Round Up

Rest in peace Estelle Getty, Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes.

Isn't this beautiful. It's from the upcoming State by State, an anthology due out in October. This excerpt was in the July edition of Travel and Leisure magazine. Louise Erdrich wrote this about her home state of North Dakota, " Shattering, spectacular, inescapable. The North Dakota sky is a former tallgrass prairie heaven tarp that stretches down on every side and quiets the mind. In the summer distance melts off into mirage, a jitter of shaking air on hot dust. When the sun is magnified by a dust storm, it can fill the sky like nuclear dawn. Sounds travel as far as the ear allows. Vision stretches as far as the eye can strain. Pure sky pulls you right out of yourself and yet bears down so close it seems crushing." I swoon at how lyrical this is. Reading this makes me want to take a trip to North Dakota immediately.

Nothing to See Here is a collaborative guide to some lesser-known spots in the world. Most of the post seem to be in the U.K. Fun read.

Bill Moyers has a blog.

I love when something simple like a knife has such a history. Read about the Opinel Knife. There is even a museum.

It's about time. Adhesive gift wrap.

I think I would love to work at the Gingerbread Construction Company.

More publisher and bookstore blogs: Vroman's Bookstore, Schaffner Press, Countryman Press, Penguin and Overlook Press. Vroman's Bookstore has a wonderful website and a great blog, but I am having problems linking to them.

Doris Probst is the first woman to win the annual hog calling contest at the Indiana State Fair. Sueeeee, Here pig, pig, pig.

I love this video Legal Land. The winner will win $10,000 towards attending law school.

Look at these individual pie slice pans. When I get my King Arthur Flour catalog in the mail it is a happy, happy day.

I think that I have been in a Starbucks maybe 2 or 3 times in my life and once was just the other day to use the rest room. I don't drink coffee, and if I did I can't imagine that I could afford to pay their prices. I was shocked in these difficult economic times that the line was literally out the door. (I don't have a link for this comment; I just wanted to comment)

I love this.

Have a nice weekend.

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." ~Margaret Young