Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day Bittersweet Chocolate and Almond Cake Recipe Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti Recipe Powerful Health Benefits: Due to its high cocoa content, dark chocolate is a good source of certain flavonoids — namely epicatechin and gallic acid — that may be protective for the heart.  Almonds are known to have health benefits including relief from constipation, respiratory disorders, cough, hear disorders, anemia, impotency, and diabetes.  It also helps in hair care, skin care, and dental care. ( source ) Book Lover's Day Really this day should be called "Beth's Day" because I am a HUGE book lover! These Stereotypes About Book Lovers Are Absolutely True, And That's A Good Thing 17 Problems Only Book Lovers Will Understand Gifts for the Book Lover The Book Insider: News, Tips, and Deals for Book Lovers What Kind of Book Reader Are You? A Diagnostics Guide

Fight Procrastination Day The Basics of Procrastination Overcoming Procrastination Devil's Advocate on Procrastination:  Why procrastination doesn't need a cure and might even make you more productive How to Stop Procrastinating : Tune out distractions and stay on task with these seven expert-approved tactics (there are some GREAT tips in this article!) Read a Book Day Pick up a book and read today! It doesn't matter what book, just read! You don't have to finish it but start it! Read to your littles, read to other peoples littles, read to elderly who can't read themselves any longer, read for yourself! Pet Rock Day Why Pet Rocks? Iguana Awareness Day The Facts What to Expect From a Pet Iguana

Talk Like Shakespeare Day Just in case you don't know who William Shakespeare is Absolute Shakespeare: A website that contains ALL things Shakespeare The 10 Greatest Shakespeare Movie Adaptations Shakespeare has influenced even our movies Lost Dog Awareness Day How to Find Your Lost Dog How to keep your dog from being lost English Language Day The Origin of the English Language The English Language is odd.  We have weird rules, weird cliches, weird words. It's like a mish-mash of other cultured languages. The longest word in the English Language World Book Night Day This one is self-explanatory.  Read a book, gift someone with a book. Celebrate books! Lover's Day Celebrate your beloved today National Zucchini Bread Day Take a Chance Day What have you been hesitant to take a chance on? Take the chance on it today! World Laboratory Day What is a laboratory?  Take Your Daughter to Work Day

My youngest is 15 today! That's right, 15 years ago, which simultaneously feels like yesterday and eons ago, this little redhead made her appearance a couple weeks early and assured herself a spot in our family as our forever Valentine! Happiest Birthday to my baby, my Valentine, my quirky and fun redhead!  15 years, I cannot believe it! Valentines Day SIGH. The link provides enough info on this holiday. I don't think anyone is unaware of Valentine's Day. The sacred try to spiritualize it, the secular try to sex it up. I know, I sound cynical. I can't even apologize for that.  :) Ferris Wheel Day The Invention of the Ferris Wheel Top 10 Ferris Wheels I personally don't like ferris wheels, I've never understood the popularity of them.  Anytime I have ridden one there has been more stopping and starting than actual ride.  Do you like ferris wheels? National Organ/Donor Day  ( additional information ) Become a Donor Unsure about donat...

Leaning on Ann Voscamp's Joy Dares a bit for today's. I read some really good books over the past weekend and some tidbits of wisdom popped up in their pages and made me grateful that I came across the words, several days later and I'm still chewing on bits and pieces - that's when you know it is good stuff!  I'm grateful for thought provoking things hiding in all sorts of places.  A few bits of wisdom that have me thinking: "An owl is the wisest of all birds because the more it sees the less it talks." African Proverb While this is an African proverb so therefore most likely published in multiple ways and places, I ran across it in "Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away" by Christie Watson.  "Periods in the wilderness or desert were not lost time.  You might find life, wildflowers, fossils, sources of water." Anne Lamott, Stitches: A Handbook of Meaning, Hope, and Repair "Yes, my soul, find rest in God;  my hope comes from him.  Truly...

I love the Library.  It's one of my happy places.  The smell of books is equal to the smell of my favorite flower in my world.  All those books stored in one place just waiting for someone like me to pick them up and enjoy, or not, their contents.  When I put a book on hold and then the Library emails me to let me know it's ready for pick up?  I do a little happy dance.  I love the Library.  I am also extremely grateful for the Library as it is FREE!  Free books!  Free books that I don't have to pay anything for (unless I lose them, which I never do.)  I am grateful for however the system works that gives me, and anyone else, the opportunity to read books for fun, for personal growth, for learning, etc.  That's another reason I am grateful for the Library, it doesn't close its doors to anyone.  It is open and available to all.  If you don't have a Library card for your local Library I highly recommend getting one and enjoy...

A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.   William Styron Word.  *grin*   So true and how do I know?  I've experienced books that leave me with many experiences and at the end of the book I am reluctant to close it and end the story and my time with the characters.  I love it when an author can do that for their readers.  What is also so fun is that everyone has different authors that do this for them, we don't all like the same authors so that's why there can be so many authors and titles within genres.  I love reading, I'm pretty sure this doesn't surprise any of you.  And I love it because it opens up adventures for me and you.  Styron is right, we can live several lives while reading.  I think through several books that I have read that this has  occurred.  One series this has definitely happened with is    Diana Gab...