You Must Have Patience and Fortitude Like the NY Library Lions to get through this post's title regarding birthdays, centennials, libraries and feast days, not to mention a joyous spirit to sing along with Sheriff John!

Whew!  You made it through the post's title.

~Patience and Fortitude, the New York Public Library Lions will celebrate 100 years on May 23, 2011, guarding the north and south sides of the library. Thought I should get a shout-out to them and to all libraries in case the world does end tomorrow, should you believe Harold Camping and his broadcasts.

~And speaking of Library Lions, someone else who's celebrating a birthday today (more on that next) sent me the following book after reading a few of this blog's posts regarding, what else, libraries and lions!

The author worked in the New York Public Library and had the good sense not to name the lion in her story.

~May 20: Birthday of second-oldest sister (I will not use her nickname here . . .) and feast day of St. Hilary (more on him later).

Second oldest sister, this is for you (and everyone else who has wondered what the remaining verses were):

~Feast Day of St. Hilary, May 20:  "4th century, Bishop of Toulouse, France. Nothing is known of his life."  Seriously, if nothing is known of his life, how was it determined that he's a saint and that May 20 is his feast day?!  Regardless, I think it's an open invitation for the birthday girl to do and make anything of her life!

~My local library will also celebrate its centennial on July 22, 2011, but in the meantime, the community has been treated to a number of exhibits and author/historian speaker series.