Playtime! (Awww Monday), Thought-Provoking Quote of the Week, and Books! (Poetry Monday)

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee at Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!

It was another day of fun for Lulu and Coda this past Saturday at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  They dirty it up as fast as we can clean it, but that's okay, it's job security!  They also wore each other out.

Too fast for the camera!

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Sparks, the brainchild of Annie of McGuffy's Reader, is on hiatus, so here's a Thought-Provoking Quote of the Week in her honor.

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Poetry Monday was started by Diane at On The Alberta/Montana Border.  Jenny at Procrastinating Donkey has temporarily bowed out due to her husband's health, please visit and leave her an uplifting message.   Charlotte/Mother Owl almost always participates, too.  This week the theme is Books, and i have a few poems because i couldn't stop myself.  After all, you can't write about books too much, just as you can't read too many.                    

In my reading brain

Heaven is a library

Reading evermore

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The teachers ask a question

Each year the first day of school,

This year will be no different,

I'm prepared, I'm nobody's fool.

This year I have an answer

When she asks I'll keep it real,

"How many books did you finish this summer?"

"None! My brother my crayons did steal!"

************

For my birthday, Mother

As truly as I live,

A very bad, and very cheap

Dictionary did give.

Still I had to thank her for

Her gift, however absurd,

But to thank her I quite simply

Could not find the words!

************

There's a crisis at the library,

I just went to the reference desk

And asked for books on Houdini,

Not meaning to be a pest.

The librarian, her eyes open wide

Told me it's a fact,

All the books on good ol' Harry

Have pulled a disappearing act!

************

Books, A Love Song

Booksbooksbooksbooksbooks

booksbooksbooksbooksbooks

How I love booksbooksbooksbooksbooks!

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I'm ready to read

Always hunting for a book

As long as I breathe

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Are you reading again? asked my Mother.

Am I breathing? I asked in reply.

If you didn't want my nose e'er in my books

Why'd you teach me so young? I did sigh.

I taught you quite young, it is true, she did say.

And now I do realize quite late

While I wanted you ready even before school,

I a super book-worm did create!

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Such wonderful things are good books!

I keep them on shelves and in crooks,

There's books up and down

Everywhere you look 'round,

In each of my crannies and nooks!

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(To be sung to the tune of Frere Jaques)

I'm a book-worm,

I'm a book-worm,

See me read!

See me read!

Morning, noon and evening,

Morning, noon and evening,

Guaranteed!

Guaranteed!

************

No matter how many books I have

For more I always troll,

It's very true that I simply

Have no shelf-control!

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Today is:

Battle of San Jacinto Day -- Nicaragua

Cochabamba Day -- Cochabamba, Bolivia (festival of the founding of the city)

Eat a Hoagie Day

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 4, Economic Justice (sponsored by We, the World) 

Feast of the Triumph of the Cross/Elevation of the Life Giving Cross/Holy Cross Day -- Christian

Festivals and Matsuri of Japan -- several throughout Japan, today and for the next several, most as harvest festivals or traditional horseback archery rituals)

       including the O Sannomiya Autumn Festival, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Festival, Tono Matsuri, Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, Tsurugaoka-hachimangu Reitasai, Yachi Donga Festival, and Furusato Hyappei Festival

Jeans for Genes Week -- UK (convince your school or workplace to let you pay for the privilege of wearing jeans one day this week, with the money going toward research of genetic diseases)   

National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day

Nutting Day -- British Isles tradition, the hazelnuts are supposed to be perfectly ripe on this day

Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln -- Switzerland

St. Notburga's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, husbandmen, peasants, restaurant servers)

Unclear Ideas Display -- Fairy Calendar (Imps celebration)

Birthdays Today:

Amy Winehouse, 1983

Dan Cortese, 1967

Faith Ford, 1964

Wendy Thomas, 1961 (Namesake of Wendy's Hamburgers)

Mary Crosby, 1959

Sam Neill, 1947

Joey Heatherton, 1944

Nicol Williamson, 1938

Walter Koenig, 1936

Kate Millett, 1934

Harve Presnell, 1933

Zoe Caldwell, 1933

Constance Baker Motley, 1921

Clayton Moore, 1914

Stanley Ketchel, 1886

Margaret Higgins Sanger, 1879

Ivan Pavlov, 1849

James Wilson, 1742

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Golden Girls"(TV), 1985

"The Waltons"(TV Series), 1972

"Ironside"(TV), 1967

"Have Gun Will Travel"(TV), 1957

"The Turn of the Screw"(Opera), 1954

Today in History:

Domitian becomes emperor of Rome upon the death of his brother Titus, 81

Harun al-Rashid beomes Abbasid Caliph upon the death of his brother, al-Hadi, 786

The first lighthouse in the US, in Boston, is lit, 1716

George Frederick Handel finishes "Messiah" oratorio, after working on it non-stop for 23 days, 1741

Napoleon occupies Moscow; fires begin that will not be fully extinguished for 5 days, 1812

Francis Scott Key witnesses the battle which inspires him to write "The Defense of Fort McHenry", later retitled "The Star Spangled Banner", 1814

George K Anderson of Memphis, Tennessee patents typewriter ribbon, 1886

President of the United States William McKinley dies after an assassination attempt on September 6, and is succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt, 1901

Groundbreaking for the United Nations headquarters in New York City, 1948

The Soviet probe Luna 2 crashes onto the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to reach it, 1959

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is founded, 1960

The first American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, is canonized by Pope Paul VI, 1975

President-elect of Lebanon, Bachir Gemayel, is assassinated, 1982

Joe Kittinger becomes the first person to fly a hot air balloon alone across the Atlantic Ocean, 1984

The Toronto Blue Jays set a record for the most home runs in a single game, belting 10 of them, 1987

Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga join the United Nations, 1999

Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks; a similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital, 2001

In a referendum, Estonia approves joining the European Union, 2003

NASA reveals the Space Launch Program to replace the Space Shuttle program, 2011

The Bodleian Library confirms that the earliest evidence of the zero symbol found to date is a Bakhshali (Pakistani) manuscript that carbon dating puts as coming from the 3rd or 4th century, 2017

Books! (Ten Things of Thankful)

(Because some people like Blogger and some like WordPress, i am putting the same content at both.  If you would prefer to read this on the other site, it is linked here.)

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It's thankful day, and i have a doozy.  At least, i think of it as a doozy.

Not long ago i mentioned to a friend of mine that i often end up at the laundromat.

She works with a non-profit organization that likes to put books, especially children's books, in laundromats.  Did you know that is a thing?

Anyway, the idea is to make it easy for parents to read to their kids while waiting for the laundry to be done.

Thus i am thankful...

that i mentioned i go to the laundromat,

that my friend works with this non-profit,

that the laundromat owner was indeed happy to participate,

that my friend sent books,

that she sent more books,

that she sent even more books,

that i had the idea to buy a laundry basket to hold the books (it seemed to go with the library at the laundromat theme),

that when i bought the laundry basket, i asked the nice clerk if he had packing tape (so i could tape the sign they sent with the books to the basket),

that the nice clerk said he was out of tape to sell, but he had the very end of a packing tape roll for the store that he just let me have (he was tired of trying to find the end, and he said, if you can find the end of it, you may have it!),

that there are a lot of nice books in the bin, and i have plenty more to bring to replenish as needed,

that one of the workers at the laundromat was kind enough to bring her car around and let me jump start Talulah, Little Girl's car (because you know i can't have an adventure like this and not end up with some kind of crazy thing happening)

that Little Girl had good jumper cables (that's my army medic, always ready!),

that Kevin and Lenny had a new battery in Talulah in about 20 minutes (and they tested her to make sure the alternator is still good, it is),

and that i got some pictures:

Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Kristi and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Today is:

Arafat Day -- Afghanistan; Bahrain; Djibouti; Kuwait; Libya; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates

Banana Split Day

Bud Billiken Parade -- Chicago, IL, US (second largest parade in the US, as well as the oldest and largest African-American parade in the US, begun in 1929)

Celebrate Your Lakes Day -- originally a senate resolution in the US state of New Hampshire to celebrate local lakes and ponds, now more widely observed; go enjoy some recreation at a pond, lake, or even river or stream near you!

Chemistry Set Volcano Day -- beat summer boredom, make a chemistry set volcano!

Cowes Week begins -- Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK (the largest, longest-running and most prestigious international sailing regatta in the world; through August 17)

Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival -- Coupeville, WA, US (one of the longest-running arts festivals in the Pacific Northwest, with only the best artisans, lots of entertainment, and proceeds donated to the community; through tomorrow)

Crater Lake Rim Runs and Marathon -- Crater Lake National Park, OR, US (one of the toughest and most spectacular runs ever, around the deepest lake in the US)

Day of Wandering -- Fairy Calendar

Dejada de Santo Domingo de Guzeman -- Managua, Nicaragua

Feast of San Lorenzo -- San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain

Ferry Fair Day -- South Queensferry, Edinburgh, Scotland (centuries old fair, the biggest day of the modern festival that was originally a way for farmers to find labour for harvest, but is now just for fun)

Horse Racing Festival -- Nagchu, Tibet (through the 16th)

Independence Day / National Day -- Ecuador(1822)

Lazy Day -- internet generated, since it's so hot, though, make it a lazy day!

Leadville Trail 100 Bike Race -- Leadville, CO, US (100 miles of off-road bike racing over Colorado's high peaks)

National Duran Duran Appreciation Day -- anniversary of the 1985 near fatal accident of lead singer Simon Le Bon, when his yacht capsized during a race; the band acknowledges the declaration of this day on their website, and many years offer a free download of a song from one of their albums

National Garage Sale Day -- US (the goal, according to C. Daniel Rhodes, is to turn the nation into a giant shopping mall on the second Saturday of August each year)

National S'mores Day

National Stationery Show -- NYC, NY, US (if you love beautiful paper, or quirky cards, or all forms of stationery, this is a show for you; through Tuesday)

Opalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar, festival of Ops (date approximate, there were several celebrations of Ops through August and September)

Puck Fair -- Killorglin, Ireland (one of Ireland's 3 oldest fairs, with a wild goat caught and crowned the Puck, and let go on the 3rd day, Aug. 12)

Prisoner's Justice Day -- Canada (prisoners fast and refuse to work in memory of those who have died in prison of murder, suicide, or neglect)

Skyscraper Appreciation Day -- birth anniversary of architect William Can Alen, the genius behind the Chrysler Building

Stillaguamish Festival of the River and Pow Wow -- Arlington, WA, US (sponsored by the Stillaguamish Tribe, activities for everyone; through tomorrow)

St. Lawrence of Rome's Day (Martyr roasted on a gridiron; Patron of archives and archivists, armories and armourers, brewers, butchers, chefs, comedians, confectioners, cooks, cutlers, deacons, glaziers, laundry workers, librarians and libraries, paupers and the poor, restauranteurs, schoolchildren, seminarians, stained glass workers, students, tanners, vine growers and vintners; of over 25 cities around the world; against fire and lumbago)

Streetscene -- Covington, VA, US (car show, open to all types of vehicles; come show off your ride!)

Tisha B'Av -- Judaism (begins at sundown, through tomorrow; fast in remembrance of the destruction of the First Temple in 586BCE and the Second Temple in 79AD)

Watermelon Festival -- Rush Springs, OK, US (fun all day and free watermelon for all)

Anniversaries Today:

The Smithsonian Institution is chartered, 1846

Missouri becomes the 24th US state, 1821

Birthdays Today:

Angie Harmon, 1972

Antonio Banderas, 1960

Rosanna Arquette, 1959

Schim Schimmel, 1954

Ian Anderson, 1947

Betsey Johnson, 1942

Bobby Hatfield, 1940

Rocky Colavito, 1933

Jimmy Dean, 1928

Eddie Fisher, 1928

Rhonda Fleming, 1923

Leo Fender, 1909

George Crockett, 1909

Norma Shearer, 1902

Henri Nestle', 1890

Herbert Hoover, 1874

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Candid Camera"(TV), 1948

Today in History:

Nineveh is destroyed and Sinsharishkun, King of the Assyrian Empire is killed, BC 612

Temple at Jerusalem is burned, 70

Ferdinand Magellan sets out with 5 ships to circumnavigate the globe, 1519

The foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London is laid, 1675

Word of the US Declaration of Independence reaches London, 1776

Mozart completes "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik", 1787

First ascent of Finsteraarhorn, the highest summit of the Bernese Alps, 1829

Candid Camera makes its television debut after being on radio for a year as Candid Microphone, 1948

The Magellan space probe reaches Venus, 1990

The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK – 38.5*C (101.3*F) in Kent; it is the first time the UK has recorded a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 2003

New Zealand's highest mountain, the south ridge of Aoraki/Mount Cook, is renamed Hillary Ridge after Sir Edmund Hillary, first to conquer Mt. Everest, 2011

Google announces it is restructuring as Alphabet, a holding company with Google, YouTube, Android and Chrome as subsidiaries, 2015