Today’s Quote
Month: February 2020
It’s Presidents’ Day-Or Is It?
Today is actually the celebration of George Washington’s birthday and the law is written as such. Legally, there is no Presidents’ Day.
Confused? Me, too! But if you look for the law that designates the holiday, you will find that President Richard Nixon signed “Washington’s Birthday” into law.
It wasn’t long after that event that the day morphed into the present-day President’s Day, with the intention of honoring all those who have held the office of President of the United States. You can thank not only the holiday being changed to the third Monday in February, but also marketing to take advantage of the newly-formed three-day weekend.
By the early 2000s, at least half of the states officially listed Presidents’ Day on their calendars, instead of Washington’s Birthday.
Wait! There’s more confusion about the date.
Washington was born on February 11, 1731, but today his birthday is acknowledged to have been February 22.
Why?
When Washington was born, the British Empire, including the colonies in North America, used the Julian calendar. By 1731, that calendar was eleven days behind the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar currently used by the United States and the United Kingdom. When the British Empire adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, it recognized previous dates as eleven days later in order to align with the Gregorian calendar. And, voila!, Washington’s birthday became February 22!
What a confusing and fraught holiday! Sonja
Tucson Festival of Books
Come to the Tucson Festival of Books on Saturday, March 14, 2020 to see me. I’ll be in the children’s section during the morning hours.
I would love to meet you, sign your book, etc.
I expect to have all the above titles available for purchase, along with some special treats!
Come by and see me! Sonja
This Week’s Quote
Happy Valentine’s Day!
I hope you have someone to share this day with–someone who will show you how much he/she loves you.
If you don’t have a partner, then I hope you celebrated Galentine’s Day with your gal pal, or something similar with your male friend(s).
For some, Valentine’s Day is a difficult day that causes them to feel lonely. I hope you don’t experience this. If you do, then find something to distract yourself. Go for a hike, read a book, go shopping (not retail therapy!), or something else that brings you joy.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Sonja
It’s Galentine’s Day!!!
Just what is Galentine’s Day?
It’s a day started by comedian Amy Poehler to celebrate female friendships.
It always falls on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
In the UK, it was noted that it’s “an increasingly popular holiday” even though it is only a few years old.
Therefore, in celebration of Galentine’s Day, I celebrate my friendship with my best friend (who lives too far away). Karyn has been my friend for 27 years.
We met when her husband asked for my help carrying a very heavy sofa into their new apartment.
It was a fun way to meet some very good people.
I hope you have the equivalent!
Don’t forget to buy a card or small gift for your valentine–this is your one-day warning! Valentine’s Day is tomorrow!!! Sonja
Answering a Popular Question
The most frequent question about the Guinness the Therapy Dog book series that I get is actually a two-parter.
- Is Guinness your real dog?
- Can I buy Guinness?
To answer the first question: Yes! Guinness lives with me and my family. He spends most days laying in front of the door so no one can come or go without his knowledge. He’s a big, fluffy heart on four paws who thinks it is his duty to protect me. While he doesn’t act the same with my husband or sons, Guinness places himself between me and anyone who stops to talk to me during our walks.
And onto the second question: No! We would be lost without Guinness in our house and protecting our door. We were lucky enough to have him rehomed with us and we’re not giving him up!
If you come across us on a walk, please stop and say hello. Sonja
This Week’s Question
Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash 
Photo by Simone van der Koelen on Unsplash
Cheese or chocolate?
I vote for cheese. Sonja
Guiness the Therapy Dog Book Series is Coming!
What do you think of the new logo for the book series? It’s going to get a few finishing touches (like capitalizing the ‘T’), but this is the concept.
It will be on all the covers of the series so the books will be easily identified!
The first two books should be unveiled at the Tucson Festival of Books. That’s coming up on March 14.
I hope you can come to the Festival and meet me–and the hundreds of other authors that will be attending. Do you want to see who will be there?
Go to www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org to see the list.
I hope you find a good book to read today! Sonja
Becoming–
I am asked frequently how I became a writer. I’m asked also how I come up with my story ideas.
My response is: how do you not have stories constantly running through your head?
I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember. A wonderful lady used to tell how I would be going to sleep when we were all camping and they would hear my voice acting out some scene or other. That’s when I was maybe three or four years old.
Everything I see is filed away and it’s fun to take things out and examine them to see if they will fit into my current WIP (work in progress). Sometimes I’ll write a scene and a memory will pop up that I can integrate into the description.
The fun of writing the Guinness the Therapy Dog series is that I have the famous dog right here at my feet. If I want to see how he plays with a ball, I can throw it for him. It’s fun to have my subject ready to watch!
I hope you are living your own story! Sonja