“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
― Toni Morrison
Welcome to July, the seventh month in both Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months the length of 31 days. It was named by the Roman Senate in honor of the Roman general, Julius Caesar, it being the month of his birth. Prior to that, it was called Quintilis. In a common year no other month ends on the same day as July, while in a leap year July ends on the same day of the week as January.
We are changing things up and moving our Deal of the Day right to the top of the blog for those of you who don’t have the time to read all the way to the bottom. Starting today we have reduced the price of a beautiful art book. The Hardcover book Exposed: The Victorian Nude by Alison Smith is 288 pages and serves as a catalog for a traveling exhibition from the prestigious Tate Gallery that visited several US museums starting in September 2002. Amazon gives the following description:
Exposed: The Victorian Nude provides a fascinating overview of the nude figure—both male and female—and the intriguing role it played in Victorian art. While it concentrates on painting, sculpture, and drawing, this beautifully illustrated reference also explores the depiction of the body in other media—including photography, popular illustration, advertising, and caricature—and discusses the issues of morality, uality, and desire that are relevant even today. Since nudes were an important subject for most Victorian artists, Exposed: The Victorian Nude showcases dazzling artwork from such legendary masters as Millais, Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Whistler, and Sargent, as well as pivotal figures of early English modernism. Cutting across the conventional categories of style and period, this guide offers a fresh, engrossing vision of Victorian art and culture unmatched anywhere else.
July 1st marks Second Half of the Year Day. This is a good time to evaluate your year so far with your goals and objectives. It is time to take action to get back on track if you’ve strayed. It’s a great opportunity to do some hard thinking over your finances, your diet, your career and other aspects of your life that you might want to improve. Make the second half of the year count!
Among other observances in July, this month is National Anti-Boredom Month. While boredom is fine for a moment or two, for those of us who usually have ants in our pants, we’re too busy to be bored — most of the time, we’re doing, doing, doing. Albert Einstein long ago said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” Now there’s a man who was never bored! So, no matter what your age, stay curious, use your head, commit to learning one new thing every day, and always remember…when you say that you’re bored, others might just think you’re boring. Think of boredom as the brain saying “Hey! Stimulate me, please! Scientists from the University of Michigan have done extensive research on boredom itself. They found that as boredom sets in, your brain’s nervous centers lower the intensity of their communication. Areas of the brain that involve self-control, vision, and language processing cease activity (something to keep in mind with children!). This tells us that boredom can bring inattentiveness and be distracting. So, for your own safety fight the boredom!
July is Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month. Should you use herbs? You might want to read a book on healing herbs, which we have a few of in stock. Don’t treat herbs like food just because they are edible and from plants. You don’t know the identity of an herb until you’ve researched it. Do some research, ask a professional. As a safety precaution, don’t use herbs for serious medical problems. Talk to your health care provider first. You don’t know how your body will react to an herb. Hundreds of years ago herbs were used as medicines because there were no conventional medicines. If you use herbs under the guidance of your doctor, don’t take more than what dosage is recommended. And never take herbs before surgery or it could interfere with your blood’s ability to clot around a wound during or after surgery. Since you don’t know whether you’re allergic to any herb, start with a tiny dose. Sensitivity is very common. Tell your doctor what herbs you’re taking. People with certain health problems should not be taking specific herbs. If an herb doesn’t give its Latin botanical name and the quantity of herb contained, don’t use it. What’s in the herbs? It’s vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, trace elements, tannins, bitters, and volatile oils. Is the herb greater than the sum of its parts? You use an herb to support your body system, not to relieve a symptom. Before there was conventional medicine, herbs were chosen for the individual, tailored to a person’s specific need. Today, prescription drugs are selected to treat an illness rather than customized to an individual, other than the adjusted dose. Herbal and other dietary supplements are fast-becoming trendy among many health-conscious consumers. However, the Journal of American Medical Association estimates that 40 percent of consumers do not inform their doctor or nurse practitioner that they are using such products. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware of the dangers of mixing dietary and herbal supplements with prescription drugs, and the possible side-effects of taking many of these supplements—even if taken on their own.
The first week of July is “National Unassisted Homebirth Week”. This observance started in 2000 as a way to create awareness about unassisted homebirth. Conferences and activities are available to create awareness and encouragement for couples who intentionally seek to give birth without a midwife or doctor.
Today is Zip Code Day. ZIP Codes were introduced for United States mail exactly fifty years ago today. To get an understanding of how ZIP codes work and what each digit stands for the article on HowStuffWorks.com, found here, is a good read.
What has a spine but no bones? A book!
The past the present, and the future walk into a bar….it was tense.
Today is a funny day. It is International Joke Day. Take the opportunity to get the jokes started today. Use the internet to spread funny jokes and stories. Pass them along to everyone on your email list. Hopefully, some of your email “buddies” live outside of the U.S. By sending jokes to them, you’ve helped to get the ball rolling to make this a truely international experience. Some people believe that laughter can help a person suffering from an illness to recover faster. Laughter is also a big part of the childhood of many children. Jokes have been traced back to the times of ancient Greece. The first joke is thought to have taken place before the great Trojan War. The very first comedy club opened in Greece around 350 B.C. This club was mainly used to exchange jokes rather than for performances, unlike the comedy clubs of today. Jokes make people laugh and are used for many different purposes. Some people tell jokes when they are uncomfortable to ease tension, while others make joke telling their life. The day can serve as a reminder to all that laughter can make you forget your troubles and give you enjoyment in your life. It will not make your problems go away, but it can make them seem less daunting.
Laughter is contagious; therefore, the message of International Joke Day is easy to spread. We should never forget the Japanese proverb, “time spent laughing is time spent with God”.
On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces. The anniversary of this date was called Dominion Day until 1982. Since 1983, July 1 has been officially known as Canada Day. Canada Day is a celebration of Canadian nationalism, heritage and pride. In many towns and cities, municipal governments organize a range of events, often outdoors. These include pancake breakfasts, parades, concerts, carnivals, festivals, firework displays and citizenship ceremonies for new Canadian citizens. The celebrations often have a patriotic mood. Canada’s national flag is widely displayed and a lot of people paint their faces red and white, Canada’s national colors. The celebrations in Ottawa, which is Canada’s capital city, are particularly exuberant. In the province of Quebec, many home leases start on July 1 and last for exactly one year. Hence, many people in Quebec spend Canada Day moving their possessions from one house to another. In this province, Canada Day is also known as Moving Day. July 1 is a statutory holiday in Canada unless it falls on a Sunday; then it moves to July 2. All provincial governments observe this day. Many organizations, businesses and stores are closed, although some book stores, pharmacies and gas stations may be open. Post offices are closed.
It is Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day. This is a chance to create a new flavor of ice cream. Today is not for simple old vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. Have some fun, mix it up, try something different. You can even make your own. July is National Ice Cream Month and today is just one of the observances this month for the cool treat. Make today a fun day. Hold a formal or impromptu creative ice cream party. Make sure you have lots of flavors, toppers, and additives, so people at the party can get real crazy (errr, creative).
On July 1, 1987, the American radio station WFAN in New York, New York was launched as the world’s first all-sports radio station.
Some of the writers born on July 1st include:
Joseph Hall (1574), Pedro Rodríguez (1723), Charles Gordon Greene (1804), George Sand (1804), Nguyen Dinh Chieu (1822), Jadwiga Łuszczewska (1834), William Strunk, Jr. (1869), Sally Kirkland (1912), Ze’ev Schiff (1932), Claude Berri (1934), David Duke (1950), Dan Aykroyd (1952), Jadranka Kosor (1953), Lisa Scottoline (1955), and Pamela Anderson (1967).
Disclaimer:
Much of the information in this blog is taken directly from Wikipedia, Amazon, and other sources such as holidayinsights.com, which are directly linked to within the text. Images have been taken from various sources found via Facebook, Goodsearch.com and Google.
Village Book Shop and the blogger claim no credit for the information above.
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