Find your passion

I fell into librarianship by accident, in a way. I had a degree in history and sociology, along with the honours program (a Great Books course of study, now the Lewis Honors College) at the University of Kentucky. I was in the MA program studying ancient and medieval history at UK, and not progressing because my anxiety made me terrified of finishing my thesis (where the subject was already chosen: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's treatise De nobilitate et praecellentia foeminei sexus declamatio ('Declamation on the Preeminence and Nobility of the Female Sex').

and having to defend it orally before a committee. I do very well in writing, but oral arguments are not my forte. So it occurred to me that maybe I needed something I could make a career out of other than being a professor of history.

I asked for time away from my history studies and enrolled in library school, and I finished it in one year, during which I was fortunate to study with Lois Mai Chan (who wrote a major textbook on Library of Congress cataloguing) and George Cunha (one of the pioneers of conservation in this country), among others. I went back and tried to finish the MA afterwards, and never managed to, even though I took every graduate-level class in my focus area offered by the university and more. I finally ran out of time, and they politely told me to leave.

It took me four years to find a job as a librarian (there are a LOT of people in my town with library degrees because of the school, and not that many jobs open up, and that seems to be the case over time). I completed another undergraduate major and minor during that time and was basically a professional student. Then I finally landed a job as a medical librarian — in a totally different area from anything I expected — and flourished. I'd found my calling. I loved being a librarian, actually working as one. That lasted 20 years, and then I was laid off when the library closed. I was asked back to help in another area because I'd been flexible and had helped out in their department. I did that for 9 years, doing healthcare patient scheduling and insurance authorisation, but I wasn't happy; I was stressed; I was burned out. It did not end as well as it could have.

I was out of work for seven months, decided I did not want to work in healthcare at all, and tried to find library or administrative/office positions instead. I did a lot of job seeking with local universities, the state, and municipalities. I was finally offered a state job recently, and as long as I pass the drug test and the more intensive background check they're running now (and I don't see why I won't), I start the week after next.

I am so thrilled to finally be doing what I trained for and what I feel is a calling. I may have 'found' it accidentally, but it is what makes me happy and want to get out of bed in the morning. I'll be working with an underserved population in a challenging environment, so it'll definitely be a change. I'm so hoping it goes well.

I cannot possibly

put into words how absolutely thrilled I am to be about to be in a library position again. While I've never truly stopped being a librarian (I have a master's degree I can hang on the wall, of course, if all else fails, and you just can't take the training out of the librarian and call it over and done), to be working in the field again is beyond exciting. Ten more days and a bit!!!!!!

I am so excited!

So yesterday I went to my soon-to-be workplace, had my drug test, and filled out paperwork for my background check. Apparently, the Personnel Cabinet does one (which I passed), and then Corrections does a more intensive one as well that includes things like running me through FBI databases and other criminal databases to make sure I have not committed crimes involving domestic violence or sexual assault. So that should not be a problem.

Everything went smoother this time. The guard at the gate kept my ID and issued me a visitor's pass. The prison building is originally from the late 19th century. They were part of a juvenile correctional facility for a very long time. The administration building has lots of little rooms with rooms inside of rooms, as one did back then. Definitely not open plan. I did have the bright idea to leave my purse in the car to make things simpler, so I just had my keys with me, and then realised I'd left my reading glasses in my purse, which was stupid, as I was filling out paperwork, but I managed with a little squinting.

They think my drug test should be back before my start date. I did ask about hours. The current librarian works 8 AM-4 PM. I may have the option to work 7 AM-3 PM or 7:30 AM-3:30 PM instead, as either will align with the patrons' library hours. They aren't available from 12-1 PM either. I haven't decided what to ask for. Knowing my tendency to have issues waking up, 8 AM-4 PM makes more sense, but 7:30 AM-3:30 PM would be ideal in many ways because 1) I could open the library before the patrons came in and then close after everyone left, but not a whole hour after, and 2) I'd get home by 4 or 4:30, depending on traffic, but might actually be able to do late appointments in town, too. It's funny, no matter what time I enter on Google Maps for the drive from home to Blackburn while avoiding highways, it gives me 23-55 mins. This time I approached from Georgetown Road, so I turned onto Spurr Road from a different direction than when I came from Leestown Road last time, and let me tell you, that road is winding and hilly and a perfect country road where you don't want to meet a tractor. I'm not sure if there are farms out there. It looks like they're building houses, but some of it looked like farmland. The prison itself has a 100-acre rehabilitative horse farm. There's also the WUKY radio station nearby, apparently, as well as the RISE STEM Academy for Girls. Otherwise, there's not much else. It's a winding two-lane road. I was trying to imagine it in snow and ice.

Also, I found out the current librarian isn't so much leaving as she has a new position within the system, so not only will she be available to train me, but she can also answer questions after I take over. That's definitely a plus. So often it's sink or swim in a new position. This will help immensely.

I did ask about what I couldn't bring with me. All bags have to be clear. I ordered a clear backpack and lunch bag, and they're on their way. I can't bring glass dishes, and my lunch containers are glass, so I'm going to try to get a plastic Bento box-type thing to go in the bag.

Electronics, of course. I can't have my phone or smartwatch on me. They can stay in the car. I didn't wear my watch yesterday until I came home. I did use the phone for GPS, so I had to leave it in the car, and it was crazy hot, so I hated that. But usually that's what the staff do. I ordered a cheap watch that tells time and has unobtrusive alarms I can set for reminders. I mainly need one for my afternoon medication: one medicine plus iron and vitamin C. But I don't want to be lugging my morning meds in, so I'm going to try to make time to take those before I leave.

Which means I need to get up earlier and go to bed earlier. I got up early yesterday, before I knew they were going to ask to move my appointment from 10 AM to noon, to see how long it took me to get ready, and with everything--and not a mad dash, but deliberately doing everything to get ready- it was about two hours. Add an hour for driving. I'd have to get up at about 5 AM or a little earlier to really do well, or shower the night before maybe. I may make a list out every morning to make sure I don't forget, too. I have an electronic one where I can just erase the checkmarks each night to make sure I did everything. If I want to get 7 hours sleep, I'll need to go to bed by 10 PM. This will be very hard for me. I'm a 12:30 AM-1 AM bedtime sort of gal. But I'm going to try hard to do it. Thursday I did at 11 PM. Yesterday was different--I picked a friend up at 11 PM; I went to bed at 1:30 AM. Considering I got up at 5:45 AM today, that was not enough. My plan is to get on a better sleep schedule between now and the 16th.

I'll figure it out. I don't want to sleep-deprived a work, especially my first few days!

My second-favourite Dolly song

It is so lovely and uplifting...and of course, how could I not love it? Eilir means butterfly, after all. 🦋

Ugh...I cannot believe I blanked like that

I was filling out my paperwork for a doctor's appointment and when I went to fill out the part on surgical history I could remember the word 'tenodesis' but not 'biceps'. I had to Google 'arm tendon'. Yes, 20 years as a medical librarian, in orthopedics, no less.🤦🏼‍♀️Thank you, Doctor Google.

This made me happy

I found this bush outside of all things, a Taco Bell, but I love Crepe Myrtles, and the colour was lovely, so I took this photo. It's so vibrant. Sometimes you have to pause and look at the lovely things in your ordinary surroundings. They enrich your day.

Book #30

out of 24 for 2026 (125% of goal).

'Running the Books: the Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian' by Avi Steinberg

Most Kentucky thing ever

and yes, it isn't just a guy thing; I would do this, too, but I doubt they'd do it up North where some friends live in NYC.

I was taking someone over to UK, and no less than THREE men drove up next to me at various stoplights (one backed up) to be sure and let me know that my gas cap was off and the door was ajar. It's a 4.8-mile (12-minute) drive. 🤦‍♀️ As soon as I got him to his destination, I got out and secured both; you'd better believe it. Here it is, happily tucked back in.

Hmmm....

As someone who has been immensely helped by melatonin and takes it every night, this is a little concerning, even acknowledging the study's flaws.

Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk

UPDATE: I tried sleeping without it last night. I stayed up till 2:30 AM or so reading my book. Then I tried to go to bed. I couldn't sleep. I did not play on my phone or anything. I finally fell asleep about 4 AM. Since there is strong evidence of heart issues from chronic insomnia and disordered sleep, which I had in spades before I started taking melatonin, I'm in a sort of Catch-22. I think I should discuss this with my doctor. I don't currently have any heart problems except for such a minor murmur that only one doctor [my current PCP] has ever detected it by listening. I'd like to keep it that way. In the meantime, I'll keep taking it. I've tried the prescription drug trazodone and cannot take it; it makes my legs extremely restless, like I have pins and needles being poked in them. This works. I need an expert opinion. Maybe there's a reason melatonin is prescription-only in Britain.

UPDATE to the UPDATE: I have since spoken to a pharmacist and an APRN specialisin in sleep medicine and both agreed with my take that correlation does not equal causation and the studies have their flaws, and that, most importantly, the effects of insomnia and sleep disturbance on the heart are well-documented and detrimental, so if the melatonin is working, that is a good thing. The pharmacist did ask if I'd ever tried the lower dose, and I hadn't. She suggested I might give it a try and see if I had similar results. The sleep APRN agreed; they usually suggest doses of 3-20 mg of melatonin for women, but the lowest dose that works is the best. I found some 3 mg disintigrating cherry melatonin in a brand suggested by the pharmacist (since over the counter medications are not regulated by the FDA, there is a huge divide in how much melatonin is really in each product, and she said it was fairly good in testing), and I'll start a trial tonight. We'll see if it works. If not, I'll go back to what I have.

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!

And I'm officially a librarian again, with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, serving an underserved population, and supervising workers. I start September 16th. I'm super excited!

I adore Schoolhouse Rock

 I loved it as a child. I can still recite the Preamble to the Constitution (as long as I sing it in my head). I have them on VHS, actually, and would like to get them on DVD. But this was really eye-opening.

It's not fair...and both at 80, good long lives, but still....

The first time I saw Tim Curry in the movie theatre, I didn't actually know what he looked like — but that voice, the acting, the sheer dripping villainy! This was before I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This is from Legend, the 1985 motion picture directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise and Mia Sara. Tim Curry plays the evil Darkness. I think they used every bit of glitter, blossom, and feather known to man, raining down gently to make it seem more magical. But I adored it. My roommate thinks it's an awful movie. But this--along with Dark Crystal,  Labyrinth, and Ladyhawke--were the movies I watched in the 80s--not Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Footloose, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or The Breakfast Club (to this day, I've only seen the last three because my friend sat me down many years later and made me). I was very into fantasy--especially books--at the time. I did do sci-fi, too, so I adored all the "Back to the Future" movies, but still... And somewhere along the way, I somehow missed The Princess Bride until the late 90s, when other friends introduced me to that wonderful movie.

But I digress...

RIP Tim Curry. You gave us Darkness, Frank'N'Furter, The Butler from Clue, so many more. You were a comedic genius and a wonderful evil villain. And you were always entertaining. You met a debilitating stroke and paralysis with humour (he lived 14 years with the aftermath), and still made us laugh. You will be missed. May you live on in film and in the hearts of those you touched.

 

I was on YouTube and I had no idea

she covered 'Shine' by Collective Soul and what a wonderful take it is.

Oh, crap, I'm crying again

My favourite Dolly Parton song

How fitting

Today's Google Doodle, honouring National Park Week, featured the Great Smoky Mountains, which happened to fall on the day Dolly Parton died, and her hometown sits right at the gateway to them.

We have lost a national treasure

And I am crying...

From the official Dolly Parton Facebook page:

Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.

Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000).

A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.

At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging @DollyParton or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com

 

One of the plants

that the Master Gardeners gave out at the Northside Branch of the Lexington Public Library was anise hyssop. I'm not sure exactly of its uses as an herb, but it's a great pollinator. Every day I see various bumblebees laden with pollen, along with butterflies and moths, and other insects.

[Edit: Apparently these are the uses:

Culinary Uses: Flavouring teas, lemonades, and cocktails. Chopped fresh into green salads or fruit dishes. Baking into cookies, cakes, and shortbreads. Infusing into honey, syrups, and jellies.

Medicinal and Traditional Uses:

Respiratory support: Brewed into hot teas by Indigenous tribes and herbalists to soothe coughs, reduce chest congestion, and ease symptoms of colds or bronchitis.

Digestive aid: Taken as a warm tea or tincture to calm upset stomachs, ease gas, and relieve mild nausea.

Topical application: Crushed leaves are applied as a poultice or compress to help soothe minor burns, insect stings, and skin rashes.]

The plant is absolutely beautiful anyway, with its purple spikes and broad leaves. There are always visitors of some sort when I walk by. It was quite a small plant to begin with. It's taken over much of the container. There is a rosemary trailing over in front of it, a bell pepper behind it, and a small chamomile to the left, which hasn't bloomed yet, but it has dominated all of them.

I have an interview

at Blackburn Correctional Complex tomorrow morning for a librarian position, so today I decided to check out and read Jill Grunewald's book 'Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian'. That is #29 out of the goal of 24 books this year. Yay! And it was written by a fellow graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Library Science.

We had someone open fire at a community celebration Saturday evening

here in Lexington, at Charles Young Park off Midland Avenue, while people were gathered for East End Days.

16 year old identified as victim who died in Lexington mass shooting

16-year-old killed, four other injured, including two children, in mass shooting at Lexington community event

This is so terribly sad. A 14-year-old, 4-year-old, and two adults were also shot and were sent to the hospital but were said to have non-life-threatening injuries.

He died trying to save others. That's pretty noble, especially in a 16-year-old. May his family find peace, and may his memory be a blessing. I hope they find the person who did this soon. Di’Zhon Robertson was a brave young man who made the ultimate sacrifice, and he deserves justice. My sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.

UPDATE: We went 192 days without a murder. So sad that it has been broken. But at least they have a suspect in custody.

Suspect arrested in deadly Lexington mass shooting

Lexington Police have arrested 18-year-old Jametrius M. Griffin, in relation to the homicide and shootings which occurred in Charles Young Park on Saturday. Griffin is currently being held at the Fayette County Detention Center.

He has been charged with Murder, Assault and Tampering with Physical Evidence