Just coming up for air for a few minutes. I've been buried in work and medical issues for the last couple weeks. I think the worst might be over - keep your fingers crossed and we'll see how it goes.
Nothing new to report on the book front, but tomorrow you get to look forward to a double dose of delectable delights from the vocabulary vault (say that five times fast).
In the meantime, today I'm burying my nose in a book and doing mountains of laundry. Doesn't that sound like a fun way to spend a day?
=) JB
7.18.2008
7.05.2008
Words for the Week
We spent a lovely Fourth yesterday at the lake, watching it rain intermittently and enjoying the company of family. Came home and watched the Nashville fireworks show on TV (in HD, which is, of course, fabulous) and called it a night. Yeah, our life is exciting, isn't it? ;)
Today is my one free day this week, so I'm working on a major to-do list. Second on the list is providing all you logophiles out there your weekly dose of wordage to chew on. My mind goes back to the WMVR's friend who said, "A word isn't part of your vocabulary until you've used it three times in everyday conversation." See what you can do with these, and enjoy the rest of your weekend ...
apogee \AP-uh-jee\ (noun) - 1 : The point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth. 2 : The farthest or highest point; culmination. [From Greek apogaion, from apogaios, "situated (far) away from the earth," from apo-, "away from" + gaia, "earth."]
atrabilious \at-ruh-BIL-yuhs\ (adjective) - 1. Gloomy. 2. Ill-tempered. [From Latin atra bilis (black bile), translation of Greek melancholia.]*
Note melancholia is also the root word for melancholy!
catholicon \kuh-THOL-i-kuhn\ (noun) - A panacea or cure-all. [Via Latin from Greek katholikos (general), from kata (according to, by) + holou (whole). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sol- (whole) that gave us words such as solid, salute, save, salvo, and soldier.]*
costive \KOS-tiv\ (adjective) - 1. Slow to act or speak. 2. Stingy. 3. Constipated. [Via French from Latin constipare (to cram together), from com- (together) + stipare (to pack or crowd).]*
delectation \dee-lek-TAY-shun\ (noun) - Great pleasure; delight, enjoyment. [From Latin delectation, from the past participle of delectare, "to please."]
linctus \(LINGK-tuhs\ - A syrupy liquid medicine, especially for treating coughs. [From Latin lingere (to lick). Ultimately from the Indo-European root leigh- (lick) that is also the source of lichen (apparently from the way it licks its way around a surface), and lecher, but not lingerie (which is from the root lino: flax).]*
peccant \PEK-unt\ (adjective) - 1 : Sinning; guilty of transgression. 2 : Violating a rule or a principle. [From the present participle of Latin of peccare, "to sin."]
preternatural \pree-tuhr-NACH-uhr-uhl; -NACH-ruhl\ (adjective) - 1 : Existing outside of nature; differing from the natural; nonnatural. 2 : Surpassing the usual or normal; extraordinary; abnormal. 3 : Beyond or outside ordinary experience; inexplicable by ordinary means. [From the Latin phrase praeter naturam, "beyond nature."]
roborant \ROB-uhr-uhnt\ (adjective) - Strengthening. (noun) A tonic. [From Latin roborare (to strengthen), from robor- (oak, hardness). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reudh- (red) that also gave us red, rouge, ruby, ruddy, rubella, robust, corroborate, and rambunctious.]*
vivify \VIV-uh-fy\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To endue with life; to make alive; to animate. 2 : To make more lively or intense. [From French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificare, from Latin vivus, alive.]
Extra points if you can use all these words in conversation this week!
=) JB
*This week's words from Wordsmith are terms connected with medicine, most of which are now used metaphorically. (All words not marked with an * are from ArcaMax.)
Today is my one free day this week, so I'm working on a major to-do list. Second on the list is providing all you logophiles out there your weekly dose of wordage to chew on. My mind goes back to the WMVR's friend who said, "A word isn't part of your vocabulary until you've used it three times in everyday conversation." See what you can do with these, and enjoy the rest of your weekend ...
apogee \AP-uh-jee\ (noun) - 1 : The point in the orbit of the moon or of an artificial satellite that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth. 2 : The farthest or highest point; culmination. [From Greek apogaion, from apogaios, "situated (far) away from the earth," from apo-, "away from" + gaia, "earth."]
atrabilious \at-ruh-BIL-yuhs\ (adjective) - 1. Gloomy. 2. Ill-tempered. [From Latin atra bilis (black bile), translation of Greek melancholia.]*
Note melancholia is also the root word for melancholy!
catholicon \kuh-THOL-i-kuhn\ (noun) - A panacea or cure-all. [Via Latin from Greek katholikos (general), from kata (according to, by) + holou (whole). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sol- (whole) that gave us words such as solid, salute, save, salvo, and soldier.]*
costive \KOS-tiv\ (adjective) - 1. Slow to act or speak. 2. Stingy. 3. Constipated. [Via French from Latin constipare (to cram together), from com- (together) + stipare (to pack or crowd).]*
delectation \dee-lek-TAY-shun\ (noun) - Great pleasure; delight, enjoyment. [From Latin delectation, from the past participle of delectare, "to please."]
linctus \(LINGK-tuhs\ - A syrupy liquid medicine, especially for treating coughs. [From Latin lingere (to lick). Ultimately from the Indo-European root leigh- (lick) that is also the source of lichen (apparently from the way it licks its way around a surface), and lecher, but not lingerie (which is from the root lino: flax).]*
peccant \PEK-unt\ (adjective) - 1 : Sinning; guilty of transgression. 2 : Violating a rule or a principle. [From the present participle of Latin of peccare, "to sin."]
preternatural \pree-tuhr-NACH-uhr-uhl; -NACH-ruhl\ (adjective) - 1 : Existing outside of nature; differing from the natural; nonnatural. 2 : Surpassing the usual or normal; extraordinary; abnormal. 3 : Beyond or outside ordinary experience; inexplicable by ordinary means. [From the Latin phrase praeter naturam, "beyond nature."]
roborant \ROB-uhr-uhnt\ (adjective) - Strengthening. (noun) A tonic. [From Latin roborare (to strengthen), from robor- (oak, hardness). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reudh- (red) that also gave us red, rouge, ruby, ruddy, rubella, robust, corroborate, and rambunctious.]*
vivify \VIV-uh-fy\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To endue with life; to make alive; to animate. 2 : To make more lively or intense. [From French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificare, from Latin vivus, alive.]
Extra points if you can use all these words in conversation this week!
=) JB
*This week's words from Wordsmith are terms connected with medicine, most of which are now used metaphorically. (All words not marked with an * are from ArcaMax.)
7.04.2008
Let Freedom Ring
As our nation celebrates its 232nd birthday, I hope we'll all take the time to reflect on what our independence means ... we have what I consider immeasurable freedoms in this country, comparatively speaking. My Wonder Twin has posted an incredible essay on what boils down to intolerance and oppression of a right that a great number of Americans take completely for granted - being able to say or write whatever we want without fear of persecution. Robert D. Raiford, curmudgeon at large of the John Boy and Billy Big Show, often rants about how we live in the "United States of the Offended", and he's not far off the mark in my opinion. Just think about it, and when you get angry or upset about something someone has said or written, thank God and our founding fathers that you're entitled to speak your mind about it, and either do it or move on. Kudos to you, Sister.
I was trolling back through some of this week's posts on Murderati, and Thursday's post from Rob Browne hit home for me in a way that can only be understood when you take it in context of what today is all about. Last Sunday our church choir (of which my WGH is a part) did our 4th of July celebration, and when they played and sang the medley of the songs of the Armed Forces (complete with a video), I completely lost it.
As most of you know by now, I am the proud daughter of an Air Force veteran - Dad did two tours of duty in Viet Nam, flying F4 Phantoms in combat and earning a chestful of medals. The first eight years of my life were spent on Air Force bases around the US and in Southeast Asia. (The GP doesn't call me "the quintessential Air Force brat" for nothing.) This, in response to Rob's post, is what makes me cry. There are actually a lot of things that choke me up: movies (like that last scene in You've Got Mail - I'm a sucker for a happy ending like that and it gets me every time I watch it); books sometimes, if the scene is really well written (we won't talk about what Jo Rowling did to me when she killed off a certain beloved character in the 7th Harry Potter book); even - craziest of all - TV commercials. There's this one where a guy lands at an airport, gets in his rental car and drives with the help of some GPS system to a house he's only seen a picture of on his cell phone, and when the young man opens the door, he says incredulously, "Papa?" I bawled like a baby.
But nothing - and I mean nothing - makes me cry like I do when I hear the Air Force theme song ... it's gone through a lot of changes over the years, I've discovered, being first written for the Army Air Corps back in 1957, before the Air Corps branched off into its own entity and became the United States Air Force. To a lot of you, this won't mean as much, but for those of you who know me, you can only imagine what this song means to me on a very deep, personal level. So thank you, Dad, for serving our country, and today, we all celebrate you and your fellows for fighting to retain the freedoms our founding fathers set forth over 230 years ago.
=) JB
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for me; give me liberty or give me death!"
-- Patrick Henry, US orator, patriot, & politician in American Revolution (1736 - 1799)
I was trolling back through some of this week's posts on Murderati, and Thursday's post from Rob Browne hit home for me in a way that can only be understood when you take it in context of what today is all about. Last Sunday our church choir (of which my WGH is a part) did our 4th of July celebration, and when they played and sang the medley of the songs of the Armed Forces (complete with a video), I completely lost it.
As most of you know by now, I am the proud daughter of an Air Force veteran - Dad did two tours of duty in Viet Nam, flying F4 Phantoms in combat and earning a chestful of medals. The first eight years of my life were spent on Air Force bases around the US and in Southeast Asia. (The GP doesn't call me "the quintessential Air Force brat" for nothing.) This, in response to Rob's post, is what makes me cry. There are actually a lot of things that choke me up: movies (like that last scene in You've Got Mail - I'm a sucker for a happy ending like that and it gets me every time I watch it); books sometimes, if the scene is really well written (we won't talk about what Jo Rowling did to me when she killed off a certain beloved character in the 7th Harry Potter book); even - craziest of all - TV commercials. There's this one where a guy lands at an airport, gets in his rental car and drives with the help of some GPS system to a house he's only seen a picture of on his cell phone, and when the young man opens the door, he says incredulously, "Papa?" I bawled like a baby.
But nothing - and I mean nothing - makes me cry like I do when I hear the Air Force theme song ... it's gone through a lot of changes over the years, I've discovered, being first written for the Army Air Corps back in 1957, before the Air Corps branched off into its own entity and became the United States Air Force. To a lot of you, this won't mean as much, but for those of you who know me, you can only imagine what this song means to me on a very deep, personal level. So thank you, Dad, for serving our country, and today, we all celebrate you and your fellows for fighting to retain the freedoms our founding fathers set forth over 230 years ago.
Off we go into the wild blue yonder,
Climbing high into the sun.
Here they come, zooming to meet our thunder;
At 'em boys, give 'er the gun!
Down we dive, spouting our flame from under,
Off with one hell-of-a-roar!
We live in fame or go down in flame.
NOTHING WILL STOP THE U. S. AIR FORCE!
=) JB
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take but as for me; give me liberty or give me death!"
-- Patrick Henry, US orator, patriot, & politician in American Revolution (1736 - 1799)
7.01.2008
The Fourth Watcher Winners
Once again I have enlisted the aid of an impartial judge (Little Bit, who was, like her sister, half asleep) to draw the names of 7 lucky folks who will receive an autographed copy of Timothy Hallinan's The Fourth Watcher. Thanks to all who entered - if you didn't win, you can click on the image under The Chef's Special to the right to purchase your very own copy. And since Tim has started his U.S. tour, perhaps he will be in your neighborhood and you can snag an autograph as well!
Congratulations to the following winners:
Kam Aures
Jan Boyett
J.T. Ellison
Kerry Hammond
Helen Kiker
Melanie King
Carol Swanson
We have a couple more great authors lined up for visits to the Lunch Room, but I'm going to keep their identities a surprise for just a little while longer. You know, I write suspense, so I have to use it on you guys every once in a while ...
At the moment I am in the throes of a horrible upper respiratory infection, so the rest of the world is going to be put on hold for a little while. Enjoy your day, read a book and laugh - all of which are good for you. As for me, I'm going after some seriously good drugs ...
=) JB
Congratulations to the following winners:
Kam Aures
Jan Boyett
J.T. Ellison
Kerry Hammond
Helen Kiker
Melanie King
Carol Swanson
We have a couple more great authors lined up for visits to the Lunch Room, but I'm going to keep their identities a surprise for just a little while longer. You know, I write suspense, so I have to use it on you guys every once in a while ...
At the moment I am in the throes of a horrible upper respiratory infection, so the rest of the world is going to be put on hold for a little while. Enjoy your day, read a book and laugh - all of which are good for you. As for me, I'm going after some seriously good drugs ...
=) JB
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