I copied and pasted this photo just to see if it would work. And it has! The secrets of this universe are slowly revealing themselves. I had not intended to blog about the Pembroke Library but the practice photo had determined my course for the next few minutes.
My earliest memories are of walking to the library with my mother. We did not have a television during my first seven years, which was not uncommon. My mother did not drive & never did learn. We walked everywhere. Also not uncommon.
My mother who was born in 1919 also spent many of her Saturday mornings as a child in this elegant building, filled with wonders & curiosities.

I remember my excitement over reading one of the series of the Bobbsey twins to completion. At the time it seemed a very long book. Swiss Family Robinson, Black Beauty, Nancy Drew, Little Women, Agatha Christie’ etc all my pre-teen delights.
At thirteen I withdrew Mary Macarthys The Group which was considered a racy book.

My mother took the book from me, read it and lodged a complaint. She loved the trashy book.

in high school we would congregate at the library ‘ to study’ then all down the hill to main to street to hang out at the Bonanza Restaurant.
As time went on, and I would ‘ come home’ over the years, I would go to the library as a refuge, a place to write or to use Wi-fi.

Taking responsibility for library books & late fees is a whole other blog post. Libraries I have loved & known and a few not so much is also another blog post.

In a time of turmoil the idea of the Pembroke Library is a touchstone that probably videos me a sense of continuity in a world where much seems lost in a COVID world.

My niece, Sabrina, was an anime devotee and this is a portion of a drawing she did for fun before she left the planet at age 13 in 2003.Sabrina had a large collection of anime Movies. My favourite is the sublime Spirited Away. Trying to find a life for her treasured films was right in front of us Her mother donated the DVDs to the Pembroke Library. There was a deduction ceremony and Sabrina’s films remain on a shelf at the library she also frequented.

My best childhood friend, Patti- Kay Hamilton.who currently lives in the North West Territories decided to launch her book, DEADLNE to the TRAPLINE due to fond memories, at the Pembroke Library. I hosted and managed to intentionally not promote my own book.

My mother’s only living sibling , her sister Sally came to the launch and at ninty-ish she was the highlight if the evening and our link to the what came before. There are friends and family from different times in our lives. I did not mention my book.

Another blog post on that.
I am very grateful for that lovely evening during the summer of 2019.

Aunt Sally died at age 95 in March 3rd, 2020. She always knew when to leave a party.