EX LIBRIS

Thank you, Burg. This town always amazes me. You’ve done a nice
job, once again stepping up to fill the need of our library. We
have nearly enough books to have a really hot sale this month. A
few more and we’ll be sitting pretty.
The Book Sale is going to last three days again, Thursday, July
16, 1 to 6 p.m. for members – (no scanners until 3 p.m.); Friday,
the 17th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for members and 1-5 p.m. for
non-members. You remember, of course, that becoming a member
entails having an IQ, education, and social status impressive
enough to be able to whip out a $5 bill and sign your name. We have
humble aspirations to have every Burg citizen become a member of
FOHL, and might even accept your beagle if he’s got $5 and can
enjoy a picture book about cats or something. The last day of the
Book Sale will be Saturday, July 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for all
God’s creatures. The last two hours, 2 to 4, will be The Amazing $5
Bag Sale, where you can stuff as many books as you can get into a
grocery bag and get a better bargain than during the demise of
Gottschalks. You can easily pile in 20 books, depending on the
size, that would normally cost $40 at the Book Sale and probably
$400 at Amazon. You can walk away with the whole bagful for $5 and
designate a bunch of them as birthday gifts. Talk about
saving! 
As soon as you get your books settled in their dusty cases or
your bedside table, it will be time for the Annual Picnic. It’s
actually kind of an orgy because the food is so plentiful and tasty
that we get gluttonous, and then drink a bunch of wine to wash it
down, and then go back for more dessert. And who knows what goes on
under the long cloths on the elegant tables. If you’re an FOHL
member, bring something you love to eat or cook to share. If you’re
a parent or grandparent, bring all the kids. Non-members are
welcome, and we won’t put too much pressure on them to join up. Dry
Creek Vineyards, 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 22. It’s always cool and
shady and kind of magic there among the trees. There is no charge
for it, but bring a few bucks anyway, because you’ll want to get in
on the raffle and win some prizes.
Word of the day: then, than. I know three degreed people who
randomly interchange then with than, than with then — especially in
writing. Very basically, here’s the scoop: then is an adverb and
means something that happened once or is going to happen later: I’m
going to the book sale and then read for a week without stopping.
Than, a conjunction, compares something: I’d rather read anything
than get my brain washed by TV. Not so hard.
— Necia Liles, editor