Work of the Poet

Mellow Yellow Monday

2009-07-18T17:52:00.005-04:00

Go visit Drowsy Monkey for all the other Mellow Yellow Monday posts.

~Please scroll down for Manic Monday~

Manic Monday - curse

2009-07-17T16:37:00.002-04:00

Mo gave us the word CURSE for this Manic Monday.

Since I've been a librarian, I've always had great interest in books and book curses in particular.

BOOK CURSES

In the Middle Ages, books were protected by curses, not electronic security systems. Long before the printing press, books were all hand-written manuscripts using specially treated sheepskin, called velum. In those days, monks would obviously have to hand-copy books. Often one manuscript would take several weeks, with a monk hand copying the manuscript and working nine hours per day. Having spent so much effort, some monks would write a personal comment to protect their work. For example, Brother Leot of Navara wrote in the 10th century:

"Reader, turn the leaves gently,
wash your hands,
and if you must hold the book,
cover it with your tunic."

Steal not this Book for
fear of shame for there
doth stand the owners
name for when you die
the Lord will say were [sic]
is that Book you stole
Away.
Feb. 11th, 1878

from Francis Henry Wood's Echoes of the Night (London: 1873)

A book curse was the most widely-employed and effective method of discouraging the thievery of manuscripts during the medieval period. The use of book curses dates back much further, to pre-Christian times, when the wrath of gods was invoked to protect books and scrolls. In their medieval usage, many of these curses vowed that harsh repercussions would be inflicted on anyone who appropriated the work from its proper owner. The punishments usually included excommunication, damnation, or anathema. Excommunication was the lightest of the curses because, in the Medieval Catholic Church, it was a reversible state. Anathema was the most severe of the curses as it involved a permanent removal from the Church and from the sight of God. Both excommunication and anathema required identification of the guilty party as well as action on the part of the Church. Damnation had the benefit of not requiring human intervention as it was a state that the Creator, not the Church, visited instantly upon the soul of the perpetrator. All three types of curses were considered to be effective deterrents against the book thief.

At the time, these curses provided a significant social and religious penalty for those who would steal or deface books, which were all considered to be precious works before the advent of the printing press.

One example of a book curse in the monastery of San Pedro in Barcelona reads as follows:

For him that stealeth, or borroweth and returneth not, this book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying out for mercy, & let there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails ... when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him forever.

About this precise case, it should however be mentionned that this is a hoax written at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Most curses were written in the book's colophon by the medieval scribe. This was the one place in a medieval manuscript where a scribe was free to write what he wished so book curses tend to be unique to each book.

A CURSE AGAINST STEALERS OF BOOKS

For him that stealeth a book from this library, let it change into a
serpent in his hand & rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, & all
his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for
mercy, & let there be no surcease to his agony till he sink to
dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw his entrails in token of the Worm that
dieth not, & when at last he goeth to his final punishment, let the flames of
hell consume him forever & aye.

Monastery of San Pedro, Barcelona

Who folds a leafe downe
ye divel toaste browne
who makes marke or blotte
ye divel roaste hotte
who stealeth thisse booke
ye divel shall cooke.

from the bookplate of one C. J. Peacock

Some curses were short poems, as in:

May the sword of anathema slay
If anyone steals this book away.

Or, in the same vein, a curse in verse:

If anyone steal it, let him be anathema!
Whoever finds fault with it, let him be accursed.
Amen.

Whoever steals this book
Will hang on a gallows in Paris,
And, if he isn't hung, he'll drown.
And, if he doesn't drown, he'll roast,
And, if he doesn't roast, a worse end will befall him.

from Marc Drogin's Anathema!: Medieval Scribes and the History of Book Curses (1983).

By him who bought me for his own,
I'm lent for reading leaf by leaf;
If honest, you'll return the loan,
If you retain me, you're a thief.

Neither blemish this book, nor the leaves double down,
Nor lend it to each idle friend in town;
Return it when read, or, if lost, please supply
Another as good to the mind and the eye.

from William J. Hardy's Bookplates (1972).

"For him that steals, borrows and returns not, a book from its owner, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with palsy, and all his members blasted. Let him languish in pain crying aloud for mercy, and let there be not surcease to his agony 'till he sing in dissolution. Let bookworms gnaw at his entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not. And when at last he goes to his final punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him forever."

When people realized that the curses weren't doing the job and books were disappearing by the dozens they decided to charge 5 cents per book per day and boy did people bring those books back ASAP!

2009-07-17T12:31:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for "Looking at the Sky on Friday" and "Shadow Shot Sunday," find them here

Postcard Friendship Friday

2009-07-16T15:26:00.007-04:00

Here are 2 first day covers that I own.

A first day cover (FDC) is an envelope whereupon postage stamps have been cancelled on their first day of issue. Depending on the policy of the nation issuing the stamp, official first day postmarks may sometimes be applied to covers weeks or months after the date indicated.

The first covercommemorates Picasso's genius by offering a 21 c stamp celebrating the United Ntions International School, 1971.

The second cover commemorates the non-proliferation of nuclear arms, 1972

Certainly not as interesting or colorful as these stamps:

Liberia Historical Railways 1895-1905

Find Marie Reed's post here along with other participants.

Think Green Thursday

2009-07-16T12:52:00.000-04:00

Today I'll share with you a THINK GREEN THURSDAY post. The message is to bathe together. Save money on water! So how about that as a way to save? Do you think anything's wrong with it?

Children and their parents, young siblings, children and pets. Now of course there is a question about when should they stop... Or should they every start?

Let me know in the comments if you have an opinion.

Monochrome Weekly Theme

2009-07-14T13:05:00.005-04:00

Motz Monument
St. Michael's Cemetery, East Elmhurst, Queens

Go on over to Monochrome Weekly Theme for other participants. Aileni is the generous host of this meme.

~Please Scroll Down for Ruby Tuesday~

2009-07-13T18:51:00.001-04:00

~Hey my blogger friends! I had oral surgery today and I'm feeling kinda poorly. So give me a day to feel a little better, okay?~

Ruby Tuesday

2009-07-13T14:30:00.001-04:00

Here we are at another Ruby Tuesday!

How do you like these thumbnails for this week? They all did a nice job, yes?

Left to Right:1. EG, 2. Elaine Ling 3. Dora 4. Carletta
5. Marilyn 6. Annie

My post for this week include:

Red begonia

Please sign Mr. Linky and leave a comment.

Spend some time visiting your fellow players...

Mellow Yellow Monday

2009-07-12T16:14:00.010-04:00

Drowsy Monkey is the host of the bright, colorful meme,

Mellow Yellow Monday

I'm sure that what you notice about these photos are the YELLOW parking space lines, right? Not necessarily that the car is a shiny, green Jag...

Go over to Drowsy Monkey's to see other participants.

~PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MANIC MONDAY~

Manic Monday - fountain

2009-07-12T15:45:00.006-04:00

Mo's word for Manic Monday is FOUNTAIN.

The Fontana di Trevi or Trevi Fountain is the most famous and arguably the most beautiful fountain in all of Rome. This impressive monument dominates the small Trevi square located in the Quirinale district.

Aqua Virgo

The Trevi fountain is at the ending part of the Aqua Virgo, an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC. It brings water all the way from the Salone Springs (approx 20km from Rome) and supplies the fountains in the historic center of Rome with water.

Construction of the Fountain

In 1732, Pope Clement XII commissioned Nicola Salvi to create a large fountain at the Trevi Square. A previous undertaking to build the fountain after a design by Bernini was halted a century earlier after the death of Pope Urban VIII. Salvi based his theatrical

The restive sea horse

masterpiece on this design. Construction of the monumental baroque fountain was finally completed in 1762.

The Fountain

The central figure of the fountain, in front of a large niche, is Neptune, god of the sea. He is riding a chariot in the shape of a shell, pulled by two sea horses. Each sea horse is guided by a Triton. One of the horses is calm and obedient, the other one restive. They symbolize the fluctuating moods of the sea.
On the left hand side of Neptune is a statue representing Abundance, the statue

The crowded square

on the right represents Salubrity. Above the sculptures are bas-reliefs, one of them shows Agrippa, the girl after whom the aqueduct was named.

Tossing a Coin

The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

What does the Trevi look like from above? Click here

Go on over to Mo's to see other participants.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2009-07-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

Shadow Shot Sunday is brought to you by Hey Harriet.

The Lady in the Shadow.
St. Michael's Cemetery, East Elmhurst, N.Y.

~ In this business you either sink or swim or you don't.~
- David Smith

Artwork Giveaway!

2009-07-11T09:15:00.005-04:00

Megan M. Eckman is pleased to announce her first giveaway ever! Starting yesterday, Friday, July 10th, until next Friday, July 17th, everyone will have a chance to win one of Chelsea Rose's prints! Three lucky winners will be drawn on Friday.

Here's a closeup of Chelsea Rose's work:

Chelsea Rose's artwork is reminiscent of Tim Burton's movies and personal drawings. She works in pen and ink for her small drawing and acrylic paint for her larger paintings. Each piece contains her signature reptilian eyes, curlicues, and lovely dresses. The winners of the giveaway will get a 5" x 7" print of her work printed on cardstock and sealed in clear, archival sleeves.

In order to be entered into this giveaway, all you have to do is mention this giveaway on your own blog. Then, leave a comment at Studio M.M.E. Stutterings and put the link to your blog in the comment. Not too hard, huh? Isn't this the best giveaway ever? So go write about this awesome opportunity and support a fellow artist!

Postcard Friendship Friday

2009-07-10T10:53:00.009-04:00

This week I'm joining in the fun of Postcard Friendly Friday! I've been wanting to for a long time.

Marie from France hosts this wonderful meme!

Years ago I collected stamps. Now today I've taken them out and Voila! all of a sudden they are, maybe not actually vintage, but certainly old!

The Currier and Ives 10-cent Christmas stamps were issued in 1974, No. 41 in a series. "The Road - Winter," the subject of the 1974 Christmas stamps, was drawn for Nathaniel Currier in 1853 by Otto Knirsch, one of the many celebrated American artists Currier employed to produce drawings that were later colored on an assembly line of girls.

I'm so glad to look at these stamps again! And to offer them to the participants in this meme!

~PLEASE SCROLL DOWN A BIT FOR LOOKING AT THE SKY ON FRIDAY~

Looking at the Sky on Friday

2009-07-09T16:01:00.004-04:00

This is Tisha's meme.

Walden Pond (2007)

Walden Pond is a 102-foot (31 m) deep pond. It is 61 acres (250,000 m²) in area and 1.7 miles (2.7 km) around, located in Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States. A famous example of a kettle hole, it was formed by retreating glaciers 10,000 - 12,000 years ago.

The writer, transcendentalist, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau lived on the shores of the pond for two years starting in the summer of 1845.

“I considered that I enhanced the value of the land by squatting on it.” - Henry D. Thoreau
"Life at Walden was not without its incidences. Thoreau occasionally harbored fugitive slaves, and once held a meeting for the Concord Women’s Anti-slavery Society, as he indirectly mentions in Walden having once housed twenty-five to thirty people under his roof." - Michael J. Frederick

Go visit Crazy working Mom for other participants.

Roller Skating Babies - You'll Die From It!! :)

2009-07-09T09:56:00.003-04:00

Saw this commercial for the first time this morning! Sharing with you! :)

Think Green Thursday - our soldiers

2009-07-08T12:00:00.005-04:00

I posted the post below back in 2007.

Recently I heard from a soldier who read the post and contacted me. Read the post first and then read my e-mail dialogue with him. He ultimately sent me a picture of the grass he's growing over in the Middle East.

Growing a little American grass… July 16, 2007
I received this e-mail from my niece today:

This Army soldier in Iraq has a tiny “plot”of grass in front of his tent. He’s stationed in a big sand box so he asked his wife to send him dirt ( U.S. soil), fertilizer,and some grass seed so that he can have the sweet aroma, and feel the grass grow beneath his feet.

When the men of the squadron have a mission that they are going on, they take turns walking through the grass and the American soil — to bring them good luck.

If you notice,he is even cutting the grass with a pair of a scissors. Sometimes we are in such a hurry that we don’t stop and think about the little things that we take for granted.

I don’t know if this is true or not but I didn’t want to check out Snopes to find out. I want to think it’s true.

maryt

E-MAIL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SPC. BRADLEY BELL AND ME:

From:"indexer@aol.com" indexer@aol.com

To: bradley_bell_89@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:12:04 PM
Subject: Growing a little Grass...

Spc Bell,

I'm the author of the blog post about American servicemen growing a little plot of grass when they are in the Middle East fighting for our country. Are you over there? How are you. Thanks for contacting me! I'd love to be your pen pal for the durati on. My nephew spent 6 months in Iraq as a Marine a while back. He's home safe and sound.

I hope your grass grows but not long enough to keep you in Iraq/Afghanistan too long...

Keep in touch!

Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: bradley bell <bradley_bell_89@yahoo.com>
To: indexer@aol.com
Sent: Sat, Jul 4, 2009 2:54 pm
Subject: Re: Growing a little Grass...

Dear Mary,

I had some KY blue grass sent over along with some other type from Pa (my home state).. We planted it and kept it well watered, well now we have grass growing, ill get you photos of it as soon as I can.

From: "indexer@aol.com" <indexer@aol.com>
To: bradley_bell_89@yahoo.com
Sent: Sunday, July 5, 2009 11:13:16 PM
Subject: Re: Growing a little Grass...

Spc Bell,

Thank you so much for responding to my e-mail. Sure, I'd love pix of your Kentucky blue grass growing so far away from the States... Would you mind if I post your e-mail/photos on my blog, Work of the Poet? http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

There are a lot of people I'm in touch with in the blogosphere who would love to hear from our soldiers fighting for us over there.

Happy 4th of July! I'm thinking of you and your safety all the time!

Mary

bradley bell to you - 2 days ago

Mary,

Nah I dont mind if you post the photos and Emails. Im sure theres people still interested in some of the stuff soldiers are doing in their spare time. So If you have any questi ons, feel free to ask.

Bradley

Heres a photo of some grass that we have growing. We have 100's of the barriers protecting our buildings, so we got the great idea of makeing them more "homie".

I thought you might find this interesting. Keep Bradley Bell in your thoughts when you can. And if you pray, I'm sure he'll appreciate prayers to keep him safe.

Monochrome Weekly Theme

2009-07-07T18:14:00.006-04:00

There was a bit of a blur in this shot. I liked it so I used Adobe Photoshop Gaussian blur to give a little more atmosphere. I like it. Tell me what you think.

Aileni hosts this monochrome meme. Go to his blog to find other participants.

UPDATE

Aileni suggested I add a little more contrast to the photo and I did. I like it. But I was careful not to add too much because then I lose the "foggy" effect...

Ruby Tuesday

2009-07-06T14:29:00.002-04:00

Hi again my friends! Welcome to Ruby Tuesday!

Here are shoutouts to Ruby Tuesday participants from last week (June 30). These are thumbnails of a few of the photos posted last week:

Left to right: 1. EllieVellie 2. Happily Retired Girl 3. Mar
4. Mary(One Perfect Bite) 5. Mojo
6. Desert Songbird

Across from LaGuardia Airport is a small, public boat slip that anyone can use to launch a boat or a jet ski. I asked the guy in the photos if I could take his picture while he got ready to buzz out onto Flushing Bay. He said sure. It was late in the day.

I watched for about a half hour because that's how long it took them to get the jet ski and themselves ready to take off.

I had completely forgotten that I was there to shoot photos of airplanes coming in for a landing at LaGuardia.

Sign Mr. Linky
Leave a comment
Visit your fellow blogger who participate in this meme
Okay?

Thanks everyone!

Manic Monday - country

2009-07-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

Mo's word for today is COUNTRY.

Here's a list of 25 fu nny country song titles:

1. Get Your Tongue Outta My Mouth Cause I'm Kissing You Good-bye.

2. I Don't Know Whether To Kill Myself or Go Bowling.

3. If I Can't Be Number One In Your Life, Then Number Two On You.

4. I Sold A Car To A Guy Who Stole My Girl,
But It Don't Run So We're Even.

5. Mama Get A Hammer (There's A Fly On Daddy's Head).

6. If The Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me.

7. She's Actin' Single and I'm Drinkin' Doubles.

8. How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away.

9. I Keep Forgettin' I Forgot About You.

10. I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well.

11. I Still Miss You Baby, But My Aim's Gettin' Better.

12. I Wouldn't Take Her To A Dog Fight, Cause I'm Afraid She'd Win.

13. I'll Marry You Tomorrow, But Let's Honeymoon Tonight.

14. I'm So Miserable Without You; It's Like Having You Here.

15. I've Got Tears In My Ears From Lying On My Back Cryin' Over You.

16. If I Had Shot You When I Wanted To, I'd Be Out By Now.

17. My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, And I Don't Love You.

18. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend and I Sure Do Miss Him.

19. Please Bypass My Heart.

20. She Got The Ring and I Got The Finger.

21. You Done Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat.

22. You're the Reason Our Kids Are So Ugly.

23. Her Teeth Were Stained, But Her Heart Was Pure.

24. She's Looking Better After Every Beer.

25. I Ain't Never Gone To Bed With An Ugly Woman, But I Sure Woke Up With a Few.

~PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY~

Mellow Yellow Monday #26

2009-07-05T17:56:00.000-04:00

Drowsy Monkey is the lovely hostess of this meme!

Don't see many of these around anymore!

Go visit Mellow Yellow Monday to see other participants.

Shadow Shot Sunday

2009-07-04T17:00:00.000-04:00

Check out Hey Harriet for her Shadow Shot Sunday meme!

The shadows of the geranium pots and the awning caught my eye!

Catch thumbnails of photos posted last week and the names of the people who participated.

Happy 4th

2009-07-03T10:35:00.008-04:00

Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

SOME TRIVIA:

In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.^[11]
In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute. Across the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.^[12]
In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.^[12]
In 1781, the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.^[12]
In 1783, Moravians in Salem, North Carolina, held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".
In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.
In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.^[13]
In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.^[14]

Looking at the Sky on Friday

2009-07-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Teisha of Crazy Working Mom hosts this wonderful meme.

The Port Washington marina at sunset.

Go over to Teisha's blog for other participants.

Think Green Thursday

2009-07-01T18:05:00.007-04:00

Rambling Woods hosts this thoughtful, environmentally-sensitive meme.

Bom Dia juices

Go over toThink Green Thursday for other participants.

Happy Birthday, Canada!

2009-07-01T11:12:00.003-04:00

O Canada!
Happy Birthday to you from your friends in the United States!

Canada Day (French: Fête du Canada) is Canada's national holiday.
It is celebrated on July 1.

HISTORY OF CANADA DAY

It celebrates the creation of the Dominion of Canada through the British North America Act 1867, which came into effect on July 1, 1867, uniting three British territories � the Province of Canada (southern Ontario and southern Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick � into a federation. (See Canadian Confederation.)

The holiday itself was formally established in 1879 and was originally called Dominion Day, making reference to the Canadian-originated term 'dominion' to describe the political union, at a time when the Fathers of Confederation were hesitant to use a name such as the Kingdom of Canada. The name was changed to Canada Day on October 27, 1982.

It is a federal holiday also celebrated by all provincial governments and most businesses across Canada. Quebec also has Moving Day on July 1st, due to the fact that most leases there begin and end on that day, where lots of people move and change residences. In Newfoundland and Labrador, July 1 is also recognised as Memorial Day and commemorates Newfoundland's heavy losses during World War I in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel as part of the Battle of the Somme.

CANADA DAY TRIVIA

The celebrations in Ottawa are particularly lavish. Every Canada Day, hundreds of thousands gather on Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada's birth. Canadian flags abound, and some go as far as to paint their faces in Canadian colours.

Love to you all!