I Need to Stop Fudgeling

Words are vital in the ongoing communication between others of our species.  Many words we use every day and most of the item, people actually know how to use them.  Other times, they don't.  To quote a line from the movie The Princess Bride "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."  It's important to know how to use those nice, big, long words that you find randomly in a book so that you don't sound like a complete idiot.

Now, when I was still in college, I was in a class designed to help me teach kids how to write and the professor had this great project for us.  We had to have a writing journal but it wasn't for just writing essays down in.  We could write anything we wanted, as long as it had to do with writing.  One of the pages that I created in my journal was a list of interesting words.  It didn't matter if the words were short or long, just as long as they looked weird when you spelled them out or sounded weird when you said them, then that word made the list.  Here is just a sampling of the words that I had on my list:

Triskaidekaphobia - fear of the number thirteen
This word, not only is it fun to say due to the fact that it is a phobia word, which is always a tongue twister, is a word that I actually do use (mainly on any Friday the 13th) and is a part of my mental lexicon (my mental dictionary, see you just learned a new phrase)

Schmuck - an obnoxious person
This is one that I seem to use a lot, especially if I am in a situation where I can't cuss and I need to express just how much I don't like a person.  It is just very satisfying to say.

Periwinkle - a shade of blue-violet, also another name for the myrtle plant and it is also the name of any variety of sea snails
This is one of Lee's favorite words, although he will just say it on random occasions when I ask him a question and not actually use it in a real context. Ha!

(brief side note:  I actually didn't know about that periwinkle refers to sea snails as well, so I learned something new today too)

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - as Mary Poppins said "its a word to say when you're not sure what to say", it's commonly defined as extraordinarily good
I bet when you read this word that the song from Mary Poppins started playing in your head.  And if it didn't, watch this clip of the song and then it will :-)
https://g.co/kgs/RGD3cS


So, what is the purpose of talking about all this?  Well, after working with kids, it is clear to me that a lot of the beauty of our language is being lost when people forget how to use all the great words that are available to express ourselves.  It is important that we remember to use the big words, the odd words and the silly words to express ourselves, not just the common and easy to remember words.  So in the spirit of expanding one's vocabulary, I share with you this page, which can also be found on Facebook.  Have fun and expand your mind!

Grandiloquent Word of the Day - http://grandiloquent-word.tumblr.com/

Until The Cows Come Home

My good friend Marie and I love to write and we are always bouncing ideas off of each other.  We came up with the idea of writing a short story where she wrote the firsrt half and I wrote the second.  This particular story came about after several text messages back & forth about random cow related things, including cow art.  So, before you read my part, hop on over to her blog to read the begining and the come back to read the ending. Enjoy :-)

Part One:  http://eclecticthe.blogspot.com/2016/08/until-cows-come-home.html

Zoey sighed as she continued to follow the other calves into the truck.  No matter how much her back hurt, she knew that she had to keep up the facade until they could find out where the cows were being taken.  The calves mooed softly in protest as they entered the truck's dark interior.  At least with the back of the truck being covered and the fact that there was no moon, it would allow Zoey to sit like a human being as they traveled to wherever it was that they were going.  It would allow her back to rest a little bit before she had to assume the cow position again.

It seemed like hours riding in the back of the dusty and slightly smelly truck when Zoey felt it slow down. She slowly got to her feet, but a truck hit a slight bump causing her to fall hard on her butt.  Great, just great, she thought to herself.  Not only does my back hurt from being all hunched over but now I have a massive bruise on my backside.  Zoey groaned but silenced it quickly as the door to the back of the truck opened.  She shoved the stupid mask back down over face and assumed the cow position.  She heard no human voices as she followed the cows out of the truck, down a ramp and into a brick building.  She had no clue where she was. Figuring since no one was around; she tried to give Lucy and Garrett an update.  

"Guys, we've stopped and all the cows have been unloaded.  Not sure what to do now, any suggestions?"

 Zoey paused to see if she got a response.  Static was her only reply.  "Great I'm out of range,” she muttered to herself.  Shrugging her shoulders and stuffing the walkie back into her jeans, she cow walked through the herd, looking around to see if she could figure out where she was or at least a way that she could leave.

She had almost made a complete circuit of the room before she found a black door, which it was a little wider than a normal door, that was tucked near a corner of the building.  Glancing around, she still saw no human beings, so she grabbed the door handle and pulled.  Once she pulled it far enough to poke her head through, her jaw dropped in shock.  The room beyond the door held three different stations labeled strawberry, chocolate and vanilla.  There were cows at each station, hooked up to automatic milkers.  The milk that flowed from the cows, through tubes and into huge steel vats corresponded in color to the flavor above each station.  Holy crap, Zoey thought to herself, they've figured out how to get cows to give flavored milk!  No one is going to believe this.  She inched herself further into the room to get a better look.  The cows looked healthy and happy, at least as happy as she had ever seen a cow.

Zoey stood up in the doorway and pushed the mask off her face, mesmerized by what she saw.  Maybe this was where bottled chocolate, strawberry and vanilla milk came from.  She had always thought that the bottled stuff tasted better than when she made it herself.  Then suddenly and without warning, Zoey felt her arms being forced behind her.  A gravelly voice hissed in her ear, "No one will ever believe you if you talk about this" then a hood was shoved over her head, turning her world black. 

Out of the Blue and Just Because

My best friend Marie and I have been friends since we were 8 years old.  Our friendship has survived many things, including her moving away right before we were going to start high school.  Back in those days, we couldn't call each other much due to the cost of long distance phone calls, but we did write each other: a lot.  This practice has continued to this day.  We call it "fun mail" because it is certain to be a bright spot in the day, considering that most of the mail we get as adults is junk & bills.  We even send each other little presents, which you'd have to admit, is always awesome.  These gifts are often referred to as "just because" gifts simply because there is no reason for them.

Recently, I had a text conversation with Marie that went like this:
Marie - What is your pants and top size?
Me - I wear a large in most tops, XL if a button up.  I'm a size 14 in most pants, a 12 in most slacks.
Me - Don't forget that I'm allergic to ramie
Marie - Are you a morning peacock or an evening peacock?
Me - I'd say evening since that time of day has more blues and purples
Me - Now I'm curious
Marie - 4 items will be in the mail
Me - I'm scared & intrigued at the same time
Marie - Happy unbirthday.  Just remember you are loved

A few days later, I received a box in the mail.  Inside was three items: a pair of pants, a top and a pack of very pretty postcards.  The morning/evening peacock question actually referred to the pattern on the pants.  The morning peacock pants are really pretty and so very comfortable.  (To see the pattern, type morning peacock into Amazon's search)  The 4th item had not arrived and according to Marie, it was to arrive separately.  The wait was worth it.

                                          What arrived in it's own little box

This bath bomb was huge, a lot bigger than the ones that I've used in the past.  As mentioned in a previous post, I love a nice hot bath since it helps with my bad joints.  I couldn't wait to use it.  Marie said that she used the same one and it turned her water blue.  Not just a light blue but so dark of a blue it looked as if she had filled her bathtub with blue window cleaner.

                                            Into the deep, blue waters

I have to admit, the blue water made me rather nervous.  Marie said it didn't stain her tub or the skin.  Either way I had a choice: get in the tub or waste a gift from a friend.  Decisions, decisions.

I took the plunge and it was wonderful.  There was flower petals floating in the water that came from the bath bomb as it dissolved.  It smelled lovely and even made the water feel silky against my skin.  And no, I did not come out of the bath tub looking like a Smurf.

I enjoyed all my "just because" gifts because they were sent with me in mind and they were sent from a very dear friend.  Now the question is, what will become the next "just because" gift and who will be the one that sends it?