A She's Here! Weekly Link Round-Up

The time I've been cleaning like a madwoman for has finally arrived: our niece, Daisy, is here for two weeks from the UK. Denis had to work, and as you can see in the photo, we had a car and driver pick our niece up at the airport-- a very posh way to arrive at your final destination. Unlike previous times when we've had visitors or when we've taken holidays elsewhere, I didn't manage to get all my blog posts written and scheduled for this block of time.

Daisy arriving here at Casa Kittling

Guess what? It feels strange, but I'm not going to worry about it. If I have time to write posts, I'll write them. If I don't, there may be some gaps here and there during the next two weeks. The nice thing about it is that I'm sure you will all understand. Family is coming first, over blogs and books, which is as it should be anyway. What makes it different is that I made the decision not to attempt to be Superwoman and make everything perfect.

Daisy is so much fun to have around, and with all the things we have planned to do, I know that I'm going to be taking tons of photos, some of which I'll be sharing with you. So forgive me if there's a gap or two in my posting. And now I'll head out to the corral. Head 'em up! Mooooooooove 'em out!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Florida crime fiction: a guide to the madness.
• Enter an archive of 6,000 historical children's books, all digitized and free to read online. 
• The Victorian cards that explained how to use a book to flirt.
• Am I the only one to see this as an accident waiting to happen? The Object-A chair bookcase.
• When Robert Kennedy delivered the news of Martin Luther King's assassination.
• Bookplates hold the secrets to books' past lives.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• The wreck of the USS Juneau-- famous for the five Sullivan brothers-- has been discovered in the Solomon Islands.
• Satellite images reveal eighty-one pre-Hispanic settlements in the Amazon. 
• A classic painting worth millions has been found in a closet. Wish I had a closet like that...
• A trove of ancient "freedom coins" has been unearthed in Jerusalem.

►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄

• Billions of birds migrate. Where do they go?
• Experts may have unearthed a baby Tyrannosaur fossil in Montana. 
• Thirteen of the most adorable pets owned by famous writers.

►The Happy Wanderer◄

• The historic home of Amy Archer-Gilligan, a female serial killer in Windsor, Connecticut, whose story inspired the Broadway hit "Arsenic and Old Lace." 
• Where to see the fabled Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs. 
• Fifty rare dinosaur footprints have been found on an island in Scotland.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• A new statue immortalizes Mary Thomas, the woman who led a revolt against Danish colonial rule.
• How legendary storm chaser Tim Samaras changed the face of tornado science. 

►I ♥ Lists & Quizzes◄

• Can you guess the famous book from the last line?
• The thirteen biggest backstabbers in literary history.
• Fourteen unusual cookbooks that were still fit to print.
• The seven creepiest manor houses in mystery.
• Twelve Robert Frost quotes that have made all the difference.
• The forty-nine best covers of The Long Goodbye from around the world.

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!