This newsletter is more than a day late—I blame the migraine I had on Saturday morning and, you know, the exhaustion of the world. I hope you’ll forgive me!

I don’t know about you, but I feel like my to do list is out of control. I do love writing this newsletter (and I hear y’all love reading it!), but also working on selling some of our games online, working my other job, my son having the flu, teaching at local sing-ins, plus wanting to spend time with family and friends? When in the world do I get around to painting my kitchen cabinets or looking for a new ADHD doctor? Much less play through games on my “to play” shelf?

And yet, as some colleagues titled their podcast, “Play Saves the World.” We need joy in the face of the heavy things we experience. We need to play to process our work and our struggles. We need play of all kinds to connect us to each other and to remind us what we’re fighting for.

I’m going to start bringing in some of my “to play” games so some of y’all can try them out and report back—maybe you can bring in some of yours as well? We can make a list of whose games are whose and leave comments for each other. Let’s crowdsource this particular to do list and take some of the pressure off!

Friends, keep warm, keep heart, and keep playing.

Alice C., board game librarian

Play Glass Garden!

We’ve got a cute little basket of games at the corner of the library for solo play—that’s right, we’ve even got games for one! Of course A Gentle Rain is in there as well as locally-designed BoxOff, but we’ve also got a couple “wallet games” of just 18 cards, including Glass Garden. It’s an efficiency puzzle where the player is attempting to align the soil resources on the cards to allow them to flip and move the cards to grow succulents, all of which score points and determine how good a gardener you are. My one play suggested that I’m a terrible gardener! But I’d love to try again, now that I’ve got the flow of it. Next time you’re waiting for a friend, or have a little time to yourself, break this baby out and give it a try!

Try our fish and chips (and the fish sammy)!

Crisp battered cod, house-made tartar sauce, and your choice of a toasted bun or waffle fries—it’s delicious and nostalgic and excellent with a game! Order a beer or one of our refreshing cocktails alongside to complete the experience. Keep your eyes open, we might have additional seasonal menu items featuring this tasty cod.