“The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respected Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment.”
— George Washington
Interesting fact about the Fourth of July:
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, 50 years after Congress declared independence, on July 4, 1826. According to the White House, John Adams "whispered his last words: 'Thomas Jefferson survives.' But Jefferson had died at Monticello a few hours earlier."
It’s the last week of June! How's your summer reading coming along? This month has given us nothing but good books. "Beren and Luthien" by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, "Dear Cyborgs" by Eugene Lim, "The Answers" by Catherine Lacey and a personal favorite of mine, "The Gypsy Moth Summer" by Julia Fierro.
If you're not a fan of bugs, "The Gypsy Moth Summer" is not for you, or maybe it is, if you're not squimish. However, if you're a fan of Liane Moriarty's "Big Little Lies," you'll find that both books share the same elementts: secrets and scandals, but Ms. Fierro's is coupled with disease and racism. She is a captivating storyteller. She's draws you in and before you know it, you've become invested in the characters and the island they inhabit.
THE GYPSY MOTH SUMMER
By: Julia Fierro
It is the summer of 1992 and a gypsy moth invasion blankets Avalon Island. Ravenous caterpillars disrupt early summer serenity on Avalon, an islet off the coast of Long Island--dropping onto novels left open on picnic blankets, crawling across the T-shirts of children playing games of tag and capture the flag in the island's leafy woods. The caterpillars become a relentless topic of island conversation and the inescapable soundtrack of the season.
It is also the summer Leslie Day Marshall--only daughter of Avalon's most prominent family--returns with her husband, a botanist, and their children to live in "The Castle," the island's grandest estate. Leslie's husband Jules is African-American, and their children bi-racial, and islanders from both sides of the tracks form fast and dangerous opinions about the new arrivals.
Maddie Pencott LaRosa straddles those tracks: a teen queen with roots in the tony precincts of East Avalon and the crowded working class corner of West Avalon, home to Grudder Aviation factory, the island's bread-and-butter and birthplace of generations of bombers and war machines. Maddie falls in love with Brooks, Leslie's and Jules' son, and that love feels as urgent to Maddie as the questions about the new and deadly cancers showing up across the island. Could Grudder Aviation, the pride of the island--and its patriarch, the Colonel--be to blame?
As the gypsy moths burst from cocoons in flocks that seem to eclipse the sun, Maddie's and Brooks' passion for each other grows and she begins planning a life for them off Avalon Island.
Vivid with young lovers, gangs of anxious outsiders; a plotting aged matriarch and her husband, a demented military patriarch; and a troubled young boy, each seeking his or her own refuge, escape and revenge, The Gypsy Moth Summer is about love, gaps in understanding, and the struggle to connect: within families; among friends; between neighbors and entire generations.
Bill Clinton Plans To Pen A Thriller With James Patterson
margaret atwood, author of the handmaiden's tale" won Germany's 2017 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade
rare signed copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf has been sold at auction for over $21,000
george r.r. martin, author or 'Game of Thrones,' is trying to deliver his next book
“It is a privilege to appear in Lillian Hellman’s eerily prescient play, at this specific moment in history. Eighty years ago, she wrote, ‘There are people who eat the earth and eat all the people on it, and other people who just stand around and watch them do it.’ My love, my gratitude and my undying respect go out to all the people in 2017 who are refusing to just stand and watch them do it. Thank you.”
- Tony Award for Best Feature Actress in a Play for "The Little Foxes."
It’s June already! Trees and plants have already bloomed, birds are singing, Johnny is counting down to his big trip to the dog park, and readers everywhere are looking forward to their summer reading.
Per tradition (at this point), I will be starting my summer reading with "Peter Rabbit" and ending with "To Kill a Mockingbird," but in between, there are some wonderful new titles that are being released this summer. Here's one that will surely inspire you.
THE INSPIRATION CODE
How the Best Leaders Energize People Every Day
By Kristi Hedges
This outstanding leadership book by Executive coach Kristi Hedges might just change your life. She refutes myths about executive leadership and argues that any employee, manager, or CEO can inspire others, the same way any child can grow up to be president. You can learn the skills that can allow you to become someone others want to follow.
In this well-researched book, Hedges argues that genuine communication moves people to action. She argues that being authentic and invested in conversations, while displaying genuine emotions can make you an inspirational leader. This book is not only a must-read, it's an easy read. It's so engaging that you'll find yourself turning the pages without even realizing it.
“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men.”
— Minot J. Savage
Photo Credit: Warwick Saint
(via: Essence.com)
"There was a time when we engaged in rigorous debate on policy. Now we are in an era of gaslighting, which is dangerous—because we should all be allowed to have our own perspectives but not our own facts. I take my role very seriously. I count it as a privilege to be a voice for my people and to serve as a translator about what’s really going on."
via ESSENCE.COM
After my Woman’s Best Friend post, many of you were curious to know whether my brother adopted Johnny or bought him from a store.
Unfortunately, it was the latter.
When I found out, I was upset, but there was nothing I could do. He was tiny, and in need of a home. Many pet stores support puppy mills, but my brother didn’t know that.
If you are thinking of adding a dog to your family, adopt one. It’ll be one of the most loving things you could do.
Here a few organizations you can adopt from:
Here are a few quickies I missed talking about on the Dailies! I know! I know! Bummer.
Beyond Human will blow your mind.
This documentary is the most relaxing thing ever! Ever!
Mike Pence only wanting to eat alone with his wife is adorable. Admit it.
Trevor Noah's top ten books
Statistician Ben Blatt has an amazing new book out called Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's interview with the Huffington Post
Robert B. Silvers, co-founder and editor of The New York Review of Books has died.
President Trump's budget plan calls for the elimination of the National Endowment of the Arts.
President Trump's Supreme Court Nominee, Neil Gorsuch is fond of referencing literary works.
LOVE AFTER LOVE
BY DEREK WALCOTT
The time will come when, with elation you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self. Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart. Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror. Sit. Feast on your life.
Phenomenal Woman
by Maya Angelou
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That’s me.
Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
Write - Less 8 ball pool, more writing!
Play - Take Johnny Boy to a dog park. He deserves it.
Meditate - I used to meditate a lot...I wonder what happened. I’m completely calm now, so maybe that’s it?
Yoga - Yep. That says it all.
What about you?! What's your to-do list for this month?
Yesterday was First Lady Michelle Obama's birthday! Here's my favorite quote from her. What's your FAVORITE quote from MO?
Coffee. Yes. This is a post about coffee. Coffee!
Everyone has their own definition for it. For some, it's an escape -- from the mundane and same old, same old; a quick picker-upper.
For others, it's a beverage they prefer to tea or an addiction they can't shake.
For me, it's an addiction I gave up, but like to dabble in from time to time.
What does coffee mean to you?