Reblog: UVA’s Great Book Migration Has Begun

Alderman Library (no relation) has begun to relocate books to next  door Clemon’s Library (Clemons is the Undergraduate Library) and the Ivy Stacks (which is about 1 mile away).

Alderman, which opened in 1938, is in desperate need of upgrades for safety, accessibility and space utilization, and the General Assembly approved funding for the project earlier this year. UVA selected HBRA Architects and construction management firm Skanska to work on the project.

 

Prior to relocating the books, Alderman Library conducted its first inventory in 80 years.

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Reblog: Il diario 📖

I’m adding the machine-generated English translation to this sweet entry from Words and Music by Luisa Zambrotta.

On September 22, in the English-speaking countries, the day of the Diary is celebrated (“Dear Diary Day”).

I’m not sure of the origins of this anniversary, but I like the idea of ​​celebrating those who listen to us without interrupting or judging us, at any time of day or night.

I have just found my first diary, a simple diary (but then I considered a great gift, also because I received it without Christmas or my birthday) given to me by my dad, after I had formally committed myself to write you in a serious and constant way .
I was nine years old.

words and music and stories

Il 22 settembre  nei paesi di lingua inglese si festeggia il giorno del Diario (“Dear Diary Day”).

Non sono certa delle origini di questa ricorrenza, ma mi piace l’idea di celebrare chi ci ascolta senza interromperci o giudicarci, a qualsiasi ora del giorno o della notte.

Ho appena ritrovato il mio primo diario, una semplice agenda (che però allora consideravo un gran dono, anche perché ricevuto senza che fosse Natale o il mio compleanno) regalatami da mio papà, dopo che mi ero formalmente impegnata a scrivervi in modo serio e costante.
Avevo nove anni.

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Have You Noticed?

Trolls that are hateful
About things you are grateful?
Have you had a plate full
Of anonymous trolls?

They lurk in the dark
And think its a lark
To ignite a spark
On vitriolic rolls.

Today is World Gratitude Day

I found out that today was World Gratitude Day in an email advertisement from Hickory Farms. (We can learn things from the oddest sources.)

World Gratitude Day history:

The celebration started in 1965 in Hawaii when an international gathering decided that it would be a good idea to have one day per year to formally express gratitude and appreciation for the many wonderful things to be found in the world. Following the meeting in Hawaii, many attendees marked Gratitude Day on 21st September 1966 when back in their own countries. Ever since then, the number of people celebrating Gratitude Day across the world has grown and grown.

If gratitude
Is attitude
How high is yours?

Or would that be Altitude?

What do you express gratitude for?  For me it’s a new guided meditation for pain relief and the support of many of you since my knee replacement surgery.

Today is POW/MIA Day.

Gone, but not forgotten.  Today is POW/MIA Day.   Prisoners of War/Missing in Action are military whose whereabouts are not known or confirmed.

From the POW/MIA Families.Org website:

In 1970, an MIA wife and member of the National League of POW/MIA Families recognized the need for a symbol of our POW/MIAs.  Prompted by an article in the Jacksonville, Florida, Times-Union, she contacted a flag manufacturing firm, Annin & Company, which had made a banner for the newest member of the United Nations, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as part of their policy to provide flags to all UN member states.  The VP of this firm was sympathetic and, working with an Annin-contracted advertising agency employee, Newt Heisley, designed a flag to represent America’s missing men.  Following League approval, the flags were manufactured for distribution.  Wanting the greatest possible visibility of the symbol to advocate improved treatment for and answers on America’s POW/MIAs, no trade mark or copyright was sought.  Today’s widespread use of the League’s POW/MIA flag is not legally restricted and the League does not share in profits from commercial sales.

Other than “Old Glory,” the League’s POW/MIA flag is the only flag ever to fly over the White House, having been displayed in this place of honor on National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1982.

Remember the military whose whereabouts are unknown and the families who await for news.  Thank a veteran for his or her service.

Digital Climate Strike!

Today is the Day! Are you In or are you Out!?

Platform Number 4

With Friday’s walkout from schools and businesses of individuals demanding action through the Climate Strike, an important week of events focused on climate change and our environment begins! 

For those of us who work or study from home, “walking out” may not be a real option. I could leave my apartment building, but I don’t imagine anyone in the Square would know my purpose. I saw these tools for use in a digital strike and thought I would share. This website and this one offer banners, widgets, messages, and videos to be used by strikers with an online presence.

Our “house” truly is on fire, and we must fight for our lives!             

~Becky

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Reblog: Literary Sculputure from Around the World

From Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss, enjoy these literary statures from around the world.  They range from the whimsical to the literal.

“Literary sculptures from around the world” were showcased by For Reading Addicts.

Red Badge of (dis)Courage(ment)

I had right knee replacement surgery two months ago today.  What I wanted was increased functionality and decreased pain.  What I got was a four inch red scar across my knee cap.

• • What  I wanted.  What he heard.  My goals for this surgery were relatively modest:  more functionality and less pain.  What I got was just the opposite–less functionality and a lot more pain.  After the surgery, the surgeon told me that my pain could last up to 6 months but he hoped that mine would not last that long.  So far,  the only one on the surgical team who seems concerned is the physician’s assistant.  As long as there is no infection or vascular problem,  from the surgeon’s point of view, the surgery is a success and pain is an unfortunate by-product.
  • Move over Bo Derek, I’m now a 10 too.  On the ‘they say’ scale, pain perspective is personal –we determine our own 1 to 10 assessment on how bad the pain is.  The rule of thumb, is that a 10 is so bad you ought to go to the emergency room–which is where I found myself a week ago today.  I had written the surgical team that after two weeks of  a gradual diminishment of pain, it has suddenly spiked again.  I sent the message through My  Chart on Thursday afternoon.  By Friday afternoon, no one had responded so my husband took me to the emergency room where we spent a delightful 7 hours waiting to be told that everything looked good.  (I did get a prescription for 20 more of the drug most likely to provide relief.)
  • Costco handmedowns.  My sister, who had bunion surgery a while back told me about a drug from Costco that was ‘sort of’ working for her.  She sent me the remainder of the package that she was ‘taking a break from.’  The package was so bent up that I could not determine what was in it.  Her post-it notes said to take one pill for several days and then add a  second pill for several more days .  I thought the lack of information about what the pills contained and about what several days meant were not promising indicators to try the medication so I did not.
  • Surgical team responses. On Monday, the physician’s attendant did respond via My Chart that he learned I had gone to the Emergency room and he was sorry to hear that.  He also gave me the first explanation on why my pain might have sparked.  Blood vessels in the scar tissue may have leaked which would have caused the pain and swelling.  Keep taking the oral anti-inflammation medicine and keep the knee iced.  Finally someone gave me a possible explanation and did not rule my pain out as a by-product of a percieved successful surgery.

 

I Write Her Weekly Haiku/Senryu Challenge #37

A splitting headache
Eyes no longer focusing
My skin feels like sand.

My lips, rough and cracked
World’s largest chapstick required
Apply as needed.

Now that was a kiss
Rocking my world off balance
Foundation is gone.

Reblog: Auschwitz Concentration Camp and the Delimma of Selfies

This sensitive posting was done by Natalia of Renegade7X.  This was posted on September 3, 2019, 80 years and 2 days after WWII started, when Germany invaded Poland.  To read this post click here.