Calls to Action, a Goodbye Summer Feast & Books

On Saturday, the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, I spent a delightful evening at Wolf Trap listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter's enchanting voice with appreciation for her upbeat spirit and musical talents in addition to her acknowledgement of this significant historical date, along with reminders about the importance of voting, and the ways in which the events of that day improved life for everyone. Also, hearing her new "A Girl and Her Dog" song generated anticipation for her next project.

Then Sunday was all about hanging with close friends (with pool benefits) who also provided a delectable buffet in celebration of the upcoming end of summer and the start of school tomorrow for the teachers and students in our group.

And finally, here's photo evidence that shows why it's always better for me to return my borrowed library items using the book drop rather than going inside the library where enticing book displays tempt me beyond my ability to resist even though there's already a big stack of unread books at home waiting for me to read them.

[Background stack is of the older books; foreground stack newer books.]

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The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen Delivers All the Feels

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Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

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A Million Lives Book Festival - An Unfortunate Exception, Not the Event Rule

[2 decorative stickers on lined writing paper from left to right: a round smiley face arranged upside down to look like a frown and a round smiley face arranged right sight up] By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken. As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understanda...

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