Books Are Magic, an independent bookstore in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, is owned by author Emma Straub and her husband Michael Fusco-Straub.  The bookstore sells everything from best-sellers to a wide selection of kids’ books to lesser-known titles by local authors, and hosts literary events including book launches, readings, and talks.  https://www.pw.org/literary_places/books_are_magic  Now in two locations:  225 Smith & 122 Montague in Brooklyn.  See also https://lithub.com/emma-straub-on-opening-her-bookstore-books-are-magic/ 

A pitaya or pitahaya is the fruit of several different cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.  Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.  Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus), both in the family Cactaceae.  The common name in English–dragon fruit–derives from the leather-like skin and scaly spikes on the fruit exterior.  Depending on the variety, pitaya fruits may have sweet- or sour-tasting flesh that can be red, white, or yellow in color.  See pictures at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

Love is a creative act.  When you love someone you create a new world for them. Born a Crime:  Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah    

Lampreys belong to a group of fishes known as cyclostomes, or round mouths. They live in temperate regions of the world, preferring water temperatures below 20 C.  They tolerate both fresh and salt water and have been found at depths of over 4,000 metres.  Truly a group of fishes that are adept at survival, lampreys evolved more than 400 million years ago and lived through four major extinction periods.  They are among the first backboned animals to have evolved on Earth, and are often called “living fossils” since their body structure has changed very little over millions of years.  Mary Burridge  https://www.rom.on.ca/en/collections-research/magazine/the-great-lakes-vampire 

Gov. Mike DeWine announced a new−or, more accurately, old−tourism slogan for the state May 10, 2023:   "Ohio, The Heart of it All."  The state first used this slogan to attract visitors to the Buckeye State in the 1980s but retired it in the early 2000s.  The slogan will replace "Ohio.  Find it Here," which was first announced in 2015 during Gov. John Kasich's administration.  Before "Find it Here," Ohio had two tourism slogans.  "Ohio, The Heart of It All" was first used in 1984 during Democratic Gov. Richard Celeste's administration, and "Ohio, So Much to Discover" promoted the state in the early 2000s during Republican Gov. Bob Taft's tenure.  Jessie Balmert   https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/10/ohio-the-heart-of-it-all-state-returns-to-old-tourism-slogan/70199411007/

Branch water, also called branch, is water from a natural stream (a term primarily used in the southern states ); it may also refer to any plain water, such as tap water (rather than soda water) when added to a mixed drink.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branch_water   

In 1976, a small group of dedicated people planning Twinsburg Ohio’s participation in the bicentennial celebration that year decided to set aside one day for twins.  The Twins Day Festival started with a flag raising and dedication of the Wilcox Monument on the square and the dedication of the first picnic shelter at Glenn Chamberlin Park.  The following year, determined not to let the idea die, a committee went into action, and made the second Twins Day happen.  There were food booths that year operated by local service organizations wanting to raise funds for their treasuries, a band concert talent show, a Square Dance Exhibition and a “bike-and-buggy” parade for children 12 years and younger.  The Twins Days Festival is recorded as the “Largest Annual Gathering of Twins in the World” by the Guinness Book of World Records.  https://twinsdays.org/about/history/  See August 4-6, 2023 schedules of events at https://twinsdays.org/twins-days-events/   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2705  August 2, 2023