By Jim T. Whalen

Rowan Public Library

It is that time of year — Super Bowl predictions, cold weather, Christmas bills and the flu.

It is also the time people make New Year’s resolutions, or the press makes them for you. The most frequent is exercise. Join the YMCA, or any other health club to get in shape, lose weight and tone up from the holiday cookies.

Plan and eat better than you did last year. So many diet books to try. Some are “Blue Zones Diets,” “Mayo Clinic Diet,” “21 Day Tummy,” “25 Days” and many, many more.

Why not declutter your life? Clean out the garage, your closet, and maybe your entire house. Live more with less, just like tiny house living.

Try and take some stress out of your life. Learn to deal with your boss and avoid ulcers. Relax and don’t let personal or family relationships cause more stress than the good you receive from them. Work on a relationship that is centered on mindfulness. Enjoy the moment.

Spend more time with family. Depending on you, this may cause more stress.

Take in more arts. Start seeing those plays you saw advertised for so long and just never got around to seeing. Attend an orchestral performance. Listen to some local musicians. Slow down and enjoy.

Try a new workout. Change your routine to a whole new experience. Break away from the everyday and start a whole new approach with better results, mentally and physically.

Be kind to yourself. Do things just for you because you want to and you feel better afterwards.

Start meditating, not medicating. What will this do for a hurried, busy life? Maybe bring calm for not much time spent every day.

Sleep better, learn patience, learn new recipes — at least once a week, buy fewer material things —declutter, put down your phone, try something new every day.

Where will you find time for all this? Try the library. We have so many things you can learn and experience. Educate yourself, travel anywhere you want, ask a question, use a computer, Wi-Fi, sample great coffee, meeting rooms and all for free.

What have you missed so far this year? Well there is Minecraft, “Back to the Future” escape room, Downtown Beats and bullet journaling to name a few. One little card takes you so many places and gives you so much. You will never find a card that pays you with no interest.

Rowan Public Library headquarters and branches will be closed Jan. 15 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with regular hours resuming Jan. 16.

“Oh, look at that …” scavenger hunt: Jan. 2-Feb. 28, East branch. Olaf’s body has come apart yet again. Can you put all nine pieces back together again before he melts? Find the pieces and be entered into a raffle contest for a literary-themed prize. For more information, contact Tammie Foster at 704-216-7842.

Random Fandom: Celebrate your favorite fandoms with a mix of games, crafts, snacks and screenings. For more information, contact Hope at 704-216-8258. Minecraft, Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m., East. Star Wars Feb. 5, East, 6:30 p.m.; FEb. 5, headquarters, 4:30 p.m.; South, Feb. 7, 6 p.m.

Bullet Journaling: Jan. 22, 2 p.m., South. Bullet journaling is a free, fun and simple organizational system to turn any blank book into your ideal planner, journal, tracker and diary. Want to start 2018 off right? Bring a blank book to our free event and we’ll share the tools and the tricks to help you stay on top of all the things you’ve got going on in your life, from your job, to your family, your health, your finances and more. Contact Amy at 704-216-7731.

Early Release Matinee: “The Emoji Movie,” Jan. 19, 2 p.m., East. Explore the world inside your phone. Friday is an early release day for Rowan County, so stop by after school with the whole family and enjoy free refreshments. This 2017 film is rated PG and has a runtime of 86 mins. For more details, call 704-216-7842.

Beginning Genealogy: Headquarters, Jan. 20, 10 a.m. This event, co-hosted by the Genealogical Society of Rowan County and RPL’s Edith M. Clark History Room, is free and open to the public. Staff will provide an overview of essentials like census records, marriage records and death certificates as well as some of the best genealogy websites and databases.

Children’s weekly storytimes and programs resume Monday. Other programs resume Feb. 5.

Baby Time: Birth-23 months. Highly interactive 30-minute program for children and their adult caregivers. Headquarters, Wednesdays, 10 a.m.; East, Mondays, 10 a.m.; South, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Toddler Time: 18 to 35 months. Highly interactive 30-minute program for children and their adult caregivers. Headquarters, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.; East, Mondays, 11 a.m.; South, Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Preschoolers: 3-5 years. Highly interactive 30-minute program for children and their adult caregivers. Headquarters, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.; East, Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.; South, Mondays, 10 a.m.

Tail Waggin’ Tutors: 7 to 9 years old. Children can practice reading skills in a relaxed, dog-friendly atmosphere. Canine listeners provided by Therapy Dogs International. Headquarters, selected Tuesdays, 4 p.m. Call 704-216-8234 for details. East, selected Mondays, 3:30 p.m., Call 704-216-7842 for details.

Lego Saturdays: Jan. 13, 10 a.m.-noon, headquarters and at East. Legos available for free play. This program is for children.

Winter Storytime with Mr. Robert: Jan. 20, headquarters, 11 a.m. Geared for ages 3-5, though all children are welcome.

PJ Storytime: Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m., headquarters. Put on your pajamas, grab a blanket, your favorite stuffed animal, and join us for a special evening storytime. Recommended for children 3-11 years old, though all children are welcome.

Teen programs resume for sixth- through 12th-graders who are 11-18 years old.

Adulting 101: When you’re a kid, you think the grown ups have it all figured out, but now you’re almost a grownup and you have no idea what you’re doing. Come join us for this new series that will teach you about how to become a functioning adult without having to call mom for help. January’s program will focus on cooking. Headquarters, Jan. 16, 4:30 p.m.; South, Jan. 17, 6 p.m.

Escape at the Library: RPL now has its own escape room. See if you can solve the clues and codes to get out of the room before the timer hits zero! January’s escape room is “Back to the Future: Save the Clock Tower!” February’s escape room is Escape the DEATH STAR, a Star Wars escape room. Headquarters: Jan. 23, Feb. 20, 4:30 p.m.; East, Jan. 29, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m.; South, Jan. 24, Feb. 21, 6 p.m.

Give Back Saturdays: Help us give back to the community through various crafts and projects, which we’ll donate to local charities. Teens can count participation to meet community service requirements for school or other organizations. Headquarters, Feb. 10, 11 a.m.

Chocolate Festival: Celebrate Valentine’s Day and all things chocolate with games, trivia and a chocolate fountain. Headquarters, Feb. 13, 4:30 p.m.; East, Feb. 12, 6:30 p.m.; South, Feb. 14, 6 p.m.

Teen Board: Want to be part of a Teen Advisory Board and make decisions about upcoming teen library programs? Or just want to play some board games? Now you can do both. Headquarters, Jan. 30, 4:30 p.m.

Tech Tuesdays: iPad basics, South, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. This one-hour computer class, held in South’s conference room, introduces participants to their iPads. Space is limited, so registration is required. For more information or to register, contact Paul at Paul.Birkhead@rowancountync.gov or 704-216-7737.

Displays: Headquarters, student art from West Rowan High School art classes and Salisbury Symphony exhibit. East, music boxes by Michelle Earnhardt; South, student art from South Rowan High School art classes.

Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second language.