I have been a library fan since elementary school. I think my high school year book proclaims I wanted to be a librarian when I grew up. Although my degree ended up as a writing teacher I was a librarian for the first half of my work career and when I switched into the classroom reading and library skills were part of the curriculum.
Now that I am retired I’m a Friends of the Library volunteer and I’m there two-three times a week working with donations.
When I go on vacation I always check out the library. Hawaii, Washington DC, Seattle, Okinawa—I visited all of them.
So, I’m combining National Library Week with National Poetry Month with a POM (Poem of the Month). Emily D recognizes how books are like a ship that sails us to different shores.
There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away, Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry – This Traverse may the poorest take Without oppress of Toll – How frugal is the Chariot That bears a Human soul.
As retired empty nesters the hubs and I are on the low key retirement plan. No RV or exotic journeys are on the agenda. Doing jigsaw puzzles, reading books, talking walks, backyard birding, and watching a good mystery series are adventurous enough for us. Going Costco and lunch is a big outing for us.
I will confess we will get really crazy now and then and binge three episodes of Dr. Blake pushing our bedtime past 10:30 pm.
Now this might either sound like an extremely boring way to spend what is considered our twilight years or it might be an ideal of retirement life. To each their own, eh?
Three years into retirement and we are in a groove and spontaneity is perhaps not so much on our minds anymore. Staying at home is quite pleasant actually. Why spend money and have to deal with other people? I know—this mindset does limit date ideas when we do decide to go out.
So on the third rainy day when cabin fever was setting in my no-let’s-stay home husband got a glimmer in his eye and suggested going for a drive.
Yes, it was still raining out. But getting out was needed, plus maybe spontaneity has its place. I assented and off we drove.
Truthfully, driving around town in the rain is not that fun although parking the car overlooking the marina proved rather pleasant.
As we sat there gazing at the rain languidly connecting with the bay I laughed as the windows began steaming up, wondering if cars passing by were wondering what we were up to. It’s nice to know that after 40 years of marriage we still can generate heat in a parked car. Admittedly it was all talk and no action.
It is nice that we still have the capacity of great conversation after four plus decades of marriage. The topic at hand was why were there year round seagulls residing at an inland lake. In our thirty or so years living in a town that boasts having an impressively large freshwater lake that has always been on my mind.
So we asked Siri, which I have named Jarvis, after selecting a British voice for my iPhone AI.
Well, they aren’t seagulls. In fact there is no such thing as a seagull. There are only gulls. And some live by the sea.
Sea period. Gull period.
My goodness that stumped us. How do I possibly unlearn a lifetime of calling a bird by the wrong name?
The point of this post is that if we hadn’t veered from our comfortable lifestyle for a bit of spontaneous getaway time we would not have learned a most enlightening fact.
So—take a moment to do something a bit different than usual (a hearty recommendation is to stay safe and sane in your decision) because you just might have an opportunity to learn something worth knowing.
Yes, and the bonus of our outing is realizing that I am my husband’s best gull friend.
March had plenty of wind and rain marking the start of spring in a blustery way. Most books selected dwelt on mysteries ranging from classics like Josephine Tey to contemporary authors such as Robert Thorogood. Taking a break from solving murders I was delighted to have a longtime library hold arrive and spent a few days relishing a birder’s journal—but this wasn’t just anybody’s birding journal and proved to be my only five star read for the month.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
image: Amazon
Amy Tan applies her talents as a writer to keeping a six year journal of her backyard birds. Her observations are witty and insightful and provide a perspective that falls between enthusiast and expert.
Her detailed descriptions of bird behavior, accompanied by her impressive (and fun) illustrations create an informative and entertaining read.
April is also National Poetry Month and I’m providing an appropriate poem.
A combination of sayings involving those with P and Q.
Packed in like sardines:closely situated; crowded. Around the 19th century this phrase came into use, no doubt due to the crowded conditions found in city dwellings and public transportation. Spike Mulligan in his poem “Sardines” played with the idea: A baby sardine Saw her first submarine: She was scared and watched through a peephole.
“Oh come, come, come,” Said the sardine’s mum. “It’s only a tin full of people.”
image: Tudor
Par for the course: considered average. A golf derivative since “par” indicates the number of strokes expected for a certain hole. The term applied to other aspects around the 1920s with the added connotation of being slightly derogative, as in “Paul brought store bought muffins–which is par for the course. Other meanings attached to the phrase are “up to par” meaning to meet the standard and “below or sub par” expressing not meeting the standard. If Paul had stopped at that chic little bakery on the corner and brought in croissants he no doubt would have earned the accolade of “above par.”
Pay through the nose: being charged an exorbitant fee. The origin of this phrase is not readily found, although it appears to have been around since the 17th century. Some sources attribute it to the punishment of having one’s nose slit if late with tax payment. Thankfully today we can pay late fees without fear of such extremes, although some late fees do hurt.
Piece of cake: easily done. This is from the old tradition known as the cakewalk, in which whoever performed the most intricate dance steps upon the promenade received a cake as a prize. By the twentieth century the phrase became slang for something easily accomplished. For instance, after receiving so much ribbing from his co-workers about the sub par meeting treats, Paul decided to check out the new bakery near his apartment. It was a piece of cake to bring in a box of freshly baked cookies.
Pie in the sky: a false promise for a better life. This is a lyric taken from a song titled “The Preacher and the Slave (1911)” in which there is the promise of living in comfort, eating pie in the Glory Land. Joe Hill of the International Workers of the World or the Wobblies considered fair wages to be the “pie” in his version of the song. However, boxing champ Muhammad Ali is quoted in 1978 as saying, “You don’t want no pie in the sky when you die, you want something here on the ground while you’re still around.”
image: Gospel Coalition
Pride and joy: a prized aspect. Sir Walter Scott is attributed for this saying in his 1813 poem, “Rokeby.” In the poem he states children as a “mother’s pride, a father’s joy.” Today the term applies to anything from an accomplishment to a possession that evokes pride and joy. Back to Paul. That little bakery he began frequenting? He discovered their muffins were their pride and joy and he set up a running order for a baker’s dozen every Thursday.
Pull the wool over one’s eyes: to deceive someone. This saying does not involve sheep. Instead it involves wigs, the ones British judges and barristers wore (and wear). Apparently it refers to a clever barrister’s ability of momentarily blinding a judge with their argument, essentially slipping their wig (which were made from wool?) over their eyes. More figurative than literal. Today the reference applies to anyone who has been fooled by a person, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
Put one’s money where one’s mouth is: show intention with actions, not just by words. Thought to have started around 1930, around the time of WWII, being used in many English-speaking countries. In the 1970s the British government applied turned the phrase into an ad campaign to convince in the NSBAD (National Savings Bank Accounts Department. Another less polite associative phrase is “Put up or shut up.”
image: Peter Perlegas art
Put words into someone’s mouth: to credit someone saying something when they didn’t. This one is found in the Old Testament in 2 Samuel 14:3: “So Joab put the words in her mouth.” Paul again. “I did not say I made the muffins. I said I made a run to the bakery to get the muffins. Honestly, quit putting words in my mouth.”
Quantum leap: an notable advancement; a great improvement. Going with nuclear physics on this one, in which the abrupt transition from one energy state to another is considered a quantum leap (very simplified). That’s literal term. The figurative term refers to the size of the transition, usually an exaggeration, as in “Wow, Paul, two weeks in a row you’ve brought in freshly made muffins. That’s a quantum leap from the days of stale grocery rack cookies.”
image: LanGeek
Quick as a wink: instantly achieved. There are several analogies that are similar, such as “quick as bunny” or “quick as a bee” or “quick as lightning.” As early as 1546 these proverbs or maxims were found in sources. The expression is still in use.
Quid pro quo: something is received in exchange for something given. This one is also known as “tit for tat” which was used by Shakespeare in Henry VI Part 1 when Margaret tells the Earl of Suffolk, “I cry you mercy, ’tis but quid pro quo” (5:3).
Many, oh so many, cliches with P were left on the editing floor. So fill up the comments with the ones that didn’t make the post or check them out in Christine Ammer’s Have a Nice Day: A Dictionary of Clichés.
“I told you we got here too early, but no–you said spring had arrived.”
Yup, after all that nice weather: the temps in the forties; the clear blue skies; the good riddance to that winter white stuff because it rained for three days; and the daffodils starting to poke up their little green noggins, we woke up to an inch of snow with more falling down on Saturday which eventually melted in time for the spring equinox.
So is it spring or should I be prepared for disappointment once again?
Well, it’s a good thing my holds arrived at the library and I still have cocoa mix…
With rowdy robins cheeruping all over the yard and bright green daffodils points bravely peeping up through the soil my vocabulary is attuned to springtime words.
nidificate: to build a nest–I’m seeing either last year’s nests populating the border hedge or there are some really early birds getting into that springtime feeling
kilig: a feeling of exhilaration or elation–that most excellent sense of “aah, yes” when the sun pops out and it is warm enough to sit outside and read and doze and doze and read.
wakerife: wakeful or unable to sleep–um, that would be related to DST…
psithurism: a whispering sound, as of wind among leaves–although lately it’s been more of a shout with wind gusts of 20 mph.
tootle: to move or proceed in a leisurely way–late afternoon walk around the block once the sun breaks through those cloudy skies.
sibylline: mysterious; cryptic–just how do the robins know when to return?
bagatelle: something of little value or importance; a trifle–my attitude towards housework when deciding to clean or read a book outside.
inveterate: settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like–it is indeed my habit to spend as much time as possible once the snow vacates the yard and the temperature is edging towards the upper end of the forties.
When it is considered spring for you? And what word best describes your thoughts on this welcome season?
February had a spate of snow and then three days of rain so no more snow. Yay! The inclement weather provided plenty of opportunities to read and so I did. Here are the five star books for the month of February:
image: Amazon
The Light Over London by Julia Kelly A dual timeline story between WWII London and contemporary England which focuses on Louise and Cara, who face betrayal and then cope how to recover from it.
image: Amazon
Eddie Winston Is Looking For Love by Marianne Cronin If the ending makes me cry it’s an automatic five star.
image: Amazon
The Women (#19) by Joan Swallow Reiter An entry into the Time-Life series about the West. While the focus is on the women of the West, due regard is given to the men which provided a balanced portrait of this pivotal time period of American history.
Most of the books I read rate a four star which means I enjoyed the book, yet it didn’t totally resonate with me. I’m surprised how harsh some readers are when it comes to rating a book.
Rarely do I go below a four. A three means I often contemplated setting it aside in search for another book.
Books that rate a two or even a one aren’t worth the effort of a review. In fact, I apply the Thumper rule of review if I come across such a book in that if I can’t say anything nice I don’t say anything at all.
Here’s a thumbnail of my rating system. What’s your rating system?
Last week saw National Read Week in the news. Our local library held an event on Monday, partnering seventh graders with kindergartners as reader buddies. I love it. Yet, why just one week out of the year to emphasize reading?
I came to teaching English by way of being a librarian and so books, especially reading, was part of my curriculum. Many of my sophomores were grumbly about having to read 10 minutes at the beginning of class (which developed into a quarterly PowerPoint book report). Funny thing happened though, many of those same sophomores looked forward to reading and when their work was completed they would pull out their book to read.
Now with phones being banned in classrooms this would be an ideal time for educators to promote reading. “Bag your phone and bring a book.” I see the possibilities of a nationwide campaign forming.
Like Scout Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, I couldn’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading. It’s typical for me to read at least two books a week. Now that I’m retired from teaching I spend a lot of time reading books. I volunteer two to three times a week at the library as a means of giving back to my community–at least this way I tell my husband as I leave the house in the morning. Confession: I volunteer to bring home more books. As I shelve or process discards I discover books and authors new to me and I load them up in my bookbag. Plain and simple I have a need to read.
When someone finds out I read over a hundred books a year they either drop their jaw or raise their eyebrows. Both reactions indicate amazement. The first is usually accompanied by comments of “Where do you find the time?” or “I can’t imagine reading so many books.” The second reaction is often a “Wow–really?” I think the suspicion is I am fudging the stats or I must do nothing but read. They don’t necessarily say so they don’t believe me but their eyebrows speak a lot.
I have learned over the years that kids, especially little kids, love books. My children fondly remember all the books I would bring home from the library and still talk about books and now bring home books for their own children. They often mention to me how much they appreciate how books were a large part of their childhood.
Books, reading, and childhood all go together. Not so much once the teen years hit. Socializing seems to replace reading. Don’t get me started about phones. By the time I saw students in high school they claimed they hadn’t read a book since fifth or sixth grade. That’s three or four years of not reading for pleasure (I only count books the choose to read not ones they are assigned to read). Yikes! I break out in hives if I don’t have a book in hand and two on the shelf ready to go.
The news emphasizes how school districts are starting to ban phones in the classroom. I suggest administrators and teachers ramp up their efforts on promoting books with all school reads, posting updates on who is reading what–from staff to celebrities. Authors as influencers. What a unique idea…
It’s not official, at least according to the calendar, yet I would say spring has arrived. I know the calendar says it starts March 20th but this year, in my neck of the woods, spring is here. How can I state this with such confidence? Easy. I spotted a robin yesterday and they are in full force today cheerupping and chuckling their arrival.
Plus, three days of rain pretty much eradicated the latent snowfall of February and the temperature is reaching towards 52 degrees. Last week I was breaking ice in the birdbath and stoking up the fire in the stove, today I was sitting outside without a coat enjoying my morning smoothie. Seasons are not subtle where I reside.
I didn’t get much done today because I spent as much time as possible parked in my Adirondack chair which I pulled out from storage yesterday. Once the temps hit the forties I’m outside. After gray skies, dumps of sun, then dumps of rain I feel it’s so very wrong not to be outside enjoying this gift of warm weather.
Yesterday when I heard that distinctive cheerup chuckle I zeroed in on locating the source. Sure enough there was the red-vested fellow boldly claiming the yard, running along searching for worms. Soon it became apparent he was not alone and a robin convention formed, all of them flying and bobbing about as if it was a reunion and they needed to get caught up on one another’s happenings.
So the robins have arrived, the temps are warmer, the sun is warm, and the skies are that blue that resonates so well with me. *Sigh*
I never truly trusted the groundhog’s prediction. I will go with a robin everytime when it comes to spring.
Pam Webb 