Welcome to National Split Pea Soup Week, Pursuit of Happiness Week, National Fragrance Week, and Release Your Beauty for the Holidays Week. Wednesday is National Young Reader's Day and Veterans Day. Appropriately, it is also the 60th anniversary of the first performance of "God Bless America," which was written especially for Kate Smith by Irving Berlin in 1938.

In addition, Wednesday is Vox Populi Day. Vox Populi is the Latin term for "People's Voice," so Wednesday is a day to make your voice count! Saturday is the anniversary of the first blood transfusion, which was performed between two dogs in 1666.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Wednesday's 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. "Numbers" storytimes feature pop-ups, feltboards, and a counting mural craft. Saturday morning's 10:00 "Neat Fee" storytime features stories, activities, and a tennis shoe craft.

BOOK TALK

Elections are in the news, and the Roswell Public Library is inviting everyone to vote for their favorite books published in 1998 and their favorite all-time poem. Loretta Clark, Reference Librarian, has cast her ballot for her favorites in several categories: general fiction, "Saxon Shore," the fourth book in the Camulod series by Jack Whyte; romance, "Last Valentine by James Michael Pratt; mystery or thriller, "First Eagle" by Tony Hillerman; and science fiction, "Acorna's Quest" by Anne McCaffrey.

In non-fiction categories, Loretta picks the following: general non-fiction, "The Power of Perimenopause: A Woman's Guide to Physical and Emotional Health During the Transitional Decade" by Stephanie DeGraff Bender; biography, "Managing Martians by Donna Shirley, head of the Mars Pathfinder Project; self-help, "How To Get Happily Published by Judith Appelgate; and poetry, "Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost.

You, too, can vote for your favorite books and poem by picking up your ballots at the library. The results of these ballots will be sent to the Friends of Libraries USA and to the Poet Laureate of the United States. At the same time, you can write your nominations on cutouts, which will be hung from the library's ceiling. Voting may take place any time during November.

DID YOU KNOW?

What are the most common street names in the U.S.? According to a report published in the February 1993 issue of the US Census Bureau publication "Census and You," the most common street name in the United States is "2nd" (or Second) Street, and First comes in third. Although many cities have a set of numbered streets at their core, it is not uncommon for the first street to be named to suggest the center of the town, such as Main Street, or renamed in honor of an historic figure. This is how it is possible to have fewer Firsts than Seconds.

The top 20 street names are Second (10,866); Third (10,131); First (9,898); Fourth (9,190); Park (8,926); Fifth (8,186); Main (7,644); Sixth (7,283); Oak (6,946); Seventh (6,377); Pine (6,170); Maple (6,103); Cedar (5,644); Eighth (5,524); Elm (5,233); View (5,202); Washington (4,974); Ninth (4,908); Lake (4,901); and Hill (4,877).

If you're thinking of bringing a puppy home for Christmas, here's a tip from "Bottom Line Personal." Before buying a dog, call a pet-owning friend and ask if you can borrow his/her animal for a weekend "test-drive." This will give you the opportunity to learn if your family is ready for the rigors and responsibilities of dog ownership.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: "The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above average drivers." Dave Barry

JUDY ARMSTRONG, 624-7276

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