As previously reported by this paper, the owners of the Douglas County News-Press recently acquired the Highlands Herald.

For News-Press readers, my column is familiar. I've been writing it for the past seven years. Readers of the Herald, however, are probably wondering what happened to Cindy Murphy's column. Cindy has been writing for the Herald for ten years about library goings-on, all of her columns packed with useful information.

This week I have several items.

First, at our Parker Library, on October 30, we'll be holding our traditional (seven years in a row) evening of Scary Stories. At 7 p.m. we have our "Tales for the Fainthearted," designed for children ages 3 to 8 and their parents. This session has lots of audience participation and some guaranteed laughs.

I have always been a reader, and have always hung around libraries. As a child, I mostly read science books. As a young adult, I mostly read fiction and science fiction. The progression was from fact to speculation, to the collection of human stories and the probing of the possible.

But sometimes the most touching stories come from real life.

For instance, I've just returned from my father's funeral. He died on October 3. On the 11th of this month, he would have been 73.

Down the street from where I grew up lived Mr. Ingvoldstadt. His son, Roy, was in my class at the nearby elementary school. Roy was very bright, particularly at math. We've all had those moments of "I get it!" With Roy, those moments were like the flashing of a huge sword.