April and paintings by Debbi Jean Aune

April this year is looking a little different than it has many times in the past. When I look out my window, I do not see any green, but there is no white snow either. I am hoping for some April showers to alleviate the drought we seem to be in, but I am not particularly good at predicting the weather. I can, however, bring your attention to some good things available at the Fosston Community Library Arts Center. Currently in the Sorenson Gallery there is a display of plein air watercolor paintings by Debbie Jean Aune, who lives in the Gatzke area with her husband Elroy. A graduate of Bemidji State University, Aune has been teaching art full-time in the Greenbush Middle River school district since 1994. There are paintings done by Debbie while on a road trip last summer to Devil’s Tower and several paintings of Northwest Minnesota grain elevators. Having lived in at least a couple of places where the grain elevator was the most impressive structure in town, I found those particularly interesting. There will be an artist’s reception for Debbie later in the month. Watch for more information. The FLCAA is moving forward for plans for its children’s summer arts and theater programs. Watch for more information on that too. While the library is still not offering in-person story time, there are weekly virtual story times now available. Your children are invited to join Kai from Moorhead or Eliza from Detroit Lakes for songs and stories streamed live on the LARL Facebook page each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The recording of the presentation will be available, so if you miss the 10:30 time (or your child wants to watch it again), just check that Facebook page. One Book/One Minnesota is a statewide book club that invites Minnesotans to read a common title and come together for a virtual discussion with the author. The current book is Slider by Pete Hautman. This is a novel aimed at middle-grade readers about David, who can eat an entire 16-inch pizza in four minutes and 36 seconds and plans to compete in the world’s greatest pizza eating contest. To obtain a copy of the book and to register for the virtual discussion to be held Wednesday, April 21, at 1 p.m., go the LARL website (larl.org). If you already have the Libby app on your phone, you can now borrow magazines with it as well as eBooks and audiobooks. If you don’t have it, you might want to get it. It’s the one-tap reading app from the library.