!

September and October find us looking ahead for what is to come; yet  we can’t help glancing back at what is behind. Annual events spark memories of the past: Labor Day, Patriot Day, Constitution Day–all influenced the way we live in this country. A nation of workers and patriots and law abiding citizens (for the most part) built a way of life other nations envy.  And even though events seem to turn against us, we must acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our people, our representatives in government, the strong defense of our military, and our faith as a nation. Whoever we are and whatever our faith, Americans acknowledge how precious it is to live in this land.

So when Autumn rears her pretty head, we need to remind ourselves of what we have and what wonders may come living here and working here together. The ‘falling leaves ‘ drift by my window now.  Each golden and crimson leaf fluttering in the breeze is a treasure, although a brief one, that reminds us of our natural  and national treasures and hopes for the future.

To everyone who donated to the needs of our citizens whose homes laid in the path of a hurricane or a fire, thank you. To all of our policemen, firemen, emergency aid workers, doctors, and rescuers, thank you. Not all of us can rush to the rescue, perhaps, but we can all be grateful to those who do.

Battle Creek Fun Days brightens our city on June 2-4th.  On Friday, June 2nd, the Carnival sets up on Main Street and runs through Sunday, June 4th. Its hours are: Friday 5-11 pm, Saturday 12-10 pm, & Sunday 12 pm-10 pm. Register for  the Home Run Derby @ 6:30 pm at the park. It is sponsored by the BC Ball Association.

Saturday everyone may enjoy the carnival and these other activities: Market in the BC Park; Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby, Lions Club Kid Games,  Pool Party, Cup Cake Walk, BBQ, Parade 8 pm, & Meat auction after parade (Main Street).

Sunday wraps it all up with the Carnival from 12 pm-10 pm. Many thanks to the BC Betterment Club, Lions Club, BC Ball Association, Boy Scouts, St. John Lutheran and St. Pat’s Education Center, 106 Kix Radio Station, and many other helpful Battle Creek citizens.

What other month delivers so much entertainment as May? Memories and celebrations abound: Cinco de Mayo on the 5th, full moon on the 6th, graduations (Battle Creek on the 13th), Mother’s Day on the 14th, and Memorial Day on the 29th! That is a lot of action for a beautiful start to summer.

With summer comes baseball games, picnics, and summer reading.  Summer reading sign up begins here on Friday, May 26 and continues until the activities start in June. Our theme is all about ‘building’: building communities, building new reading fun, and enjoying a new way to learn. Our speaker, Curtis Mork, will entertain us with his Lego skills in June. Watch for more updates about June and July.

Change is inevitable, and April is proud of it. The weather is moody sometimes, but it delivers trophies in Spring flowers, baby animals, and Easter Egg hunts. Battle Creek is experiencing the showers and windiness of the season, but this is a good time to celebrate the end of winter.

The next week (April 10-13) provides National Library Week for entertainment. Stop in at Lied Battle Creek Public Library for treats, stories, and sur-prizes. Imagination and art will be explored here and, no doubt, lots of books.  Story time will be held on Tuesday, April 11 at 3:40 in the meeting room. Parents are welcome to stay and listen. The Library will be closed on April 14 (Friday) to celebrate Good Friday, but we will be open our regular hours on Saturday, April 15, from 9 am to 3 pm.

Earth Day is April 22 and a good time to plant or rejuvenate our Tree City. City-wide garage sales will be on Saturday, April 29. This is a good time to clean out our attics and basements and find great bargains next door! See you then.

Since 2010 Battle Creek Public Library has been situated on the corner of Highway 121 and Main Street. From our work room window the staff can watch children walking to the Library from the Elementary School or exiting  Tilly’s gas station/convenience store to cross the highway and enter the Library. We also hear the fire sirens and watch the engines turn onto the highway at our corner. This old building, more than 100 years old, has seen it all and weathered the years with grace.  It was, after all, a Methodist Church before we moved in.  And our previous library building? It’s now a police station–and a pretty nice one, at that, complete with its sign and globe-like lamp above the door.

So this is our first notice to the world that our webpage has also moved. Stop in some time, won’t you?