National Literacy Month and Happy Labor Day

Co-creator of Spider-Man, the Hulk, Xmen, Iron Man and the Fantastic Four and Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month Stan Lee.

September is National Literacy Month and Library Card Sign-Up Month. And as a writer I'm interested in raising awareness about this issue. After all, I write books, and what's the use of doing that if people can't read them? Here are some stats that I discovered when doing research for my latest novel in which my main character is barely literate.

• A 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) revealed that 90 million Americans read at basic and below basic levels. READ MORE
• The anual U.S. cost for low literacy is mind boggling: 80 billion in lost worker productivity, 225 billion lost to unemployment benefits, lost taxes and crime. Literacy Partners 
• L.A. county, population 7,000+ has 33% of its people who are lacking basic literacy Visalia Times READ MORE
• 2 million New York City residents are functionally illiterate (25%) READ MORE .
• 32 million (14%) of U.S. adults can't read and 774 million people worldwide can't read. READ MORE

If any A to Zers are interested in joining the cause here's the LINK to my post about Writers Supporting Literacy. 

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And now LABOR DAY!

Labor Day has been with us for 132 years. The U.S. celebrated the first one on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. Then in 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday.

Over the years, it's had it's poster girl and other spirited patriotic images to communicate the U.S. Can Do spirit.

Here's the famous Rosie The Riveter that was popular WWII. 

AN ICON OF AMERICAN LABOR, 1942

NORMAN ROCKWELL'S SATURDAY EVENING POST ROSIE, 1943

Have a safe, wonderful, restful LABOR DAY! 

#atozchallenge #roadtrip #lifeisgood - Road Trip Detour

A slight detour on today's Road Trip post.

I'm sure you've seen the news by now, that we have lost a very influential and inspiring woman from the blogging world, Tina Downey.

Tina and Nicole Ayers were kind enough to ask Stormy the Weather Gnome and I to join them in the Post A-to-Z Road Trip this year.

I was truly flattered and honored that they asked. Tina was very supportive and understanding when the newbie and her gnome asked the dumb questions.

I'll never forget her funny emails, her always relevant movie quotes, and just her general positive attitude, even when things weren't going well for her.

The Road Trip won't be the same without her.

Check out this POST to find out about the Sunflower for Tina tribute taking place soon.

Sunflowers for Tina - September 8, 2014 #LifeisGood #AtoZChallenge

In memory of Tina Downey, the A to Z Team is hosting a sunflower tribute on September 8, 2014 – Remembering Tina Downey.


Prior to that date, purchase or plant a sunflower in her honor. (If you have to resort to plastic, that’s cool.) Take a photo of your sunflower and post in in her memory on Monday, September 8. Tina loved her sunflowers, and we want to splash the blogging world with sunflowers that day and honor a truly amazing woman who was friend and family to so many.

You can sign up now or add your link when you post your sunflower.

Please help us spread the word! Add Tina's motto #LifeisGood as hashtag and share about this blogfest on all social media platforms.

Let’s brighten the Internet with sunflowers the way Tina brightened the lives of so many.