BACK TO NORMAL?

Current Work: Editorial work, Fiction writing

Listening to: Italian Radio Subasio

Reading: Goodbye to Berlin (Christopher Isherwood)

First Thought for the Day:

The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them. -George Orwell, writer (1903-1950)

Peace of Mind

The writing has had to take a bit of a back seat today. Although I did manage to write, a couple of thousand words this morning and have submitted copy for my editorial contracts. The other canine boarders returned to their home yesterday and we spent the grey rainy day with our feet up. This morning it was Operation Clean up as Monday morning is always a cleaning day. I have written about routines before, and I’m coming round, that actually I like routine, to some degree. I can get those horrid things out of the way and then get on with what I really want to do. But, today securing the garden for our darling dog has been the order of the day. He is becoming very curious and picking up smells, mainly from the wild pigs, which roam about here.

We are going to get round to putting up a fairly pig proof fence some time this year, but at the moment we just need to feel a bit secure to let Bertie roam his estate safely. So hence the fence, (aah the beauty of alliteration, or is it? Its actually just a bit of rhyming so I shouldn’t get too clever with myself).

Website

Well, that took a back seat too I’m afraid. I was going to do it over the weekend, but then I got cooking and yesterday as I said, I just slummed around. Watched Mama Mia! What a great film, I hadn’t laughed out loud, for a long time, and I loved the music. It brought back many fond memories of my two younger sisters dressed as the Abba girls at a Millenium Party all those years ago. EEK! If I can find a photo I’ll post one here!!

The Week Ahead

Well hopefully I’ll catch up. I’m hoping to do a bit on my website tonight to make up for things. However, my Man Friday might fight me for access to the Internet. Roll on tomorrow when we will finally become networked!!

I’m feeling in a good mood, despite the soaking we just got on a walk, but will be glad to see the back of January. Always a ‘grey’ month, but not that so. My Man Friday will celebrate his ‘ehmm’ birthday on Saturday!

And Finally, the Last Word of the Day:

ex libris

PRONUNCIATION:

(eks LEE-bris, LI-)

MEANING:

1. From the library of (a phrase inscribed in a book followed by the name of the book owner).

2. A bookplate.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin ex libris (from the books), from ex- (from) + liber (book).

NOTES:

Novelist and Nobelist Anatole France once said, "Never lend books -- nobody ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are those which people have lent me." An ex libris inscription identifies the owner of a book, and supposedly prevents others from building their own libraries by borrowing. I've also seen bookplates that say "Stolen from the library of ..."

Typically an ex libris is placed on the inside cover or the front end paper. Earlier bookplates featured coats of arms. Like everything else, there are bookplate enthusiasts and collectors with their own societies, conferences, journals, blogs, and more.

USAGE:

"I found a copy of Mein Kampf with Hitler's ex libris bookplate."

Timothy W Ryback; Hitler's Secret Library; The Sunday Times (London, UK); Jan 11, 2009.