Round Up

Stumbled across this site Significant Objects the other day.

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.

Top 100 Poetry Blogs.

I can't wait to get my hands on this adorable book-Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo by Ayun Halliday, illustrations by Dan Santat.

Virtual tour of famed bookstore Shakespeare & Company.

Orthographer-a person versed in spelling or orthography; a person who spells correctly.

Box Vox-packaging as content.

Epic voice actors. Life.com is just a treasure trove. Love it.

1776: An Online Magazine of American History.

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 America series, 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 really like these tiffin boxes. Happy Tiffin has a blog.

Really enjoying Grannies on Safari on PBS.

And more very active older gals-Raging Grannies.

An adorable timeline to my favorite-chocolate chip cookies.

I leave you with Bela Fleck and Chick Corea (yes the banjo player and the pianist)playing Mountain.


"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson