The Friends of the C.H. Booth Library are set to open the doors for the 34th Annual Book Sale on Saturday. Thousands of books, CDs, and DVDs are all set up in categories at the Reed Intermediate School, thanks to the efforts of the many volunteers. Many of those same hard workers will be on hand Saturday through Wednesday to answer any questions during the sale and point you in the right direction to find the books you want. Remember, the early bird gets the worm; but also pays a $5 entry fee on Saturday. The other days of the sale admittance is free and there are lots of bargains to be found.

It’s a shame spending the summer driving around in a dusty car — and a rain shower does not count as a car wash. Why not stop by the Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue station on Saturday, July 18, when the Junior Corps is holding a car wash from 10 am to 2 pm? They appreciate the support, and you set the price — donations welcomed!

Why is it I always have to give dogs all of the good press? Hooper, a yellow lab rescued after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf area, now leads a cushy life in Easton with his new family. (I hear he is happy to have a “woof” over his head….)  But, of course, he is not satisfied to just lie around and chew bones. Hooper is a certified reading buddy and pet therapy partner, and will visit our library for three Saturdays, July 18, 25, and August 3, to share some of his favorite stories. Call the children’s department of C.H. Booth Library for more information on story time with Hooper at 426-4533.

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean the Good Egg has gone on vacation. I’m on the prowl looking to bestow the Good Egg Award again. If you know someone who quietly goes about bettering this world and is rarely recognized for his or her good deeds, let me know at Nancy@thebee.com. Be sure to put Good Egg in the subject line.

The Save Hawleyville Post Office Committee is also not taking the summer off, just because a site has been selected for returning the post office to that section of town. They recently submitted a letter to USPS real estate specialist William Moncrief, who has been overseeing the Hawleyville move, requesting that “those making decisions on the interior space [at 23 Barnabas Road] to be mindful of the community’s desire for a design that reflects the 165 years of postal history in Hawleyville. Some options might include any of the various artifacts taken from the site of the previous Hawleyville Post Office facility.” The letter, signed by Save Hawleyville Post Office members Ann Marie Mitchell and Terry Laslo, also suggests that a mural by a local artist might be a welcome addition. Here’s hoping the big USPS agency listens closely as they put the finishing touches on the new facility. I, for one, am anxious to see the outcome.

 This Mountain picture shows Bernice Ullmann, Estelle Zimmer, Rita Frost, and Jo Kovacs having fun addressing invitations to the picnic celebrating the merger of the Greater Newtown Chapter of Hadassah and the Danbury Chapter. The event is on July 26, and includes a treasure hunt, prizes, barbecue, entertainment, and face painting. The picnic is from 4 to 7 pm, at Meckauer Park, 16 Shelter Rock Road, Bethel. The cost is $10 a single, $20 a family. For reservations (in case you didn’t get an invitation), by July 17, call 792-9186.

I’ve always wondered if cats are considered mortal when I read “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Does having nine lives count? Either way, one of Newtown’s residents will be taking the stage again to recite that very line at Ives Concert Park on WestConn’s Westside Campus this weekend. The show, with Kayla Koschel, an NHS grad, as Puck, sold out last summer and returns again this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, July 9 through 11. Doors open at 5:30 pm, the productions start at 7:30 pm, and children’s activities start at 6:30 pm. General admission tickets are priced at $20, for senior citizens and children under 12 tickets cost $10, students and WestConn staff tickets are $15 and a family pack of four tickets costs $40. To purchase tickets by phone call 203-837-8499. If you are really in for a weekend of Shakespeare, don’t forget that the Town Players’ production of The Merry Wives of Windsor starts its three-weekend run this Friday, too, at Newtown’s Little Theatre on Orchard Hill Road. Call the box office at 270-9144 for ticket information.

One of the “little birds” that bravely whispers secrets to me said that he saw a girl making a tidy space at Mrs Rabbit’s House and garden behind the police station over the weekend. Madeline Patrick stepped through the child-size front door with a broom and a smile, excited to have a play space to herself. Back inside she sat with a toy bunny and “fed” it from a fresh bowl of fruit. Outside again, along a path, were real bunnies that flitted like fairies in the shadows. Mrs Rabbit must be real! Maybe Madeline will be back to continue her summer fantasy.

My fantasy continues, of course, that next week you will…. Read me again.