Aoshima Island is one of about a dozen "cat islands" around Japan, small places where there are significantly more feline residents than people.  In Aoshima more than a hundred cats prowl the island, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in the quiet fishing village.  Cats outnumber humans six to one on the island.  Becoming popular online, tiny Aoshima has seen a steep rise in tourist visits, overwhelming the handful of permanent residents.  Alan Taylor  See many pictures of cat clowders at https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/03/a-visit-to-aoshima-a-cat-island-in-japan/386647/

As nouns the difference between clowder and kindle is that clowder is a group of cats while kindle (obsolete) is a group of kittens.  http://wikidiff.com/clowder/kindle  See also HOW MANY CATS DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A CLOWDER? at  http://piperbasenji.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-many-cats-does-it-take-to-make.html

The Zurich James Joyce Foundation was established in 1985 with a view to keeping alive the memory and work of the Irish writer James Joyce for the literary world in general, and above all for Zurich, where he spent some important creative years and where he died.  In the early seventies, Jury’s Hotel in Dame Street, in the old part of Dublin, had to make way for civic development and the Victorian interior of Jury’s Antique Bar was put up for auction.  Joyce had known this bar in his youth, and it is mentioned in his works (“Barmaid in Jury’s” in Ulysses).  The interior was brought to Zurich, where it was reopened in Pelikanstrasse as the James Joyce Pub in 1978.  The following year, it served as official meeting place for participants of the 7th International James Joyce Symposium, thus connecting Joyce’s name once again with the Bahnhofstrasse, which had already featured in a poem he had written in 1918.  A few years later, when Fritz Senn’s collection of Joyceana—probably the most comprehensive of its kind in Europe—was in danger of being scattered across the Atlantic, it became clear that an ideal solution would be to open it to scholars and the public at large as an active research center.  Renée Wolf, then Secretary of the UBS Jubilee Foundation, initiated the idea of a Zurich James Joyce Foundation, and with the commitment of former UBS chairman Dr. Robert Holzach, it was formally established in spring 1985.  The former Union Bank of Switzerland provided the necessary initial statutory capital and covered the expenses for the upkeep of the Institute for the first six years of its existence.  http://www.joycefoundation.ch/about-us/  See also ‘Best Irish Pub in the World’ competition entry:  The James Joyce, Zurich at https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/generation-emigration/best-irish-pub-in-the-world-competition-entry-the-james-joyce-zurich-1.2113928

"The theatre is a creative laboratory where we may gather to reveal what mysteries lie in the human heart.  By telling the story of our experiences, the fragility of humanity is revealed and we understand more significantly, our sameness.  Our art forms are as old as civilization itself.  There are no boundaries in the arts.  The power of theatre lies in its ability to transform our understanding of all human experience."  Kate Maguire, artistic director, CEO, Berkshire Theatre Group, 2017/18 season brochure

The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London.  Comprising the Serpentine Gallery and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, they are within five minutes' walk of each other, linked by the bridge over the Serpentine Lake from which the galleries get their names.  Their exhibitions, architecture, education and public programmes attract up to 1.2 million visitors a year.  Admission to both galleries is free.  The Serpentine Gallery was established in 1970 and is housed in a Grade II listed former tea pavilion built in 1933–34 by the architect James Grey West.  Notable artists whose works have been exhibited there include Man Ray, Henry Moore, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Paula Rego, Bridget Riley, Allan McCollum, Anish Kapoor, Christian Boltanski, Philippe Parreno, Richard Prince, Wolfgang Tillmans, Gerhard Richter, Gustav Metzger, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Marina Abramović.  On the ground at the gallery's entrance is a permanent work made by Ian Hamilton Finlay in collaboration with Peter Coates, and dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales, the gallery's former patron.  See pictures at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpentine_Galleries

serpentine 

adjective  of, characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement; having a winding course, as a road; sinuous; shrewd, wily, or cunning. 

noun  device on a harquebus lock for holding the match; a cannon having any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century;

a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop. verb (used without object), serpentined, serpentining   to make or follow a winding course.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/serpentine

Serpentine is not a single mineral, but rather a group of related minerals.  Besides for the main members of Antigorite and Chrysotile, a distinction is not usually made between the individual members except under scientific study and classification.  Antigorite usually represents the more solid forms, and Chrysotile usually represents the fibrous forms, especially asbestos.  Chrysotile is further sub-classified into four member minerals by its crystallization, and Clinochrysotile is by far the most prevalent form of Chrysotile.  In the U.S., large amounts of Serpentine come from Fresno, Calaveras, San Benito, Mariposa, and Toulumne Cos., California; and Gila Co., Arizona.  East Coast localities include Montville, Morris Co., New Jersey; Hoboken, Hudson Co., New Jersey; Antwerp, Gouverneur, and Balmat; St. Lawrence Co., New York; and Staten Island (Richmond Co.), New York.  In the old Tilly Foster Mine, Brewster, Putnam Co., New York, many minerals were replaced by Serpentine, resulting in the Serpentine having very interesting crystal forms.  The Wood's Chrome Mine in Texas, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is a classic mine famous for both its Williamsite and a rare purple form of Antigorite that came from there.  Other important occurrences are the Cedar Hill Quarry, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania (especially the Picrolite variety); Easton, Northampton Co., Pennsylvania; and the Belvidere Mountain Quarries (Eden Mills), Orleans/Lamoille Counties, Vermont.  See chemical formula and pictures at http://www.minerals.net/mineral/serpentine.aspx

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three California residents were sentenced July 19, 2017 to a combined 39 years in prison for their roles in a nationwide, multi-year “home mortgage modification” fraud that scammed thousands of vulnerable victims out of at least $11 million.  Sammy Araya, 41, of Santa Ana, was sentenced to 20 years, Michael Henderson, 49, of Costa Mesa, was sentenced to 12 years, and Jen Seko, 36, of Anaheim, was sentenced to 7 years in prison, respectively.  All three defendants were convicted by a federal jury on April 21, of multiple counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.  According to court documents, from at least March 2011 through September 2014, Araya and his co-conspirators targeted struggling homeowners and made a series of misrepresentations to induce them to make payments of thousands of dollars each in exchange for supposed “mortgage modification” assistance.  The conspirators lured vulnerable victims into the scam through targeted mass mailers sent to homeowners facing foreclosure through Seko’s company, Seko Direct Marketing.  In the mailers and in subsequent phone calls, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely held themselves out as a non-profit organization or as affiliated with a real government program, the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), designed to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure.  Henderson and other “customer service representatives” in the scam convinced victims to send “reinstatement fees” and “trial mortgage payments” to the conspiracy, based on the false representations that the funds would be used to modify their mortgages.  In reality, however, the defendants did nothing to help modify any mortgages.  Instead, they used the victims’ payments for their own personal benefit and to further the fraud scheme.  Araya, the ringleader of the scam, used the fraud proceeds to purchase expensive vehicles, a racehorse, and a variety of luxury goods, as well as to fund his personal travel and a reality television show he produced called “Make It Rain.TV.”  https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/fraudsters-sentenced-operating-nationwide-home-mortgage-scam

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1745  July 31, 2017  On this date in 1790, the first U.S. patent was issued, to inventor Samuel Hopkins for a potash process.  On this date in 1948, New York International Airport  (commonly known as Idlewild, later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) was dedicated.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_31

My English teacher claimed, that if I survive the first 20 pages of any book, the reading will get much easier because the words that occurred on those pages constitute 90% of all words in the book.  The experiment:  The Secret Adversary is an average length book.  It is 250 pages with exactly 75208 words.  Each word in average appears 14 times, what gives us 5248 unique words in the book.  You will know 90% of words after 40 pages which are 16.00% of the book.  Eve’s Diary is a short story.  Its 22 pages contain only 6858 words (1104 unique).  You will know 90% of them after just 9 pages (40.91% of a book).  Ulysses is lengthy 870 pages with 261202 words.  In average words appear 11 times.  There are 23920 unique words.  You will know 90% of words after 221 pages which are 25.40% of a book.  It is not 20 pages but my teacher was somewhat right.  The exact number of pages to read may vary depending on the book length and author’s variegated language.  However, it probably won’t get much harder then Ulysses, where you need to read 221 pages (25% of the book).  Roman Kierzkowski  https://blog.vocapouch.com/do-20-pages-of-a-book-gives-you-90-of-its-words-795a405afe70

EPONYMS   In Queens, the largest of the five New York City boroughs  Ascan Avenue pays tribute to Ascan Backus, whose homestead was on the northeast corner of 69th Road and Queens Boulevard.  He began acquiring parcels of farmland in 1829 and was referred to as “The King Farmer of Long Island.”  Austin Street was named after developer Austin Corbin, who was also a 19th century Long Island Railroad president.  Streets are co-named periodically, as in the case of Ascan Avenue and Austin Street being designated “Geraldine Ferraro Way.”  http://queensledger.com/view/full_story/24609607/article-The-forgotten-street-names-of-Forest-Hills

Often referred to as the “world’s borough,” Queens is the most diverse county in the world.  Of the three million immigrants living in New York City, a total of 1.06 million of them live in Queens, making it the borough with the largest population of New Americans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  Approximately 138 languages are spoken in the borough.  http://queenstribune.com/queens-tribune-celebrates-worlds-borough/

Fresh mozzarella is a type of pulled curd or pasta filata cheese which originated in Southern Italy.  It can be made with cow's milk, which is more common and easier to find, or water buffalo's milk (mozzarella di bufala), which can be more expensive and tougher to find.  Fresh mozzarella has a delicate, milky flavor and an elastic texture.  It's a fresh, semi-soft cheese.  Fresh mozzarella cheese is widely available at grocery stores and can easily be made at home.   How To Make Homemade Fresh Mozzarella  Fresh mozzarella has a high moisture content, so it's best served soon after it's made, though it can be stored in brine and chilled for up to a week.  Burrata literally translates into "buttered," and has a solid outer curd made from fresh mozzarella, which is formed into a hollow pouch, then filled with a soft, stringy curd and fresh cream.  It has a milky, buttery flavor that's rich without being too indulgent.  Look for burrata in Italian markets, cheese shops, and in the cheese section of specialty grocery stores.  Burrata is typically served at room temperature, and since it's fresh, it's best served within 48 hours of purchase.  After that it's considered past its prime (even though it's still perfectly edible).  And the real magic happens when burrata is sliced open and the creamy insides spill out.  It makes a nice topping on a salad and is wonderful served with crusty bread.  Kelli Foster  Link to recipes for mozzarella and burrata at http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-mozzarella-and-burrata-word-of-mouth-219642

incredible means unbelievable--incredulous means unbelieving   Something incredible is beyond belief, so when we experience it, we are incredulous.  Incredulous refers to a state of astonishment or disbelief.  It is not a deft synonym for incredible. http://www.grammarbook.com/homonyms/incredible-incredulous.asp  Incredible describes something you can't believe because it's so right, like an incredible double rainbow.  Incredulous describes how you feel when you can't believe something because it's so wrong, like when someone tells you leprechauns left two pots of gold.  Something incredible is not credible; it's unbelievable.  People, rainbows, and other things can be described as incredible but only people can feel incredulous, or unbelieving and a little irked.  https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/chooseyourwords/incredible-incredulous/

Does the legal research platform you use matter to the results you receive?  Turns out, it very much matters.  Different legal research platforms deliver surprisingly different results.  In fact, in a comparison of six leading research providers, there was hardly any overlap in the cases that appeared in the top-10 results returned by each database.  This startling finding is the result of research performed by Susan Nevelow Mart, director of the law library and associate professor at the University of Colorado Law School, where she teaches advanced legal research and analysis and environmental legal research.  Mart has published a draft of her research paper, The Algorithm as a Human Artifact: Implications for Legal {Re} Search, and she presented some of her findings in a program I attended at the recent annual meeting of the American Association of Law Libraries.  Mart’s exploration of the differences among research services was spurred in part by an email she received from Mike Dahn, senior vice president for Westlaw product management at Thomson Reuters, in which he noted that “all of our algorithms are created by humans.”  Why is that statement significant?  Because if search algorithms are built by humans,  then those humans made choices about how the algorithm would work.  And those choices, Mart says, become the biases and assumptions that get coded into each system and that have implications for the results they deliver.  So Mart set out to study how hidden biases and assumptions affect the results provided by some of the major legal research providers.  She chose six to study:  Casetext, Fastcase, Google Scholar, Lexis Advance, Ravel and Westlaw.  The results, Mart writes, “are a remarkable testament to the variability of human problem solving.”  An average of 40 percent of the cases were unique to one database, and only about 7 percent of the cases were returned in search results in all six databases.  Robert Ambrogi  Read more at http://abovethelaw.com/2017/07/legal-research-services-vary-widely-in-results-study-finds/  Thank you, Muse reader!

July 25, 2017  "Adobe has long played a leadership role in advancing interactivity and creative content--from video, to games and more--on the web. Where we’ve seen a need to push content and interactivity forward, we’ve innovated to meet those needs.  Where a format didn’t exist, we invented one--such as with Flash and Shockwave.  And over time, as the web evolved, these new formats were adopted by the community, in some cases formed the basis for open standards, and became an essential part of the web.  But as open standards like HTML5, WebGL and WebAssembly have matured over the past several years, most now provide many of the capabilities and functionalities that plugins pioneered and have become a viable alternative for content on the web.  Over time, we’ve seen helper apps evolve to become plugins, and more recently, have seen many of these plugin capabilities get incorporated into open web standards.  Today, most browser vendors are integrating capabilities once provided by plugins directly into browsers and deprecating plugins.  Given this progress, and in collaboration with several of our technology partners--ncluding Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla--Adobe is planning to end-of-life Flash.  Specifically, we will stop updating and distributing the Flash Player at the end of 2020 and encourage content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to these new open formats."  Adobe News  Read more at

https://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2017/07/adobe-flash-update.html

Feedback to Christopher Daly's article on "jumping the shark":  While pointing out Mr. Hinch’s incorrect use of the shark phrase, Mr. Daly confused gibe (taunt) with jibe (agree).  Thank you, Muse reader!  "Jibe" is used both for the verb meaning "to be in accord," agree" ("jibe with") and for the nautical verb and noun ("jibe the mainsail," "a risky jibe in heavy seas").  "Gibe" is used for the verb "to deride or tease" and the noun "a taunting remark."  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gibe

The largest associations of museums in the country have publicly pilloried a Massachusetts museum's plan to sell off 40 valuable pieces of artwork, including two paintings gifted to the 114-year-old institution by Norman Rockwell.  "One of the most fundamental and long-standing principles of the museum field is that a collection is held in the public trust and must not be treated as a disposable financial asset," the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors said Tuesday in a joint statement concerning Berkshire Museum's "new vision" plan.  Announced July 19, 2017, the Berkshire plan hinges upon $50 million in anticipated revenues generated by an auction of the 40 pieces.  The Rockwells in question include "Shuffleton's Barbershop" and "Shaftsbury Blacksmith Shop," both featured in The Saturday Evening Post.  According to the museum, Sotheby's will run the auction, anticipated to take place within the next six months.  AAM's code of ethics for museums forbids the sale of collection items for "anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections."  The Berkshire plan proposes to use the $50 million for a renovation of the South Street building and to sock away $40 million into an endowment fund -- activities well outside the relatively narrow scope outlined by AAM.  Phil Demers  http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/07/nations_largest_museum_groups.html

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1744  July 28, 2017  On this date in 1866, at the age of 18, Vinnie Ream became the first and youngest female artist to receive a commission from the United States government for a statue (of Abraham Lincoln).  On this date in 1868, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was certified, establishing African American citizenship and guaranteeing due process of law.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_28

Do you know the phrase “jumped the shark?”  Many of us do.  But someone apparently doesn’t, because he used it to mean something entirely opposite its accepted meaning.  It means, roughly, that someone or something overdid it to the point of absurdity.  Although the phrase is only known to have been in use since the late ’90s, its origin is with an infamous episode of the TV show “Happy Days,” in which the character Fonzie literally jumped a shark while waterskiing.  It’s a great metaphor:  the visual image of someone doing something that is superficially astounding but nonetheless is simply . . . idiotic.  Although “Happy Days” and its ratings were already in decline when that episode aired, that was the moment people have come to mark as the beginning of the end for the show.  Anyway, to cut to the chase:  In a radio interview on the BBC on May 30th, 2017 an Australian Senator used “jumped the shark” in a totally different (I would say wrong) way.  Not only did he use it to describe something in a complimentary way, but he used it to describe his own actions.  He used the phrase to explain how he had at last accomplished a difficult goal, and to emphasize that he had made a difficult choice and crossed over from one group to another.  He used it twice in the interview, and in both cases jumping the shark was not meant to mark a ludicrous exhibition and the beginning of a popularity death spiral, but was put forth as a proud achievement.  “It’s only a few months since I jumped the shark and went from being a journalist to a politician and I’m thrilled by the result now.” So says Australian Senator Derryn Hinch in this BBC interview.  Later, he reemphasizes his sharky jumpiness: “This is why I jumped the shark.  This is why I got into politics. I spent decades attacking politicians.  I never dreamed in my life I’d be one.” (The audio had been available here.  The segment with Hinch begins around 48:09, with the shark jumping at 48:35 and 51:58.  My apologies if this is no longer available–the BBC seems to hide broadcast audio after about a month.)  Hinch clearly uses the phrase in a way that doesn’t gibe with accepted contemporary usage.  Christopher Daly  https://thebettereditor.wordpress.com/2017/06/30/has-jumped-the-shark-jumped-the-shark/

Author Franz Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, capital of what is now the Czech Republic.  After studying law at the University of Prague, he worked in insurance and wrote in the evenings.  In 1923, he moved to Berlin to focus on writing, but died of tuberculosis shortly after.  His friend Max Brod published most of his work posthumously, such as Amerika and The Castle.  In 1931, Brod published the short story "The Great Wall of China," which Kafka had originally crafted 14 years before.  Incredibly, at the time of his death Kafka's name was known only to small group of readers.  His books garnered favor during World War II, especially, and greatly influenced German literature.  As the 1960s took shape and Eastern Europe was under the fist of bureaucratic Communist governments, Kafka's writing resonated particularly strongly with readers.  So alive and vibrant were the tales that Kafka spun about man and faceless organizations that a new term was introduced into the English lexicon:  "Kafkaesque."  The measure of Kafka's appeal and value as a writer was quantified in 1988, when his handwritten manuscript of The Trial was sold at auction for $1.98 million, at that point the highest price ever paid for a modern manuscript.  The buyer, a West German book dealer, gushed after his purchase was finalized.  "This is perhaps the most important work in 20th-century German literature," he said, "and Germany had to have it."  https://www.biography.com/people/franz-kafka-9359401

KAFKAESQUE WRITING   The Twilight Zone is an American science-fiction, fantasy, psychological-supernatural horror anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964.  The series consists of unrelated dramas depicting characters dealing with paranormal, futuristic, Kafkaesque, or otherwise disturbing or unusual events; characters who find themselves dealing with these strange, sometimes inexplicable happenings are said to have crossed over into "The Twilight Zone".  Each story typically features a moral and a surprise ending.  The series is notable for featuring both established stars and younger actors who would become more famous later on.  Serling served as executive producer and head writer; he wrote or co-wrote 92 of the show's 156 episodes.  He was also the show's host and narrator, delivering monologues at the beginning and end of each episode.  Serling's opening and closing narrations usually summarize the episode's events encapsulating how and why the main character(s) had entered the Twilight Zone.  In 1997, the episodes "To Serve Man" and "It's a Good Life" were respectively ranked at 11 and 31 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time; Serling himself stated that his favorite episodes of the series were "The Invaders" and "Time Enough at Last".  In 2016, it was ranked No. 8 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest shows of all time.  In 2002, The Twilight Zone was ranked No. 26 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.  In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked it as the third best-written TV series ever and TV Guide ranked it as the fifth greatest show of all time. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Zone_(1959_TV_series)

KAFKAESQUE WRITING   Philippe Claudel (born 2 February 1962) is a French writer and film director.  Claudel was born in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, Meurthe-et-Moselle.  In addition to his writing, Claudel is a Professor of Literature at the University of Nancy.  He directed the 2008 film I've Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime).  Much admired, it won the 2009 BAFTA for the best film not in English.  His best-known work to date is the novel Les Âmes grises (Grey Souls), which won the Prix Renaudot in France, was shortlisted for the American Gumshoe Award, and won Sweden's Martin Beck Award.  He won the 2003 Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle for Les petites mécaniques, and the 2010 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, for Brodeck’s Report, his hallucinatory story--almost a dark fairy-tale in which Kafka meets the Grimms--of an uneasy homecoming after wrenching tragedy.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Claudel

Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information.  The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.  It is presented by the Library of Congress (LOC) using data from the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, the Government Publishing Office, Congressional Budget Office, and the LOC's Congressional Research Service.  Congress.gov is usually updated the morning after a session adjourns.  Consult Coverage Dates for Legislative Information for the specific update schedules and start date for each collection.  Congress.gov supersedes the THOMAS system which was retired on July 5, 2016.  Congress.gov was released in beta in September 2012.  The THOMAS URL was redirected to Congress.gov in 2013.  The beta label was removed in 2014.  The scope of data collections and system functionality have continued to expand since THOMAS was launched in January 1995, when the 104th Congress convened.  THOMAS was produced after Congressional leadership directed the Library of Congress to make federal legislative information freely available to the public.  Congressional documents from the first 100 years of the U.S. Congress (1774-1875) can be accessed through A Century of Lawmaking.  https://www.congress.gov/about  

A TANK AWAY FROM TOLEDO  We traveled about four hours west to Lafayette, Indiana where we met friends and family for dinner at Bistro 501 located in a lovely, lively downtown.   http://www.bistro501.com/   The next morning we went south to visit the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum http://www.ben-hur.com/ in Crawfordsville's Elston Grove Historic District.  Wallace served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, participating in the Battle of Fort Donelson, Battle of Shiloh, and Battle of Monocacy as well as managing operations for the Union Army in Indiana in July 1863 when Confederate general John Hunt Morgan invaded the state during Morgan's Raid.  After the war, he served on the military commission that tried John Wilkes Booth's assistants in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, as well as presiding over the court that resulted in the execution of Henry Wirz for the Union deaths at Andersonville prison.  In the postwar years, he began seriously writing, publishing his first novel in 1873.  In 1880 he published Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a novel set during the time of Jesus Christ in the Roman Empire; it sold poorly at first, but soon became the bestselling novel of the nineteenth century.  It has never gone out of print, and has been adapted for four films.  In addition, Wallace worked as a lawyer, governor to New Mexico Territory, and ambassador to Turkey.  His creative pursuits included a total of seven books:  novels and biographies; art, inventing, and music.  Wallace was said to have built the study because he wanted "a pleasure-house for my soul," that would be "a detached room away from the world and its worries."  In 1941 the city of Crawfordsville was given the property by a local civic organization, which purchased the property to donate it to the city.  Wallace's former house was mostly razed, with only its dining room, living room, and floored central hall remaining as part of a modern ranch-style house; it is not part of the National Register designation.  The Carriage House Interpretive Center is now the launching point for visitor experiences.  A quote by Lew Wallace in 1890 (I am given up entirely to literature) is on the wall leading to the room with an orientation video.  After seeing the  video and touring the study, we went about two blocks to Lane Place.  Lane Place was the home of Sen. Henry S. Lane (1811-1881) and Joanna Lane (1826-1914).  Helen Elston Smith, the Lanes' niece, inherited the house after Joanna's death.  She willed the house and its contents to the Montgomery County Historical Society on February 26, 1931.  85%-90% of all of the furnishings are either original to the house or belonged to the Elston Family.  The house has been a museum since 1931 even though Helen continued to live in the home until the mid-1930s.  See a map showing the location of Crawfordsville at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_S._Lane_House

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1743  July 26, 2017  On this date in 1788, New York ratified the United States Constitution and became the 11th state of the United States.  On this date in 1882, Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal premiered at Bayreuth.  On this date in 1887, the Unua Libro was published, founding the Esperanto movement.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_26

"Good poetry is a power in the world that can transform what we see, hear and touch.  A good poem opens us to what is so often hidden from our thinking and from our senses."  Recommended reading:  Ten Windows:  How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield   The American Organist  July 2017

There’s a Library in Vancouver Full of Hundreds of Books That Have Never Been Published, And Never Will Be   The Richard Brautigan Library is three bookshelves in the basement of the Clark County Historical Museum.  Amid its 311 volumes are books about frontier adventure, nuclear war scenarios and entire lifetimes of regret.  Every book is united in one respect:  None has been published by any commercial house, and none of them ever will be.  These shelves exist because poet and novelist Richard Brautigan described a library of unpublished books in his 1971 novel, The Abortion:  An Historical Romance.  And 27 years ago in Vermont, a man named Todd Lockwood decided he would create the library for real.  Lockwood fielded submissions from as far away as Saudia Arabia but in 1995, he ran out of money.  The collection was orphaned until 2010, when John Barber, a Brautigan scholar, arranged to have the library brought to a new Vancouver home.  Matthew Korfhage  http://www.wweek.com/arts/books/2017/07/11/theres-a-library-in-vancouver-full-of-hundreds-of-books-that-have-never-been-published-and-never-will-be/

NAME CHANGES  American comedian, actor and screenwriter Bill Dana (William Szathmary October 5, 1924–June 15, 2017)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Dana   American film actress  Anne Shirley (April 17, 1918 – July 4, 1993) American born Dawn Evelyeen Paris, she began acting under the name of Dawn O'Day.  In 1934 she starred as the character of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, and took that character's name as her stage name.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Shirley_(actress)  American actor John Beal (August 13, 1909 – April 26, 1997) born James Alexander Bliedung  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Beal_(actor)

Decoding Food Labels   Cholecalciferol is just another name for Vitamin D.  Carrageenan, a seaweed-based ingredient replaces the sodium in  lunch meat and can take the place of fats, oils and sugar.  Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)--also called cellulose gel--is cellulose derived from fruits, vegetables and trees, and an FDA-approved sources of fiber.  Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family that has been used as a medicine and spice in India for thousands of years.  Modern science has shown it is also a powerful antioxidant that settles upset stomachs and may lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks, all while brightening your food with its deep yellow color.  Pectin comes from the peels of lemons or other citrus fruits and is commonly used to thicken jams and jellies.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/brandpublishing/a-better-you/os-decoding-food-labels-20170413-story.html

Island of Lost Souls (1932)  A twisted treasure from Hollywood’s pre-Code horror heyday, Island of Lost Souls is a cautionary tale of science run amok, adapted from H. G. Wells’s novel The Island of Dr. Moreau.  In one of his first major movie roles, Charles Laughton is a mad doctor conducting ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked man (Richard Arlen) who finds himself trapped there.  This touchstone of movie terror, directed by Erle C. Kenton, features expressionistic photography by Karl Struss, groundbreaking makeup effects that have inspired generations of monster-movie artists, and the legendary Bela Lugosi in one of his most gruesome roles.  https://www.criterion.com/films/27861-island-of-lost-souls  Original author H. G. Wells was outspoken in his dislike of the film, feeling the overt horror elements overshadowed the story's deeper philosophical meaning.  The film is the source of the saying "The natives are restless tonight."  The actual dialogue is as follows:  Ruth Thomas (hearing chanting): "What's that?"  Dr. Moreau:  "The natives, they have a curious ceremony.  Mr. Parker has witnessed it. "  Ruth Thomas:  "Tell us about it, Edward. " Edward Parker:  "Oh, it's . . . it's nothing. "  Dr. Moreau:  "They are restless tonight."  Two films have since been made based on the same H. G. Wells novel.  The first was released in 1977 and stars Burt Lancaster as the doctor.  The second came out in 1996, with Marlon Brando as Moreau.  In the very similar The Twilight People (1973), actress Pam Grier played the panther woman.  Playwright Charles Ludlam used this movie, as well as Wells' novel and the fairy tale by Charles Perrault, when writing his play Bluebeard (1970).   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_Lost_Souls_(1932_film)

 . . . where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise  -  Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College by Thomas Gray  https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ode_on_a_Distant_Prospect_of_Eton_College  See also http://www.azquotes.com/author/5831-Thomas_Gray

A tidal bore occurs along a coast where a river empties into an ocean or sea.  A tidal bore is a strong tide that pushes up the river, against the current.  A tidal bore is a true tidal wave.  A tidal bore is a surge.  A surge is a sudden change in depth.  When a channel suddenly gets deeper, it experiences a positive surge.  Tidal bores are positive surges.  A tidal bore can be quite violent.  The bore often changes the color of the river from blue or green to brown as it whips up sediment.  Tidal bores can tear vegetation like trees from their roots.  Human activity can change or even remove tidal bores.  A century ago, the Seine River in France had a strong tidal bore, called the mascaret.  Years of river management (canals, dams, irrigation systems, dredging) eliminated the mascaret.  Before the French began managing the Seine, the unpredictable mascaret was responsible for the loss of hundreds of ships.  The wave would rush up the river, upsetting cargo ships and destroying docks.  Famous tidal bores are:  aegir (Trent River, England), benak (Batang River, Malaysia), mascaret (Seine River, France), pororoca (Amazon River, Brazil), and silver dragon (Qiantang River, China).  https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/tidal-bore/

Shabbat Breakfast Bread (Kubaneh) by Faye Levy  This unique Yemenite bread, which is baked all night in a tightly covered dish, is prepared for Sabbath breakfast or brunch.  It defies all the usual rules for bread baking--it bakes at a very low temperature rather than at high heat, and it is baked covered, so it steams.  And it is absolutely delicious.  When I prepared this for a cooking class on Jewish breads in California, the students were wild about it.  Before baking, you can put a few eggs (in their shells) in the baking dish; they come out brown and are a good accompaniment for the bread.  In some families, this bread is served with sugar for sprinkling; in others, it is accompanied by Yemenit Tomato Salsa (page 166) and Hot Pepper-Garlic Chutney (page 142).  Find recipe at http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/features/thoughtsforfood/recipes/shabbat_breakfast_bread.html

July 20, 2017  The Trump Organization is asking the federal government for special visas to hire scores of foreign workers for two of President Trump's private clubs in Florida—the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach and the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.  The requests for H-2B visas, posted on the Department of Labor website, are for 26 cooks, nearly 50 waiters and waitresses, plus housekeepers, a hostess and a bartender.  The jobs range in pay from just under $12 to less than $14 an hour.  Mar-a-Lago and the Jupiter club have relied on foreign workers in past years for staffing during their peak seasons, which run October through May.  This year, the request for foreign workers comes in the middle of "Made in America" week at the White House.  Greg Allen  Read more at http://www.npr.org/2017/07/20/538387033/trumps-private-clubs-in-florida-are-seeking-visas-for-foreign-workers

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1742  July 24, 2017  On this date in 1911, Hiram Bingham III re-discovered Machu Picchu, "the Lost City of the Incas".  On this date in 1935, the Dust Bowl heat wave reached its peak, sending temperatures to 109 °F (43 °C) in Chicago and 104 °F (40 °C) in Milwaukee.

F. Anstey (1856-1934) was born Thomas Anstey Guthrie in 1856 to a prosperous military tailor.  Although he benefitted from a good private education, Anstey managed to scrape only a third-class degree from Cambridge.  He embarked upon a career in law and was called to the bar in 1881, but soon abandoned the legal profession in favour of writing, his pseudonym inspired by a printing error.  Anstey scored an overnight success with Vice Versâ (1882), its comic genius reportedly responsible for the fatal stroke suffered by Anthony Trollope.  He revised the novel in the following year and republished it with additions in 1894.  Meanwhile, Anstey was a regular contributor to Punch, producing parodic gems such as ‘Mr Punch’s Pocket Ibsen’.  The fortunes of his second novel, The Giant’s Robe (1883), were marred by accusations of plagiarism; ironically, given it actually tells the story of a plagiarist.  He continued to write fantastical fiction into the twentieth century, but his popularity was by then on the wane.   http://www.victoriansecrets.co.uk/authors/f-anstey/  See more, including bibliography, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Anstey_Guthrie

When Michael Bierut was tapped to design a logo for public school libraries, he had no idea that he was embarking on a years-long passion project.  In his often hilarious TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talk in March 2017, he recalls his obsessive quest to bring energy, learning, art and graphics into these magical spaces where school librarians can inspire new generations of readers and thinkers.  Michael Bierut is a partner in the New York office of Pentagram, a founder of Design Observer and a teacher at Yale School of Art and Yale School of Management.  Link to Bierut's TED talk and other TED talks on libraries at https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_bierut_how_to_design_a_library_that_makes_kids_want_to_read

Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties   The period of the Five Dynasties and Ten States, which succeeded the Tang Dynasty, was one of almost continual warfare.  In 960, Zhao Kuangyin, a general of the State of Later Zhou, established the Song Dynasty (960-1279), historically known as the Northern Song Dynasty.  When the Song Dynasty moved its capital to the south, historically called the Southern Song Dynasty, it brought advanced economy and culture to the south, giving a great impetus to economic development there China in the Song Dynasty was in the front rank of the world in astronomy, science and technology and printing technology as evidenced, for example, by Bi Sheng’s inventing movable type printing, a great revolution in printing history.  In 1271, Kublai, a grandson of Genghis Khan, conquered the Central Plain, founded the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and made Dadu (today’s Beijing) the capital.  During the Song-Yuan period, the “four great inventions” in science and technology of the Chinese people in ancient times—papermaking, printing, the compass and gunpowder—were further developed, and introduced to foreign countries, making great contributions to world civilization.  In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in Nanjing, reigning as Emperor Taizu. When his son and successor Zhu Di (r. 1360-1424) ascended the throne, in 1360, he built and expanded the palaces, temples, city walls and moat in Beijing on a large scale.  In 1421, he officially moved the capital to Beijing.  During his reign, he dispatched a eunuch named Zheng He to lead a fleet of many ships to make seven far-ranging voyages.  Passing the Southeast Asian countries, the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Maldives Islands, Zheng He explored as far as Somalia and Kenya on the eastern coast of Africa.  These were the largest-scale and longest voyages in the world before the age of Columbus.  The Manchus of northeast China established the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in 1644, under the leadership of Nurhachi. Kangxi  (r. 1661-1722) was the most famous emperor of the Qing Dynasty.  He brought Taiwan under Qing rule, and resisted invasions by tsarist Russia.  To reinforce the administration of Tibet, he also formulated the rules and regulations on the confirmation of the Tibetan local leaders by the Central Government.  He effectively administered over 11 million sq km of Chinese territory.  http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/38069.htm

The Great Wall of China’s history began in the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC), was first completed in the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), and was last rebuilt as a defense in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).  It protected China’s north from invasion for all but two dynasties that were invader-led:  Yuan (1279–1368) and Qing (1644–1912).  http://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/history/

The Great Wall is traditionally known as the “Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li” to the Chinese.  It was built by soldiers, prisoners and local laborers using locally sourced materials including stones, wood, earth and, later, brick.  The history of the wall dates back to the Chunqiu era (722 to 481 BC), when construction of walls began during feudal conflicts.  Three separate sections of the wall were linked under Qin Shi Huang around 220 BC, forming a cohesive fortification.  This wall was expanded under the emperor Wudi between 140 and 87 BC to reach the Bohai Sea in the east.  It was intended at that time to prevent invasion by Mongols and Turks.  Work on the wall started and stopped periodically until the Ming period of 1368 to 1644 when 5,650 km was added, along with 25,000 towers and 15,000 outposts.  Most of the wall remaining today was built during this period.  The purpose of the wall was not only to protect China from invasion but also to eliminate foreign influences on Chinese culture.  The Great Wall passes east-to-west through 17 provinces of the northern and central regions of China.  It is approximately 5,500 miles long, reaching from the Hushan Wall in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west.  This makes it the longest manmade monument in the world.  It is 11 yards wide on average.  The Ming Dynasty Wall has 723 beacon towers, 3,357 wall platforms and 7,062 lookout towers.  The highest part of the wall is at an elevation of 6,562 feet in Huapiling.  The Great Wall of China was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987, serving to protect it as a historic, strategic and architectural monument of great importance.  The wall is constantly shrinking due to erosion and human activity, such as people taking bricks from the wall as souvenirs.  The entire wall is not officially open to tourists, and the Chinese government periodically enforces this with closures and fines.  Other areas are specifically managed for tourism, presenting a balance between positive and negative human influences.  While the footsteps of crowds of visitors and inevitable vandalism speed up erosion, concurrently the wall is preserved to keep it attractive and accessible to tourists, who boost the businesses that serve such areas of the wall.  http://traveltips.usatoday.com/great-wall-china-15267.html

George III’s extensive ‘K.Top’ collection of around 30–40,000 maps and views reflects changing impressions of place and space across the 16th–19th centuries through manuscript and printed atlases; architectural drawings and garden plans; maps and records of military campaigns, fortifications, barracks, bridges and canals; records of town and country houses, civic and collegiate buildings; drawn and printed records of antiquities including stained glass, sculpture, tombs, mosaic pavements and brasses; and thousands of drawn and printed views.  The collection includes the work of familiar names from Hollar to Hawksmoor, alongside the works of a host of lesser-known artists and amateurs and much anonymous or unidentified material.  The core aim of the ongoing King’s Topographical Collection Cataloguing and Digitisation Project is to provide free online access to George III’s maps and views.  The main outputs are the ongoing creation of detailed and searchable catalogue records on our Explore catalogue and high quality digital images, which will be available there in 2018.  Subscribe to the Maps and Views and Untold Lives blogs for information on recent discoveries and developments on the King’s Topographical Collection Cataloguing and Digitisation Project and other activities in the Western Heritage Collections.  Also, you  may subscribe to the British Library Newsletter at https://www.bl.uk/projects/kings-topographical-collection-cataloguing-and-digitisation

The mono-pine cell tower, also called a frankenpine, disguises cell towers.  See 25 Cell Phone Towers Disguised to Look Like Something Else at

http://twistedsifter.com/2012/08/examples-of-cell-phone-tower-disguises/

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1741  July 21, 2017  On this date in 1925, the so-called Monkey Trial, which pitted Clarence Darrow against William Jennings Bryan in Dayton, Tenn., ended with John Thomas Scopes convicted and fined $100 for teaching evolution in violation of state law.  On this date in 1970, after 11 years of construction, the massive Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt was completed, ending the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile River region but triggering an environmental controversy.  On this date in 2007, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment in the best-selling series, sold more than 8.3 million copies on its first day in bookstores.  https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2017/07/21/On-This-Day-Final-Harry-Potter-book-released/3971500233881/  Thought For Today  All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time. - Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961)

Anyone learning Hungarian will be keen to tell you that it’s one of the most challenging languages to take up.  While opinion varies, more or less everyone agrees it’s up there in the top 10 thanks to its 26 cases and numerous complex rules.  Its proper name is “Magyar”, which can also be used to refer to the Hungarian people.  Hungarian comes from the Ularic region of Asia and belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group, meaning its closest relatives are actually Finnish and Estonian.  The five vowels of the English language pale in comparison to Hungarian’s total of 14.  As well as the basic “a, e, i, o, u” vowels, the Hungarian language also includes a further 9 variations on these:  á, é, í, ó, ö, ő, ú, ü, ű.  The pronunciation of each is slightly different and can change the meaning of a word completely.  The word order is flexible, but it’s not totally free--there are still rules about how words need to be arranged.  This depends on the emphasis of the sentence, and the sense conveyed.  Hungarian contains a whopping 68% of its etymons, or original words.  Compare this with the four percent retained by the English language, or the five percent kept by Hebrew, and the scale is even more impressive.  When introducing yourself in Hungary, your given name is always stated after your surname.  For example, Tamás Nagy would be introduced as Nagy Tamás.  Not only does the Hungarian alphabet feature 44 letters in total, but some of those counted as letters are in fact made up of two or even three.  For example, ‘dzs’, a letter in the Hungarian alphabet pronounced as ‘j’, or ‘sz’ which equates to ‘s’.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/hungary/articles/13-fascinating-facts-about-the-hungarian-language/

Callus is a noun meaning a localized thickening of the skin, and a verb meaning to form a localized thickening of the skin.  Callused means having many calluses.  Callous is closely related to callus, but it’s figurative—that is, it doesn’t describe actual skin—and it is never a noun.  As an adjective, it means toughened or unfeeling.  As a verb, it means to make or become callous.  http://grammarist.com/usage/callous-callus/

Castle Clinton, located in Battery Park, Manhattan, is a window into the city's history and a prime venue for tours and performances, as well as the ticketing gateway to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  Built in 1811, after the storm of revolution had passed, it was one of the earliest military undertakings of the new nation anticipating the possibility of further conflict with Britain, which came to pass in the War of 1812.  Although it never saw combat, the fort provided a strategic military presence at the northern edge of New York Harbor, which had first been fortified by the Dutch and then English rulers of the colonial city.  In fact a remnant of that original battery wall from which Battery Park derives its name is on display inside the fort.  Castle Clinton's military use was short-lived as new defenses positioned further out in the harbor were created.  The Castle was turned over to the city in 1824 and a complete renovation transformed the structure into Castle Garden.  For 32 years the lavish Castle Clinton served as one of America's great entertainment centers, hosting such notable events as the triumphal return of the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1824 and the debut of famed opera diva Jenny Lind in 1850.  In 1855, Castle Clinton's role changed again when it became the first official immigrant reception station operated by the State of New York.  Almost 8 million immigrants were processed here.  In 1890, when the federal government took charge of the immigration process, it was replaced by a new facility on Ellis Island.  In 1896, the building re-opened as the experimental New York Aquarium, displaying species from local waters and later, more exotic creatures from further afield.  When the aquarium closed in 1941, the fish were moved to the Bronx Zoo and then eventually to the new aquarium on Coney Island.  In 1946, Castle Clinton National Monument was authorized and the National Park Service assumed stewardship of the site.  Earlier modifications were removed and the appearance of the site has been restored to that of the original fort, complete with replica cannons.  http://www.nyharborparks.org/visit/cacl.html

The “math” that’s part of “aftermath” is an entirely different noun from the one in “mathematics.”  In fact, they came into English from two different routes—one from old Germanic sources and the other from Latin.  “Aftermath” got its start as an agricultural term associated with mowing.  You might say its literal meaning is “after-mowing.”  The word entered the language in the 15th century as a compound of the prefix “after-” plus the noun “math,” which once meant a mowing or the portion of a crop that’s been mowed.  https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/12/aftermath.html

Polymath is a synonym of polyhistor.  As nouns the difference between polymath and polyhistor is that polymath is a person with extraordinarily broad and comprehensive knowledge while polyhistor is someone gifted or learned in multiple disciplines. http://wikidiff.com/polymath/polyhistor

The du Pont Estates:  More than Mansions by Kurt Jacobson   The Brandywine River flows gently under sweeping willow boughs whispering tales of American history on its way to the Chesapeake Bay.  Along its banks are stories of peace and contentment, as well as war and conquest, and it was here in 1802 that Eleuthère Irénée (E.I.) du Pont started the company that still bears his name today.  Arguably the most famous family to have lived and worked the Brandywine Valley, the du Ponts built several magnificent estates in the Wilmington area that are open to the public.  Three of the grandest are Longwood, Winterthur, and Nemours.  When the buds are bursting and the birds are singing, there’s no better place to be than Longwood Gardens, home of E.I. du Pont’s great-grandson Pierre S. du Pont, and just a 25-minute drive from Wilmington.  From 1700 to 1906, the land was owned by the Peirce family, who in 1730 built the brick farmhouse that stands today.  Later generations planted an arboretum, and by the mid-1800s Peirce’s Park was nationally renowned for its collection of trees.  Be sure to include a tour of the original house built by Joshua Peirce, and then revel in the magic of the gardens and fountains.  Pierre’s vision for Longwood is evident at every turn:  the Conservatory, carillon, topiary garden, Italian Water Garden, a massive pipe organ, and especially the Flower Garden Walk, which explodes in mid-April with more than 240,000 tulip bulbs in bloom.  Worth putting on the calendar for summer 2017 is the reopening of the spectacular Main Fountain Garden after a 3-year $90 million restoration.  From Longwood, it’s a short drive (less than 10 miles) to the biggest du Pont mansion, Winterthur.  The house was built in 1839 by the daughter of E.I. du Pont, but it was Henry Francis du Pont who had the vision and creativity to create the Winterthur we see today.  Henry, who was born at Winterthur, took responsibility for managing the estate in 1914 and set the example for living a farm-to-table lifestyle a century before it would become a common phrase.  Under Henry’s guidance, Winterthur thrived as a working farm with two main objectives:  to supply Winterthur’s table and the community with fresh farm goods, and to develop the herd of prize-winning Holstein- Friesian dairy cattle. This was an era of grow-your-own, and Henry was an avid believer. He was so fond of Winterthur’s farm goods, and he knew how they had been grown or raised, that he had them shipped by train when he was at his other residences.  Henry also had a keen eye for furniture and art.  Between 1929 and 1931, he expanded the mansion into one of the grandest homes in America, in part to house this unparalleled collection of American decorative arts and furniture, and over the next two decades continued to expand and improve the mansion and the grounds.  Henry moved to the site of an 1837 cottage across from the main house, replacing it with a fifty room English style residence when Winterthur opened to the public in 1951, and lived there until his death in 1969.  A 45-minute guided tour of the mansion is recommended to see many of the approximately 90,000 objects in Henry’s collection, including exquisite ceramics, glass, furniture, metalwork, paintings, and prints.  Be sure to stop by the library if time allows, and enjoy an outdoor walk to see some of the most beautiful azaleas found anywhere.  Make time for Nemours Estate, just a fifteen-minute drive from Winterthur.  Nemours, which opens each year in May, was built by Alfred Irénée du Pont in 1909 and is named after the family’s ancestral home in France.  A great-grandson of E.I. du Pont’s, Alfred was a shrewd businessman who convinced his cousins Pierre and Coleman to join him in buying the company in 1902 rather than see it sold to outsiders.  He was also the last member of his family to serve an apprenticeship in the powder yards, a course of training which prepared him to make numerous innovations in gunpowder production that led to a more efficient and much safer working environment.  The estate opened to the public in 1977.  Nemours has some of the best examples of French-inspired formal gardens anywhere in North America and is spectacular in the early season.  Plan on spending 10-20 minutes in the Visitor Center to become oriented, then shuttle over to tour Nemours Mansion.  Be sure to take in the view from the second-floor balcony overlooking the formal gardens, part of nearly 200 acres of fantasy land.  Be sure to leave time to explore the 15+ acres of gardens and grounds, where a spring meander through this beautiful landscape is priceless.  French sculptor Prosper Lecourtier’s massive elk sculptures mark the start of the Long Walk, and then it’s an expansive vista to the fountains and reflecting pool where, when the 157-jet fountain is resting, the entire Long Walk is reflected.  Completing the scene are the Four Seasons sculptures, the Temple of Love, and the 23-carat gold leaf statue Achievement, which anchors the Nemours gardens.  http://edibledelmarva.ediblecommunities.com/things-do/du-pont-estates-more-mansions

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 1740  July 19, 2017, 200th day of the year  On this date in 1759, Marianna Auenbrugger, Austrian pianist and composer, was born.  On this date in 1848, a two-day Women's Rights Convention opened in Seneca Falls, New York.