Summertime: Fun Facts Friday

Since yesterday was the first official day of summer, it seemed appropriate to find some interesting facts on summertime for my Fun Facts Friday.

(Plus, I'm encouraging my kids to do research projects this summer on interesting topics. Gotta keep those brains stimulated! Summer seemed an easy pick.)

Summer is my favorite time of year. Time to enjoy my kids (most days!), soak in some sun, visit friends and family, appreciate slower schedules, and take time to smell the roses.

Source

How the summer months got their names: June is named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter; Marc Antony named July after Julius Caesar; and August is named after Caesar's nephew, Augustus. So Rome can be thanked for influencing our summer months.

I grew up throwing a Frisbee with my dad, especially in the summertime. Fun fact: they were originally designed as pie plates in the 1870s. Students started throwing them in the 1940s.

I found this fact online, and thought it was a juicy detail for authors who love to write stories from back in the day: in ancient times, most people swam in the nude; laws about decent swimming attire were created progressively from the 17th century onwards.

I've always heard of the "dog days of summer" and wondered where the title originated. The hot, sticky days get their name from the rising of the Sirius, the Dog Star. The Sirius rises around the hottest time of the year. (Source: Bright Hub Education)

All day today I complained about our 100 degree heat. It left me wondering about the hottest day ever recorded... on September 13, 1922, the temperature in the shade in the Libyan Desert reached 136 degrees Fahrenheit (hot enough to fry an egg on a rock). (Source also Bright Hub)

What's your favorite part of summer?

Proud to be a Writer: Tub-Full Tuesday

"The maker of a sentence launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, creative delight." Ralph Waldo Emerson

I read an interesting post yesterday: The Difference between Writers and People who Write. Some really interesting points. And, although I am guilty of multi-tasking, I am proud to say I am a writer. If I was still living in Colorado, I'd shout it from the mountaintop.


Today is Tub-Full Tuesday for our blog, and my tub is filled with this newfound realization. I don't just write for writing's sake. I spend my days reading out loud and striving for the most impact with the fewest words. I go to bed with ideas swirling on what to write the next day. I have scribbled thoughts on papers all over my house. I breathe words.


The words flew out of me today. When they slowed down, I checked email to discover a "Highly recommended" review of Depression Cookies from A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews. A highlight from the review:

"It always amazes me when two people can collaborate so well and produce an amazing book. While the career of an author is generally viewed as a solo act, I have been pleasantly surprised by co-authors, such as Tia and Angela, who pen a book together and leave you wondering where one left off and the other began. How do they make the book flow as one complete work when they are in fact two different people? It amazes me."

Thank you!


Today, I'm especially proud to be a writer. The muse may at times disappear and praises may be few and far between, but this knowledge will remain.


What have you discovered about yourself recently?

Book Clubs: Excellent for Readers and Authors

Mom and I intially set out to write a novel about corporate moving and the issues faced by the families who move, like ours did, every 2-3 years. Of course, the book became so much more.

We are first and foremost READERS! I've said it many times on this blog . . . I support all genres and love to read. As does Mom. When Tiffany Schlarman of http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com/ asked me to do a guest post, I knew I wanted to cover the importance of book clubs. Not only are they an excellent source for book lovers to find quality books to discuss, but they are an excellent resource for authors as well.

Check out my guest post at http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-clubs-wonderful-marketing-tool.html.

Also, please take a peek at our Book Club tab. We'll have pictures from our latest Depression Cookies book club up soon. Thanks again to my friends in San Diego, especially Debbie Lanpheer who hosted. I miss you all!

Later today: A bit about our Lifetime TV appearance yesterday followed by a post on Thursday, 5/5 with details about the experience including things NOT to do on television!