ALA pimpage

People sometimes ask me where to get a button that says, "I read banned books." Or a nifty tote bag saying the same (only $12) The recent catalog from the American Library Association offers these, and much more:

These come as posters and bookmarks:
Denzel Washington reading Green Eggs and Ham
Ewan McGregor reading Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales
Anthony Hopkins reading The Great Gatsby
Alan Rickman reading Catcher in the Rye (one of the perennially banned books)
Orlando Bloom clutching Lord of the Rings (one assumes he has been momentarily so overwhelmed as to need a moment of reflection)
Sasha Cohen gliding over the ice, a copy of The Kite Runner in hand
Keira Knightley holding a copy of Pride and Prejudice
Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in iconic poses (i.e., soaring above the Earth, perched on a Gotham City skyscraper, relaxing in a romantic wilderness) with anonymous books
and my favorite,
Yo-Yo Ma and his cello reading Goodnight Moon (at least I assume the cello is reading, as it looks quite happy)
and many more...

A T-shirt that says, "Closing books shuts out ideas."

Proceeds support the work of the ALA. Here's the link: ALA store website

Blackberry season

Just a note that there is such an abundance this year, I cannot hope to keep up with it. I'm not doing jam, as our pantry is full of guava, plum, and apricot jams from last year (and I don't have enough empty jam jars until we use some of it up), but I freeze them and make and freeze compote to put over ice cream or waffles or stir into yogurt.

Usually I pick from the three superb sites along the road, but this year, the little patch Dave preserved behind the garden has outdone them all. Berries half the size of my little thumb joint, sweet as honey. Oh, my. I went out there yesterday morning and stopped only when I had filled 9 pint baskets. In another week, there will be more.

My fingertips seem to have turned permanently purple. But we will have good eating and sweet memories of summer all winter long...