It's been another quiet week here at Casa Kittling. Cooking? Yawn. Laundry? Yawn. You get the drift. Just the sort of week and weather where I can try to shut out the rest of the world-- not that I ever want to be completely successful in doing so. But sometimes when I wonder if the human race can get any crazier....
When you take a look at the photo to the right, you might think that I was lucky enough to photograph a Monarch butterfly at the Desert Botanical Garden. Not so. Although related to Monarchs, this beautiful creature is a Queen-- and seeing it reminds me that I've see many fewer butterflies so far this summer. I wonder why....
There are many young hummingbirds that have just fledged, and they've been keeping me entertained. They all love the new solar fountain, and when they're not playing or drinking or bathing, they're flying around the edge of the umbrella that keeps me in the shade to see what I'm doing. One summer one perched on the brim of my hat, and that reminds me that I've been reading like a house afire lately, but you'll find out all about that in the days to come.
You'd like to see some links? Of course you would! They're comin' up right now!
►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
- Lolita is based on a true story of abduction.
- The hidden messages of colonial handwriting.
- Meet the only library in the world that operates in two countries at once.
- Triple sunrises and sunsets in this strange new world.
- Dr. Seuss wanted to quit after his first book was rejected twenty-seven times.
- What Freudian slips really reveal about your mind.
- Why do we like what we like? Exploring the subjectivities of taste.
- It's easy to forget that just fifty years ago, equality for women was a strange concept.
- Botany and the forgotten sexual revolution.
- In the 1920s, the now-forgotten flood of "girl mayors" became the face of feminism.
- Why is Big Ben falling silent?
- BBC Radio 4 is sharing a series of short stories written for the Harrogate Crime Festival. First up is "The Queen of Mystery," by Ann Cleeves. These are only up for a month, so don't procrastinate!
- Star Trek and the kiss that changed TV.
- Are Britain's best writers women?
►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
- A skeleton with stone-encrusted teeth has been found in ancient ruins in Mexico. (Why did I just remember a root canal I had years ago?)
- One of the most groundbreaking archaeological discoveries of the year was almost turned into a necklace.
- More on the historical treasure trove archaeologists are finding in those 300-year-old toilets in Philadelphia.
- Unseen Beatrix Potter illustrations have been discovered in a stately home in Suffolk, England.
- Hunting for a $2 million treasure in New Mexico.
- This bride will be the eleventh person in her family to wear a 120-year-old wedding dress.
- Inside the Italian art hospital that rescues old paintings.
- The discovery of a Philistine cemetery in Israel could unravel a Biblical mystery.
►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
- Pets that are having the best day ever.
- Let Teddy Bear the porcupine show you how good pumpkin tastes.
- The curious history of animals interfering with the Tour de France.
►Fascinating Folk◄
- Ida Tarbell, the woman who took on the tycoon.
- The true story of the Monuments Men.
- Just call Brian Hartig the Brownstone Detective. He's good at digging up the dirt on homes in New York City.
►I ♥ Lists & Quizzes◄
- Fourteen historical fiction books about real-life women.
- Can you identify the classic book from a single paragraph? (It wasn't a snap, but it was easier than I thought it would be.)
- Pick the correct word for each definition.
- 100 must-read strange and unusual novels.
That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.
Have a great weekend, and read something fabulous!
Really, Cathy? 300-year-old toilets? OK, that's irresistible! And so is that gorgeous 'photo - thanks for sharing. Sometimes quiet weeks are the best kind...
ReplyDeleteI enjoy quiet weeks actually.
DeleteIt's great that the hummingbirds are enjoying the new solar fountain and they're providing entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI just read one of the strange novels, "The Portable Veblen." I'm determined to read some non-mysteries this summer.
And I'm determined to make dents in some of my TBR shelves. May we both be successful!
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