" Knowledge isn't just a defense. Knowledge is power."

 

"Anyway, I've got to go online and find out when Chef Boy-Ar-Dee manufactured its first box of pizza mix."

 

She headed off, coffee in hand, to her desktop.

 

"Where do they think up these things?

 

 

 

Key of Knowledge

________________________

Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Bites Of Nourishing Trivia

MSN

The heart of a dog's veterinary experience

 

She slammed the door and stalked into the living room, where both her brother and his dog were sprawled out like the dead.

"I need to talk to you, Casanova."

"Don't yell." Flynn remained on the sofa. On the floor beside him Moe whimpered. "Moe needed his shots. We've both been traumatized. Go away. Come back tomorrow."

 

Key of Light

______________

U.S. Air Force photo by SrA Veronica Pierce, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Heart rate responses in dogs vary across a standard physical examination

The results suggest that undergoing a simulated physical examination, even in a mock veterinary setting, can be a stressful experience for dogs.

Science Direct

______________

“You know,” Fiona panted, using her own body to hold Newman’s down, “this dog would walk through fire for me. Through fire over broken glass while meteors rained out of the sky. But I can’t get him to just hold the hell still for a routine exam. And he knew. The minute I called them to get in the car, he knew. How many times do I put them in the car for work, for play, for whatever? How does he know? I had to get the others in first -  they’re more easily fooled. Then drag him. It’s humiliating,” she said to Newman. “For both of us.”

The Search

Words Dogs Love to Hear the Most

 

"Hey, Moe!" Dana shouted. "Cookie!"

That did the trick.

Key of Light

___________________

MichaelMcPhee, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Hint: you already say them all the time.

 

Oh, the things dog parents do to elicit a tail wag!  

Southern Living

This was private, fun and different 💍

 

"Fine. Here and now, then." He picked up his pants, dug the jeweler's box out of the pocket. He held it out to her, flipped up the lid with his thumb.

"Oh, my Jesus Christ," she said and sat down heavily on the lid of the toilet.

"Yeah, that's romance."

Key of Knowledge

_____________

Juliescribbles, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Jodie Kidd has divulged that she was in the bath when her fiancé Joseph Bates popped the question in Paris. 

 The former model, 43, revealed details of last November's proposal and described it as 'private, fun and different.' 

DAILYMAIL

_____________

She grabbed Dana's hand again to admire the ruby. "It's gorgeous. So perfect for you."

"So's he. Wait until I tell you how he asked me."

“I can top it," Malory claimed.

"Were you naked?"

"No."

Dana licked a finger, swiped it down an imaginary Scoreboard. "I win."

Key of Knowledge

Holding a grudge can be surprisingly healthy

"Will I have tea?"

She slanted him a look, and a smile. "I suppose."

"There, I told you." He gave her hand a little squeeze. 

"You don't know how to hold a grudge."

"I just need practice," she said and made him laugh.

Enchanted

_______________________

By Graham Crumb/Imagicity.com, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25283824

Self-reflection is just one of 4 ways it can be good for you.

You hear a lot of talk about how to let go of grudges — how to forgive and forget using a psychological technique or a spiritual process.

And I get it; I've been actively working on letting go of those frustrations in life that are ultimately unimportant or out of my control.

But sometimes holding on is healthy, too.

mother nature network

_______________________

Sensing movement in the doorway behind her, she stiffened. 

"And unlike some, I keep my promises."

"And hold a grudge with equal fervor," 

Jordan commented.

Key of Light

Find Your Spirit Colors

"This is the color?" Jordan rubbed his chin as he studied her list. "Island? What

kind of color is Island?"

"Greeny blue. Sort of." She handed over the paint chip. "See? What's wrong with

it?"

"I didn't say anything was wrong with it. It's just not something that makes me

think bookstore."

"It's not just a bookstore, it's ... Damn it." She held the sample up, she held it

down. She crossed her eyes and still couldn't envision it on the walls of her space.

"Malory picked it out. I was going to go with this off-white, and she and Zoe

jumped all over me."

"White always works."

She hissed out a breath. "See, they said I was thinking like a man. Men won't pick

color. They're scared of color."

"We are not."

"What color's your living room in New York?"

He shot her a bland look. "That's entirely beside the point."

Key of Knowledge

_________________________

Photo by Peruri Design Company - More living room photos

Dressing your home in colors that embody your personality calls for reflection, inspiration and a readiness for risks

HOUZZ

Should you ever get back together with an ex?

"He loves me." When Dana's eyes filled, Malory whipped the kerchief

off her head and rushed over to offer it. "Thanks. He said things to me he didn't

say before. Couldn't say, or wouldn't. I don't guess it matters.

He wasn't ready, and if I'm going to be honest about it, we weren't ready. I loved him, but that wasn't enough 

to let me see what he was going through, what he

needed. What I needed, for that matter. It was blinding, so all I could see was 'I

want Jordan.' Period. I never thought about what we'd do together, or be together,

what either of us needed to do separately to make it strong. It was all just right that

minute."

"You were young, and in love." Malory took the kerchief back and dried her own

eyes.

"Yeah, I was. I loved him with everything I had. But I have more now. And it's so

amazing, really, to be able to take one step back and look at the man he is, the man

he's made of himself and realize he's more. To know it was worth the wait."

Key of Knowledge

____________________

By Sweet Ice Cream Photography sweeticecreamphotography - 

https://unsplash.com/photos/pWxbyRM4ARU, CC0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61707742

So what happens if you go through a breakup, you date a bunch and you wind up feeling emptier than ever? What happens if you think someone you left years before is actually the person you’re supposed to be with? Honestly, that might happen. There’s something about our early, formative relationships — something that’s hard to forget. 

YAHOO!

____________________

“Second chances are scarier than first chances, because the second time you know how much you’re risking.”


The Collector

Enchanted By Fairytale Castle As A Child Buys It 20 Years Later

"Where one goddess walks, another waits, and dreams are only memories yet to come."

Key of Knowledge

_______________________

By HARTLEPOOLMARINA2014 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36230768

Everyone remembers somewhere they hung out as a kid, whether a favourite park or a cafe where you'd all lounge about all day, pretending to be the cast of Friends.

Well, it seems that this doctor had a retreat of his own - as a schoolboy, he would play around this fairytale castle's six-mile walls and ultimately fell under its spell.

LAD BIBLE

_______________________

And he saw the woman standing on the parapet under a gleaming moon with her dark cloak billowing in the wind.

"It was you. All those years ago, I saw you."

"I saw you." She touched a hand, very gently, to his cheek. "A young, handsome boy, so troubled, so full of thoughts. I wondered when you'd remember me."

"Why did I see you? Why didn't they?"

"They didn't need to." 

Key of Knowledge

The Benefits of Answering Trivia Questions

"You know who that was? That was Mr. Hertz. You may not be acquainted with

Mr. Hertz or Mr. Foy, who are involved in the longest-running trivia contest in our

fine county. Apparently, the contestants assumed yours truly was on vacation and

therefore unable to play master of ceremonies in my usual fashion."

Key of Knowledge

"Anyway, I've got to go online and find out when Chef Boy-Ar-Dee manufactured its first box of pizza mix." 
She headed off, coffee in hand, to her desktop. 

"Where do they think up these things?" 

______________

By Staff Sgt. Kali Gradishar - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/576011, 
Public Domain, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38709556

Everyone knows the expression, “a trivia question a day keeps the doctor away.”
You don’t know that one? Alright while the expression might be made up, its meaning is still true.
Regularly answering trivia questions provides your brain with some very positive benefits.
How?
Your brain is a muscle.
Just as you exercise your body by lifting weights, you can exercise your brain by doing brain exercises. Trivia is one of the best mental exercises you can do.

ManTelligence

Host a DIY Spa Party

Zoe rubbed the exfoliating cream over Dana's calf and grinned as her friend let out a long, heartfelt moan. 

"I really appreciate the two of you giving up your Sunday afternoon to be my guinea pigs." 

This time Dana grunted. 

Malory sat on a stool in the treatment room and rubbed her fingers over her newly scrubbed and polished skin. 

"I can't get over how good it feels." 

"I wasn't worried about the results—these products are great. But I want to be sure the whole experience works." 

"Works for me," said Dana's slurred and muffled voice. 

Key of Valor

____________________

It's time to treat yourself and pamper your favorite pals.

Host a DIY spa party and get ready to relax.

We've got light snacks, fun projects, and easy ideas for the most aaah-inducing party you've ever thrown.

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS

____________________

Zoe glanced around, scanning the shelves of products, the glowing candles, the neat stack of mint-green towels on the counter, the clear crystal she'd hung from the ceiling over the padded table. 

It was, she thought, exactly right. 

"Of course, when we're doing this for real there won't be three people in here talking. You want us to be quiet, Dana?" 

"You don't even exist in my little world." 

Key of Valor

Authors' thank you notes

"To the woman I lost. To the woman I found. To the only woman I've loved. 
How fortunate for me that all three are one."

She looked back at him as she reached for a book. "What was that about?"

"It's the dedication I just wrote in my head for the book I'm working on now."

Key of Knowledge

_____________________

By Christopher Michel - Ladakh, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37116911

Are these the best book dedications EVER? 

Authors' witty, cruel and downright baffling thank you notes

FEMAIL

Books Smell So Darn Good

He liked the smell of the place, of books and wood and people come in out of the

rain. Another time he’d have enjoyed just the being there. And though Gideon was

the keenest reader in the family, Malachi would have found pleasure in simply

choosing a book and settling down with it in this palace of literature.

Three Fates

_____________________

By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) - originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible, 

CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9914015

Science Finally Explains Why Books Smell So Darn Good

Ask an avid reader what their favorite scent in the world is, and the answer is almost immediate: the intoxicating smell of old books.

Whether you’re taking a good whiff in an indie bookstore or breathing in the delicate pages of an ancient volume at a local library, there’s no denying that old books smell damn good.

But why exactly is that?

Well, thanks to Andy Brunning, a Cambridge chemistry teacher who devotes his free time to debunking complicated chemistry, you don’t need a master’s degree to find out.

BRIT+CO

_____________________

The smell caught her instantly. Books, a world of books.

Key of Knowledge

Sacredness of Public Libraries

McDONALD'S introduced the Big Mac in 1968." Dana swiveled lazily in her chair at the library's resource desk. "Yes, Mr. Hertz, I'm positive. The Big Mac went system-wide in '68, not '69, so you've had a year more of the secret sauce than you thought. Looks like Mr. Foy got you on this one, huh?" She laughed, shook her head. "Better luck tomorrow."

She hung up the phone and crossed the Hertz/Foy daily bet off her list, then meticulously noted today's winner on the tally sheet she kept.

Mr. Hertz had nipped Mr. Foy at the end of last month's round, which netted him lunch at the Main Street Diner on Mr. Foy's tab. Though for the year, she noted, Foy was two points up, so he had the edge on bagging dinner and drinks at the Mountain View Inn, the coveted annual prize.

This month, they were neck and neck, so it was still anybody's game. It was her task to officially announce the winner each month, and then, with a great deal more ceremony, the trivia champ at year's end.

The two had kept their little contest going for nearly twenty years. She'd been part of it, or had felt like part of it, since she'd started her job at the Pleasant Valley Library with her college degree still crisp in her hand.

Key of Knowledge

_______________

By Arnoldius - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7341429

“Knowledge sets us free, art sets us free. 

A great library is freedom.”

“If librarians were honest,” Joseph Mills wrote in his delightful poem celebrating libraries, “they would say, No one spends time here without being changed…” 

For Thoreau, books themselves were also changed and fertilized by their cohabitation, “as if they were making a humus for new literature to spring in.” 

“When people don’t have free access to books,” 

Anne Lamott asserted in contemplating the revolutionary notion of free public libraries, 

“then communities are like radios without batteries.”

BRAIN PICKINGS

_______________

"Excuse me." A woman stopped at the desk, with her hand on the arm of a boy of about twelve. The grip made Dana think of the way Flynn held Moe's leash. With the hope that she could keep him under control and the certain knowledge that he would bolt at the first opportunity.

"I wonder if you could help us. My son has a paper due ... tomorrow" she added with heated emphasis that had the boy hunching his shoulders. "On the Continental Congress. Can you tell us which books might be the most helpful at this stage of the game?"

"Of course." Like a chameleon, Joan's cold fish of a face warmed into smiles. "I'd be happy to show you several sources in our U.S. history section."

"Excuse me." Unable to help herself, Dana tapped the sulky boy on the shoulder. "Seventh grade? Mrs. Janesburg, U.S. history?"

His already pouty bottom lip drooped even further. "Yeah."

"I know just what she looks for. You put in  a couple of solid hours on this, you can ace it."

"Really?" The mother laid a hand on Dana's, gripped it like a lifeline. "That would be a miracle."

"I had Mrs. Janesburg for U.S. and world history." Dana winked at the boy. "I've got her number."

"I'll leave you in Ms. Steele's capable hands." Though her smile remained in place, Joan spoke through gritted teeth.

Dana leaned forward, spoke to the boy in a conspiratorial whisper. "She still get teary-eyed when she teaches Patrick Henry's 'Give me liberty' speech?"

He brightened up considerably. "Yeah. She had to stop and blow her nose."

"Some things never change. Okay, here's what you need."

Fifteen minutes later, while her son checked out his books with his brand-new library card, the mother stopped back by Dana's desk. "I just wanted to thank you again. I'm Joanne Reardon, and you've just saved my firstborn's life."

Key of Knowledge

How to Deal With an Irritating Co-Worker

Joan, the malicious library director, had promoted her own niece by marriage over other, 
more qualified, more dependable, more astute, and certainly more attractive candidates. 

She'd sucked it up, hadn't she, and done her job?

And when that completely undeserved promotion had caused a squeeze resulting in a certain more qualified employee's hours and paycheck being cut to the bone, 
had she pummeled the despicable Joan and the incessantly pert Sandi to bloody pulps?

No, she had not. 

Which in Dana's mind illustrated her exquisite restraint.


Key of Knowledge

____________________

By Beadillon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18635120

Whenever we’re working closely with other people, it’s easy for tensions to arise thanks to differences in personal styles and priorities. When they do, we have a choice: should we raise the issue, or keep quiet? Many of us bite our tongue, worrying that speaking up will harm an important relationship.

But research suggests that letting something simmer can make things worse, for several reasons.

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

Dogs dream just like us

Lucy was sprawled beside the bed in a deep sleep that he envied. 

Every now and then her legs would twitch as she chased dream gulls 

or swam in her dream inlet.

Dance Upon the Air

________________

In the photo: Budha (our dog napping)

Have you ever looked at a sleepy pup and wondered just what was going on inside that fuzzy noggin? New research suggests they dream just like humans do.

NEWSHUB

________________

On the floor beside them, Moe twitched and made excited sounds.

"What did you do to Moe?"

"I gave him a dream, a harmless, happy dream. He chases rabbits on a sunny spring day. 

It will keep him safe and occupied, as we have much to talk about, you and I."

Key of Knowledge 

a house to look smart In

"I keep meaning to show you this particular room." Rowena stopped in front of a
double pocket door, swept it open.
And ushered Dana into a book lover's version of heaven.
It was a two-level library, with a lovely ornate rail encircling the second level. A
fire was snapping away in a hearth of rosy granite, its light, and the light from a
dozen lamps, glittering on the polished wood of the floor.
High above, a mural was painted on the domed ceiling. She saw dozens of figures
from the most romantic of faerie tales. Rapunzel, spilling her golden hair out of a
tower, Sleeping Beauty just wakened by a kiss, Cinderella slipping her foot into a
delicate glass slipper.
"It's incredible," Dana whispered. "Beyond incredible."
Wide, deep chairs, long, deep sofas were done in leather the color of good port.
There were other small treasures in tables, in rugs, in art, but Dana was dazzled by
the books. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books.

Key of Knowledge

_________________

 

The idea of curling up with a good book has increasingly come to mean flipping on an e-reader, not flipping through the pages of a leather-bound novel in a book-lined room.

Yet the home library is on the rise, having become something of a cerebral status symbol. Affluent homeowners are buying quality books in quantity to amass collections for private personal libraries.

These rooms are as much aesthetic set pieces and public displays of intelligence as they are quiet spaces to reflect and retreat.

WSJ

 _________________

Her gaze glanced off him and focused on a wall of books. "That's quite a library."
"Oh, that's just some of them."
He stayed where he was when she crossed over. 

Joyce, Yeats, Shaw. Those were to be
expected. O'Neill, Swift, and Grayson Thane, of course. But there was a treasure trove of others.
Poe, Steinbeck, Dickens, Byron. The poetry of Keats and Dickinson and Browning. 

Battered volumes of Shakespeare and equally well-thumbed tales by King and MacAffrey and McMurtrey.
"An eclectic collection," she mused.

Born in Shame