Smelling: Anything Bayberry I can find especially these Bayberry tarts.
Reading: My bus book is always a mystery and this week my home book isSigning Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese. Also, re-reading Little Women for the, well I'm not going to say how many times. I re-read it every Christmas.
Drinking: It's still not cold enough for me to have hot cocoa, so it is still just water and Panera's iced green tea.
If you are in the WDC, visit the National Museum of African Art to see the Yinka Shonibare exhibit. Now, be warned. There is one naughty portion of this exhibit, but of course I loved it. If you are someone who loves fabrics and textiles then Yinka Shonibare MBE's work is a must-see.
Good bye Tai Shan. We will miss you!!! More about the 4 year olds departure.
There's always been something about Burl Ives' speaking voice and singing voice (they are basically the same) that makes me feel like someone has thrown a nice, warm blanket over me. I was curious about his name, and I found out that his full name was Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives.
Sit back, listen to some carols and enjoy the fire.
The Great Sandwich Debate-Rectangles vs. Triangles.
Sad to hear that the artist Jeanne-Claude passed away at the age of 74. Jeanne-Claude was the collaborator with her husband Christo on numerous, massive envrionmental outdoor art displays such as The Gates that was in Central Park.
Oh, how I would love to work in this Bristol, England library. I think I would have to commute in a horse-drawn carriage Everything, and then some, that you wanted to know about bookmarks.
If you are in New York City you might want to visit the Morgan Library and Museum and see Charles Dickens original manuscript of A Chrismas Carol. The manuscript goes on display every holiday season. Just one page has been displayed each season. However, this year the museum agreed to let the New York Timesphotograph and display the entire manuscript online. A very nice holiday treat if you ask me.
Waldo Hunt, King of the Pop-Up book passed away. He was 88.
The New York Public Library has a new logo. What do you think?
I posted about Avery Clayton and his mother's legacy on this blog before. Now Mr. Clayton has passed away suddenly. I was pleased to see that he had found a home his mother's collection and was attempting to have it cataloged.
David Bowie's charming response to the writer of his first fan letter from America.
Have a nice weekend.
"Every year, just when the nights are longest and the stars shine brightest, Santa feels a tingling in this whiskers." Then he knows that the Christmas magic will soon be here." excerpted from Lauren Thompson's The Christmas Magic
By now you have all heard that Publisher's Weekly has come out with their Best Books of 2009 list and there is not one female writer on the list. Folks are outraged, as they should be. I am always ticked off when woman and minorities are totally ignored in so many arenas, and believe me it happens all of the time. The WILLA (Women in Letters and Literary Arts) list is a Wike that contains woman authors that Publisher's Weekly forgot. SHAME ON YOU PW!!!
I once read that Jennifer Lopez has to have an all-white dressing room (and a host of other "must-haves). I guess she would like this Living with White blog.
I am a huge Nigella Lawson fan and she has an updated website. Her "Nigella Loves" section is fun.
I'm up early every day, including the weekend, and before I am out and about on Saturday mornings I tune in to watch Bob Ross. You remember him. He's the calm-speaking artist with the Afro who developed this very cool way to paint landscapes. He had a show on PBS for years teaching viewers how to paint. Well, they have been running his shows again. There was always just something about his gentle tone and how easy he made his painting technique look that enthralled me. I was very sad when he passed away at the way too young age of 52. Here are some factoids I bet you didn't know about Bob Ross.
I knew that you could wash baseball caps in the dishwasher, but I hadn't thought of some of the other items on this list.
What with the Amelia Earhart movie (and because of where I work) I keep running into either articles or items about her. Celebrity came after her famous trans-Atlantic flight and of course with celebrity comes endorsements (even back then). I have become quite enamored with the Amelia Earhart luggage. Here are some pieces on eBay. I especially like this celadon set, and I am not the only one, what with 6 bids.
I get very excited when I hear that an animal has been taken off of the endangered species list, and I am thrilled that the brown pelican is off of the list.
The Best of 2009 lists are already starting to appear. The 2009 Best Illustrated Books for Children is out. These all look great. I have read so many great things about The Lion and theMouse illustrated by Jerry Pinkney I may have to purchase it for my niece (sure, that's right-for my niece).
In my never ending search for unusual city names I came across Metropolis, Illinois. You know where Superman lives, and my, does he ever live large there.
This is my last post until after the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope that you and yours have a wonderful holiday.
"He who thanks but with the lipsThanks but in part;The full, the true ThanksgivingComes from the heart." ~J.A. Shedd
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward." Amelia Earhart
I don't think there is anything better than an apple cider doughnut in the fall. Now I am generally a glazed doughnut person, but these cake style doughnuts are excellent. Doughnut or donut???
If you like me are missing Domino magazine, take a look atLonny. Lonny is an online shelter magaine. Very nice. I still like to hold a magazine in my hands, but this is still a nice change.
Author Annie Proulx donated her papers to the New York Public Library. I have said before that I am an author groupie. I think if I ever saw Ms. Proulx's papers I would turn into a giggling, nervous schoolgirl.
According to Country Home, souvenir state plates are HOT right now. I was going to start collecting these a couple of years ago, but then I got swayed by map handkerchiefs and gave up on the plate idea.
I grew up in rural America and my father had huge gardens. What makes produce grow besides water and tender loving care-manure. He would use horse manure for certain gardens, and chicken manure for others. I can remember coming home on the school bus with the windows down and realizing, "Oh yes, Daddy has put chicken manure down for next years crops.". A pungent odor one will never forget. All of this probably has something to do with why I found this article about manure fascinating.
Star Wars according to a 3-year old.
Have a great weekend.
"I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches. " Alice Roosevelt Longworth
I was watching some little girls in my neighborhood playing hopscotch a couple of weeks ago, and remembered how much fun that was. I forgot that there are actual rules to hopscotch. Streetplay has some street games that I never heard of (probably because I grew up rural).
Polka dot Aga. I would love to have an Aga, but I think I would have to pass up the dots, maybe a red or black one would do.
If you are a dog lover and have the National Geographic Channel then you must watch Dogtown. Best Friends Animal Society runs this no-kill sanctuary for the nation's abused and abandoned animals. Some of Michael Vicks' dogs have ended up here. Here is the sanctuary's website. I never wanted to live in Utah, but if I did I would definitely see if I could volunteer here. They are doing marvelous work with these animals.
I have always wanted to sleep in a bed nook. I just like nooks, kitchen nooks, window seats, little cubbyholes. There is something so cozy about them. Wonderful spots to settle down with a book. Check out these bed nooks on the blog A Diary of Little Things and Curiosities.
I am a huge fan of Jane Haddam's Gregor Demarkian mysteries and I just found out that she has a blog, as well as a website with some of her essays. This woman is an incredible writer.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave 10 million dollars to the National Museum of African American History. This newest museum under the Smithsonian umbrella is slated to open in 2015.
Most of you are familiar with actress Debi Mazar. She's been acting forever and you may have seen her in Goodfellas and Entourage (I've never seen these) or in a lot of supporting roles in different television programs (where I have seen her_. Well, she and her Italian born husband have a very popular Internet cooking show called Under the Tuscan Gun. It's a hoot. I am going to make their Limoncello recipe.
Oh no-Ansel Adams in color!!! Why does this make me feel out of sorts? Kind of like when I found out that Lassie was a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Homemade Candy Corn-home made or not, I used to love this stuff. Now more than a couple and I feel like I am going to swoon. And, Necco Wafers are going all natural.
This woman has been reading a book a day and then blogging about it.
Remember to tune into the documentary The Botany of Desire on your local PBS station tonight (Wednesday 10/28/09) at 8 P.M. If you haven't read Michael Pollan's book of the same name, well, you should.
I leave you with Charles Gounod's Funeral March of a Marionette in honor of Halloween. This music was also the theme song to Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Have a spooktacular holiday.
"Backward, turn backward,O Time, in your flightmake me a child againjust for to-night!"~Elizabeth Akers Allen
Nothing relaxes me more than reading finding aids, and even better, library newsletters. (I know I'm an oddball). ALiNUS (Academic Library Newsletters in the United States) is a directory of academic library newsletters-okay you've got the idea. Hours and hours of fun.
I am such an author groupie. I think if I ever got to meet David Sibley I would turn into a giggly, blushing school girl. He is so amazing. I have owned a copy of his fabulous guide to birds for quite a few years and I am always referring to it. Now, he has a guide to trees. I simply must have a copy of this treasure. Maybe Santa will bring it for me. And he has a BLOG!!!
Google books has every single issue of Life magazine that was ever published.
This sort of thing fascinates me. I am always looking up small towns and checking out the demographics of the town, population and any odd factoid I can find. Monowi, Nebraska is a small town. It has the grand population of 1. That's it 1 person.
On the way to the Kiss & Ride this morning I actually said the words "I reckon" to A. It made me wonder why there isn't a Talk Like a Cowboy Day. Or is there?
I'm crushed. Gourmet Magazine is now being added to the list of defunct magazines.
When I was a teenager I always thought that there was something so romantic about working and living in a fire lookout tower. To be alone in nature, high up in the trees with just books, binoculars and nature seemed like such an adventure.
I stumbled across information indicating that so many of these towers have been closed and have succumbed to the elements and vandals. Wikipedia has a great page of information on lookout towers. I never realized there are/were so many different types. Also, there is a Forest Fire Lookout Tower Association.
I leave you with Jennifer Lopez (yes, J. Lo) because every once in awhile you just have to get loud!!!
Have a fun weekend. (Get Loud!!!)
"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. " ~Steven D. Woodhull
Historic Bridges of the United States. Wow, my home state of Pennsylvania has 2,263. The only problem I have with this site is that there is not a photograph of each bridge on their statistics page. Now, I only looked at the ones from my home state so perhaps I need to investigate further.
For years I have been saying why aren't there dessert vendors out on the streets. I also would say why aren't there vendors promoting healthier goodies. Well, I've seen the healthier goodies vendors, but I haven't seen any dessert wagons. However, I have read about them. I love the Cupcake Truck. I guess my lesson is, when I have an idea act on it. Unfortunately a good idea usually needs financial backing, and that is where I always fall short.
Instructions on how to make your very own Aluminium Foil Deflector Beanie. I think I'll whip one up this weekend. Perhaps I could bring a giant roll of aluminium foil into the office and we could have craft hour.
That's all for this week folks. In honor of Julie Andrews' 74th birthday on October 1st, I leave you with this wonderful woman singing The Loney Goatherd with The Muppets.
"A lot of my life happened in great, wonderful bursts of good fortune, and then I would race to be worthy of it." Julie Andrews
Next week (September 26-October 3, 2009) is Banned Book Week. Here is a list (you have to do some clicking from the selections on the left-hand side) of the frequently challenged books. Read a banned book. Be a devil-read it in public.
Also, here is a very cool interactive map of locations where book banning has occurred.
Oh, my fickle heart. First it was Mario Cuomo. I would go miles to hear him read his grocery list aloud. Then it was Barack Obama. I felt bad cheating on Mario like that, but I just could not help myself. Now my fickle heart has strayed once more. I worry about myself because the men just keep getting younger. If you haven't heard 5th grade orator Dalton Sherman, you really should listen to him. Then you will know why my heart has strayed-again.
Oh, how I would love to have this spooky house. For the past few years I have been going ga-ga over little felt houses. Mahar Dry Goods has nice unusual items.
Ana Serrano's Cartonlandia is the bomb. I can just look at it for hours. I would have looked at it for hours as a kid, and I would still look at it for hours.
I was reading some online recipes the other day and saw an ingredient I had never hear of before-Chia Gel. Of course all I could think of is that soon we will be ienundated with commercials for Chia Pets-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pets. And yes, Chia Gel is made form Chia seeds. And as you read the article you learn how to make your own chia gel.
And speaking of food-check out the photograph and accompanying recipe for Fig Spread, Pear and Brie Flatbread. I would love to just sit in a large, comfy chair by the fire, reading a good book, something nice to drink by my side, my autumnal tarts lending a nice scent to the air. In comes my butler Asquith with my lunch of Fig Spread, Pear and Brie Flatbreadl. Ahhhh.......
Ferrante and Teicher , The Grand Twins of the Grand Piano, were pianists known for their lighter versions of classical masterpieces. This is elevator music, but great elevator music. My mom and gran loved the duo and I listened to them quite a bit when I was a kid.
Louis Teicher passed away in August of 2008. He was 83. Arthur Ferrante just passed away on September 19th of this year. He was 88. The two met while attending Juillard School of Music in New York. They had a career that spanned 50 years.
I leave you with these two very talented gentlemen playing Autumn Leaves.
I'll get to the round up in a bit. I just need to whine and carry on a bit first.
First of all I love President Carter, absolutely love him. Do I agree with what he said? You bet your boots I do. Do I think he should have said it? Yes and no. With all of the other problems that the current President hs to deal with this comment is just another annoying distration. I know that people don't like to admit it, but this country is all about racism, covert or overt. It's rampant and it always has been. It's changing, but it has light years to go. That awful person who yelled out during President Obama's speech has a record that speaks for what he is. All anyone has to do is look it up.
Yes, I am more sensitive to it because I am a light-skinned black woman (and I could right a book about that), but people need to get their heads out of the sand. There are slights and blatant insensitivites portrayed in the media all of the time. They happen all of the time by the enormous amount of racially retarded people there are in this country.
For example, I watched Venus and Serena win the Doubles competition at the U.S. Open, and their two white opponents that lost made the statement that Venue and Serena are bigger and I believe they added stronger to that as well. That's why they won. And it was the way in which it was stated. You know like the Williams sisters are plow animals. That sort of insensitivity is racism folks. Venus and Serena were nothing but gracious in their remarks about their opponents, but these sorts of "remarks" are made all of the time. (Yes, I know Serena is in big trouble over her behavior in her match with Kim Clijsters). I know you are probably saying, "They didn't mean anything by what they said." That's just it. They did mean something by it.
Just like a certain home magazine that never features anyone other than white families in their pages. In the September issue they feature a biracial family-a white father, 3 daughters and a black mother. Suspiciously absent is a photograph of the black mother. I have been emailing and sending letters to this magazine for a couple of years asking them why they never have any Black, Latino, Asian, GLBT families between their pages. I guess to them this is a start. And yes, I am questioning them on why they don't have a photograph of the mother.
I have been my own one-woman anti-defamation league for years. I am always contacting the media, and complaining about their lack of diversity or their insensitivity in their portrayal of minorities, women, there awful homophobic attitudes and there persistent ageism. I can only do so much though. I am just one person.
I am also sick and tired of people saying that President Obama is black. He is BIRACIAL, BIRACIAL. He has a white mother and a black father. Got it!! If he were black he would not have won the election. It annoys me to hear so-called intelligent people saying that he's black. If we lived in a world where it didn't matter; well then it wouldn't matter. But we aren't living in that world.
Also, President Obama has been in office 9 months. Another thing that folks seem to forget is that he inherited the great,big freakin' mess that 8 years of Republican thugism left us.
And lastly, this is not political, but I am so tired of reading that graphic novels are a genre. They are not a genre, I repeat NOT A GENRE. It's a format. Grrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I am finished. Now to the round up.
I just found out the other day that Sheila Lukins died. She wrote some of my absolute favorite cookbooks, The Silver Palate series. I'm sure that everyone has heard that Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary passed away. Really could anyone rock a pair of bangs better than she could. I am a sucker for 3-part harmony and Peter, Paul and Mary were amazing.
This would be nice for Valentines Day-chocolate-scented stamps. (original stamp site is in French)
I saw a photograph of the largest drain hole in the world and became transfixed. It's located at/in the Monticello Dam, which is located in Northern California. Here is the Wikipedia entry. I think the Wikipedia entry is a bit sparse. Hmmmm.....
I was saddened to hear that Reading Rainbow has been cancelled. I was already way too old for this program when it first aired, but I thought it was a great format to interest children in reading. I can't believe that it was on for 26 years.
50 Most Stylish Men of the Last 50 Years. Some of these gents I have never heard of before. When I first started the slideshow, I wondered if they would include a few that I immediately thought of and they did.
I've never run into these people, but apparently there are folks who make elaborate lunches to take to work. Most of the folks I know take something to heat in the microwave, or some sort of power bar or less healthy fare. And then there are these extremely creative people who have way too much time on their hands-Insanewiches. These are really so much fun. Wonder how they taste.
I have always been a huge fan of John and Abigail Adams. I devour any information I can find about them. I stumbled across this very well done WGBH forum presentation of a reading of some of their many letters they wrote to each other. If you have an hour give a listen. WARNING: You may want to turn your audio down a bit. I had mine down fairly low and the sound was still booming.
I like Foodzie for the same reason that I like Etsy. The consumer can purchase directly from the artisan.
Normally things like the new Prius commercial would sort of give me the willies, but there is something about the commercial that I just love. I don't know if it's the colors or the happy, bappy music or what, but I love it. Here is a clip on how the Prius Harmony commercial was produced. And ignore some of the ignorant, snarky comments.
Once upon a time I would have been all over this Praline Bacon. First of all before I became a vegetarian bacon was one of my favorite things. In fact, the smell of bacon can still, after all of these yeares, make me heady. And pralines, candy, anything sweek-I'm your girl. Alas, those days are over. I would love to get a whiff of it though. Here is one recipe, another and another.
I bought my mom a really spiffy can a few months ago. She occasionally needs it when her arthritis is acting up. When I had my first surgery I used a cane for a short period of time. I say short period, because the cane they gave me looked like Winston Churchill should have used it. If I had seen these canes at Elegant Cane I probably would have used my the prescribed amount of time. For some odd reason I can't link to the Elegant Cane Company, but you all know how to search for things. They have very nice canes.
John Lennon's alphabet. The New Yorker's fabulous Book Bench blog has a nice entry about John Lennon and his fascination with the alphabet. Even more reason to love this magical man.
It's cool and rainy and I am loving it.
When I think of the September Song I think of Ol' Blue Eyes himself-Frank Sinatra. I was going to post the YouTube video of him singing September Song, but the embedding has been disabled. (the Internet is raining on my parade today). So if we can't have Frank, why not Sarah? I love Ms. Vaughan's voice, but for this song, nobody does it like Mr. Sinatra.
"I have always felt that the moment when first you wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the 24 hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that .... absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not one jot. The possibility is always there." - Monica Baldwin
R.I.P. Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy. There are so many that have a lot and do nothing. These two had a lot and did a lot.
R.I.P. Karla Kuskin-children's book author and illustrator.
Today, August 28 is the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'sI Havea Dream speech, which called for racial equality in the United States. I think Dr, King would be proud of far we have come, but we have light years to go. Every time I hear Dr. King giving this speech, every time I see this video and see all of the people marching on Washington, the blacks, the whites, the young and old, women and men, my heart just swells. I also end up in tears because I am an old softie (don't tell anyone, you'll ruin my street cred!!)
Blue plaques. Blue plaques are commemorative plaques that are placed in a public place. Quite a few cities have them, but I am most fascinated with the ones in the United Kingdom, specifically in London. Here is the history of London's blue plaques and here is another site about London's blue plaques. (Wikipedia has a list of the plaques as well, but there is a problem with the page at this time).
I actually like plaques period. I use to drive my family nuts when we were on vacation because I had to collect all of the pamphlets and read every plaque and every sign.
Ladies are you freezing at work. I have always been a super hot person, but I too get chilly with the excessive air conditioning that is used at my place of employment and on the commuter bus I take each day. I have a couple of trusty shawls that I have had for years that I carry with me in the summer, and I always keep a sweater at work. I love that the Chilly Jilly Wrap can fold up so small and fit right in your bag.
I think trees are wonderful and I've been known to throw a fit when I see trees being cut down in the name of "progress", which usually means some stupid, modern steel office building or worse yet a whole garden of McMansions. Anywho, as much as I like trees, I also like wood. You see my dilemma. I am gaga for wooden boats. Apparently I am not the only one.
Before I post some links, I want to go on a bit about a couple of pet peeves of mine.
Firstly, I am so annoyed with all of these low literacy, mental midgets who are going on and on about government-controlled health care. Get real!! Haven't any of these people heard of Medicare, which most of them will be using at some point in their lives. It's government-controlled and yes, there have been problems, but for the most part it works. I am also sick of people talking about socialism. I think they really want to just replace the word socialism with the "n" word anyway. They may think they are fooling people, but they aren't fooling this woman.
My second pet peeve is about television programming in general and in particular. When the first forensics shows were televised I was so excited. I love science and medicine and these shows just seemed perfect to me. The first couple of seasons of the various CSI's were enough for me. First of all there are too many of them. Now I watch Bones and I love it. What annoys me is something very shallow, but I think it speaks to a larger issue. Why must they lighten the female actors hair? When Bones first aired, Emily Deschanel was brunette. An attractive brunette. Now with each passing season her hair is getting lighter and lighter. It looks nice, but I can just see that if the show goes on for another few years she is going to be blonde.
They do this on so many shows. What annoys me even more is when there are two dark haired parents and all of the children are blonde and have blue eyes. On the rare occasion when I would watch Everyone Loves Raymond (until I found out about Patricia Heaton's conservatism, and then I never watched again) it would astound me that these two dark-haired individual had 3 blonde children.
I could go on and on about this, but I'll stop. I get on these tangents every once in awhile.
I think this is so cool-John Quincy Adams is tweeting. The tweets are taken from one of his diaries.
An amazing Flickr success story over at Archives Next. I had seen this photograph of Phineas Gage before and never gave it a second thought. This is excellent and shows how amazing the Internet can be.
I can't wait for Ken Burns' new project The National Parks to air next month.
Books to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. I was to young to actually attend Woodstock, but if I had been older I so would have been there with my bell bottoms, my Angela Davis Afro and a purple dashiki, I would have been there and loved every single minute of it.
I am getting a huge kick out of Jane Mount's bookshelf portraiture.
Maira Kalman has done it again. She has made me love Benjamin Franklin even more than I did before.
Fantasy and Science Fiction writers and their work spaces. I'm such an author groupie that I enjoy seeing where these incredibly talented folks create.
Oh, I am in awe. Some treasures from the New York Public Library.
That's all for now folks. Have a wonderful weekend. I leave you with a Woodstock classic by Richie Havens-Freedom. (if you scroll down the comments you can read about the song and Mr.Havens' dental situation).
"How strange that nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!" Emily Dickinson
People Pencils-color pencils in a range of colors to represent people's skin tones.
Yes, we all have them. Family photographs that we feel should be hidden away somewhere and never to see the light of day. Or you could take another tack and sent them to Awkward Family Photos. Lots of fun stuff on this site.
Did you know that you could contribute words to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)? And speaking of the OED, this September the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary with Additional Material from a Thesaurus of Old Englishwill be published. And guess what, it has been 40 years in the making. This two-volume set not only groups words of similar meanings, but words are also arranged chronologically. The chronological arrangement allows the reader to trace the development of English words throughout history. At 3,952 pages this wondrous tome doesn't come cheap. It lists at $395.00. My idea of heaven would be to rent a beach house on one of the many Maine islands and sit on the deck with this wonder and read, read, read.
NativeWiki is a free, open-to-the-public library of information about indigenous nations and peoples of the world.
13-year old, yep that's correct, 13 year old Sophie Epstein has a YA literature blog, Mrs. Magoo Reads. Her blog contains book reviews, author interviews and video reviews.
Congratulations to Ursula M. Burns, the first American woman of African descent who is head of an S& P 100 company, Xerox. More information about this trailblazer.
Growing up in the country everyone had a garden. We had gardens, plural, and they were huge. We canned so many things. My mom even made her own ketchup and bread and butter pickles. After eating her ketchup for so long, I never wanted Heinz. I always thought canning was a lot of fun. When I was really little my job was to listen for the POP that the canning lids made on top of the Mason jars. I miss all of that so much.
With these hard economic times canning is making a resurgence. If you are a canner, tell your story on Cans Across America.
So, you have adopted a lovable pup from the pound. Is he part poodle and part beagle, part Komodor and part collie? If this is something that is keeping you up at night, perhaps you should purchase the Bio Pet DNA Breed Identification Kit.
I thought virgule was a cool word for a puncuation mark. Has so much more panache than SLASH. What do you think about interrobang?
Today I leave you with some old school soul. My girl Chaka Khan with Ain't Nobody.
Now for some old school soul. My girl Chaka Khan with my absolute favorite song that she has
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou
So, once again racial profiling rears its ugly head. Dr. Gates, "I hope you sue the pants off of the Cambridge police department." I hope the cop loses his job, which I know is never going to happen. This sort of crap needs to stop. I could go on and on, but I will move on with more cheerful information.
Pug head tilt
When I used to where heels a lot I seemed to always get my heels stuck in the grass or even worse mud. Now some clever person has invented sole mates so no more messed up heels.
I am so guilty of helping to create desire paths. Desire path is a landscape architecture term used to describe a path that isn't designed, but casually worn by people finding the shortest route. I have always been a walker and I have always tried to go "as the crow flies". Of course if there is signage indicating you aren't supposed to walk some place I abide, but if not, off I go. Apparently I am not the only one who finds these paths interesting.
Growing up in the country everyone in the area had a clothesline. There was just something about taking the sheets and towels off of the line and that wonderful fresh smell. The dryer just doesn't provide that wonderful scent. Or my mother and I running out the door giggling to grab the clothes off of the line before a thunderstorm would hit. I miss all of that so much.
Project Laudry List is a non-proft organization that is promoting air-drying laundry to save energy, and also it's fun.
The Codex Signaiticus is said to be the oldest bible in the world. Written over 1600 years ago the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek. The Codex Signaiticus Project is an international effort to unite the manuscript in digital format.
As much as I love technology and think email is the cat's meow, I still love a handwritten letter. I go nuts if someone sends me a thank you card, and I get so ticked if they don't. I get so annoyed with myself when I realize that I didn't save any of my pen pals letters from when I was a child. I had an international pen pal that I am really fuzzy about her name at the moment, and a pen pal from Ohio named Debbie Kozar. We were the same age and she signed all of her letters Love and Lollipops, Debbie. I have saved so many letters, a good many things with my beloved Gran's beautiful penmanship, post cards from my brother from all over the world when he was in the Navy, and love letters. I have every single card that A. has given me in the 18 years we have been together. Every-single-one.
Speaking of Debbie Kozar. Through her letters I became very aware of the disparities of the United States educational system. Debbie and I were the same age, but we had totally different text books, different subjects and different extra-curricular activities. Debbie's elementary school had a swimming pool. Come to think of it, none of the schools I attended had a pool-not Star Junction Elementary School-torn down years and years ago, but I can remember every single thing about the building, even the smell. Not Mary Fuller Frazier Jr and Sr High School, not Shadyside Nursing School, not Seton Hill College- now University(grrrrr!!!) and not Catholic University-they may have one, I'm not really sure about them. I guess this is more of a sore point with me than I realized.
Anyway back to letters. As much as I love letters, I love stationery, pens, stamps-all of it. The New York Times has a very nice article about stationery.
The New York Times also had an article about one of my favorite poets Mary Oliver.
Help urge the Postal Service to create a stamp commemorating the Ezra Jack Keats book The Snowy Day. The Snowy Day won the Caldecott Award in 1963. This was the first children's literature to feature a black child as a main character.
The National Book Foundation, presenter of the National Book Award is celebrating its 60th anniversary this years. In honor of this impressive feat will present a book-a-day blog on the Fiction Winners from 1950-2008. Just click on the active book images and you will be educated, let me tell you. I have only read a couple of the active images so far, and I learned so much from reading these reviews. I may have to add this to my list of things to do when, and if, I ever get to retire. Read all of the Rivers of Americaseries, Presidential biographies, go on factory tours, and now read all of the National Book Foundation fiction winners.
Oh no, not only is Virginia Wolf's lighthouse beach for sale; so is Daphne du Marier's Frenchman Creek home.
I am a nut for household tips. I have lots of them, but the one that everyone gives me odd looks about is the plastic wrap tip. I have been keeping my plastic wrap in the refrigerator for years. It's the only way I have found that keeps it from wrinkling and sticking to itself when you are unrolling it to use.
Well, this tip tops that one. In all of the literally hundreds of boxes of plastic wrap and aluminum foil that I have purchased through the years I have never looked at the ends of the boxes. Check the ends the next time you use either of these products. On each end is a perforated circle that you can push in-Why you ask? If you do this it keeps the roll from falling out of the box. I still can't believe I never noticed this before.
Have any interest in learning how to drive a Bobcat? Attend Bobcat Boot Camp.
This is why I am a such a huge fan of Maira Kalman.
I am always touched when people go that extra mile for an animal in need.
Newsweek wants us all to read these 50 books now and they also tell us why.
People's collections have always interested me. I thought I had heard of everything possible that people collect, but some folks collect envelope security patterns, and I am beginning to see why. More and more used for crafting.
I recall when the entire Bernie Madoff case broke some of the media pronounced his last name as "mad off". The more that came out about this case, the more the media started pronouncing his name "made off". I wonder which is the correct pronunciation. If "made off" just seemed better to use for this person who "MADE OFF" with millions of dollars.
Having a bad day? Maybe a shot of frosting/icing will perk you right up. There was a time when I would have loved this. Lets face it, I would still love it. However, my body would slip into a sugar-induced coma and/or I would have such neuropathy that it really wouldn't be worth that 1 minute of pure, culinary bliss.
Even though I don't like summer, I like the various and sundry fairs and festivals that "greet the heat" so to speak. Here are some, let's say, different fare than the usual funnel cake, quilt and pretty cows show.
PieLab-don't go there just for the pie alone. Nice story-great idea.
Two librarians had a wonderful idea. A blog devoted to truly Awful Library Books.
That's all. Have a fun weekend.
“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” Wendell Berry
Want to know what Apollo 11 left behind on the moon? The Lunar Legacy Project. I guess it's not bad enough that we pollute this world. Geez!!!!!
In 1997 Mississippi born actor Morgan Freeman offered to pay for the prom at Charlestown High School in his home state on one condition-the prom had to be racially integrated. His offer was ignored. He made the offer again in 2008. Until then, the blacks had their own prom and the whites had their own proms even though the classrooms had been integrated for years. The documentary Prom Night in Mississippitells what ensued.
Author and illustrator Tasha Tudor's idyllic life devolves as her family quarrels over her burial.
Love this Eileen Fisher trench. The color-raisinette.
Have a great weekend. (96 more days until October).
"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time." Edith Wharton
You will be shocked and dismayed when you see how much sugar is in some of these products-Sugar Stacks.
To mark its centenary curators at the Science Museum in London have chosen 10 iconic inventions and discoveries from their collection that they feel are the most significant.
Many agencies of the federal government are making use of Twitter. Check out GovTwit and the directory to see whose tweets you want to read.
The Library of Congress has made their picks for the 2008 National Recording Registry. There are so many of my favorites. I read A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas every Christmas. Also, great to see Mary Lou Williams, Marian Anderson, The Andrews Sisters and the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker included. And Etta James. I get so annoyed when someone else tries to sing At Last. Yes, Beyonce did a great job singing At Last at one of the Inauguration balls, but I thought it should have been Etta James singing it. You can see the entire registry here.
I have always felt that no matter how much you read you just aren't affected by books in the same way by a book as you were when you were a child. This excellent article gives some insight into this as well as some other great points about literature in general.
Look at all of these wonderful uses for card catalogs.
Have a Happy Weekend.
"Novelists, opera singers, even doctors, have in common the unique and marvelous experience of entering into the very skin of another human being." Willa Cather
Okay, okay, I know. I said that I wasn't a fan of Twitter. I already had a username and password from a project I was working on, but I never really became passionate about posting. But something has changed. I had a huge epiphany last week. I was sick most of last week, and still have this lingering asthma hack and wheeze, but basically I feel better. Can we blame my newfound love of Twitter on illness, oxygen deprivation, too much Albuterol? Who knows? I just know that I like it now. If you want to read any of my tweets (and really there is nothing too, too exciting) you can at: http://twitter.com/libby1957
The AFI Silver Docs Festival starts this week in Silver Spring, Maryland. If you are a documentary fan then you must try and see some of the many wonderful documentaries that will be shown. I got the schedule a couple of weeks ago and started putting a checkmark by the ones that I must see. I have 26 checked.
The Holocaust Museum has set up a special fund for slain officer Stephen Johns' family.
Some of my must sees: Act of God a doc about people who have been struck by lightening, The Apprentice, a doc about a boy who studies at an international school in a town near the French-Swiss border. He begins an internship on a small farm where he learns real-world experience, Our Forbidden Places is a documentary about a 2004 law established in Morocco to investigate the state-sponsored disappearance of many citizens after the country won indenpendence in 1956. It received 30, 000 applicatinos for reparation. This doc follows four families as they seek the truth about their lost relatives, The Time of Their Lives, a documentary about 3 vibrant women who live in a home for active seniors in North London andNutkins Last Stand, a short about agressive American brown squirrels that threaten to annihilate Britain's beloved red squirrels.
350.org: International effort to find solutions to the climate crisis. This organizaton wants to raise awareness of the need to decrease carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.
Love this stave church, but I think this is my favorite. And this has nothing to do with stave churches, but I found a story about Katherine Hepburn leaving money in her will to a tiny church in Maryland.
Science fiction-I have been known to watch some science fiction, but read the genre-absolutely not. However, I love the Art of Penguin Science Fiction site. In fact, I just love Penguin.
The United States government has a YouTube channel. Links to many government organizations.
If you like moose, (how can you not?) visit Mooseworld.
The British Library is mapping sounds. The Archival Sound Recording site has a very cool feature. The sounds are mapped on Google maps and the viewer can click on a section of the map and here sounds-human accents and sounds from nature that are found in that area. I was going to say they are indigenous to that area, but they might not be, or are they? Okay, I'm thinking about this too much. Here is the Accents and Dialects map.
If you have a camera and some type of bench why not join the Flickr pool-Bench Monday.
"The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning, and does not stop until you get into the office." Robert Frost
I hope that your holidays are filled with lots of laughter, love and lots of fun. I will see you next year.
