April 11, 2018  Luis Soriano was a Spanish teacher in rural La Gloria Colombia.  Concerned that his students had no access to books at home, he decided to do something about it.  By adapting the packsaddles of his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto, from carrying water to carrying books, Luis created a makeshift mobile library and set off to take his books to children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to reading materials.  With that the ‘Biblioburro’ was born.  Link to  video at http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180410-biblioburro-the-amazing-donkey-libraries-of-colombia

ORIGIN OF ODD  1300–50; Middle English odde < Old Norse oddi odd (number)

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/odds

odds bodkins  antiquated  A minced oath for "God's body," expressing surprise, shock, or astonishment.  https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/odds+bodkins  

against all odds  Despite being very likely to fail.  https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/against+all+odds  

what are the odds  How likely do you think it is that (something will happen or something is the case)?  That is or was incredible; that is or was extremely unlikely.  https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/what+are+the+odds

In Stornoway, the biggest town in Scotland's Outer Hebrides islands, a yellow van sits on a narrow, one-way street.  The Gaelic word leabharlann is painted on the front, back and sides, with its English translation, "library," on the front and sides.  Driver Iain Mackenzie has loaded his books in the van, organized his customers' orders and is preparing for his last run of the week on the island of Lewis and Harris.  The 16-year-old van runs three days a week, covering more than 800 miles of rugged roads to deliver books to more than 800 residents.  Mackenzie and fellow mobile librarian Steven Bryden, who handles the Harris part of the island route, have been driving the library van for seven and 13 years, respectively.  They know their hundreds of customers so well that they've memorized their reading preferences and quirks.  Bryden knows to deliver audiobooks to Douglas Neal's front door because Neal is mostly housebound and appreciates the opportunity to socialize.  Mackenzie knows that Donald John loves murder mysteries—and he knows to keep the van doors open when driving up to John's house, so John's dog won't chew on the rubber insulation that protrudes when the doors are closed.  The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, began its mobile library service in 1952.   The mobile libraries also serve as a lifeline to other people.  In an increasingly distant, digital age, the service has made a difference in declining communities whose residents seek personal contact.  Without the mobile libraries, some residents would be more than an hour's drive from their nearest library branch.  Others, even if living less than a mile away, would still be unable to visit because of physical hardships.  Celeste Noche  Read more and see many pictures at https://www.npr.org/2019/06/08/719954225/for-remote-communities-in-scotlands-outer-hebrides-mobile-libraries-are-a-lifeli

three variations on Mark Twain's expression on fallibility of memory as one grows older 

1907:  When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying, now, and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that happened.

1912:  When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it happened or not; but I am getting old, and soon I shall remember only the latter.

1924:  When I was younger I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now, and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened.  https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/07/02/twain-memory/

EGG CRACKS  How fast does an egg run?  It doesn't run--it scrambles.  How do monsters like their eggs?  Terri-fried.  What day do chickens hate?  Fry-day.  Where do tough chickens come from?  Hard boiled eggs.  See also https://allwording.com/this-list-of-egg-puns-will-crack-you-up/

EGG IDEAS  fried eggs on bread or toast  *  eggs cooked in the center of a pan with stir-fried vegetables/noodles  * See also https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/poached-egg-recipes-that-will-make-you-look-super-fancy and https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/08/fried-poached-egg-recipes.html

Affectionately known as the “City of Bridges,” Pittsburgh boasts 446 bridges--more than any other city in the world, including Venice, Italy.  Long before the majestic bridges soared above the Three Rivers, Pittsburgh was a rugged terrain of deep valleys, creeks, and rivers, isolating many of the city’s residents.  When the first European settlers arrived in the 1700s, they had to cross streams and climb steep hillsides just to travel around the region.  To overcome these challenges, the settlers built wooden bridges to connect newly constructed roadways and span the rivers and valleys.  Read more and see pictures at https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/western-pennsylvania-history/pittsburgh-the-city-of-bridges

Garam Masala is the Indian equivalent of French herbes de Provence or Chinese five-spice powder.  The recipe changes from region to region within northern India and can be varied according to whim.  Find a four-ingredient recipe at https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/garam-masala-240907

a month of Sundays  The Oxford English Dictionary cites, as its earliest printed example of this phrase, "1759 H. MURRAY Life & Real Adventures Hamilton Murray I. x. 121  The commander . . . swore he should dance to the second part of the same tune, for a month of Sundays."  It seems very unlikely that this phrase was a coinage by Mr. Murray but rather something he was familiar with because it was in common use.  It is used in the meaning of "a very long time."  Used negatively it can mean effectively never.  Perhaps the reason it is heard so infrequently nowadays is that we have learned to think big.  https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/59/messages/130.html

No novel of the past century has had more influence than George Orwell’s 1984.  The title, the adjectival form of the author’s last name, the vocabulary of the all-powerful Party that rules the superstate Oceania with the ideology of Ingsoc—doublethink, memory hole, unperson, thoughtcrime, Newspeak, Thought Police, Room 101, Big Brother—they’ve all entered the English language as instantly recognizable signs of a nightmare future.  Dorian Lynskey  https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/07/1984-george-orwell/590638/  See also “1984” at Seventy: Why We Still Read Orwell’s Book of Prophecy by Louis Menand at

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/1984-at-seventy-why-we-still-read-orwells-book-of-prophecy  The adjectival form of the author's last name is Orwellian. 

zaatar  noun  (uncountable)  A particular herb, similar in flavor to thyme or oregano, used in Arab and Israeli cuisine, made from various Middle Eastern herbs.  A Middle Eastern seasoning, having the herb as the main ingredient, with sumac (or other tart-flavored equivalent) and sesame seeds.  https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zaatar  See also zaatar recipes and menu ideas at  https://www.bonappetit.com/ingredient/zaatar

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY  I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. - Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945)

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2109  June 12, 2019