Amazon has the list of best books of 2014 up. Thoughts?
National History Day
I was so sleepy yesterday; sleep won out over blogging. Probably a wise decision.
But today, I must tell you about National History Day–a competition for kids in 4th-12th grades who analyze and interpret sources about a particular theme in history and then present their findings. The 2014-2015 theme is Leadership and Legacy in History. Now I don’t have any kids in the competition and I’m certainly not in 4th-12th grade but I’ve been thinking about what leader I might have chosen to research if in that situation. I’m still pondering. Who would you choose?
Happy Veterans Day
Thanks to our veterans. Particular thanks to my dad, the Korean War Vet! Amazing that 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI and that we’re 96 years away from the armistice also celebrated on this date. My paternal grandfather tried to enlist in 1917 but his first wife (not my grandmother) marched down to the draft board office and said that he was “needed at home” so he wasn’t sent off. We have a copy of the document with that notation at the bottom. I think he was trying to both do his duty and escape from his wife who was significantly older than he was.
I wasn’t able to find any VFW members selling poppies today but here’s the poem:
In Flanders Fields
–by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.
Suggestions Welcome
We have just a little over a month to go until 12/13/14 (see this post). If you have any suggestions on how to make it a memorable day, please leave them in the comments. This is turning out to be a particularly rough month for me–next year remind me to hibernate through November–so I need something to look forward to. All suggestions considered; I lack inspiration.
Andragogy
I learned a new word today (see post title…it means “adult learning”)! And, I wanted to tell you about a fun online class I found on the Udemy website: How to Stop Stalling and Write Your Book by Rachael Herron. I haven’t started on writing a book yet (NaNoWriMo was too much this year) but I am writing blog posts again. Progress!
If you can recommend any Udemy classes, let me know.
Note: I have no affiliation to any of the links in this post.
Someone Else’s Characters
In between visits to someone in the hospital, I managed to watch the BBC production of “Death Comes to Pemberley” on PBS.
I have not yet read the P.D. James book on which the production is based. But, I’ve read Pride and Prejudice about 6 jillion times. I don’t think the characters acted the way they would have had Jane Austen still been in charge. Thoughts?
The Shelf Got Odder
If you remember this post about my not-at-all-secret obsession with bees and bee literature, you won’t be surprised to learn that my collection of books on the subject has gotten larger.
I’m most fond of The Bees of the World by Charles D. Michener and of California Bees and Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists. The first is much more technical and dense as Michener is a taxonomist. The California book is hot off the presses and more like a carry-along field guide. Both highly recommended by this amateur melittologist.
Lunacy
The moon is full tonight. Did you notice?
It is the very error of the moon.
She comes more near the earth than she was wont.
And makes men mad.–William Shakespeare, Othello
It’s not the end of the year yet, but…
The best book I’ve read this year is Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin by Jill Lepore. Highly recommended.
Lepore’s got a new book out: The Secret History of Wonder Woman (yes, the one with the invisible plane) that looks like a good read. I never read the comic books but I was a young fan of the TV series with Lynda Carter. I even had a Wonder Woman doll though I spurned Barbies…and most other dolls. And I used the empty plastic reels that ribbons came on as bracelets “just like” hers.
Go Vote!
It’s Election Day in the United States. Please don’t forget to vote. The electorate’s apparent apathy is so discouraging. I know it sometimes feels like your vote doesn’t matter; it does matter.
Silver lining: No more invasive phone calls, ads, or mailers for a while!