Happy Birthday, Dear America
"Saturday in the park, I think it was the Fourth of July. People talking, really smiling, a man playing guitar, singing for us all. I've been waiting such a long time for today. Every day's the Fourth of July...a real celebration for us all." Robert Lamm's Saturday in the Park performed by Chicago, July 1972
Americans have many reasons - 240, actually - to celebrate this Fourth of July, according to Time magazine. For many Americans, that number could be pushed to 241 if you count that the latest issue is "99% politics free." The list is wide-ranging and fun. It's filled with ideas of where to travel and what to cheer. Midnight sun baseball in Fairbanks, Alaska? Yes! Artisanal bread in all 50 states? Sure. The national park system turning 100 years old? Great! Iowa's funky bicycle ride (RAGBRAI) from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River that also features pies at each stop? Sweet and delicious!
Our reading habits and books also made the list. It's good news for all Americans that bookstores, especially independent stores, are not disappearing. Time calls their death "greatly exaggerated" (# 64) while touting the success of Tattered Cover in Denver, Colorado and R.J. Julia in Madison, Connecticut. Americans are still reading up a storm, buying both e-books and hard copy books. We love our traditional novels (# 164) such as Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellows, and Birds of America by Lorrie Moore. Children's classics (# 177-185) remain close to our hearts, Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
And we pack up our lawn chairs and picnic baskets whenever we get the chance to enjoy any staging of Shakespeare under the stars (# 212).
There are new books to keep you reading all summer. Watch for: J. K. Rowling, Daniel Silva, Liane Moriarty, Danielle Steel, James Patterson, G. B. Trudeau, Peter Lovesey, Hannah Pittard, Delia Ephron, Marcia Muller, Linda Castillo, Alexander McCall Smith, Susan Mallery, Ace Atkins, Iris Johansen, Lenny Dykstra, Lauren Weisberger, Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Serritella, Gregg Olsen & Rebecca Morris.
Three upcoming books that have gotten a lot of pre-publication buzz: Mary Mann Hamilton's The Trials of the Earth; Nicolaia Rips' Trying to Float; and Kate Summerscale's The Wicked Boy.
In honor of our Independence Day, I'll be reading Gail Collins' America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines.
J*u*l*y is Cell Phone Courtesy Month, National Blueberries Month, National Ice Cream Month and Dog Days (of summer) Month.
** J U L Y D A Y S **
3 - Superman Day
7 - Chocolate Day
10 - Clerihew Day (Not sure what a clerihew is? Check out The Lost Clerihews of Paul Ingram.
11 - Bowdler's Day (Thomas Bowdler - famous for removing offending passages from books)
13 - French Fries Day
14 - National Mac & Cheese Day
20 - Moon Day (In honor of July 20, 1969 and Neil Armstrong's "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind..."
22 - Spooners' Day (William Archibald Spooner - often got his words mixed up such as "Can I sew you to another sheet instead of can I show you to another seat?"
- Hammock Day
23 - National Day of the Cowboy (Read Louis L'Amour, Zane Grey or Max Brand)
24 - Amelia Earhart Day (East to the Dawn by Susan Butler)
26 - National Talk in an Elevator Day (Ask what book he/she is reading)
27 -Bagpipe Appreciation Day
30 - Friendship Day
- Paperback Book Day (Great for packing along on August vacations)
* * * * *
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Monday, July 4, 2016
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Daring Greatly in June
Theodore Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."
Brene Brown: "If you aren't in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I'm not interested in your feedback." Brown is the author of Daring Greatly and Rising Strong
June gives us the gift of a new attitude. We're ready to swap wool coats for a colorful new uniform - shorts, bandannas, t-shirts, and flip flops. Put the makeup away but remember sun screen! It's time to pack a bag for the beach or park - books, magazines, sunglasses, iced tea and maybe a sandwich or two. Laugh. Splash. Enjoy. Feel your heart beat a little faster with the first sighting of fireflies. Summer officially arrives on June 20 but the flowers are already planted, ceiling fans are lazily spinning on porches, and public pools are open.
My library is encouraging its patrons to be daring this summer. Will I discover a new writer or different genre? Sample unfamiliar food? Write a song? I'm looking forward to being double dog dared to celebrate and explore my library and community. Dare yourself to a new adventure. Take a class. Hike. Update your resume. Explore a different state, culture or country. Join an exercise group. Just get out of your comfort zone...a little bit or a lot.
It's perfect that June is National Audio Book Appreciation Month. If you're planning a road trip, pack along your favorite author on CD. It's also Great Outdoors Month, so get outdoors and breathe the fresh air. If you're fortunate enough to live near an ocean, breathe in that salty air and celebrate National Oceans Month. Can you name all the Earth's oceans?* Toast the arrival of summer with a pitcher of mango tea in honor of National Iced Tea Month.
And get ready to enjoy new books by Anne Tyler, Karen Cushman, Stuart Woods, Stephen King, Emily Griffin, Elin Hilderbrand, Brad Meltzer, Janet Evanovich, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lisa Unger, Laurence Leamer, Stephen Coonts, Annie Proulx, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Chuck Palahniuk, Carla Neggers, James Patterson, Lionel Shriver.
June Days
1 - Dare Day
Go Barefoot Day
4 - Birth of Val McDermid (1955), The Retribution
5-11 - National Business Etiquette Week
10 - Ball Point Pen Day
16 - Bloomsday. Celebrate all things James Joyce - Ulysses, Dubliners.
17 - Eat Your Vegetables Day
18 - Birth of Amy Bloom (1953), Lucky Us
20 - First Day of Summer
21 - Birth of Ian McEwan (1948), The Children Act
24 - Celebration of the Senses Day...tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing, touching
28 - National Columnists' Day
29 - Camera Day
30 - National Bomb Pop Day
*** There are five oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic...the United States now recognizes the Southern Ocean (Antarctica), according to NOAA.
* * * * *
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Theodore Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."
Brene Brown: "If you aren't in the arena also getting your ass kicked, I'm not interested in your feedback." Brown is the author of Daring Greatly and Rising Strong
June gives us the gift of a new attitude. We're ready to swap wool coats for a colorful new uniform - shorts, bandannas, t-shirts, and flip flops. Put the makeup away but remember sun screen! It's time to pack a bag for the beach or park - books, magazines, sunglasses, iced tea and maybe a sandwich or two. Laugh. Splash. Enjoy. Feel your heart beat a little faster with the first sighting of fireflies. Summer officially arrives on June 20 but the flowers are already planted, ceiling fans are lazily spinning on porches, and public pools are open.
My library is encouraging its patrons to be daring this summer. Will I discover a new writer or different genre? Sample unfamiliar food? Write a song? I'm looking forward to being double dog dared to celebrate and explore my library and community. Dare yourself to a new adventure. Take a class. Hike. Update your resume. Explore a different state, culture or country. Join an exercise group. Just get out of your comfort zone...a little bit or a lot.
It's perfect that June is National Audio Book Appreciation Month. If you're planning a road trip, pack along your favorite author on CD. It's also Great Outdoors Month, so get outdoors and breathe the fresh air. If you're fortunate enough to live near an ocean, breathe in that salty air and celebrate National Oceans Month. Can you name all the Earth's oceans?* Toast the arrival of summer with a pitcher of mango tea in honor of National Iced Tea Month.
And get ready to enjoy new books by Anne Tyler, Karen Cushman, Stuart Woods, Stephen King, Emily Griffin, Elin Hilderbrand, Brad Meltzer, Janet Evanovich, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lisa Unger, Laurence Leamer, Stephen Coonts, Annie Proulx, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Chuck Palahniuk, Carla Neggers, James Patterson, Lionel Shriver.
June Days
1 - Dare Day
Go Barefoot Day
4 - Birth of Val McDermid (1955), The Retribution
5-11 - National Business Etiquette Week
10 - Ball Point Pen Day
16 - Bloomsday. Celebrate all things James Joyce - Ulysses, Dubliners.
17 - Eat Your Vegetables Day
18 - Birth of Amy Bloom (1953), Lucky Us
20 - First Day of Summer
21 - Birth of Ian McEwan (1948), The Children Act
24 - Celebration of the Senses Day...tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing, touching
28 - National Columnists' Day
29 - Camera Day
30 - National Bomb Pop Day
*** There are five oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic...the United States now recognizes the Southern Ocean (Antarctica), according to NOAA.
* * * * *
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Sunday, May 1, 2016
Get Caught Reading in May
Edwin Way Teale: "All things seem possible in May."
Holy Alphabet, Batman*, this is a busy month! Forget the lawn and hold off planning that August vacation... there are books to read.
May is National Meditation Month. If you're interested in learning about meditation, pick up a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn or Thich Nhat Hanh. Combine an interest in meditating with National Ride Your Bike to Work Week (May 15-21) by reading Ben Irvine's Einstein and the Art of Mindful Cycling. It's also National Salad Month...just as farmers' markets get started. Salads have moved from the bowl to the plate to mason jars. Ingredients can be anything from quinoa to steak. If you're in need of more ideas, look for Williams-Sonoma's books on salads (browse 641.83 in your library). It's always good to be polite, and during the week of May 9-13, etiquette should be minded! At a loss for instruction on ideal manners? Emily Post's Etiquette has all the answers about business, weddings, children and general social situations. Other May celebrations include Get Caught Reading Month, Creative Beginnings Month and Latino Books Month - discover or read again: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros; One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.
Plan to get caught reading in May. It's a reader's dream - new books by Dorothea Benton Frank, Sebastian Junger, Julian Barnes, Emma Straub, Max Allan Collins, Jennifer Haigh, Danielle Steel, Joyce Carol Oates, Laura Lippman, Beth Gutcheon, Neil Gaiman, Nancy Thayer, Mary Kay Andrews, Sophie Hannah, Sharyn McCrumb, Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child, Steve Martini, Nevada Barr, Mary Kubica, Jill Lepore, Joe Hill, Rita Mae Brown, Ann Leary, Justin Cronin, Rick Riordan, Mo Willems, James Patterson, Don DeLillo, Adam Haslett, Richard Russo, Patricia Engel and Louise Erdrich. This month we can learn about the history of paper (Mark Kurlansky) and the differences between Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson (Hugh Howard).
May Days
1 - Batman Day *Robin the Boy Wonder was known for his Holy expressions. Holy Alphabet was only one of dozens used on the 1960s television show.
1-7 - National Post Card Week. A stamp costing .34 and a cheery wish you were here will make a lot of smiles.
1-7 - Teacher Appreciation Week. Many thanks to all teachers!!
2 - Roberts' Rule of Order Day
3 - National Public Radio Day
5 - Cinco de Mayo
Cartoonists' Day
7 - National Scrapbooking Day - a perfect day for that creative beginning.
8 - Mothers' Day
9-13 - National Etiquette Week. Let's make Emily Post proud.
13 - Birth of Daphne du Maurier (1907), Rebecca.
14 - National Archery Day
15-21 - National Bike to Work Week
16 - Biographer's Day
18 - International Museum Day
19 - Birth of Nora Ephron (1932), Crazy Salad; I Remember Nothing.
20 - Birth of Walter Isaacson (1952), Steve Jobs; Benjamin Franklin.
23 - Birth of Margaret Wise Brown (1910), Goodnight, Moon.
24 - Birth of Michael Chabon (1963), Telegraph Avenue.
25 - Birth of Jamaica Kincaid (1949), See Now Then.
30 - Memorial Day
* * * * *
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Edwin Way Teale: "All things seem possible in May."
Holy Alphabet, Batman*, this is a busy month! Forget the lawn and hold off planning that August vacation... there are books to read.
May is National Meditation Month. If you're interested in learning about meditation, pick up a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn or Thich Nhat Hanh. Combine an interest in meditating with National Ride Your Bike to Work Week (May 15-21) by reading Ben Irvine's Einstein and the Art of Mindful Cycling. It's also National Salad Month...just as farmers' markets get started. Salads have moved from the bowl to the plate to mason jars. Ingredients can be anything from quinoa to steak. If you're in need of more ideas, look for Williams-Sonoma's books on salads (browse 641.83 in your library). It's always good to be polite, and during the week of May 9-13, etiquette should be minded! At a loss for instruction on ideal manners? Emily Post's Etiquette has all the answers about business, weddings, children and general social situations. Other May celebrations include Get Caught Reading Month, Creative Beginnings Month and Latino Books Month - discover or read again: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros; One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.
Plan to get caught reading in May. It's a reader's dream - new books by Dorothea Benton Frank, Sebastian Junger, Julian Barnes, Emma Straub, Max Allan Collins, Jennifer Haigh, Danielle Steel, Joyce Carol Oates, Laura Lippman, Beth Gutcheon, Neil Gaiman, Nancy Thayer, Mary Kay Andrews, Sophie Hannah, Sharyn McCrumb, Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child, Steve Martini, Nevada Barr, Mary Kubica, Jill Lepore, Joe Hill, Rita Mae Brown, Ann Leary, Justin Cronin, Rick Riordan, Mo Willems, James Patterson, Don DeLillo, Adam Haslett, Richard Russo, Patricia Engel and Louise Erdrich. This month we can learn about the history of paper (Mark Kurlansky) and the differences between Frank Lloyd Wright and Philip Johnson (Hugh Howard).
May Days
1 - Batman Day *Robin the Boy Wonder was known for his Holy expressions. Holy Alphabet was only one of dozens used on the 1960s television show.
1-7 - National Post Card Week. A stamp costing .34 and a cheery wish you were here will make a lot of smiles.
1-7 - Teacher Appreciation Week. Many thanks to all teachers!!
2 - Roberts' Rule of Order Day
3 - National Public Radio Day
5 - Cinco de Mayo
Cartoonists' Day
7 - National Scrapbooking Day - a perfect day for that creative beginning.
8 - Mothers' Day
9-13 - National Etiquette Week. Let's make Emily Post proud.
13 - Birth of Daphne du Maurier (1907), Rebecca.
14 - National Archery Day
15-21 - National Bike to Work Week
16 - Biographer's Day
18 - International Museum Day
19 - Birth of Nora Ephron (1932), Crazy Salad; I Remember Nothing.
20 - Birth of Walter Isaacson (1952), Steve Jobs; Benjamin Franklin.
23 - Birth of Margaret Wise Brown (1910), Goodnight, Moon.
24 - Birth of Michael Chabon (1963), Telegraph Avenue.
25 - Birth of Jamaica Kincaid (1949), See Now Then.
30 - Memorial Day
* * * * *
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Thursday, April 14, 2016
Spring Cleaning, or, it's a QVC World
Benjamin Franklin: "A place for everything and everything in its place."
It was another cold dreary day with heavy gray clouds, snow on the ground and a prediction of similar days ahead. I was in a mood somewhere between blue and bored. There was plenty to do at home - the wood floors were laced with ever expanding dust patterns, closets were packed with jumbles of summer and winter clothes, and the kitchen cabinets were in need of a serious weeding process.
My mood darkened even more and I retreated to the couch, flipping on the television. I clicked from one channel to the next until my attention was grabbed by the promise of an orderly house. Who made this promise? QVC. I stopped changing channels, curled up under a blanket and devoted all my attention to home organization, QVC-style.
In the blink of an eye, my mood changed from blue and bored to intrigued and guilty.
Intrigued because I was still in a gray plaid robe with my scrubbed bare face and fingernails badly beaten by winter's temperatures while watching the impeccably dressed women with expensive manicures and even more expensive jewelry demonstrating how I could have a closet that looked Just. Like. This. A closet with multiple pairs of pants hanging on a single hanger. Baskets that collapsed and stored in impossibly narrow spaces, but not before they kept my car trunk organized or helped me to carefully shuttle food to a neighborhood cook-out.
The guilt?
My guilt was for all the same reasons. Plus, I felt like a Stepford Wife wannabe. Is this what matters in life? A sparkling, well-organized home? Aren't there better ways to spend my time and energy? The arguments didn't matter; I was hooked and remained on the couch, squirming a little but full attention still on the television screen with its promises of organization.
Nothing was ordered from QVC on that morning or any other morning. And I don't own even one collapsible basket My recovery from the QVC moment with its manicured nails, tailored clothing and special hangers was just about complete when The Container Store catalog arrived in the mail. Oh no. Page after page of boxes, baskets, shelves and totes beckoned me. Sale prices danced before my eyes. Advice spilled out from the catalog's pages to take inventory, keep or toss, declutter, dress up a closet or bring focus to a garage or basement.
Over a cup of hot tea on another dreary day, I thought back to QVC and mulled over where to start my journey to organization. One room kept crying out...second floor, far corner. My closet.
This means shoes, purses, clothes, scarves and travel items will be examined and moved on or organized.
According to the Los Angeles Times' Mary MacVean, the average United States household (2014) is packed with 300,000 items ranging from paper clips to ironing boards. The article quotes Andrew Mellen, a professional organizer, who asks "is your home an accurate external reflection of you?" Mellen believes if "things have become obstacles to your happiness, that's a problem."
I am comforted by the fact that I'm far from alone in this quest to have a well-run organized home. In the March 2016 issue, More magazine boldly asks its readers if they wouldn't be happier with "less stuff." Five women share their stories of working on a "perfect house in a perfect neighborhood."
If you're unsure of just where or how to start, help is just a book or website away. Check out organizing blogs or websites such as Good Housekeeping magazine or Bob Vila's website for more ideas. Wander around your library in the 648 section - I bet you'll find dozens of books on household organizing. Better Homes and Gardens has an entire magazine geared toward clearing clutter and living easier in our homes. Your book store will have shelves stocked with books such as Marie Kondo's bestseller, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up. In Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness, Donna Smallin advises readers to start small with tackling one room at a time (like my closet). Toni Hammersley's The Complete Book of Organization encourages readers to get control of canned goods, corral shoes and coats, and fully utilize a freezer. Look for Peter Walsh's It's All Too Much which has an accompanying workbook. Gretchen Rubin shares her own journey to a better organized life in Happier at Home and The Happiness Project. Organizer Jennifer Ford Berry's book Organize Now! is actually a small binder filled with tips on getting your clutter under control.
Books use various incentives...mindfulness, minimalist living, green living, etc... I agree with Gretchen Rubin - it's likely we just have too much stuff. Sort through everything and set up piles to toss, donate, mend or keep.
After that, stroll through The Container Store for boxes, shelves and totes.
Or, get a manicure.
William Morris: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
* * * * *
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Benjamin Franklin: "A place for everything and everything in its place."
It was another cold dreary day with heavy gray clouds, snow on the ground and a prediction of similar days ahead. I was in a mood somewhere between blue and bored. There was plenty to do at home - the wood floors were laced with ever expanding dust patterns, closets were packed with jumbles of summer and winter clothes, and the kitchen cabinets were in need of a serious weeding process.
My mood darkened even more and I retreated to the couch, flipping on the television. I clicked from one channel to the next until my attention was grabbed by the promise of an orderly house. Who made this promise? QVC. I stopped changing channels, curled up under a blanket and devoted all my attention to home organization, QVC-style.
In the blink of an eye, my mood changed from blue and bored to intrigued and guilty.
Intrigued because I was still in a gray plaid robe with my scrubbed bare face and fingernails badly beaten by winter's temperatures while watching the impeccably dressed women with expensive manicures and even more expensive jewelry demonstrating how I could have a closet that looked Just. Like. This. A closet with multiple pairs of pants hanging on a single hanger. Baskets that collapsed and stored in impossibly narrow spaces, but not before they kept my car trunk organized or helped me to carefully shuttle food to a neighborhood cook-out.
The guilt?
My guilt was for all the same reasons. Plus, I felt like a Stepford Wife wannabe. Is this what matters in life? A sparkling, well-organized home? Aren't there better ways to spend my time and energy? The arguments didn't matter; I was hooked and remained on the couch, squirming a little but full attention still on the television screen with its promises of organization.
Nothing was ordered from QVC on that morning or any other morning. And I don't own even one collapsible basket My recovery from the QVC moment with its manicured nails, tailored clothing and special hangers was just about complete when The Container Store catalog arrived in the mail. Oh no. Page after page of boxes, baskets, shelves and totes beckoned me. Sale prices danced before my eyes. Advice spilled out from the catalog's pages to take inventory, keep or toss, declutter, dress up a closet or bring focus to a garage or basement.
Over a cup of hot tea on another dreary day, I thought back to QVC and mulled over where to start my journey to organization. One room kept crying out...second floor, far corner. My closet.
This means shoes, purses, clothes, scarves and travel items will be examined and moved on or organized.
According to the Los Angeles Times' Mary MacVean, the average United States household (2014) is packed with 300,000 items ranging from paper clips to ironing boards. The article quotes Andrew Mellen, a professional organizer, who asks "is your home an accurate external reflection of you?" Mellen believes if "things have become obstacles to your happiness, that's a problem."
I am comforted by the fact that I'm far from alone in this quest to have a well-run organized home. In the March 2016 issue, More magazine boldly asks its readers if they wouldn't be happier with "less stuff." Five women share their stories of working on a "perfect house in a perfect neighborhood."
If you're unsure of just where or how to start, help is just a book or website away. Check out organizing blogs or websites such as Good Housekeeping magazine or Bob Vila's website for more ideas. Wander around your library in the 648 section - I bet you'll find dozens of books on household organizing. Better Homes and Gardens has an entire magazine geared toward clearing clutter and living easier in our homes. Your book store will have shelves stocked with books such as Marie Kondo's bestseller, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up. In Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness, Donna Smallin advises readers to start small with tackling one room at a time (like my closet). Toni Hammersley's The Complete Book of Organization encourages readers to get control of canned goods, corral shoes and coats, and fully utilize a freezer. Look for Peter Walsh's It's All Too Much which has an accompanying workbook. Gretchen Rubin shares her own journey to a better organized life in Happier at Home and The Happiness Project. Organizer Jennifer Ford Berry's book Organize Now! is actually a small binder filled with tips on getting your clutter under control.
Books use various incentives...mindfulness, minimalist living, green living, etc... I agree with Gretchen Rubin - it's likely we just have too much stuff. Sort through everything and set up piles to toss, donate, mend or keep.
After that, stroll through The Container Store for boxes, shelves and totes.
Or, get a manicure.
William Morris: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thank you!
Friday, April 1, 2016
April
Doug Larson: "Spring is here when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."
Fling open the windows. Breathe fresh air. Enjoy the tulips, daffodils and blooming dogwood trees. Colors are alive, somehow both soft and vibrant. Go on an early morning walk without shivering (too much). Even if spring hasn't fully arrived in your state, have patience that it will.
Discover a new novel to savor this month. Shelves at your favorite library or book store will be packed with new books by David Balducci, Anna Quindlen, Steve Berry, Stuart Woods, Ann B. Ross, Lisa Scottoline, John Sandford, Curtis Sittenfeld, Amanda Quick, Anderson Cooper/Gloria Vanderbilt, Lesley Stahl, and Jim Colucci's unauthorized tribute to the Golden Girls.
April is Library Snapshot Month, National Card and Letter Writing Month, National Humor Month, National Kite Month (get outside!), National Poetry Month and Stress Awareness Month.
April Days
1 - Poetry and Creative Minds Day
Reading is Funny Day
1-3 - American Crossword Puzzle Days
2 - International Children's Book Day
3-9 - Week of the Ocean
6 - National Walking Day
8 - Birthday of Barbara Kingsolver, 1955, The Poisonwood Bible
10-16 - National Library Week
Week of the Young Child
12 - National Library Day
National Library Workers' Day
13 - National Bookmobile Day
Scrabble Day
14 - Celebrate Teen Literature Day
16 - Record Store Day --yay vinyl!!
17 - International Haiku Poetry Day
19 - Bicycle Day
21 - Death of Mark Twain, 1910, Huckleberry Finn
22 - Earth Day --Love your Mother Earth
23 - Talk Like Shakespeare Day
World Book and Copyright Day
24 - Pinhole Photography Day
28 - Birthday of Harper Lee, 1926, To Kill a Mockingbird
30 - Birthday of Annie Dillard, 1945, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Lily Pulitzer: "Despite the forecast, live like it's spring."
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thank you!
Doug Larson: "Spring is here when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."
Fling open the windows. Breathe fresh air. Enjoy the tulips, daffodils and blooming dogwood trees. Colors are alive, somehow both soft and vibrant. Go on an early morning walk without shivering (too much). Even if spring hasn't fully arrived in your state, have patience that it will.
Discover a new novel to savor this month. Shelves at your favorite library or book store will be packed with new books by David Balducci, Anna Quindlen, Steve Berry, Stuart Woods, Ann B. Ross, Lisa Scottoline, John Sandford, Curtis Sittenfeld, Amanda Quick, Anderson Cooper/Gloria Vanderbilt, Lesley Stahl, and Jim Colucci's unauthorized tribute to the Golden Girls.
April is Library Snapshot Month, National Card and Letter Writing Month, National Humor Month, National Kite Month (get outside!), National Poetry Month and Stress Awareness Month.
April Days
1 - Poetry and Creative Minds Day
Reading is Funny Day
1-3 - American Crossword Puzzle Days
2 - International Children's Book Day
3-9 - Week of the Ocean
6 - National Walking Day
8 - Birthday of Barbara Kingsolver, 1955, The Poisonwood Bible
10-16 - National Library Week
Week of the Young Child
12 - National Library Day
National Library Workers' Day
13 - National Bookmobile Day
Scrabble Day
14 - Celebrate Teen Literature Day
16 - Record Store Day --yay vinyl!!
17 - International Haiku Poetry Day
19 - Bicycle Day
21 - Death of Mark Twain, 1910, Huckleberry Finn
22 - Earth Day --Love your Mother Earth
23 - Talk Like Shakespeare Day
World Book and Copyright Day
24 - Pinhole Photography Day
28 - Birthday of Harper Lee, 1926, To Kill a Mockingbird
30 - Birthday of Annie Dillard, 1945, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
Lily Pulitzer: "Despite the forecast, live like it's spring."
* * * * *
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Saturday, March 12, 2016
Saying Goodbye
Carly Simon: "I'll wait no more for you, like a daughter. That part of our life together is over. But I'll wait for you, forever, like a river. In the river I know I'll find the key. And your voice will rise like the spray. I'm right beside you. I'll never turn away." from Like a River
Every stage of our lives has its own rhythm or drumbeat. Some years speed by so quickly that it's easy to feel almost cheated. Other times or events have such a surreal, altered reality. And toward the end of life, time is often spent just waiting. Waiting for the medical tests. Waiting for the test results. Waiting to see the doctor. Waiting for dinner. Waiting for visitors. Waiting for the nurses' shift change.
Then reality tilts again and the waiting changes... a little the same, a little different. Waiting for the call from hospice. Waiting for the delivery of the hospital bed. Waiting for a change in vital signs. Waiting for the next dose of morphine.
The time spent waiting is also spent reading aloud - Kahlil Gibran's poetry and children's books. Or listening to music - big band, classical, religious. Laughter is heard from another room as favorite family stories are retold and songs are sung. The moon fades, the sun rises and hands are held, tears shed and prayers recited.
Eventually the room is unnaturally still, quiet and empty. The eyeglasses are neatly folded and sit on the bedside table. Favorite pillows are carefully placed on chairs. The TV screen is dark and unblinking. Lamps are turned off. It's as if the room and its contents are also waiting for her to return.
Sometimes song lyrics or book passages come to mind when we need them the most. They can remind us that we're not alone in our experiences, especially loss. Carly Simon's song Like a River begins with sisters sorting through their deceased mother's items, fighting over pearls when the real struggle is with fear, grief and exhaustion. It happens every day in many families, in many communities.
The Baby Boomer generation (1945-1964) is saying goodbye to the Greatest Generation (1910-1925). In 2015, it was estimated that veterans of World War II were dying at a rate of approximately 492 each day. National World War II Museum (New Orleans) and Veterans Administration report that there are fewer than one million remaining, out of 16 million, of those who served. California has the most veterans with approximately 93,000; Alaska has the fewest at about 1500. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2012, six percent of the general American population was 75 years and older; 1.9 percent of the population was 85 years or older.
When saying goodbye gets to be too difficult or overwhelming, there are counselors, doctors, family, friends and support groups. And books - poetry, memoirs and guides may help with the worst of days.
The Theft of Memory - Jonathan Kozol. Simply stated by Kozol, he lost his father to Alzheimer's disease one day at a time.
Let's Take the Long Way Home - Gail Caldwell. Women's friendships and loss are poignantly shared in this elegantly written memoir.
A Widow's Story - Joyce Carol Oates. Oates' story of rebuilding her life after her husband's death.
The Year of Magical Thinking & Blue Nights - Joan Didion. The author brings readers along on dealing with grief after experiencing deaths of her husband and daughter.
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi. This memoir about dying has been described as moving and thoughtful by the Washington Post.
Bettyville - George Hodgman. Be prepared to laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time) while reading this memoir of caring for an aging, often difficult parent.
The End of Your Life Book Club - Will Schwalbe. Books and long conversations about books were shared by Schwalbe and his mother. Readers will feel as if they personally knew his mother.
The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch. A popular professor leaves his students with the gift of a final lecture on life and death.
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? - Roz Chast. A cartoon memoir, Chast introduces us to her parents and their increasing need for care...and their eccentricities.
What Comes Next and How to Like It - Abigail Thomas. This memoir is about what happens after grief...aging, creativity, friendship and the bonds of family (and dogs).
* * * * *
Mary Chapin Carpenter: "Grief rides quietly on the passenger side/unwanted company on a long, long drive." from Learning the World
* * * * *
The Truth About Grief - Ruth Davis Konigsberg. An examination of grief quite different from the often quoted work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Is it possible that humans are "pretty well programmed to get over loss"?
Final Gifts - Maggie Callahan & Patricia Kelley. Two hospice nurses share their experiences with death and grief.
Other books about grief:
Comfort: A Journey Through Grief - Ann Hood
American Book of Living and Dying - Richard Groves & Henriette A. Klauser
Refined by Fire - Mary Potter Kenyon
Kayak Morning - Roger Rosenblatt
Other books to consider:
Ten Poems to Say Goodbye - Roger Housden.
Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness - Amit Soud MD
Mary Chapin Carpenter: "I saw my father in a dream last night. He was smiling and saying you're going to be alright. And this morning I stared back at myself feeling as empty as I've ever felt. But I keep on going and I hope I've learned more of what's right than what's wrong." from Chasing What's Already Gone
* * * * *
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Carly Simon: "I'll wait no more for you, like a daughter. That part of our life together is over. But I'll wait for you, forever, like a river. In the river I know I'll find the key. And your voice will rise like the spray. I'm right beside you. I'll never turn away." from Like a River
Every stage of our lives has its own rhythm or drumbeat. Some years speed by so quickly that it's easy to feel almost cheated. Other times or events have such a surreal, altered reality. And toward the end of life, time is often spent just waiting. Waiting for the medical tests. Waiting for the test results. Waiting to see the doctor. Waiting for dinner. Waiting for visitors. Waiting for the nurses' shift change.
Then reality tilts again and the waiting changes... a little the same, a little different. Waiting for the call from hospice. Waiting for the delivery of the hospital bed. Waiting for a change in vital signs. Waiting for the next dose of morphine.
The time spent waiting is also spent reading aloud - Kahlil Gibran's poetry and children's books. Or listening to music - big band, classical, religious. Laughter is heard from another room as favorite family stories are retold and songs are sung. The moon fades, the sun rises and hands are held, tears shed and prayers recited.
Eventually the room is unnaturally still, quiet and empty. The eyeglasses are neatly folded and sit on the bedside table. Favorite pillows are carefully placed on chairs. The TV screen is dark and unblinking. Lamps are turned off. It's as if the room and its contents are also waiting for her to return.
Sometimes song lyrics or book passages come to mind when we need them the most. They can remind us that we're not alone in our experiences, especially loss. Carly Simon's song Like a River begins with sisters sorting through their deceased mother's items, fighting over pearls when the real struggle is with fear, grief and exhaustion. It happens every day in many families, in many communities.
The Baby Boomer generation (1945-1964) is saying goodbye to the Greatest Generation (1910-1925). In 2015, it was estimated that veterans of World War II were dying at a rate of approximately 492 each day. National World War II Museum (New Orleans) and Veterans Administration report that there are fewer than one million remaining, out of 16 million, of those who served. California has the most veterans with approximately 93,000; Alaska has the fewest at about 1500. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Commerce, in 2012, six percent of the general American population was 75 years and older; 1.9 percent of the population was 85 years or older.
When saying goodbye gets to be too difficult or overwhelming, there are counselors, doctors, family, friends and support groups. And books - poetry, memoirs and guides may help with the worst of days.
The Theft of Memory - Jonathan Kozol. Simply stated by Kozol, he lost his father to Alzheimer's disease one day at a time.
Let's Take the Long Way Home - Gail Caldwell. Women's friendships and loss are poignantly shared in this elegantly written memoir.
A Widow's Story - Joyce Carol Oates. Oates' story of rebuilding her life after her husband's death.
The Year of Magical Thinking & Blue Nights - Joan Didion. The author brings readers along on dealing with grief after experiencing deaths of her husband and daughter.
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi. This memoir about dying has been described as moving and thoughtful by the Washington Post.
Bettyville - George Hodgman. Be prepared to laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time) while reading this memoir of caring for an aging, often difficult parent.
The End of Your Life Book Club - Will Schwalbe. Books and long conversations about books were shared by Schwalbe and his mother. Readers will feel as if they personally knew his mother.
The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch. A popular professor leaves his students with the gift of a final lecture on life and death.
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? - Roz Chast. A cartoon memoir, Chast introduces us to her parents and their increasing need for care...and their eccentricities.
What Comes Next and How to Like It - Abigail Thomas. This memoir is about what happens after grief...aging, creativity, friendship and the bonds of family (and dogs).
* * * * *
Mary Chapin Carpenter: "Grief rides quietly on the passenger side/unwanted company on a long, long drive." from Learning the World
* * * * *
The Truth About Grief - Ruth Davis Konigsberg. An examination of grief quite different from the often quoted work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Is it possible that humans are "pretty well programmed to get over loss"?
Final Gifts - Maggie Callahan & Patricia Kelley. Two hospice nurses share their experiences with death and grief.
Other books about grief:
Comfort: A Journey Through Grief - Ann Hood
American Book of Living and Dying - Richard Groves & Henriette A. Klauser
Refined by Fire - Mary Potter Kenyon
Kayak Morning - Roger Rosenblatt
Other books to consider:
Ten Poems to Say Goodbye - Roger Housden.
Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness - Amit Soud MD
Mary Chapin Carpenter: "I saw my father in a dream last night. He was smiling and saying you're going to be alright. And this morning I stared back at myself feeling as empty as I've ever felt. But I keep on going and I hope I've learned more of what's right than what's wrong." from Chasing What's Already Gone
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thank you.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
March
Dr. Seuss: "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try."
I have it on good authority that Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems is a big hit with toddlers. This same pint-sized source also likes My New Baby by Rachel Fuller, What Baby Needs by Sears/Kelly, and Elmo.
If you're fortunate to have a book-loving toddler in your life, good for you! Have fun browsing in the book store and don't get overwhelmed by all the choices. There are new books surely destined to become the next generation's classics, but the books we greatly loved are still on the shelves and ready to entertain. Don't hesitate to buy books written by a perennial treasure: Dr. Seuss. Remind yourself of the hilarity of my personal favorite - Green Eggs and Ham. You won't go wrong with Sandra Boynton's board books, also favored by my two-and-a-half year old book buddy. My favorite Boynton? Moo Baa La La La. His favorite? Any of the Little Pookie series. You can depend on Eric Carle or Bill Martin to bring big smiles to little faces. Start with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Lois Ehlert's books are beautiful in both artwork and language. Check out Snowballs and Feathers for Lunch. Read again or for the first time: Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings; Corduroy by Don Freeman; Swimmy by Leo Lionni; The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein; Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon; The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Where's Spot? by Eric Hill.
Newer books that are fun to read and sometimes prompt an awww include: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney; The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait; Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin; When the World Was Waiting For You by Gillian Shields; The Napping House by Audrey Wood & Don Wood; We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury & Michael Rosen; the Pigeon series by Mo Willems, and Nancy Tillman's Wherever You Are and On the Night You Were Born.
Compilations of lullabies and rhymes are also perfect gift and read-aloud choices. Look for Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson, The Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright or Mary Englebreit's Mother Goose. Lullaby collections include Go In and Out of the Window by Dan Fox, and Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Don't overlook Mem Fox's Time for Bed.
For an innovative way to introduce your toddler to great literature, look for the Baby Lit series by Jennifer Adams. Topics such as camping, colors and sounds are explored in books modeled after Moby Dick, Dracula and other classics.
The vibrant artist Charley Harper (1922-2007) introduces toddlers to colors, numbers and the alphabet in eye-popping books.
Find a comfy chair and have fun reading with your own little book buddies.
March Days
1 - Peace Corps Day
1-7 - National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week
2 - Dr. Seuss Day (1904-1991)
Read Across America Day
3 - World Book Day
4 - National Grammar Day
5 - Sock Monkey Day
6-12- Celebrate Your Name Week
National Words Matter Week
Read an e-book Week
7 - Fun Facts About Names Day
7-13- Women of Aviation Week
11 - Middle Name Pride Day
13 - Daylight Savings Time ends...Spring ahead!
14 - Pi Day 3.141592...
15 - Ides of March
17 - St. Patrick's Day
18-20- Sherlock Holmes Weekend
20 - First Day of Spring
20-26- World Folktales and Fables Week
21 - Poetry Day
27- 4/1-National Cleaning Week
30 - Pencil Day
- Doctors Day
March is National Kite Month, National Craft Month, National Women's History Month, Small Press Month, National March Into Literacy Month and Sing With Your Child Month.
* * * * *
Spring can be celebrated with a trip to the library or book store. Check out new books by these authors: Harlan Coben, Clive Cussler, J.A. Jance, James Grippando, James Patterson, Beverly Lewis, Jennifer Chiaverini, Tomie DePaola, Donna Leon, Danielle Steel, Stephen King, Jacqueline Winspear, Helen Simonson, Fern Michaels, Jeffrey Archer, Karen Kingsbury, Joanne Fluke, Jim Harrison, Randy Wayne White, Mary Kay Andrews, Anne Perry and Augusten Burroughs. Also, look for a Harry Potter coloring book!
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thank you!
Dr. Seuss: "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try."
I have it on good authority that Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems is a big hit with toddlers. This same pint-sized source also likes My New Baby by Rachel Fuller, What Baby Needs by Sears/Kelly, and Elmo.
If you're fortunate to have a book-loving toddler in your life, good for you! Have fun browsing in the book store and don't get overwhelmed by all the choices. There are new books surely destined to become the next generation's classics, but the books we greatly loved are still on the shelves and ready to entertain. Don't hesitate to buy books written by a perennial treasure: Dr. Seuss. Remind yourself of the hilarity of my personal favorite - Green Eggs and Ham. You won't go wrong with Sandra Boynton's board books, also favored by my two-and-a-half year old book buddy. My favorite Boynton? Moo Baa La La La. His favorite? Any of the Little Pookie series. You can depend on Eric Carle or Bill Martin to bring big smiles to little faces. Start with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Lois Ehlert's books are beautiful in both artwork and language. Check out Snowballs and Feathers for Lunch. Read again or for the first time: Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings; Corduroy by Don Freeman; Swimmy by Leo Lionni; The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein; Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon; The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and Where's Spot? by Eric Hill.
Newer books that are fun to read and sometimes prompt an awww include: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney; The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait; Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin; When the World Was Waiting For You by Gillian Shields; The Napping House by Audrey Wood & Don Wood; We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury & Michael Rosen; the Pigeon series by Mo Willems, and Nancy Tillman's Wherever You Are and On the Night You Were Born.
Compilations of lullabies and rhymes are also perfect gift and read-aloud choices. Look for Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson, The Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright or Mary Englebreit's Mother Goose. Lullaby collections include Go In and Out of the Window by Dan Fox, and Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Don't overlook Mem Fox's Time for Bed.
For an innovative way to introduce your toddler to great literature, look for the Baby Lit series by Jennifer Adams. Topics such as camping, colors and sounds are explored in books modeled after Moby Dick, Dracula and other classics.
The vibrant artist Charley Harper (1922-2007) introduces toddlers to colors, numbers and the alphabet in eye-popping books.
Find a comfy chair and have fun reading with your own little book buddies.
March Days
1 - Peace Corps Day
1-7 - National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week
 |
| Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! |
2 - Dr. Seuss Day (1904-1991)
Read Across America Day
3 - World Book Day
4 - National Grammar Day
5 - Sock Monkey Day
6-12- Celebrate Your Name Week
National Words Matter Week
Read an e-book Week
7 - Fun Facts About Names Day
7-13- Women of Aviation Week
11 - Middle Name Pride Day
13 - Daylight Savings Time ends...Spring ahead!
14 - Pi Day 3.141592...
15 - Ides of March
17 - St. Patrick's Day
18-20- Sherlock Holmes Weekend
20 - First Day of Spring
20-26- World Folktales and Fables Week
21 - Poetry Day
27- 4/1-National Cleaning Week
30 - Pencil Day
- Doctors Day
March is National Kite Month, National Craft Month, National Women's History Month, Small Press Month, National March Into Literacy Month and Sing With Your Child Month.
* * * * *
Spring can be celebrated with a trip to the library or book store. Check out new books by these authors: Harlan Coben, Clive Cussler, J.A. Jance, James Grippando, James Patterson, Beverly Lewis, Jennifer Chiaverini, Tomie DePaola, Donna Leon, Danielle Steel, Stephen King, Jacqueline Winspear, Helen Simonson, Fern Michaels, Jeffrey Archer, Karen Kingsbury, Joanne Fluke, Jim Harrison, Randy Wayne White, Mary Kay Andrews, Anne Perry and Augusten Burroughs. Also, look for a Harry Potter coloring book!
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to Read With Enthusiasm. It's easy. Look for follow by email at the top right corner of the blog. Submit your email address. You'll receive a follow-up email to activate your subscription. Thank you!
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