"One reason your dog can help you so much when you are downcast is that he doesn't demand to know why."

~ John M. Henry (1863 - 1939) Major League baseball player.

(...and Rufus)

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."

~ Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887) Amer. author and clergyman.

Oil Paintings ~ Haldimand Artist, Mary Galli (For larger image, click 3X on photo.)

On Writing ~

"A great writer creates a world of his own and his readers are proud to live in it. A lesser writer may entice them in for a moment, but soon he will watch them filing out."

~ Cyril Connolly, Enemies of Promise, English author and literary critic (1903 - 1974)

The Neat Little Bookshop is Closed this week. Thank you to the folks who braved the paint fumes and dust and wandered in ~ making the bookshop a fascinating place even when it is closed! By leaving the door open while rearranging bookshelves, painting and cleaning, we have met out-of-town book lovers who are not always in town. Please come back ~ Stay a while!

Re-opening on Wednesday, April 6 11:00 a.m.

ARMCHAIR TRAVELLING

Market day in Kingston

And While You Are in Kingston. . . Some of the sights.

Armchair travelling is something that anyone can do. Visit the Travel section in The Neat Little Bookshop. Relax with a coffee or tea. Opening again on Wednesday, April 6.

(Photos by Lorna) Click 3X on photo for larger image.

Bookshop Holiday ~ The Neat Little Bookshop is closed starting today for the week. Opening again on Wednesday, April 6. It is appropriate that we share some memorable moments from another holiday. In light of our upcoming national election:

Bellevue House, home to Canada's first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, is located in Kingston, Ontario.

Bookshop Holiday ~ The Neat Little Bookshop is closed starting today for the week. Opening again on Wednesday, April 6. See you then.

Photos by Lorna (For larger image, dble-click on photo.)

Word Watching ~

NAMBY-PAMBY ~ Generally, we think of a namby-pamby person as being weak, lacking drive but have you thought about the origin of this phrase? It is interesting ~ In the Dictionary of Quotations by Bergen Evans, find this quotation: "Let the verse the subject fit, Little subject, little wit. Namby-Pamby is your guide." ~ Henry Carey (1729) ~ Henry Carey who invented Namby-Pamby was a minor poet. Ambrose Phillips, Henry Carey and Alexander Pope all wrote pastorals. The public preferred the insipid verses of Philips whom Carey dubbed Namby-Pamby. The nickname struck the popular fancy and stays in our speech long after Carey and Philips have been forgotten. Dictionary of Quotations, Bergen Evans, Bonanza Books, Crown Publishers, Inc. U.S. (Editor's note: One long rambling paragraph above is the result of blogspot's sometimes-annoying little quirks.)