World
The 27-year-old, who lives in Columbia, Missouri, was passing the books section in a Target store, when she remembered she had signed up to a reading challenge with her friends.
“We are aiming to read 10 pages of a book a day,” Ashley told the BBC. “I saw this book in the aisle, which I had heard a lot about on social media, so I bought it.”
The book in question was Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis. Later that day Ashley settled down to read it and got a surprise.
“My dog started barking so I got up from reading and threw the book down on the ottoman [couch] when suddenly a five dollar note fell out. I knew it wasn’t mine so I thumbed through the pages and saw a pink post-it stuck to one.”
The note read: “To the person who buys this book.
“I am having a tough day. I thought maybe I could brighten someone else’s with this little surprise. Go buy a coffee, a donut or a face mask.
“Practice some self-care today. Remember that you are loved, you are amazing, you are strong.
“Love Lisa.”
Ashley was strongly affected by the gesture. “I thought it takes someone really special to divert the energy and attention on a bad day to improving someone else’s. I know if I was having tough day I’d just want to sit in my pyjamas eating ice cream!”
She decided to take a photo and shared this act of kindness with her followers on Twitter. Her tweet was liked more than 3,000 times and soon caught the attention of local news.
On Facebook, it was shared by the popular page Love What Matters and received 22,000 likes, with many of the comments in reply to the post wishing good will to the anonymous Lisa.
London
Merrick had a skeletal and soft tissue deformity which saw him as a freak show attraction, then a medical curiosity.
His skeleton has been preserved at the Royal London Hospital since his death.
But author Jo Vigor-Mungovin says she has now discovered Merrick’s soft tissue was buried in the City of London Cemetery after he died in 1890.
After a miserable adolescence and time as a travelling exhibit, Leicester-born Merrick ended up at what was then called the London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, where he surprised staff by proving to have an intelligent and sensitive personality.
He became a minor celebrity and in May 1887 was visited by Alexandra, Princess of Wales, who afterwards sent him Christmas cards.
After his death, Merrick’s body was dissected and his skeleton preserved as an anatomical specimen.
My World
Yay! A Bank Holiday weekend, more time to get on with decorating the spare room, nearly finished stripping the wallpaper.
Had some lovely family time on Thursday and Saturday for my dad’s birthday.
My writing
Trial and Retribution is back from the editor and I’m working through it now. Need to crack on and also write book six, Return to the Streets. Looks like I have a busy few months ahead of me. Better get back to it!
Maria Gibbs 
Happy Writing Maria cannot wait for the next in the series of Children from the Streets. Very interesting about the Elephant Man too.
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