Put your detective skills to the test on Wednesday, July 19th with Diggin’ Dinos Escape at Meinders Community Library from 10am-7pm! We will have this escape room set up as stations, so multiple groups can work on puzzles at the same time. Diggin’ Dinos is for all ages—the puzzles are geared towards elementary-aged children and older, but younger kids could participate with adult help.
It’s time for our next Summer Games & Grub, this Thursday, July 13th from 5:30-7:30pm. Bring your best potluck dish to share and come prepared to eat, play, and win! Please let us know if you will be attending either by calling the library at 507-825-6714 or filling out the contact form below.
On Friday, July 21st, the library will be closing at 1pm due to electrical work. We will open early that day at 8am to make up for the early closure.
Meinders Community Library will be closed Tuesday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. We will be open our regular hours the rest of the week.
Join us on Monday, July 10th for The Ant & the Grasshopper with Climb Theatre. In this continuation of Aesop’s Fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper, two friends compete together in the “Find Your Voice” competition. However, hardworking Ant and playful Grasshopper are having trouble finding their harmony. With the help of Queen Bee and the audience, Ant and Grasshopper will learn to BEE Kind, BEE a Friend, and BEE Together as they work towards creating a sound where everyone’s voice is a part of the chorus.
We also have another Games & Grub coming up on Thursday, July 13th from 5:30-7:30pm. Register to attend by calling us at 507-825-6714 or emailing info@meinderslibrary.com.
It’s June. School is out and the kids are on the go. Summer activities are in full swing. Vacations and holiday gatherings are being planned. Pools are crowded with people cooling off in the heat. Lakes are busy with swimming, boating, and fishing. Campgrounds are bustling with outdoor activities. Lots of fun and relaxing in the sun. Summer is finally here.
For some, it may not be all fun in the sun. For some, it will be filled with tears and memories or thoughts of what might have been. The could’ve, would’ve, should’ve that never came about. Anniversaries or birthdays without someone you will never forget.
This month I am writing about grief and what it can do to your mental health and well-being. The loss of a loved one is heartbreaking and can cause you to experience a long list of emotions. This could include shock, confusion, sadness, or even anger. Whether the death was expected or not, these feelings are all part of the mourning process and are common reactions to loss. If you are coping with a loss, you may not be prepared for the intensity and duration of emotions or the changing of moods. Some often question their mental stability, but just know that these feelings are appropriate and can help you come to terms with the loss. It takes time, but coping with death is essential to a healthy mind, body, and spirit.
Coping is a process and the extent of mourning will depend on the individual, the type of loss, and the void left by that loss. When pain and sadness worsen over time, grief can have an intense effect on one’s physical and mental health. Prolonged, chronic grief can lead to a complicated bereavement or grief disorder. The symptoms can be intensive and can include constant focus on the loss, problems with daily routine, and withdrawal or separation from family and friends.
Diagnosing a grief disorder can be difficult. If you have a history of depression, anxiety or substance abuse, you are at an increased risk of developing a grief disorder. There are many similarities between complicated grief and depression, but there are also distinct differences. In some cases, clinical depression and complicated grief occur together. Getting the correct diagnosis is essential for treatment, so a comprehensive medical and psychological exam is often done. Your doctor or mental health professional considers your particular symptoms and circumstances in determining what treatment is likely to work best for you. This can include psychotherapy or medication. Antidepressants may be helpful in people who have clinical depression as well as complicated grief.
Although it’s important to get professional treatment for complicated grief, here are some key strategies that may help you cope:
Grief is definitely a long, winding road and a difficult journey to be on. It is not a feeling that you will experience for a set amount of time. It is a complex set of multiple emotions and feelings that will continue for the rest of your life. People tend to believe that grief shrinks over time. What really happens is that we grow around our grief. I will end with a photo that has helped me during my journey. It was shared in one of my online support groups.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe!
~Sally~
Next Tuesday, June 27th is National Bingo Day! We’re celebrating with Bingo for Books at 2pm. We’ll have books and other fun prizes for all ages. And of course you can always pick up a Summer Reading Bingo card!
In case you haven’t heard, Meinders Community Library will be getting some serious TLC, thanks to the continued support of the Meinders Family!
In fact, tomorrow is a big day. The house to the south of us will be coming down in preparation for a new parking lot and outdoor programming space. As this will be a big job (with lots of moving parts and vehicles), we ask that you please park in front of the library only when visiting us instead of parking on the street surrounding the house.
We are more than happy to answer your questions regarding our remodel and the impact it will have on our community. We will also keep you posted as things move forward. Just follow us here or or Facebook to remain up-to-date on any changes to hours or services that we may have during the upcoming remodel.
Thanks for your patience! And if you see anyone from the Meinders family, please let them know how much you appreciate their support for all things good in our community!
Meinders Library will be closed on Monday, June 19th in honor of our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth. Because of the closure, we will not be having Paper Plains on Monday 6/19 as originally scheduled. We are working to reschedule Paper Plains and will post the updated information as soon as we know.
Join us later in the week for all our weekly activities like Tuesday Storytime, Wednesday Crafternoon, and our Walk & Talk Book Clubs.
Summer Reading is in full swing at Meinders Community Library! We have bingo cards for all ages—from tiny tots to adults—with different genre ideas and fun activities like read a book and enjoy a frozen treat to inspire your reading this summer.
When you pick up your bingo card and as you show us your progress all summer long, you can add stickers to our Stick Together poster and try to predicate what our picture will be when it’s all done! When you get your first bingo, you get an ice cream coupon for either Dairy Queen or Dari King. If you read your way to a black out, you will be entered into a grand prize drawing for a bowling party.
Be sure to stock up on your summer reading materials this week, because Meinders Community Library will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observance of our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth.
Join us on Monday, June 12th at 10:30am for a special storytime with the 2023 Pipestone County Dairy Princesses, Josie and Katelyn. They’ll help us celebrate National Dairy Month with books about dairy cows, milk, ice cream, and more!
Tonight, we have our first Games & Grub of the summer from 5:30-7:30pm. Bring a potluck dish to pass and your friendly competitive spirit!
We also started our Walk & Talk Book Clubs this week. We’re walking at the Pipestone National Monument at 8am on Tuesdays and the Casey Jones Trail on Thursdays at 6am. If you would like to walk and talk with us, let us know by calling 507-825-6714 or emailing info@meinderslibrary.com.
Thirty-two years ago, I was on my way to Brainerd from Moorhead. I drove past an enormous rock on a hillside that had been painted and repainted ad nauseam to announce any number of celebrations (including a tribute to the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin in 1988. To this day, I can’t see the rock without hearing the song in my head.)
Anyway, on that particular June day, I sped past the rock, now white with “Marry me, Jody” painted across it in black letters. When I finally realized it was a message for me, I pulled over to the side of the road. In the shadow of the rock, Jeff asked me, “Do you know what today is?”
Nope. I was young and dumb and the internet didn’t exist yet.
Jeff proceeded to enlighten me. “Today is Flag Day and it’s my parent’s anniversary. It’s also the day I asked you to marry me.” (Spoiler alert: Jeff took my hands in his and knelt down on one knee beside that rock. I said yes.)
Needless to say, June 14th has always been an important date to me, but in reverse order. Proposal. In-law’s anniversary. Flag Day.
According to my (internet) research, nobody knows the exact origin of flags, though one thing is clear: flags have always been used as a form of communication. Whether declaring victory (or surrender), showing alliances, staking out land claims, or signaling quarantines, flags have proved to be one of the easiest ways individuals or groups can convey messages to each other, particularly over a long distance.
On the battlefield, over seas, and to the peaks of Everest, these simple cloth flags speak volumes through the colors and patterns that adorn them.
Our own American flag represents valor, innocence, and justice. Every Flag Day, I make a point of driving past courthouses to see the beautiful displays of red, white, and blue that promise individual freedom through the unity of all. Something about seeing the stars and stripes en masse fills me with hope.
It is the embodiment of our past and the battles we have fought. It is the mistakes we have made and the promises we have kept. It is about where we are now and where we want to be, or rather, who we want to be. Our flag has undergone twenty-seven official versions. As a country, we continue to undergo transformation on the way to our perfection.
As such, flying the American flag holds responsibility and requires adherence to certain guidelines. It’s not always easy depending on how you choose to display your flag, but the effort is greatly appreciated by service members and their families who have fought for and under our flag. To learn what flying the American flag entails, access the flag flying calendar here and never miss an opportunity to share your patriotism the right way!
Across our nation, other flags will be flown this June for Pride Month. Since its debut in 1978, the rainbow flag has become a symbol of the global fight for equality and acceptance. This June 14th, the Pipestone Human Rights Commission will celebrate Pride Month with a Pride Picnic at Southwest Park from 4-8pm. To learn more about Pride Month or read books by LGBTQ+ authors, stop by the library and check out our June display.
For the remainder of 2023, Meinders Community Library is following iRead’s Summer Reading Program theme: Find Your Voice. We are using this nationwide theme to highlight stories that reflect our unique and diverse community. In addition to Pride Month, other June highlights include Father’s Day (June 18th), Juneteenth (June 19th), and National Great Outdoors Month.
Learn more about our newest Federal Holiday during the Juneteenth Celebration at Leon Moore Park from 3-8pm on June 19th.
Attend the Pipestone Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored Water Tower Festival Parade at 10am on June 24th to see a beautiful display of American flags, as well as Cartoons on Parade.
don’t worry, be happy~ jody
