tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84338395096095232372024-03-18T12:12:08.379-05:00Bish Denham Tales of growing up in the U. S. Virgin Islands and other Random Thoughts. Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.comBlogger1138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-41087950185465205762024-03-06T04:00:00.287-06:002024-03-06T04:00:00.143-06:00IWSG, Gee Willikers Let's Chew the Fat Awhile, Quotes, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><a href="http://kristinaseyes.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kristina Kelly,</a> <a href="https://miffieseideman.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Miffie Seideman,</a> <a href="http://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jean Davis,</a> and <a href="http://middlepassages-lcs.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Liza @ Middle Passages!</a></b></span></span><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?</b></span></span></div><div>I haven't "played" with AI at all, nor do I intend to. I'm too old for this New Age stuff. I think it's impact on the arts could possibly lead to a diminishing of human creativity, ingenuity, and imagination. </div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;">Origins</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's phrase is:</span> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Chew the fat</span></b></div></span></div><div>There appear to be several myths about the origins of this phrase, all of which sound quite plausible but are unverifiable. The truth came as a complete surprise to me.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Myth 1</b></span>: It came about because sailors ate salted/dried fish and meat while at sea which required a lot of chewing.</div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Myth 2</span></b>: It originated with Native American tribes who chewed on animal hides to soften them.</div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Myth 3</span></b>: (The most commonly believed one) In the fifteen hundreds a family could show of its wealth by offering guests small bits of pork to chew. (Ewwww) </div><div><br /></div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meat_is_Rationed_So_is_Chewing_the_Fat_Less._Gab_More_Guns_-_NARA_-_533911.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;" title="National Archives at College Park
, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Meat is Rationed So is Chewing the Fat Less. Gab More Guns - NARA - 533911" height="230" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Meat_is_Rationed_So_is_Chewing_the_Fat_Less._Gab_More_Guns_-_NARA_-_533911.jpg/512px-Meat_is_Rationed_So_is_Chewing_the_Fat_Less._Gab_More_Guns_-_NARA_-_533911.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's something from 1942-43.</td></tr></tbody></table></span></b><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">The Truth</span></b>: We can blame it on the British army in India. "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Prior to the adoption of metallic cartridges, most ammunition was composed of powder and a ball wrapped in paper or cloth soaked in animal fat, which was bitten open during musket drill. Soldiers were known to chew on these ends to pass the time and reduce nerves, and in some cases to stave off cravings for chewing tobacco." (Wikipedia)<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">1885 is when it was first used in a book titled, <i>Life in the Ranks of the British Army in India</i> by J. Brunlees Patterson, where he described it as</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit;"> military men complaining, grousing, and grumbling about conditions. An earlier form (1875) "chew the rag," is American and is more about gabbing and gossiping. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's <b>Weird Word</b> is: <b>Gee willikers</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAkM7GvszH0Q07ON_9jovp3g-8e7K8oYdmZRaZvZiKeYiOZft6gaHJstmpjiNfSc2zl-mu6da98wgLLM_1l1pjadDds47qXuEBQmrOM7A8mb0gVrLlkYiNtzN7mWXA2kO62R8j8LJhK_opYEBoZRtnC9N0eOGuHarybg_WSXsPAuiKxf50LpYD5UOb0Q/s502/Weird%20Words.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="502" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAkM7GvszH0Q07ON_9jovp3g-8e7K8oYdmZRaZvZiKeYiOZft6gaHJstmpjiNfSc2zl-mu6da98wgLLM_1l1pjadDds47qXuEBQmrOM7A8mb0gVrLlkYiNtzN7mWXA2kO62R8j8LJhK_opYEBoZRtnC9N0eOGuHarybg_WSXsPAuiKxf50LpYD5UOb0Q/w222-h217/Weird%20Words.jpg" width="222" /></a></div></div></div><div>This is strictly an American euphonism, an exclamation of surprise, enthusiasm, or exasperation.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Earliest citation is from 1847. "<span style="background-color: white;">Perhaps (i) a fanciful alteration of </span><span class="foreign-form" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jerusalem!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> (which is probably itself a euphemistic alteration of </span><a class="cross-reference" data-tippy-content="Expressing surprise, dismay, disgust, exasperation, etc." href="https://www.oed.com/dictionary/jesus_n?tab=meaning_and_use#1274794410" style="background-color: white; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #215fa6; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="cross-reference-headword" color="inherit" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Jesus</span></a>.)<span style="background-color: white;">" Oxford English Dictionary. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">There are many variations of this theme: Gee-Whittaker, Gee-whitaker, Geewhillikins, Gee willikers. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Does anybody even use it any more?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Dancing Script"; font-size: xx-large;">Quotes of the Month </b><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Dancing Script"; font-size: xx-large;">from Eleanor Roosevelt </b></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div>One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.</div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eleanor_Roosevelt_portrait_1933.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Eleanor Roosevelt portrait 1933" height="252" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Eleanor_Roosevelt_portrait_1933.jpg/256px-Eleanor_Roosevelt_portrait_1933.jpg" width="208" /></a><br /></div><div>We shall have to be willing to learn and to accept differences of opinion and background.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. The choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.</div><div><br /></div><div>...freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility.</div><div><br /></div><div>It takes a good home and a good school to prepare young people for citizenship in a democracy and even then they will have to go on learning throughout life.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Dancing Script"; font-size: xx-large;">Being Thankful</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Today I am thankful for the seemingly simple things of life:</div><div style="text-align: center;">air to breathe, food to eat, a roof over my head.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The list is long. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What simple things are you thankful for? Have you used AI? What are your thoughts on it? Have you ever used "chewing the fat" or "gee willikers"?</div></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-85991654633326254062024-02-07T04:00:00.353-06:002024-02-07T04:00:00.244-06:00IWSG, By the Skin of My Teeth I'm Driving that Jalopy, Quotes, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://janetalcorn.com/" target="_blank">Janet Alcorn,</a> <a href="https://sewhitebooks.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">SE White,</a> <a href="https://www.victoriamarielees.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a> and <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine!</a></span><br /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;">What turns you off when visiting an author's website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author's books? Constant mention of books? </b>Oh gosh. Lack of information about what? I don't recall ever visiting a blog or website that's a drone of negativity. But I'm sure that would be a turn-off for me. My own blog is guilty of not mentioning my books much, but they're there...over to your right if you'd care to check them out. Since writers have had to become their own promoters (even if published traditionally) I can't fault those who loudly toot their own horns. If they don't do it, who will? I'm an introvert in that department. I'm happy be in the chorus and sing my part, but I'm not comfortable as the soloist.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w181-h157/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="181" /></a></div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;">Origins</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;">I delve into the history of a </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;">word or phrase.</span></div><div><div style="color: black;"><br /><div class="separator"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GenevaBible.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Hi540, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="GenevaBible" height="164" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/GenevaBible.JPG/512px-GenevaBible.JPG" width="218" /></a></div></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's phrase is:</span> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>By the Skin of My Teeth</b></span></div><div>I was surprised to learn how old it is...</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The phrase made it's first written debut in the <span style="background-color: white;">1550s in the Geneva Bible.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:L%C3%A9on_Bonnat_-_Job.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Léon Bonnat
, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Léon Bonnat - Job" height="263" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/L%C3%A9on_Bonnat_-_Job.jpg/256px-L%C3%A9on_Bonnat_-_Job.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Job. A haunting painting <br />of despair... </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Job is lamenting all that Satan has done to him and all that God has allowed to happen (it is a piteous and heart-wrenching passage to read) he cries out in anguish, <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>"<span style="background-color: white;">I am nothing but skin and bones; </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth."</span> </b>And this is a direct translation from the Hebrew. Who can say how long the Hebrews </span><span style="background-color: white;">used the phrase before it was written in the Book of Job? I think it's safe to say, it's anywhere between 4 to 9 thousand years old, as that's how old scholars believe Job's story to be (give or take 5 thousand years). You can read the whole lament here at</span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2019-20&version=NIV"> Job Chapter 19.</a> None of that explains what the skin of one's teeth actually is. I'm kind of inclined to think it's that semi-slimy layer of scum that's on your teeth when you wake up in the morning. (Gross I know.) Or maybe it has to do with the gums.</span></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's <b>Weird Word</b> is: <b>Jalopy</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAkM7GvszH0Q07ON_9jovp3g-8e7K8oYdmZRaZvZiKeYiOZft6gaHJstmpjiNfSc2zl-mu6da98wgLLM_1l1pjadDds47qXuEBQmrOM7A8mb0gVrLlkYiNtzN7mWXA2kO62R8j8LJhK_opYEBoZRtnC9N0eOGuHarybg_WSXsPAuiKxf50LpYD5UOb0Q/s502/Weird%20Words.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="502" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAkM7GvszH0Q07ON_9jovp3g-8e7K8oYdmZRaZvZiKeYiOZft6gaHJstmpjiNfSc2zl-mu6da98wgLLM_1l1pjadDds47qXuEBQmrOM7A8mb0gVrLlkYiNtzN7mWXA2kO62R8j8LJhK_opYEBoZRtnC9N0eOGuHarybg_WSXsPAuiKxf50LpYD5UOb0Q/w172-h168/Weird%20Words.jpg" width="172" /></a></div></div></div><div>Most sources acknowledge there's no sure source of where or how this word originated. It popped up in the early 1920s. Most however agree it <i><b>might </b></i>have come from Jalapa, Mexico (same place the Jalapeño is from) which, it seems, is where used cars from the US were sent to die.<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_pickup_01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Old pickup 01" height="175" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Old_pickup_01.jpg/512px-Old_pickup_01.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><div>In my experience growing up the Virgin Islands, a jalopy was definitely a beat-up vehicle, a rust-bucket held together with baling wire and maybe duct tape, but still running, still operational. Anyone who had a good running jalopy could be called upon to go places regular vehicles couldn't go. I learned to drive in a jalopy. It was a jeep that jumped out of second gear and barely had reverse! </div><div><br /></div><div>We were "jeeping" and "off-roading" LONG before it became a "thing.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Dancing Script"; font-size: xx-large;">Quotes of the Month</b></div><div>"Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective in life." Gregory Peck</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">***</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div>"Enjoy life as it is today -- it is going to change." Stephen Ramjewan</div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">***</span></div><div><br /></div><div>"Measure not men by Sundays, without regarding what they do all the week after." Thomas Fuller</div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">***</span></div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 2rem;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Those sons-of-bitches over there ain’t buying. Every yard gets ’em. They’re lookers. Spend all their time looking. Don’t want to buy no cars; take up your time. Don’t give a damn for your time. Over there, them two people – no, with the kids. Get ’em in a car. Start ’em at two hundred and work down. They look good for one and a quarter. Get ’em rolling. Get ’em out in a <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>jalopy</b></span>. Sock it to ’em! They took our time." John Steinbeck from </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 7.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 2rem;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know who wrote this </span>analysis of the quote, but it's great. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> "Dehumanized by his runaway greed, the used car dealer lectures his employees on how to exploit customers. Seeing vulnerable migrants as easy money, he motivates his sales team to suck as much money as possible out of them. There is irony in the fact that even those not interested in buying a car are targets for his cynical sales pitch."</span></span></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">And who knew "Sock it to 'em" didn't originate in the late 1960s on Laugh-In.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n6HIzYXZzI0" width="320" youtube-src-id="n6HIzYXZzI0"></iframe></div><p></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Dancing Script"; font-size: xx-large;">Being Thankful<br /></b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I'm thankful that we survived a very hard freeze </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(at one point we were colder than Billings, Montana!) </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, we got a little bit of rain. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The weather has been wild and crazy.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">What are you thankful for? Do certain authors' blogs or websites annoy you? Have you ever felt like you were hanging on by the skin of your teeth? Ever owned or driven a </span>jalopy<span style="font-family: inherit;">?</span></span></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-83662390269859500842024-01-03T04:00:00.429-06:002024-01-03T04:00:00.130-06:00IWSG, Origins, Weird Words, Quotes, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
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Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
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Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://joylenebutler.com/blog" target="_blank">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/olgagodim.wordpress.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> and <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre!</a></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></span></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;">Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?</b> I am not a member of BookBub. I've heard of it, I've looked at the site, but to be honest, I don't buy many new books. I go to the library for new stuff. I don't know about anyone else but going to a site like BookBub is, for me, overwhelming. </span></span><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"></b></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">So last year (already?) I chose interesting words to delve into. This year I'm going to explore interesting phrases and weird words. I'm also going to go through my extensive collections of quotes and end each post with something pithy, humorous and/or mind-bending. Clever me. So original....</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;">Origins</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's phrase is: </span><b style="color: #2b00fe;">Up to snuff</b> </span></div></span></div><div>After three years of being careful and getting all our vaccines, hubby and I finally got one of the many COVID variants. Nice gift at the end of the year... We now call ourselves, Disease and Pestilence. Anyway, I wasn't feeling up to snuff which made me wonder where the heck THAT phrase came from. I only knew it had something to do with snuff.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Poole.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Henry William Pickersgill
, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="John Poole" height="217" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/John_Poole.jpg" width="178" /></a>All sources agree it does indeed have to do with the sniffing of snuff, a tobacco product, which gave a certain quality of sharpness or energy to the user. So a person described as being "up to snuff" was someone who was alert, clever, and not easily fooled. So, someone NOT up to snuff, was the opposite.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first written use comes from a play by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Poole_(playwright)" target="_blank">John Poole</a> written in 1810. It's called <span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Hamlet Travestie: In Three Acts </i>a humorous spoof of Shakespeare's famous play. Poole was apparently quite popular in his day.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIborRoAMjmFxH_Gq5viAJiDwvR-j8hfKLceSWRx7q8as44SEDYuAF1gdg4YsZ0_JucNzqKgqtYnNdLzxPX851rT_fxkL6i85yAH3mGFgfr6hHXTBGblO5RXdAV852vYfdFLQgioTHXyJTAiDP1nJtgwHByA3I5-N9ZRe5aiwmS8LjCq9MAQ3Hwe-AQfo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><img alt="" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="219" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIborRoAMjmFxH_Gq5viAJiDwvR-j8hfKLceSWRx7q8as44SEDYuAF1gdg4YsZ0_JucNzqKgqtYnNdLzxPX851rT_fxkL6i85yAH3mGFgfr6hHXTBGblO5RXdAV852vYfdFLQgioTHXyJTAiDP1nJtgwHByA3I5-N9ZRe5aiwmS8LjCq9MAQ3Hwe-AQfo" width="242" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's <b>Weird Word </b>is:</span><span style="color: #1c1c1c;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Discombobulate</b></span><br />We all know that it means to be in a state of confusion, or disorder. But where did it come from? In that imaginative time between say 1830 and 1890, there was a fad going around to create fanciful mock-Latin words. Discombobulate is one of these and appears to be the only one that has survived. Others include: <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Absquatulate</b></span></span></span>, to run away or make off with. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Confusticate</b></span>, to confound. <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Panjandrum</span></b>, meaning a "pompous person of power and pretension." Love that alliteration! I like all of these mock-Latin words, particularly confusticate. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1c1c1c; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">I only manage to read 22 books of my 30 book Goodreads goal. But that's ok. It's always interesting to look back and be surprised by the variety and eclectic nature of my reading.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Harbor Me - Jacqueline Woodson</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Beatryce Prophecy - Kate DiCamillo</div><div style="text-align: left;">Shout - Laurie Halse Anderson</div><div style="text-align: left;">Squeeze Me - Carl Hiaasen</div><div style="text-align: left;">Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield - I LOVED it even though it took me three months to read!</div><div style="text-align: left;">Melissa - Alex Gino</div><div style="text-align: left;">The War That Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fish in a Tree - Lynda Mullaly Hunt</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pale Blue Dot - Carl Sagan</div><div style="text-align: left;">Queen Hildegarde - Laura Elizabeth Richards</div><div style="text-align: left;">This Book is Gay - Juno Dawson</div><div style="text-align: left;">Wait for Signs - Craig Johnson</div><div style="text-align: left;">Garvey's Choice - Nikki Grimes</div><div style="text-align: left;">A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bellevue - David M. Oshinsky - A interesting history of the famous hospital in NYC</div><div style="text-align: left;">See You on a Starry Night - Lisa Schroeder</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Children's Blizzard - Melanie Benjamin</div><div style="text-align: left;">Harriet Tubman - Kathleen V. Kudlinski</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hell and Back - Craig Johnson</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Ranch that was Us - Becky Crouch Patterson - a family memoir about a huge ranch not far from where I live in the Texas Hill Country</div><div style="text-align: left;">Femina - Janina Ramirez - A account of relatively unknown mediaeval women who did amazing things</div><div style="text-align: left;">How to Meditate - Pema Chodron - A very nice book with which to end the year</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2024's list begins with three books I'm currently reading</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Rattlesnake - C. Lee McKenzie - a great ghost story!</div><div style="text-align: left;">The Women's West - Susan H. Armitage - A compilation of articles and stories about the lives of real women who were pioneers of the American West</div><div style="text-align: left;">A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b>Quotes of the Month</b></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"This planet is not Terra Firma, it is a delicate flower and it much be cared for."<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>Astronaut Scott Carpenter</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I'd like to read a book...I've never read a book before. I understand they have pages and everything." Frank Oz</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things." Frank A. Clark</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful hubby and I didn't get any sicker than we did. The medication we got certainly stopped it from galloping into our lungs and we are definitely thankful for that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-weight: bold;">Happy </span><span style="color: #04ff00; font-weight: bold;">New </span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Year</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>!</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Are you a BookBub user? Have you read any of the books on my list? What do you think of those faux-Latin words? Got a favorite? Do you think we should make up some new ones? I'll start. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Incompuhensive</b></span>: The state of being almost understandable, but not quite, so that it drives one slightly crazy.</div></div></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-8333900874611094832023-12-06T04:00:00.425-06:002023-12-06T04:00:00.244-06:00The Gift of Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/" target="_blank">C. Lee McKenzie,</a> <a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">JQ Rose,</a> <a href="http://jenniferlanebooks.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jennifer Lane,</a> and </b><a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b>Jacqui Murray!</b></a></span><b style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;">Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book review do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author? </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I rarely critique the author unless it's to say something general as in "I found the writing a bit choppy" or "I really liked the author's style of writing." My book reviews are pretty simple, I don't give </span>synopses because there are plenty given by other reviewers and there is the book blurb itself. My reviews are mostly about what I like or don't like, how the story make me feel, what I learned or didn't learn. They don't tend to be longwinded. I rarely get into the "psychological" or "metaphorical" meaning behind a story. I rarely give out 5 stars either. For me, 5 stars are for those really powerful and special books that leave me kind of breathless and wanting more, that make me weep or laugh out loud, a book I will want to read more than once. Being honest with myself, most books I like are good solid 4s. A few are 3s. Unless an author is well known and people are raving about a book I find particularly bad, I rarely write reviews for books to which I would only give 1 or 2 stars. If the author is not famous and I think their story is bad (for whatever reason) but has lots of positive reviews, I keep my opinion to myself and don't post a review. I don't want to hurt another author's chances at making a little money.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's words are: <b>GIFT and BIBLE</b></span></div><div>Christmas is on it's way. What could be better than discovering the origins of these two words?</div><div><br /></div><div>Gift, "that which is given," has traveled a long and winding road. We will go from newest to oldest: </div><div><b>Old Norse</b> <i>gift, gipt </i>meaning "gift or good luck".</div><div><b>Proto-Germanic </b><i>geftiz, (</i>which is also the source of the Old Saxon <i>gift, </i>Old Frisian <i>jefte, </i>Middle Dutch <i>ghifte "</i>gift", German <i>mitgift "</i>dowry") all come from the <i><b>geb "</b></i>to <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>give" which in turn comes from the</div><div style="text-align: right;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Birthday_gifts.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Juliescribbles, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Birthday gifts" height="131" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Birthday_gifts.jpg/512px-Birthday_gifts.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Words are Gifts</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Proto-Indo-European</b><b> root </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">ghabh </i>"to give or receive." This humble root word forms part or all of these words (this is not the full list): able, cohabit, cohabitation, debit, debt, due, duty, endeavor, exhibit, exhibition, <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>forgive</b></span>, gavel, <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>gift</b></span>, give, habeas corpus, habit, habitable, habitant, habitat, habitation, habitual, habituation, inhabit, inhibit, malady, prohibit, prohibition, provender. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love that the word FORGIVE is related to GIFT.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gutenberg_Bible,_Lenox_Copy,_New_York_Public_Library,_2009._Pic_01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;" title="NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng), CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Gutenberg Bible, Lenox Copy, New York Public Library, 2009. Pic 01" height="149" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg/512px-Gutenberg_Bible%2C_Lenox_Copy%2C_New_York_Public_Library%2C_2009._Pic_01.jpg" width="239" /></a>The word <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Bible </span></b>comes from the Latin <i>biblia, </i>which in turn comes from the Greek work <i>biblion, </i>meaning "paper scroll" and evolved to be an "ordinary word for a book as a division of a larger work." </div><div><br /></div><div>It's the paper scroll part that's interesting. <i>Biblion </i>was a diminutive of <i>byblos</i>, meaning "Egyptian papyrus." The city of Byblos was a Phoenician port from which papyrus was exported to Greece. </div><div><br /></div><div>We have papyrus to thank not only for the word paper, but also for the long list of words that have to do with books from bibliophile to biblioteca which is Spanish for library.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span><span>Today's loadwords come from <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Old Norse</span></b>. There are so many, it was hard to choose. Loft/aloft, Anger, Are, Awe, Bag, Bait, Band (as in rope), Billow, Bleak, Both, Boon, Bug, Cake, Cozy, Creek, Cur, Die, Dirt, Dregs, Dump, Egg, Glitter, Gun, Happy, Haven, Husband, Keg, Kid, Kilt, Knife, Lad/Lass (not Scottish!? the Vikings gave them to us!) Leg, Mistake, Mug, Ransack, Reef, Rotten, Sale, Same, Skill, Skin, Skull, Sky, Take, Thrift, Troll, Ugly, Wail, Window (which means wind-eye) Wrong.</span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Merry Christmas,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Happy New Year,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Peace on Earth,</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #04ff00; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>and</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Broccoli on Mars</b></span></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-680615989652602662023-12-01T04:00:00.256-06:002023-12-01T04:00:00.135-06:00Flames of Wrath by JL Campbell, a Book Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/flames-of-wrath-banner_orig.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="800" height="171" src="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/flames-of-wrath-banner_orig.png" width="458" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The need to right a wrong against an
innocent victim </span></b></div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>triggers a hailstorm of revenge. </b></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Today I have the pleasure of helping my longtime internet friend, JL Campbell, spread the word about her latest book!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwgWZ0hjiXzWRFx_QvlhXeBKD7cNrBjHh1sIGIdaMYxTt1b0NkEH2xW5ES8OH2rvQTkKj6UbYNDaAlhjWoEuFY0_fUgUzfMgrhdVdT2D5GU3iBB99ynN5ShbbfRTCMlQo05GNYCuY3i8n1ob0UyHIpzihvSnICTObP6w4UVrPsPkjWWCEM_-1xKK4xus/s1080/thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwgWZ0hjiXzWRFx_QvlhXeBKD7cNrBjHh1sIGIdaMYxTt1b0NkEH2xW5ES8OH2rvQTkKj6UbYNDaAlhjWoEuFY0_fUgUzfMgrhdVdT2D5GU3iBB99ynN5ShbbfRTCMlQo05GNYCuY3i8n1ob0UyHIpzihvSnICTObP6w4UVrPsPkjWWCEM_-1xKK4xus/s320/thumbnail.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">A mother’s quest for justice turns
into a race against time to stop insidious murders that mysteriously
begin populating throughout the city. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth
Ware will be enthralled by this emotionally chilling thriller!</span></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">
<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The
need to right a wrong against an innocent victim triggers a hailstorm
of revenge!</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">In less than twenty-four hours—before
Alexia Leighton is scheduled to return to Miami from spring break in
Jamaica—a group of friends betray her in a grisly assault that
stops a heartbeat away from murder. The seventeen-year-old prays for
the mercy of death. She survives. While on the road to recovery,
Alexia's attackers become victims of mysterious acts of violence,
leaving authorities confounded and racing against time to prevent
another deadly attack. Concern looms, as the perpetrator has proven
to be two steps ahead of them at every turn.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">When
the attention swings to Alexia's mother, a cyber-security expert, the
family closes ranks. Geneva Leighton must quickly eliminate herself
as a suspect, but not without handing down more punishment. The
offenders fear for their own safety and the secrets that plague them.
Can they trust the police to find the killer before someone else
dies, or has their fate been sealed—leaving them with no place to
run, and no place to hide . . .</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>***</b></span></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;"><b>Describe your writing style.</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;">I’ve been told that my writing is literary in nature but that
sure isn’t the case with Flames of Wrath. Since the genre has certain
conventions, I had to stay within those if I hoped to write a well-paced story.
Readers have also said my characters are compelling and that I have a way with
dialogue.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;"><b>What makes a good story?</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;">For me, that would be one in which I am immersed in the plot
and have a hard time taking breaks from reading. I like characters that I can
relate to, and even if I can’t see things from their point of view, I want them
to be interesting and have layers to their personality. I’m an armchair
adventurer, so I’m fascinated with books that take me to diverse parts of the
globe. </p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;"><b>What are you currently reading?</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;">I’ve been reading the Nena Knight series and I’m about to
start book three. I’ve been enjoying these thrillers mainly because of the
character and how she navigates the world she’s thrown into after a series of
unfortunate situations. The pacing is good and the plot is engaging. In between
that, I’ve been reading The Reformatory by Tananarive Due. Let’s just say this
book is an intense read that’s not for the faint of heart. It’s about a
twelve-year-old boy who faces a harrowing experience inside a reform school in
Jim Crow Florida.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;"><b>What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an
outline first? Do you do the chapters first?</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;">I no longer have what I’d consider a process. Used to be, I’d
outline my story so I knew where I was going from the get-go. Then, I started
doing a combination of both—knowing the start, the ending, and a few of the
huge happenings in between. At heart though, I prefer to be organized and not
write by the seat of my pants because when I write that way, there’s too much
cleaning up to do in the editing phase. At the outset, I prefer knowing a huge
chunk about my characters—the stuff they own, their personality quirks, and
their history. A vague outline is also a bonus, but the one thing I have to
know when I sit at the keyboard is what the current chapter is about. Without
that compass, I’d be lost.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;"><b>What is your favorite part of this book and why?</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;">As weird as it sounds, it’s not any part of the mayhem Geneva
causes or how she deals with her daughter’s enemies. My favourite part is where
she’s talking to Spence, her husband, and telling him but not telling him what
she’s done to get justice for their daughter. It’s serious and funny, in parts.
That, and the family scenes were special for me as I believe in the love and
support that family provides.</p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;"><b>And a bonus question … If your book had a candle, what
scent would it be?</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="text-align: left;">Definitely cinnamon. It’s a distinctive spice that can be
sprinkled in with most baked goods. It has may beneficial properties, but like
Geneva, too much of it can play havoc with one’s health.</p><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">
</span></p><p class="Standard" style="margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: left;">And there you have it, a little
about me and what reading and writing looks like in my world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="Standard" style="margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>***</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/flamesofwrath-about-the-author_orig.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="514" height="81" src="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/flamesofwrath-about-the-author_orig.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/jl-campbell-headshot-new-286x400_orig.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="286" height="249" src="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/jl-campbell-headshot-new-286x400_orig.jpg" width="173" /></a></div><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit;">National Bestselling Author, <span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">J.L.
Campbell lives in Jamaica and</span> <span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">writes across
several genres. </span>She is a<span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> certified
editor, and book coach, who has produced over forty books. When she’s
not writing, Campbell adds to her extensive collection of </span>photos
featuring Jamaica’s natural beauty. </span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">She can be found lurking about at these sites:</span><b style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.joylcampbell.com/">Website</a>
* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jlcampbellwrites">Facebook</a> *
<a href="https://twitter.com/JL_Campbell">X</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jl.campbell">Instagram</a>
* <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-l-campbell">Bookbub</a>
* <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-L.-Campbell/author/B004S148VO">Amazon</a>
* <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1091161.J_L_Campbell">Goodreads</a></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>Flames of Wrath </b></span>by J.L. Campbell, a Crime Thriller, can be found at:</p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p style="line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Flames-Wrath-J-L-Campbell-ebook/dp/B0BZ3579DM">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/flames-of-wrath/id6446507924">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1143144070?ean=9798985594164">B&N</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/flames-of-wrath">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/flames-of-wrath-by-j-l-campbell">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123453746-flames-of-wrath">Goodreads</a></b></p><div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/flamesofwrath-giveaway_orig.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="303" height="115" src="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/flamesofwrath-giveaway_orig.png" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Follow
the tour </b></span></span><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/flames-of-wrath-book-tour-and-giveaway"><span color="#"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><u><b>HERE</b></u></span></span></span></a><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>
for special content and a giveaway!</b></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">$10 Amazon</span></span></p></div><br /><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="23d974a93957" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a93957/" id="rcwidget_if3obbhu" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></p></div></div></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-71992234884205875332023-11-01T04:00:00.217-05:002023-11-01T04:00:00.139-05:00Let's Talk Turkey, IWSG, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.pjcolando.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">PJ Colando,</a> <a href="http://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jean Davis,</a> <a href="http://www.lisabuiecollard.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lisa Buie Collard,</a> and <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Diedre Knight!</a></span></b></span><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #2b00fe;">November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not? </b>I have participated, back when it was still new. I did it twice and finished both times. The novels I wrote languish in their files because 1) they need a lot of work and 2) I'm lazy. One is a crazy fantasy with lots of humor that's kind of a combo of Oz and Disc World. The other is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, West Indian style. Both have potential, but both need soooOOOOoooo much work... </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's word is:</span> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Turkey</span></b></div><div><span>Last month is was about pie, so it's seems only right that this month it be about turkey.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Back in the 1540s the Portuguese imported the guinea fowl from Madagascar and it arrived in Europe via... you guessed it... Turkey. But wait, guinea fowls were not called turnkeys.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guinea_Fowl,_Dale_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4400981.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Guinea Fowl, Dale by Robin Drayton, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Guinea Fowl, Dale - geograph.org.uk - 4400981" height="194" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Guinea_Fowl%2C_Dale_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4400981.jpg" width="258" /></a><span>The North American bird we call the turkey was first domesticated by the Aztecs and introduced to Spain by the Conquistadores. Because North Africa was under Ottoman (Turkish) rule and because it looked similar to the guinea fowl, by the time the North American bird arrived in Europe in the 1550s, the name "turkey" was starting to stick. However, the wild undomesticated bird arrived in England from the American colonies in the 1530s and was already becoming a popular main course at Christmas by the 1570s.</span></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meleagris_gallopavo_(6486177203).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Ruben Undheim from Trondheim, Norway, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Meleagris gallopavo (6486177203)" height="213" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Meleagris_gallopavo_%286486177203%29.jpg/512px-Meleagris_gallopavo_%286486177203%29.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>So there you have it, from Madagascar to Mexico we get look-alike guinea fowls called turkeys.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Today's loanwords are Arabic and Turkish/Persian in origin. All are very familiar and rather pretty, too. </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><b>Arabic</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">: Safari, Lemon, Admiral, Alcohol, Algebra, Sofa, Zero, Candy, Caravan, Shawl, Alchemy, Cotton, Zenith, </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Hazard</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">, Apricot, Giraffe. </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Turkish</b></span><b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">/Persian</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">: Sherbet, Talc, </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">Tapestry</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">, Sandal, Scarlet, Bazaar, Carafe, Percale.</span></span></span><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #202124;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><b>Turkish Delight Dribble</b></span></div><div style="color: #202124;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">She lounged on the sofa, sipping her alcoholic beverage, and nibbled on Turkish Delight. The shawl draped about her shoulders warded off the chill. Some idiot offered her a dish of sherbet. In a scarlet rage, she threw her sandal at the offender.</span></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Today I am thankful that we've had some rain. Not much, almost three of inches, but it's been heavenly.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We also had our first serious cold front, dropping into the mid 30s at night, and staying in 40s during the day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What are you thankful for? Have you participated in NaNo? Are you ready for the holidays? </div></div></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-47442742078719922872023-10-04T04:00:00.111-05:002023-10-04T04:00:00.137-05:00To Pie or Not to Pie is that even a question? IWSG, Being Thankful,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:<span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="https://fictioncanbefun.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Debs Carey,</a> <a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Gwen Gardner,</a> <a href="https://www.patriciajosephine.com/blog" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Patricia Josephine,</a> and <a href="https://www.rebecca-douglass.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Rebecca Douglass!</a></span></b><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts? </b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">I do think there's a danger of AI replacing writers, particularly as AI gets "smarter" with it </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">plagiarizing</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">. Science always moves forward way faster than governments and with governments being slow to respond there have always been problems. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plastic was never regulated and look where we are now? We breathe in and ingest plastic every day.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">AI is like that. No regulation and it will soon be out of control.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's word is:</span> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Pie</b></span></div><div>It's that time of year when our minds turn to pies. Pumpkin, apple, mincemeat, chicken pot pie, shephard's pie... The word "pie" goes back to 1300s and is not found outside of English. </div><div><br /></div><div>However pies have been around a long time. Savory meat dishes, with a bottom pastry, were known to the Egyptians and Greeks, though the Romans may have been the first to make pies with both a bottom and top crust.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mother_Goose%27s_melodies_-_or_Songs_for_the_nursery_(1879)_(14582986458).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Mother Goose's melodies - or Songs for the nursery (1879) (14582986458)" height="296" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Mother_Goose%27s_melodies_-_or_Songs_for_the_nursery_%281879%29_%2814582986458%29.jpg/256px-Mother_Goose%27s_melodies_-_or_Songs_for_the_nursery_%281879%29_%2814582986458%29.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sing a song of sixpence</div><div style="text-align: center;">A pocket full of rye</div><div style="text-align: center;">Four and twenty blackbirds</div><div style="text-align: center;">Baked in a pie</div><div style="text-align: center;">When the pie was opened the birds began to sing</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?</div><div><div><br /></div><div>YES! there are recipes for making pies with live animals! Something which only royalty or the wealthy could afford as a way to impress their guests.</div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>For the English, a sweet pie made with fruit usually doesn't have a top and is called a tart. It is only for savory meat dishes with a top and bottom crust that the word "pie" is used. In the Cook's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer -- written some time between 1387 and 1400 -- pie is mentioned.</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424;">And he could roast and seethe and broil and fry</span></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And make a good thick soup, and bake a pie"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pies_(25619774353).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;" title="Stephanie Clifford from Arlington, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Pies (25619774353)" height="234" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Pies_%2825619774353%29.jpg/512px-Pies_%2825619774353%29.jpg" width="312" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Virgin Islands fruit-filled pastries are always called tarts, a holdover from Colonial times no doubt. In the United States we use the word pie to describe anything with a pastry, with or without a top</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> crust.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you have a favorite pie? Mine is pumpkin. I've been making pumpkin pies since I was around 12 and have, over these many years, perfected my recipe to the point where I allow myself to boast just a bit. I think I make the world's best pumpkin pie. Most PPs that I've ever tasted are far too sweet so not only have I cut way back on the sugar, I use more spices than those called for in most recipes. If you would like my recipe email me. I'd be happy to send it out into the world, and I'll even include the last and final secret ingredient.</span></div></span></div></span></div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span><span>Today's loanwords are from Yiddish and Russian. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Yiddish</b></span>: Glitch, Klutz, Spiel, Schmooze, Bagel, Chutzpah, Lox, Maven, Mensch, Nosh, Putz, Schlep, Schmuck, Schnoz. Most of these are so much a part of our vocabulary, it's like English could get bossy and claim them for its own. <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Russian</span></b>: Disinformation, Shaman, Bridge (the card game!) sable, Stroganov, Kefir.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>A Haiku </b></span></span><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Pie</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span>No kefir in pie</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">But pumpkin spread on bagels </div><div style="text-align: center;">Sounds like fall is near</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annular_eclipse_%22ring_of_fire%22.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Kevin Baird, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Annular eclipse "ring of fire"" height="179" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Annular_eclipse_%22ring_of_fire%22.jpg/512px-Annular_eclipse_%22ring_of_fire%22.jpg" width="269" /></a>I have never seen a total eclipse of the sun. Now, within 6 months, I will be seeing two. The small town where I live in the Texas Hill Country, is in the crosshairs. The first, an<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2023/" target="_blank"> annular eclipse,</a> will happen this month on the 14th. It's called The Ring of Fire.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The second and more well know, a total solar eclipse with the diamond ring effect, will happen on April 8th, 2024. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">NASA will be here, live streaming both events. Their Chief Scientist, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/about-ocs/#:~:text=NASA%20Chief%20Scientist-,Dr.,related%20strategic%20planning%20and%20investments." target="_blank">Dr. Katherine Calvin</a>, will be here and is going to be giving a free lecture to the public. For the annular eclipse, an estimated 500,000 people may descend on the Hill Country, with between 50 and 100 thousand coming to my town. For the total eclipse... as many as a million people will be in the area. They are coming from all over the US and the world. The authorities suggest that us natives stay home because the congestion is going to be astronomical. (HA) I10, which runs right next to us is predicted to become a parking lot... Any place that has a bed has been booked for a year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am thankful that I'm going to have the experience of (hopefully) seeing two total eclipses. I'm not so thankful about the thousands of people that are coming, though they will dump a ton of money on our town. Hubby and I have stocked up (stores will be depleted) and plan to stay home for the duration which could be several days before and after.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ever seen a total eclipse of the sun? What's your favorite pie? What are you thoughts on AI, does it scare or disturb you? What's a Yiddish word you use a lot? For me it's nosh, or schlep, or schnoz (because I have a fairly prominent one!)</div></div></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-10438428550789373472023-09-06T04:00:00.297-05:002023-09-06T04:00:00.159-05:00IWSG, There's a Gossamer Shimmer in Air, LoanWords, Drought, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://soniadogra.com/" target="_blank">Sonia Dogra,</a> <a href="https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">J Lenni Dorner,</a> <a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen,</a> and <a href="https://authormekajames.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Meka James!</a></span></b><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you? </span><span>It's been 12 years already? My how time flies when we're having fun! I think I was among some of those original people who already "knew" Alex through blogging when he came up with the idea. Has it helped? YES!!! I don't think I would still be blogging and trying to stay connected with writerly type people if it weren't for these monthly questions. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">THANK YOU ALEX!</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's word is: <b>Gossamer </b></span></div></span></div><div>There are some words in the English language - like sphere, tranquility, ethereal, serendipitous, sumptuous, amethyst - that are just plain pretty. They are pretty to look at, sound nice, and they feel good on the lips, tongue and in the mouth when spoken. Gossamer is, for me, one of those words.</div><div><br /></div><div>But it's story doesn't hint at how it's meaning would change. Just look at some of it's many lovely synonyms. Gauze/gauzy, diaphanous, sheer, translucent, filmy, light, feathery.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:..._webs_(4758219776).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="... webs (4758219776)" height="247" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/..._webs_%284758219776%29.jpg/512px-..._webs_%284758219776%29.jpg" width="329" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>It is the last word, feathery, that hints at gossamer's origin. It comes to us from Old English. Back in the old days, a thousand years ago or so, in the fall, filmy spiderwebs could be seen on the stubbly remains after the fields had been harvested. People may have thought the feathery spider webby stuff that flew around in the air looked like goose down. Hence we get <i style="font-weight: bold;">gos, </i><span>meaing</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>"goose" plus <i style="font-weight: bold;">sumer </i><span>meaning </span>"summer." Literally, goosesummer. These late summer, early fall days was also the time when geese were eaten, so when the birds were being cleaned their down likely floated around in the air.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for Texas, goose down and cobwebs are not floating around, but the air is definitely shimmering like silvery gossamer. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="color: #202124; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.</span><span> <br />Today's loanwords are from the Orient.</span><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Chinese</b></span>: Ketchup, Brainwashing, Typhoon, Chow, Gung-ho, Kowtow, Paper Tiger, Pidgin, Tea, Tycoon. <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Japanese</b></span>: Honcho, Ramen, Soy, Tofu, Emoji, Rickshaw, Tsunami, Koi, Futon, Teriyaki, Tempura, Ginkgo</span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div>We are getting tired of this unpresented heat and lack of rain. We are in Stage 4 water restrictions and Exceptional Drought conditions. Predictions are that September will be more of the same. Predictions are this area will eventually become a desert. Trees are shedding their leaves. Cypress are turning brown. I still see sprinklers going. The underlying fear is fire. So far we have been extremely blessed or lucky that all the fires that have happened have been small and quickly contained. But there are still idiots out there who think they can burn their brush piles or light up their burn barrels. All it would take is for one cedar to catch fire and we'd have a disaster on our hands. I know a volunteer fireman and he keeps me posted. He's nervous...</div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b>Somewhere Else</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">The dry, hot wind</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> sucks the moisture</span></span><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> from the air</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><span><span>Sucks it out of the tree and leaves</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><span><span>Sucks it out of human skin</span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;">Evaporates it all</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;">and sends it up into a</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> cloudless sky.</span><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span>Where it goes</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> is a mystery.</span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span><span>But</span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span><span>Somewhere else</span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> there is rain</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124;"><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> there is flooding.</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful that the Texas electrical grid has held </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">despite getting almost daily alerts to conserve energy.</div></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-32693724503691115952023-08-02T04:00:00.400-05:002023-08-02T04:00:00.139-05:00I'm MELTING!!! IWSG, Origins, LoanWords, Being Thankful<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQJ8WrKnLUs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQJ8WrKnLUs</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://katelarkindale.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Kate Larkinsdale,</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and </span><a href="http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Shannon Lawrence!</a></b></span><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Conflicted in what way? Subject matter? How it was written? The answer for me is, can't say that I have. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's word is: <b>Melt</b></span></div></span></div><div>It's August. It's hot. What better word to explore than something heat does to<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream" target="_blank"> ice cream</a> (which itself has a long history.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Melt has an old and prestigious pedigree. It comes down to us from the Middle English word <i>melten, </i>which comes from the Old English <i>meltan,</i> meaning to "become liquid through heat". They are in turn from the Proto-Germanic words <i>meltanan </i>and <i>gamaltijan</i>. If that weren't old enough, those two Proto-Germanic words can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European word <i>meldh - </i>also the source of the the Sanskrit word, <i>mrduh, </i>meaning "soft, mild" - AND the Greek <i>meldein, </i>"to melt, make liquid" AND the Latin <i>mollis, </i>"soft, mild", both of which come from the Proto-Indo-European root <i>mel, </i>meaning "soft." Got all that? </div><div><br /></div><div>Proto-Indo-European is hypothesized to have been spoken between 4500 BC and 2500 BC, which is late Neolithic to early Bronze Age. That's approximately 6500 to 4500 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, when the Wicked Witch of the West cried out, "I'm melting!" maybe it was August.<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/uQJ8WrKnLUs" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uQJ8WrKnLUs/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Then there's this great hot summer song from the Lovin' Spoonful.</div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SIHs15lejJw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcamQIwo7g09e0iJ1KhgBK-E1Ci54ebwympisFExPHnIvkm6T84ENdpV7gEK1PQIWL3O55kvZD2W2dVWqaPo3BGIkJaaFNZcw48k_p3Rg5ODtT1V86Qi9d6YCGdui66V_KCCfyeafn3h62Mfx1ruGLeNmdbNqQoU-b9f8_LYHu7eLdsmxlRhTOZ5b-dTg/s616/40b26831-9df3-4000-90b1-9e4edd886ea7-CIN1Cpt_01-14-2018_Enquirer_1_F005__2018_01_12_IMG_Martin_Luther_King_J_1_1_19KRDMG2_L1163833360_IMG_Martin_Luther_King_J_1_1_19KRDMG2.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="616" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcamQIwo7g09e0iJ1KhgBK-E1Ci54ebwympisFExPHnIvkm6T84ENdpV7gEK1PQIWL3O55kvZD2W2dVWqaPo3BGIkJaaFNZcw48k_p3Rg5ODtT1V86Qi9d6YCGdui66V_KCCfyeafn3h62Mfx1ruGLeNmdbNqQoU-b9f8_LYHu7eLdsmxlRhTOZ5b-dTg/w282-h214/40b26831-9df3-4000-90b1-9e4edd886ea7-CIN1Cpt_01-14-2018_Enquirer_1_F005__2018_01_12_IMG_Martin_Luther_King_J_1_1_19KRDMG2_L1163833360_IMG_Martin_Luther_King_J_1_1_19KRDMG2.webp" width="282" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Lastly 50 years ago, on August 28th, 1963 (the temp was a pleasant 83 degrees) Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before a peaceful crowd of a quarter of a million people.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPcE8aYv_xsWRj1rRqNMDziSll-BvWYC6dS35B1-fSencdLK7LmoUnwXrTS0z2_7bdWk0myCWA3A9v5ydjS9ugLkv0ujsG1L1ue_9ibXgisaqb1R_gY2yppltrUqJ6xx4Y5Bjk6Dtwr9Qy-V2KPJ_lUb9e86DJX7A4ecWL25bBi-HP_P4sPJ95ceT6Vc/s300/download%20(2).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPcE8aYv_xsWRj1rRqNMDziSll-BvWYC6dS35B1-fSencdLK7LmoUnwXrTS0z2_7bdWk0myCWA3A9v5ydjS9ugLkv0ujsG1L1ue_9ibXgisaqb1R_gY2yppltrUqJ6xx4Y5Bjk6Dtwr9Qy-V2KPJ_lUb9e86DJX7A4ecWL25bBi-HP_P4sPJ95ceT6Vc/w364-h204/download%20(2).jpg" width="364" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Today's loanwords come from three beautiful "Romance" languages. <b>Spanish: </b>Cigar, Tobacco, Patio, Savvy, Vigilante, Vanilla, Cockroach. (That last HAD to come from SOMEwhere!) <b>Portuguese: </b>Massage, Cashew, Zebra, Breeze, Grouper, Lingo, Caste, Coconut, Cuspidor, Marmalade, Potato, Sargasso, Zombie. (Blame them on the Portuguese.) <b>Italian: </b>Cartoon, Broccoli, Graffiti, Piano, Lagoon, Marina, Bank, Money, (those two would have to go together) Bandit, Casino, Balcony, Patio, Veranda, Stiletto, Gusto, Torso, Replica, Studio, Orange, Magenta, Sepia, Umber, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower and NOVEL!</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;">***</b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Novel Quotes</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Isn't it interesting that novel can also mean new or </span>unusual in an interesting way?<span style="font-family: inherit;">)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">“No one says a novel has to be one thing. It can be anything it wants to be, a vaudeville show, the six o’clock news, the mumblings of wild men saddled by demons.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;"> </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Ishmael Reed</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">“Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. I'm always irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality and it's very shocking to the system.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Flannery O'Connor</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">“I read anything that’s going to be interesting. But you don’t know what it is until you’ve read it. Somewhere in a book on the history of false teeth there’ll be the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;">making of a novel.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; text-align: left;" /><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">Terry Pratchett</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful for a minor break in the heat. We're back to our more "normal" mid to high 90s. Between June and July we had 25 days where it was 100 degrees or more. 11 consecutive days in June, 13 in July. The hottest day was June 22, at 104. We wait with baited breath to see what August will bring. Hopefully rain.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Have you ever been conflicted about something you wrote? Did you do anything about it? What do you do to cool down when it's hot? Did you know that NOVEL came from Italian?</div></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-17740418642373633312023-07-05T04:00:00.504-05:002023-07-06T07:22:44.919-05:00Who Really Invented Bar-B-Que and, Why Are Buccaneers involved? A Dribble for AOM and Being Thankful.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>This is TWICE my posts have not been published on the date and time that I set them for!</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.pjcolando.com/" target="_blank">PJ Colando,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Gwen Gardner,</a> <a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> and <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre!</a></span></b><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:</span><b style="color: #191919;"> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-weight: 700;">99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe; font-weight: 700;"> </span></div><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjUXgDf84pNtE0Te8iiSe3C_MnVsnV5U3-WlKT2P_KNwMw33k9Aywe8HT8CnfDn5HkyZpjkmw3Fho2m1srTeUo0B691_fMHmV2vGju7JSGl2T1m9G_t5T39yIN6_j4CVeAQpRDJTAiaXftl0Jpgck2NKLn8tZa7FVWk9E_tIhmEwYwnOePJplIraj/s2775/liz_tail_front_cover_print.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1875" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjUXgDf84pNtE0Te8iiSe3C_MnVsnV5U3-WlKT2P_KNwMw33k9Aywe8HT8CnfDn5HkyZpjkmw3Fho2m1srTeUo0B691_fMHmV2vGju7JSGl2T1m9G_t5T39yIN6_j4CVeAQpRDJTAiaXftl0Jpgck2NKLn8tZa7FVWk9E_tIhmEwYwnOePJplIraj/w162-h240/liz_tail_front_cover_print.jpg" width="162" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My stories have all come from my imagination. Often it's a single sentence that pops into my head, or it's a character that won't leave me alone that sets me on the path of discovering the rest of the story. My novel A Lizard's Tail, is a prime example. I was working for a friend who had a ceramics shop where she made wholesale </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">souvenir items, like pirate mugs and stuff</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. In our spare time when we weren't busy pouring slip, glazing, and packing orders, we played with clay. One day I made a lizard. One of the guys who helped with </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">deliveries was a funny young man who's name was Marvin. So that's how my little sculpted lizard got it's name. And he immediately had a story to tell. The sculpture was with me many years and I wrote many, many pages of notes of possible stories. Finally, some 30 years after I had made the sculpture, Marvin P. Tinkleberry, in all his vain glory, came into being. Unfortunately, as is the way of things, the little ceramic lizard lost it's battle with gravity and was broken beyond repair. However, his story now lives in print and </span><span style="text-align: center;">I think he would be pleased.</span></div></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9jJfp3tLTt1mabGWZAX92I9KNjqT3lyHECzJAzwcAuVnA3oQKgLPX4SslH734OLvyY__ymO0-a1VbgQM2_5CUbW78RnfSvZs1RqFaTFci9R1EwsLmB8LMKMs-XGS3lWNzMF1BHx6cpQk3p5wfnmCxaclmTJJsVj45kve_5GCuXDqNlqYvRp-s35V/s463/lizard%20glyph.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="463" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9jJfp3tLTt1mabGWZAX92I9KNjqT3lyHECzJAzwcAuVnA3oQKgLPX4SslH734OLvyY__ymO0-a1VbgQM2_5CUbW78RnfSvZs1RqFaTFci9R1EwsLmB8LMKMs-XGS3lWNzMF1BHx6cpQk3p5wfnmCxaclmTJJsVj45kve_5GCuXDqNlqYvRp-s35V/w104-h60/lizard%20glyph.jpg" width="104" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's words are <b>BUCCANEER </b>and <b>BARBECUE</b>:</span></div></span></div><div>It's July, what better month to talk about buccaneers and barbecue? But how could the two possibly be related? Places like Texas, Missouri, Georgia, North Caroline, and Tennessee (to name just a few) all think they not only have the best BBQ, but that they invented it. They are, of course, wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sit back and enjoy the story.</div><div><br /></div><div>I bet you think of buccaneers as pirates. It comes from the French word <i>boucanier. </i>Boucaniers were 17th<i> </i>century hunters who lived in Haiti (the western half of the island of Hispaniola) hunting wild boar and cattle. A boucanier made <i>barbacoa </i>which is Spanish for barbecue. The boucanier cooked his meat on a <i>boucan </i>which is French for the Brazilian word <i>buccan. </i>A buccan was a kind of grill on which the indigenous peoples (ie Caribs) roasted human flesh and other meats. </div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Hispaniola.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="John Carter Brown Library
, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Map of Hispaniola" height="217" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Map_of_Hispaniola.JPG/512px-Map_of_Hispaniola.JPG" width="335" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The island of Hispaniola. Haiti on the left, <br />Santo Domingo on the right. </td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div><div>Eventually those French hunters must have gotten tired of barbecuing meat in the heat of the tropics, so they decided to try robbing ships on the high seas instead. Thus, from a buccan, a cannibal's roasting pit, we get barbecue and buccaneer. Now, at your next family BBQ see how many you can gross out with a story about cannibals and their buccans.</div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span><span>Today's loanwords come the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, the Taino. They were not the cannibals. Cannibalism has been attributed to the fierce and war-like Caribs, after which the Caribbean is named. However, there is no evidence that they were cannibles. I pronounce it CARE-ib-bee-an as the people were called CARE-ibs not ca-RIBs. Saying ca-RIB-be-an has never sounded right to me. Other loanwords are from indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South American. From the <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Taino </b></span>we get: Canoe, Iguana, Guava, Hurricane, Manatee, Hammock, Maize, Cassava, Cay (pronounced kee), and Savanna. From the <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America</b></span> we get: Moccasin, Chocolate, Caribou, Chipmunk, Hickory, Hominy, Moose, Opossum, Pecan, Persimmon, Racoon, Skunk, Squash, Chili, Tomato, and Jerky.</span><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>AOM, America's Only Marsupial</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Opossum </span>rummaged around in the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">canoe </span>looking for something to eat. <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Iguana </span>watched from high in a tree while eating a <span style="color: #2b00fe;">guava</span>. <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Opossum </span>found plenty of food but the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">tomatoes </span>were too mushy, the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">jerky </span>too hard, the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">chili </span>too hot. But then he discovered the <span style="color: #2b00fe;">chocolate</span>.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful for a slight backing off of the heat. 11 days of it being 100 degrees or better was a bit much. The highest it got was 106. We've even had a little much needed rain!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">So, where do your story ideas come from? Are you surprised by the origin of any of the loanwords? And how about those Caribs giving us barbeque?</div></div></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-31991796340311441792023-06-07T04:00:00.238-05:002023-06-08T07:38:52.446-05:00Here's to that Yankee Ingenuity, IWSG, Being Thankful,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
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Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
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Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #191919;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.patriciajosephine.com/blog" target="_blank">Patrcia Josephine,</a> <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> <a href="http://olgagodim.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> <a href="https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">J. Lenni Dorner,</a> and <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine!</a></span></b><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Well I'm not that prolific a writer to begin with so... there are lots of things I'm interested in, lots of things to do, reading being one. Drawing, coloring, putting puzzles together. Was a time I played guitar and sang, tatted, did some sewing. Then there's always weeding. I do like to weed...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's word is:<b> YANKEE</b></span></div></span></div><div>This word has quite a story. To begin with it's Dutch and has several possible origins. One is that it could have begun as the nickname, <i>Janke, </i>which literally means "Little John." Or, it could come from the name<i> Jan Kes</i> a form of "John Cornelius." Or, it could be the name <i>Jan Kaas, </i>which means "John Cheese" a nickname the Flemish used on Dutchmen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Originally it was used by the English to insult the Dutch (particularly the freebooters) of New Amsterdam, the colony established on the southern tip of the island of Manhattan in 1624. However the Dutch were not phased and quickly turned it around and used the term to describe the English. But it didn't stick. It wasn't until the American Revolution that Yankee became the insult the English used to refer to all American natives and colonial inhabitants. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Americans naturally took the word on as their own and even reworked a derogatory song. Hence Yankee Doodle Dandy, a "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">popular tune of the American Revolution, apparently written c. 1755 by British Army surgeon Dr. Richard Schuckburgh while campaigning with Amherst's force in upper New York during the French and Indian War. The original verses mocked the colonial troops </span><span style="background-color: white;">serving alongside the regulars, and the </span><span class="foreign notranslate" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic;">Doodle</span><span style="background-color: white;"> element might have been, or hinted at, the 18c. slang term for 'penis.' The song naturally was popular with British troops in the colonies during the Revolutionary War, but after the colonials began to win skirmishes...in 1775, they took the tune as a patriotic prize and re-worked the lyrics. The current version seems to have been written in 1776 by Edward Bangs, a Harvard sophomore who also was a Minuteman." <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/Yankee%20Doodle#etymonline_v_24684" target="_blank">On Line Etymology Dictionary</a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>And now you will never think of Yankee Doodle Dandy the same way again!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Today's loan words are from Dutch. Some of these were a surprise.</div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Cookie, Aardvark (which means earth pig!) Avast (ye maties. It means, STOP!) Bazooka, Blink, Booze, Cruise, Dollar, Foist, Frolic, Geek, Golf!!!</div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Holster, Kink, School, Hooky, Puss (as in cat), Skate, Sled/Sleigh, Slim, Sloop, Snack, Stove, Waffle (my favorite breakfast food) Yacht.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>The Aardvark and the Gofer</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>or</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>(Bill Murry Would Not Be Pleased)</b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #202124;">The </span></span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">golfer </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #202124;">eyed the lay of the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">golf </span><span style="color: #202124;">course.
He knew there was </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">slim </span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">chance of making the long putt. But then he saw
the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">aardvark</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">. “</span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Avast</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">, you earth digger!” She had an idea. The gofer agreed. She dug
a hole closer in return for a </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">cookie</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></p></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Today I am thankful that all went well with my sister's first checkup since having her heart valve replacement a year ago. She is already back home in the islands safe and sound.</div></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-10025606971827277872023-05-03T04:00:00.206-05:002023-05-03T04:00:00.135-05:00A Penguin by Any Other Name is Still a Penguin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://joylenebutler.com/blog" target="_blank">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a href="http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a> <a href="https://authormekajames.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Meka James,</a> <a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a> <a href="https://www.victoriamarielees.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a> and <a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">M Louise Barbour!</a></b></span><b style="color: #2b00fe;"><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>When you are working on a story, what inspires you?</b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Hmmm. When I'm working on a story, the story inspires me. The characters, the setting, the scene.</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span>Today's word is:</span> </span><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">PENGUIN</span></b>!</div><div>I bet you don't know the origin of this word. It certainly came as a surprise to me. It's... Welsh! </div><div><br /></div><div>Back in the 1570s it was the name given to the great auk of Newfoundland which became extinct in 1844. Birds that looked similar to the great auk were seen by Sir Francis Drake in Magellan's Straits in 1578 and he may have contributed to the Antarctic birds being called penguins as it was in use by the 1580s.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Auk_(Pinguinis_impennis)_specimen,_Kelvingrove,_Glasgow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1108249.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Mike Pennington / Great Auk (Pinguinis impennis) specimen, Kelvingrove, Glasgow"><img alt="Great Auk (Pinguinis impennis) specimen, Kelvingrove, Glasgow - geograph.org.uk - 1108249" height="313" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Great_Auk_%28Pinguinis_impennis%29_specimen%2C_Kelvingrove%2C_Glasgow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1108249.jpg/256px-Great_Auk_%28Pinguinis_impennis%29_specimen%2C_Kelvingrove%2C_Glasgow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1108249.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Penguin is believed to come from <i>pen, </i>meaning "head", (a word found in Penzance, pendragon and Pennsylvania) and the word <i>gwyn </i>(as in Gwendolyn) meaning "white, shining." As you can see from the preserved specimen at the right, it does look rather like the birds we now call penguins, like the Chinstrap, below.</div></span></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinstrap_Penguin_(Pygoscelis_antarctica)_(2302883511).jpg" title="Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) (2302883511)" height="152" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Chinstrap_Penguin_%28Pygoscelis_antarctica%29_%282302883511%29.jpg/256px-Chinstrap_Penguin_%28Pygoscelis_antarctica%29_%282302883511%29.jpg" width="256" /></a><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Just to confuse things, there is also the possibility that the word penguin comes from the Latin word <i>penguis, </i>which means "fat, juicy" and figuratively refers to something "dull, gross, or heavy."</span></div></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">I like the Welsh origin story better.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. </span><br /></span></div></div><div>Today's loan words come to us from Irish, Scottish, and Gaelic. Bob (as in short hair), Cairn, Clan, Crag, Galore, Glen, Pet (as in a domesticated or tame animal), Paid, Whiskey (of course!) Hubbub, Shanty, and Smidgen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Such great words!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Dribble to a Still</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #202124;">There was a </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">hubbub </span><span style="color: #202124;">going on in
the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">shanty</span><span style="color: #202124;">. He opened the door, just a </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">smidgen, </span><span style="color: #202124;">and peeked inside. What a mess! The
still was broken apart and most of the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">whiskey </span><span style="color: #202124;">bottles, so carefully corked, were
broken. In the middle of the carnage a giant </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">penguin </span><span style="color: #202124;">reeled.</span></p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful for my sister, who is coming to visit this month for her first annual checkup since her heart valve replacement. Yes, it's been a year already! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><br />Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-86087148236742146712023-04-05T04:00:00.108-05:002023-04-05T04:00:00.197-05:00NEWS FLASH! BARBARIAN THUGS GO BERSERK AND VANALIZE IWSG! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:<span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><a href="http://jemimapett.com/blog/" target="_blank">Jemima Pett,</a> <a href="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nancy Gideon,</a> and <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre!</a></span><br /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is</span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;">:<b> </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">I wrote many, many partial and incomplete novels all through my teens, but my first completed novel was written in my mid-20s. I still have it. I haven't looked at it in at least 30 years. I know parts of it are ok, but most of it is a steaming hot mess of you know what. I worked hard to get better and to write and publish the three books I did. I'm happy with what I've done. If I get any other books published, I'll let you know!</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Today's words are:</span> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Berserk, Vandalize, Thug, Barbarian, and Babbling.</b></span></div></span></div><div>I know, I know. FIVE words? But they're all kind of related and I couldn't separate them, they would have been traumatized.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronspl%C3%A5t_2_fr_Torslunda_sn,_%C3%96land_(Stjerna,_Hj%C3%A4lmar_och_sv%C3%A4rd_i_Beovulf_(1903)_sid_103).jpg#/media/File:Bronsplåt_2_fr_Torslunda_sn,_Öland_(Stjerna,_Hjälmar_och_svärd_i_Beovulf_(1903)_sid_103).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="212" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Bronspl%C3%A5t_2_fr_Torslunda_sn%2C_%C3%96land_%28Stjerna%2C_Hj%C3%A4lmar_och_sv%C3%A4rd_i_Beovulf_%281903%29_sid_103%29.jpg" title="This may depict a one-eyed Odin guiding a berserker. Odin guiding a berserker." width="246" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This may depict a one-eyed Odin<br />guiding a berserker.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>Berserk </b>comes for the Old Norse words <i>bjorn, </i>meaning "bear" and <i>serkr, </i>meaning "shirt." It literally means bear shirt. Old Norse was spoken before 1350 CE. At some point someone mistook bear shirt to mean bare shirt, as in "without clothes." Ancient Scandinavian warriors were known to "go berserk" in battle, the confusion is whether they fought naked, weren't wearing any armor, were wearing bear skins <i>instead </i>of armor, OR were magically transformed into bears. Whatever they did, when they went berserk, the warriors were filled with a mad and wild frenzy and it was believed they couldn't be wounded. Apparently women could go berserk, too.</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Genseric_sacking_rome_456.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Karl Bryullov
, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img height="253" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Genseric_sacking_rome_456.jpg/512px-Genseric_sacking_rome_456.jpg" title="The Sacking of Rome by Karl Bryullov" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vandals sacking Rome.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>Vandals</b>, on the other hand, were an ancient Germanic people. They went berserk and overran Spain, North Africa, and Gaul - present day France. In 455 they arrived in Italy and sacked Rome, destroying many buildings and monuments as they went and bringing about the final end of the Roman Empire. Hence we have the verb "to vandalize."</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wonder if there were any <b>thugs </b>among those berserk vandals? Thugs were professional robbers and murderers in India. Their trademark was to strangle their victims. <i>Thug </i>comes from the Hindu word <i>thag </i>which means "thief." <i>Thag </i>comes from two Sanskrit words, <i>sthaga, </i>meaning "rogue" and <i>sthagati</i>, meaning "to cover" or "conceal." Translated that means sneaky thief. Thugs were finally put out of business by 1840. By the way, Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those thugs can be real <b>barbarians</b>. Barbarous comes from the Greek word <i>barbaros</i>, which means, "foreign, rude, or ignorant." It's similar to another Sanskrit word, <i>barbara </i>(not to be confused with the name) meaning "to stammer." In this case the stammer is used for a person speaking a language in which they are not fluent. They are speaking unintelligibly, which is another way to say they are "<b>babbling</b>" incoherently.</div><div><br /></div><div>So there you have it, babbling barbaric thugs go berserk and vandalize IWSG.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.</span><br /></span></div></div><div>Today's loan words are from Hindi and Sanskrit. Loot, Pajamas, Bungalow, Shampoo, Khaki, Bandana, Bangle, Cot, Cushy, Dinghy, Dungaree, Punch (as in a drink) Veranda, Basmati, Avatar, Guru, Cashmere, Chintz, Deva, Jungle, Jute, Tank (as in a cistern/water catchment) and Ganja (a word the Rastafarians have pretty much claimed as their own.)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">Today I am thankful for another couple of Dribbles being accepted by <a href="https://www.vineleavespress.com/" target="_blank">Vine Leaves Press.</a> I recommend subscribing to their Dribble a Day. The stories are so varied and unique. I'm also thankful that I was inspired to write a story <span style="font-family: inherit;">(well actually to rework an old story) for a contest called Fractured Fairy Tales put on by the <a href="https://www.instituteforwriters.com/" target="_blank">Institute for Children's Literature</a> (now called The Institute for Writers) - I took all their courses years ago and learned SO much about writing for children! Years ago I won first place in one of their contests with my Anansi story "Why Dogs Beg" which led to the eventual publishing my book <i>Anansi and Company</i>. Lastly I'm thankful that I got the second round of edits finished on my grandmother's cookbook and sent it off to my cousin and sister for their second reading.</span></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What are you thankful for today? Do you remember writing your first book? Was it terrible or what?</div></div></div>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-42710353601378509572023-03-01T04:00:00.334-06:002023-03-01T04:00:00.206-06:00Your Room is a Shambles! IWSG, Origins, LoanWords, Dribble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> <a href="http://www.bookwormforkids.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Tonya Drecker,</a> <a href="http://bish%20%20randomthoughts.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Bish Denham,</a> <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/olgagodim.wordpress.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> and <a href="http://www.jqrose.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">JQ Rose!</a></span></b></span><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes! That's my name among the co-hosts. It's been a while.<br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #191919; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy? </span><span>Oh heck yes. I've read tons of books, not just novels, where I wanted so badly to write like that. Here are a few authors who almost always blow my socks off, who make me sigh: Kahlil Gibran, John Steinbeck, Jack London, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Ursula K. Le Guin, Mary Stewart, Tolkien...the list is long.</span></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Today's word is: <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">SHAMBLES</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps your mother, like mine, got frustrated with you and your messy room. Perhaps she told you it was pigsty. Or, like mine, told me it was a shambles and that I'd better clean it up or I'd find everything that was on the floor that didn't belong there, outside on the ground. (That happened twice.) </div><div><br /></div><div>Shamble comes to us from the Middle English word <i>shamel</i> or <i>shamil</i> which was a kind of table used to display meat. There are similar words in Old Saxon <i>skamel</i>, (stool) Middle Dutch, <i>schamel</i>, Old High German, <i>scamel</i>, German, <i>schemel</i>, Danish <i>skammel </i>(all meaning a kind of footstool) all of which ultimately were borrowed from the Latin <i>scamillus, </i>which is a low stool or little bench. </div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently in the day, a <i>shemel </i>had very distinctive legs and began to be used to describe a person who's legs looked like the meat table; they were bowed or malformed. Because of the deformity the person couldn't move around easily. So, from a <i>shemel</i>, we get the verb, "to shamble," which is one way to walk. Eventually a shamble table came to mean a kind of butcher block, which in turn became another word for a slaughter house. So when my mother called my room a shambles she was really saying, "Your room's a bloody mess!"</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilraZa24OxBGgvAW81gXLnOeUlNW1C9tAdbh76x7szxNCHvCGnPWVR4STSExQHFGSwjuxgk6WKo3y6afW3EIbPsWRYHRsy0DA5qZfr5hlk2iu8lqKhKGg-WLbA7E5RtmWbsE6uE5U4gta6agHUI54hUQ-S3Vm2y0G9wDHA7eHjRIO2MEiW_4PtAXtS/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.</span><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Today's loan words are from the Niger/Congo region which is a goodly portion of West and most of Central Africa. Banjo, Chimpanzee, Goober, Gumbo (which means okra), Impala (a car don't you know?), Marimba, Tilapia, Banana, Bongo, Chigger, Jazz, Jive, Merengue Mumbo Jumbo, Mojo, Okra, Tote, Yam.</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jumbo_and_Matthew_Scott_giving_a_ride_to_children_about_the_Zoo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Jumbo and Matthew Scott giving a ride to children about the Zoo" height="269" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Jumbo_and_Matthew_Scott_giving_a_ride_to_children_about_the_Zoo.png/256px-Jumbo_and_Matthew_Scott_giving_a_ride_to_children_about_the_Zoo.png" width="180" /></a><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>And let's not forget </span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo" target="_blank">Jumbo</a>, which means elephant. Here's a picture of the one and only Jumbo the Elephant (which is </span><span style="color: #202124;">redundant because what you're saying is Elephant the Elephant</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">).</span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">His story is rather sad. </span></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>A Dribble for Jumbo</b></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>1860-1885</b></span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">Orphaned in the Sudan, he was sold to an Italian, then
bought by a German and moved to the Paris Zoo, then the London Zoo where both
tusks were broken. Sold to Barnum and Bailey, he was put on display. He was hit
by a train and died.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtP6GTlhdOw4RKqyurcf4akoxjqki1pjLTe8V6xYziO7Q5LQ8_HYUPFqeEekavifUC2JL012mgYqjrDSNyjzoXMqz84RkXDvGGQWsbEPmucaYIHbbf_9VHW1QoxES8qPCciEaa00asoHwNoZvdMknQR67NoSLfe35rchXZBKEAy9FC2Ws5_J9t5Bh/s1802/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1802" data-original-width="1274" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtP6GTlhdOw4RKqyurcf4akoxjqki1pjLTe8V6xYziO7Q5LQ8_HYUPFqeEekavifUC2JL012mgYqjrDSNyjzoXMqz84RkXDvGGQWsbEPmucaYIHbbf_9VHW1QoxES8qPCciEaa00asoHwNoZvdMknQR67NoSLfe35rchXZBKEAy9FC2Ws5_J9t5Bh/w183-h259/cover.jpg" width="183" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I'm thankful for being able to work on a family project. Many years ago my grandmother (mother's side) wrote and published a cookbook. Me, my sister, and a cousin are going through the process of making all the corrections and edits that never got put into the book. Her book is unique as it tells the story of her life in the Caribbean and how she ran a guest house, used local foods, and fed fussy American tastebuds. She could feed as many as 60 people a day and she did it all without electricity. She became so "famous" that twice she had articles written about her in the New York Times. Many well known people, like the author John Dos Passos, and Dr. and Mrs. Robert Oppenheimer, stayed at her guest house. This revision is long over-due and so worth it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Twice now, as I've been typing it up and making corrections, I have been brought to tears remembering. </span></div></div></div></div></div>
</div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-22130237329752541912023-02-01T04:00:00.395-06:002023-02-01T07:28:40.247-06:00A Word is a Word is a Word. IWSG, Origins, LoanWords, Dribble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jacqui Murray,</a> <a href="http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a> <a href="http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pat Garcia,</a> and <a href="http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gwen Gardner!</a></b></span><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div>I had an artist make my covers - which you can see to the right and in my header. I "met" <a href="http://www.adriennesaldivar.com/">Adrienne Saldivar</a> through blogging so many years ago that I don't know how long it's been. The point is, I liked her style and knew that if I ever actually self-published a book I was going to commission her. I was not disappointed. She did the covers for all three of my books. If I ever publish anything again, I hope I can commission her again.</div><div><br /></div></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Today's word is: <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">WORD</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Since I chose WORD to be my word of the year, it's only appropriate that I give a little history about this word.</div><div><br /></div><div>The word, WORD, (say it enough times it will begin to sound weird) comes to us directly and unchanged from Old English. It was the word chosen by some ancient scribe when translating the first sentence of the Bible from Latin. "In the beginning was the word." But the Latin word the scribe was trying to translate was <i>verbum, </i>which literally means "verb" (an action) and is itself a translation of the Greek <i>logos </i>which more closely translates to thought. So, from thought, to action, to something that names something that already exists, the first sentence of the Bible shows how difficult it can be find the right word when translating.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Old English isn't the language of Chaucer or Shakespeare, it's older - between 1200 and1300 years old! It's the language of Beowulf and England's Alfred the Great who ruled a mere 13 years, from 886 to 899, <span style="text-align: left;">yet who revolutionized and encourage education and that it be taught in English (Old as it was) instead of Latin.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_E6U73g94Rw2q_56bQqHgeYZgeZyfcwgkTa2QyNvmsebcq9xo5B0tr3_f8ZK11yi0kmtUmA2ZR68ER9mSGjaSC-_zcJwB8B449yB9O7CfttGcuvyg2frFXld4-4yTNQpIi0psvGVh1eaUPuTXFKIWSwCs5MKFIyf1xNr-t2Jp0FOnzyBufga0UsK/s275/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_E6U73g94Rw2q_56bQqHgeYZgeZyfcwgkTa2QyNvmsebcq9xo5B0tr3_f8ZK11yi0kmtUmA2ZR68ER9mSGjaSC-_zcJwB8B449yB9O7CfttGcuvyg2frFXld4-4yTNQpIi0psvGVh1eaUPuTXFKIWSwCs5MKFIyf1xNr-t2Jp0FOnzyBufga0UsK/s1600/download.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you watched the series, The Last Kingdom, with the Saxon born Danish hunk, "Destiny is all" Utred, </div><div style="text-align: center;">that's the era I'm talking about.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Old English is so strange sounding and looking it may as well be a foreign language. <a href="https://youtu.be/CH-_GwoO4xI" target="_blank"><b>Check out this short video of the first lines of Beowulf being read in Old English. </b></a></div><div> </div><div>From this language about 4500 words are in use today and we, as writers should be happy and proud to know that the word, WORD is one of them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because it's February, I thought I'd also include the word <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LOVE </span></b>which in Old English was spelled <i>lufu </i>and pronounced LUH-VUH, like our modern word, but with an extra syllable.</div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="color: #202124; font-size: 14px; text-align: right;"><br /></div></span></span><p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><div style="color: #202124; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppovokrdxLFGsTYzisZ8LXBcaDgAsqq8Sjl_SnlQ-uxPNGSd9wAUXciR6qqNjvQghPwBbnZl37p8abfEXcCTYvkLrEZCHz7lFSigApfb2zb45GTIp1PgiahhzRdiqig_cUS7KSia5fteeh1KG-MDZ5lIV1obKufmQiavxk0-j846sj4RBPxBdJdSn/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppovokrdxLFGsTYzisZ8LXBcaDgAsqq8Sjl_SnlQ-uxPNGSd9wAUXciR6qqNjvQghPwBbnZl37p8abfEXcCTYvkLrEZCHz7lFSigApfb2zb45GTIp1PgiahhzRdiqig_cUS7KSia5fteeh1KG-MDZ5lIV1obKufmQiavxk0-j846sj4RBPxBdJdSn/s1600/images.jpg" width="275" /></a></div></div><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">LoanWord</span></b><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">:</span> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification</span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">. </span></div><div style="color: #202124; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Today's loanwords are not really loanwords as I've decided to include a few Old English words that have come down to us almost unchanged or with only a small spelling difference. They include but are not limited to:</span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Gift, Friend, Foot, Hand, Finger, Candle, Weird (did you notice I used weird earlier?) Sun, Apple, Leaf, Winter, Cat, (not to leave dogs out, but the word is spelled docga and pronounced dodge-ah), Horse, Wolf, Elf, Wife, and my favorite (besides WORD) Snot! which is unchanged and still means the exact same thing today as it did over a thousand years ago.</span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmcS-tCVGDLG5VA1oprePkJAHvt6_1oxK5Ge45yIH3bUZQ-pU7qkxgSfdldG978sz_G3Dr4rinKPS9XTpVX3BG3DRl3j_MOyPbz5mA0JCQU9nEb3o6rAw91Vxh2b8yJcMwmaECg-i_wJnNCUjUe-xbL8jhz1H-TYkk8ESSpSyY8FDQAztchrkG5Uz/s272/download.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="175" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmcS-tCVGDLG5VA1oprePkJAHvt6_1oxK5Ge45yIH3bUZQ-pU7qkxgSfdldG978sz_G3Dr4rinKPS9XTpVX3BG3DRl3j_MOyPbz5mA0JCQU9nEb3o6rAw91Vxh2b8yJcMwmaECg-i_wJnNCUjUe-xbL8jhz1H-TYkk8ESSpSyY8FDQAztchrkG5Uz/s1600/download.webp" width="175" /></a></div><br />If you'd like to learn more about Old English words check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57008295-the-wordhord?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=4UNkUAvLzu&rank=1" target="_blank">The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English</a> by Hana Videnn. There is also the Old English Wordhord app you can get for your phone which provides you with one Old English word a day, giving the pronunciation (with a recording of it) and it's meaning.</span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><b>A Dribble or, a story in 50 words or less</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><b>The Stuff of Nightmares</b></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">A word by any other name is still a word. Or is it? She mulled the thought over and over in her brain. It kept her awake at night. She thought about it so much, it gave her nightmares. A word by any other name is still a word.... HELP!</span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Today I'm thankful for what else? WORDS!</span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #202124; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">If you published a book, did you make your own covers? Do you have a favorite Old English word?</span></div></span></span><p></p>
Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-19280659313322359892023-01-04T04:00:00.158-06:002023-01-04T05:20:49.954-06:00Nice: The True Story, IWSG, Origins, LoanWords<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
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Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
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Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://jemimapett.com/blog/" target="_blank">Jemima Pett,</a> <a href="https://fictioncanbefun.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Debs Carey,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah Foster,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> and <a href="http://journalingwoman.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">T. Powell Coltrin!</a></b><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;">Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finished my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year is Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023? Why?</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div>I think this year's word for me is going to be WORD. Why? Because without words where would I be as a writer? In fact, where would any of us be, writers or not?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's to 2023 with a "nice" quote from the fabulous Austrian poet, </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainer_Maria_Rilke">Rainer Maria Rilke.</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">"An now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rilke_1878.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Rilke 1878" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Rilke_1878.PNG" width="128" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Because his mother mourned the loss of a baby girl, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">she dressed and treated Rilke as a girl through his early life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I mentioned last month, I'm going in a new/old direction, sharing my love of words which includes their origins, histories and stories. So, without further ado, I introduce you to...</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Origins</b>:</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid03GwBGndHwzgcbo1Jxo7hwhcH678zsYbH1AjlC5pmdqiGVfT-s2a0SdfxOo9N9a1sWPQ9E5vToyrzQt9EoEtoftC3FOZ5aSVZBEEoPqE4RMk_IdDM1pl7LBJvxnOzFcdXZ0qEfbU2F2D9iOxJTENLZjSSqTlXUBXO7U1BIw_VItygBXZXaM6Af8c/w259-h225/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Today's word is: <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>NICE</b></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I've chosen "nice" because it's the word that set me on the journey of loving words.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm a bad speller, though not nearly as bad as I was when I was a kid. Spell check has helped me, A LOT, whereas my family was no help at all. Whenever I asked how to spell a word their reply was <i>always, </i>"Look it up in the dictionary!" They were merciless. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course my reply was <i>always</i>, "How can I look it up and when I don't know how to spell it?" They remained unmoved. "Sound it out!" Do you know how hard that is? Do you know how long it was before I finely conceded to the fact the distroy is spelled destroy?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I digress... </div><div><br /></div><div>One day, when I was about 8 or so, I was trying to find the spelling of some word or other and got side tracked when I stumbled upon the word "nice". I bet every single one of you believes you know the meaning of nice. HA! Nice has a long history of meaning something else completely.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nice comes to us from Middle English, which was spoken between the 12th and 15th centuries. Back then it meant, "foolish, ignorant, frivolous, senseless." (oh dear!) Before Middle English it came from Old French, <i>nice,</i> spoken between the 9th and 13th centuries, and it meant, "careless clumsy, weak, poor, needy, simple, stupid, silly, foolish." (oh my!) The Old French word comes to us from the Latin <i>nescius,</i> meaning ignorant or not knowing. So, when you called someone nice, you were saying they were ignorant, unschooled, or silly. However, by Shakespeare's time nice was beginning to take on the meanings we give it today.</div><div><br /></div><div>I suspect (but don't know for sure, it's just <i><b>my</b></i> "theory") that nice may have started out as a slang word meaning its opposite, rather like the way we use the word "bad" to mean good. "That's a bad ass car!" Who knows, maybe one day, bad will mean good and people will have forgotten that once bad actually meant "of poor quality," "not to be hoped for or desired," "unpleasant, unwelcomed." </div><div><br /></div><div>Thus, my little girl mind figured that if I wanted to insult someone very politely, I could say something like, "You're so nice," and the person would never know I was calling them a stupid fool.</div><div><br /></div><div> And that is the story of how I fell in love with words.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Quotes</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>"Treat others as you wish to be treated. Don't just be nice, but be kind to other people. That can be so rewarding." Mary Lambert</div><div><br /></div><div>"It's nice to just embrace the natural beauty within you." Victoria Justice</div><div><br /></div><div>"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." Mark Twain</div><div><br /></div><div>For those of you read this post, I bet you'll never read or hear the word "nice" and experience it in quite the same way again. You're welcome, have a nice day. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>LoanWord</b></span>: <span style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe;">a word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.</span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UBSq1ZzegHf4WpFc_onCw_PzjDxkX9JZCOY_ragtWOfU1dOMEd9L2_0Jt876Rugzv-Od9AKgRGQgbYJz_WxCYuFtiL2WFB69Mmi6rygA9AUYN7Q-21rQztSQ0ZACEAhKzPsv2SsmIr6pBP1sYR19dBbC5fTQwpqtLxXTRid8u0qcMhpN3OWr4-K2/s275/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2UBSq1ZzegHf4WpFc_onCw_PzjDxkX9JZCOY_ragtWOfU1dOMEd9L2_0Jt876Rugzv-Od9AKgRGQgbYJz_WxCYuFtiL2WFB69Mmi6rygA9AUYN7Q-21rQztSQ0ZACEAhKzPsv2SsmIr6pBP1sYR19dBbC5fTQwpqtLxXTRid8u0qcMhpN3OWr4-K2/w245-h163/images.jpg" width="245" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I thought each month I'd add a short list of foreign words that we English speakers commonly use as if they were our own. Here are a few from French: bric-a-brac, detour, prison, dance, prairie, soup and salad. And aren't we glad for soup and salad!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful for four more Dribble acceptances from <a href="https://www.vineleavespress.com/" target="_blank">Vine Leaves Press.</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">And here is the link to my latest article in <a href="https://online.flippingbook.com/view/941824541/52/" target="_blank">Destination Magazine!</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>What are you thankful for? Have a word for the year? Do you have a favorite foreign word that we English speakers commonly use?<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">(I may be a day or two late getting around to visiting people as I have to work today and tomorrow!)</span></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-47449776435797670922022-12-07T07:30:00.000-06:002022-12-07T07:51:10.619-06:00IWSG, A New Direction, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<div><br /></div><div>
Every month a question is posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story. The question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey. In fact, you can write about anything at all.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://joylenebutler.com/blog" target="_blank">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a href="http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Chemist Ken,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nancy Gideon,</a> and <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine!</a></span></b><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:</span><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's holiday time! Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?</span></span></span></b></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">If you have a lot of family or friends, the holidays can be a difficult time for any creative person who requires time alone to do their thing. If you don't have the warm distraction of people, well then, the holidays can be a lovely time to get some "work" done, or give your muse a rest, or brainstorm ideas. </span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>A New Direction</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9zCFUGG479aH6E6FBM_-N9SbxN8jTen68qUQ7mtWdtqenj7c0uS12H61JZomeG6gMfy36PQvUheEtNv72WC4n2cM973t7NEhW7yu2d2IDTuHa_n7tr3Py7UAy4KsSJX_L0ybaLIMXTgWZ3eIcJEuy3DYCkD7ZxzFNZWzYpf7Ct8QqyWi9McfI1bN/s758/Word%20Art.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="758" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9zCFUGG479aH6E6FBM_-N9SbxN8jTen68qUQ7mtWdtqenj7c0uS12H61JZomeG6gMfy36PQvUheEtNv72WC4n2cM973t7NEhW7yu2d2IDTuHa_n7tr3Py7UAy4KsSJX_L0ybaLIMXTgWZ3eIcJEuy3DYCkD7ZxzFNZWzYpf7Ct8QqyWi9McfI1bN/w273-h237/Word%20Art.jpeg" width="273" /></a></div>So, I've been getting a tiny bit of writing done playing around with Dribbles (50 word stories, two of which, so far, have been accepted by <a href="https://www.vineleavespress.com/" target="_blank">Vine Leaves Press</a>) and this has led to the idea of changing my blog a bit. I really haven't put much effort into it for several years, so it's in need of a facelift. I've sort of been slithering along lazily not really saying anything or expressing myself. Playing with Dribbles has caused me, once again, to realize how very much I love words. I think I love words more than I love writing them into sentences. You see every word we use has it's own story. And this fascinates me. So, starting in January 2023, I will highlight a word (or two?) and tell it's story. That's only 12 (or a few more?) words a year if I stick to posting once a month. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>I've also cleaned out and organized my collection of three-ring binders and spiral notebooks, which was quite an undertaking as some of the contents go back to the 1970s. One of the things I've discovered (aside from the goldmine of ideas and... words) is that over the course of my life, I've collected hundreds and hundred (maybe thousands and thousands) of inspirational quotes. They are written down all over the place and I am slowing transferring them into one notebook. (She laughs manically, aware of the delightful insanity of this endeavor.) My intention is to include a quote or two with each post.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the post isn't too long, because my intention is to keep them short, maybe I'll write a Dribble or a thoughtful sentence or a poem using the word whose story I've told. Or maybe I'll use a quote that has the word in it.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's my plan, anyway. We'll see how well I stick to it. :D</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful<br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful for the dribbles of inspirations that have been coming to me. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><b style="color: #ffa400; text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #ffa400; text-align: left;">Cypress on the River</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Along the banks</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4P4uNZe8TV-gAve-mTTED0Bh6n-riSiWnHqJ-JBFORwSCdTKgi578N_XD_7M0eQsjr5Jww5EcrZoBNXW4Mw3bWoGetr_FOrBuauzJxTlAH7M3AHXus-NziJXqMplH4sBRSIU9kuXg5ve-gC00CPkIxlJvgvQ1Lipcn23wSj7AcARl_CkJTXyQbxa/s3072/Guadelupe%20%237.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2304" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4P4uNZe8TV-gAve-mTTED0Bh6n-riSiWnHqJ-JBFORwSCdTKgi578N_XD_7M0eQsjr5Jww5EcrZoBNXW4Mw3bWoGetr_FOrBuauzJxTlAH7M3AHXus-NziJXqMplH4sBRSIU9kuXg5ve-gC00CPkIxlJvgvQ1Lipcn23wSj7AcARl_CkJTXyQbxa/w257-h343/Guadelupe%20%237.JPG" width="257" /></a></div>the towering cypress</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> stretch their branches</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> toward the sky</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span> sink their roots</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> into</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span> the </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> river bed.</span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>Their small, slender needles</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span>are starting to turn from</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> green to</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> yellow to</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> rust to</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> brown.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>The needles will carpet</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> the paths </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> and float</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> in mats on the water.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>Their fragrance will fill the air.</span></span></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_wk1Y7iPExEx0KuQUZyOws8_I5hp2FS8W2fH3KzD_Qqe4xaj7PVBND5iq_Ch1UXCo_6LKFZmpX6QYsGkDKpvjQJfG3e3yLKwllIxC8GgLdUahlWmkeD7_h3Njx0lSbln4WVVFcxmcXFxjNHF2wfDyE-23ixHfecIWawncverEUqHZK2Sls82SDGg/s3072/Tranquility%20Island%20%231.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_wk1Y7iPExEx0KuQUZyOws8_I5hp2FS8W2fH3KzD_Qqe4xaj7PVBND5iq_Ch1UXCo_6LKFZmpX6QYsGkDKpvjQJfG3e3yLKwllIxC8GgLdUahlWmkeD7_h3Njx0lSbln4WVVFcxmcXFxjNHF2wfDyE-23ixHfecIWawncverEUqHZK2Sls82SDGg/w319-h240/Tranquility%20Island%20%231.JPG" width="319" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>Fall is quietly approaching,</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>almost as if trying to</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>not be seen.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>It is playing hide and seek,</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>a fairy flitting in and out among</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>the leaves.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> Teasing. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>(Winter isn't really coming.)</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>But I have eyes</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>and will not be fooled.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span>What are you thankful for? Do the holidays hinder or help in your creative endeavors? Are you ready for 2023?</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">MERRY</span> <span style="color: #38761d;">CHRISTMAS</span>, <span style="color: #2b00fe;">HAPPY </span><span style="color: #ff00fe;">HOLIDAYS, </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">AND </span><span style="color: #ff00fe;">HAPPY </span><span style="color: #800180;">NEW </span><span style="color: #04ff00;">YEAR</span>!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">SEE </span><span style="color: #674ea7;">YOU </span><span style="color: #01ffff;">IN </span><span style="color: red;">JANUARY.</span></b></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-79790169348997128632022-11-02T04:00:00.035-05:002022-11-02T08:09:09.606-05:00IWSG, I'm Back-I Hope, and other news about what I've been doing the last eight months, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #191919; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://pensivepenspost.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Diedre Knight,</a> <a href="http://douglasthomasgreening.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Douglas Thomas Greening,</a> <a href="http://nickwilford.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Nick Wilford</a><a href="http://nickwilford.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">,</a> and <a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton!</a></span><br /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><b style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"> November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?</b></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div>Yes, I have participated and written full 50,000 word books. And there they sit in their files waiting to be further worked on. Only one of them is really worthy of my time and perhaps next year it will come out of the closet, perhaps not...</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div>So, am I back? Did you miss me? My answer to both questions is, I hope so.</div><div><br /></div><div>At least now I can explain the reason for my absence. My sister, Erva Denham, was in need of a new aortic heart valve. It was up to me to find the right doctors, to make our home ready for her to come up to Texas from the Virgin Islands, and to take her to all her appointments. We didn't know if she was going to require open chest surgery or if they would be able to replace the valve by going up the main arteries in her legs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Within two weeks of her arrival in February she saw the first heart doctor and by May she had a new valve implanted. She was eligible for the latter. It was an incredible experience to get her to the hospital one morning and have her discharged the next day in the afternoon. From May until this month she has been in a state of recovery as her heart adjusts to this foreign object in her heart. It is made out of metal and has bovine tissue for the valve cusps. Just last week she was finally released to return home to the islands and she will be leaving next week on the 9th. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's been quite a journey and experience. The doctors and the three hospitals involved have been fabulous and we couldn't be happier with the results.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div>In other news, two friends - one of them a high school classmate - have died, which makes me ever more acutely aware of my own mortality and that I'm definitely on the downward side of this journey called life. I'm not particularly anxious or fearful about it, that's just the way it is. But it does make me think about what I want to do with whatever time I have left. </div><div><br /></div><div>On that note, I was asked again to contribute an article in the prestigious travel magazine, Destination. My third article for them will be published in January and is called, The Little Pre-Fab that Could.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have also been writing some dribbles - 50 words short stories. I'm finding them a nice way to ease back into writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the first one I wrote.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #2b00fe;">Hangry</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't realize playing with the Conjuring Wheel would cause such torrential rainfalls. Ok, Grammy had warned me, but she was gone now, so it was <i>her</i> fault. That made me angry, which made me hungry.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wandered into the empty, silent kitchen. Undoing the wheel would have to wait.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have submitted, so far, two of these dribbles to <a href="https://www.vineleavespress.com/">Vine Leaves Press</a> because...why not? (And as of this morning have learned that my first submission has been accepted!)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div>I've also written my first poem in a gazillion years. It was written in the aftermath of Hurricanes Fiona and Ian and the death of my classmate, Ronnie Lockhart. Ronnie was well loved on St. Thomas, with a wealth of knowledge about the history of the islands and a great sense of humor. He was also very active in Rotary and several other organizations. He will be greatly missed.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ronnie, as the Candy Man, during Carnival a year or so ago.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UbN54sKu-R7rMlgyeaQQfPp01YjRp1rV6IbxLq2jsFSyHFRb2aKU-GA_Q77gcN6LHSA9sx5FJaDoxqTM4b52uONodQnuxnA__2c80Wyy_Wph2coTOV64nOfs3eXhhlx42pWmhBCBb973CH_rPt4eH5XuO7vrtIVX52KI3EfNmd16PX8l4la_vxAp/s1674/Ronnie%20Lockhart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="1116" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UbN54sKu-R7rMlgyeaQQfPp01YjRp1rV6IbxLq2jsFSyHFRb2aKU-GA_Q77gcN6LHSA9sx5FJaDoxqTM4b52uONodQnuxnA__2c80Wyy_Wph2coTOV64nOfs3eXhhlx42pWmhBCBb973CH_rPt4eH5XuO7vrtIVX52KI3EfNmd16PX8l4la_vxAp/s320/Ronnie%20Lockhart.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>On Hurricanes and Death</b></span></div><div>Flooding emotions -</div><div>A torrential rain of tears</div><div> of fears</div><div> of years long gone.</div><div>Nature does not care about</div><div><span> what gets in her path</span><br /></div><div><span> her wrath</span></div><div><span> her bath of sorrow.</span></div><div><span>She is innocent and indifferent.</span></div><div><span>We are pulled, pushed along</span></div><div><span>whether we would go or not.</span></div><div><span>We can, like being caught in an ocean wave,</span></div><div><span><span> fight against being thrown about</span><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span> and come away battered</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span> bruised</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span> dead.</span><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>Or...we can relax into the tumbling</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span>emerging from the ocean like Venus</span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> Radiant</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> Glowing</span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span> Alive</span></span></span></span></div></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span>Today I'm thankful for the excellent doctors, nurses, hospital and office staff who took such good care of my sister and who were always upbeat and positive about her prognosis. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div>What are you thankful for? Have you ever participated in National Novel Writing Month? Have you ever written a dribble or a drabble, which is a 100 word story?</div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-66408630719294568342022-02-02T04:00:00.079-06:002022-02-02T04:00:00.226-06:00IWSG, Mom, News<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a _blank="" href="https://joylenebutler.com/blog%E2%80%9Dtarget=">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jacqui Murray,</a> <a href="http://sandracox.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sandra Cox,</a></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://leelowery.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lee Lowery!</a></span></span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"> 2/2/22 </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Is this an auspicious day or what?</span></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: yellow; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1JO_H1pNHDmv_mBkZlGgNSEdSMPFgionO5E-EnZQzl8cPQ98pwkNZ7lqLimJiLlpqYhZ8qex6_H80CotKauWDVx8vJZXtOP3uV6zEdS9JY3MyUxMqEl1Lq6YKhEbIG28LMMrF40SWGjxXv-wBDNCzhykh_PuAT77l-tRqgUL2HG3WhbLnKSY7H6Cq=s609" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="609" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1JO_H1pNHDmv_mBkZlGgNSEdSMPFgionO5E-EnZQzl8cPQ98pwkNZ7lqLimJiLlpqYhZ8qex6_H80CotKauWDVx8vJZXtOP3uV6zEdS9JY3MyUxMqEl1Lq6YKhEbIG28LMMrF40SWGjxXv-wBDNCzhykh_PuAT77l-tRqgUL2HG3WhbLnKSY7H6Cq=w200-h161" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>My sister, Erva, Mom and me, <br />about the time I wrote my "essay."<br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPwukJrIUz78JvoNZZXvsWFxYr6w2z7Fj3_HijD0xItqZv2c-cWaf8k8Qmcxrqz9QX0G7An5nU8zVw1JgwT-XFoQDj13kW-xPTj7o0Y55G-VS1wEI1CTRsFziCZEj0YC2sbvFByGYgS-lp0GX_1h_drwZwTNaYOm2jizU1rh_fKYnaZG8ElRDpCmsF=s943" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="698" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPwukJrIUz78JvoNZZXvsWFxYr6w2z7Fj3_HijD0xItqZv2c-cWaf8k8Qmcxrqz9QX0G7An5nU8zVw1JgwT-XFoQDj13kW-xPTj7o0Y55G-VS1wEI1CTRsFziCZEj0YC2sbvFByGYgS-lp0GX_1h_drwZwTNaYOm2jizU1rh_fKYnaZG8ElRDpCmsF=w148-h200" width="148" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Me and Mom. <br />I was about five</b></span>.</td></tr></tbody></table>Wow. This couldn't be a better question for me right now. Yes, the one person who encouraged, supported, and influenced me and who isn't around anymore, is my mother. Not only did she teach me to read, she homeschooled me for several years and during that time (without knowing the name for the "problem") figured out I wasn't learning things the way my sister did. I'm dyslexic. Because of her patience she figured out that I am an audio/tactile learner. I have never done well with numbers and math. I can fairly easily learn the steps for doing problems but can flip numbers in the middle of the solution and thus get a wrong answer. And, even though I have never been a great speller, my mother saw/recognized that I loved to read (even though I read slowly) and that I could comprehend things beyond my years. (I read Call of the Wild when I was around ten or eleven.) She was also the one who saw that I might have a talent for writing when, at the age of eight, I wrote a three page essay about our family. It is from that essay that my sister, Erva, and I were forever referred to as the grils.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2ikl21sEAf381uajy7i5ooolC-lbXwE36ZcSuAY_O3Ug9PTk026a9747opQpO7fDunUdTsIFnZS3LEH9qndsUjE-D8j-i3zkM13vs3Lz-EpBFDXOQxuNGDSbumYUV_4JnzqjXoSBxL86Un02rViVl9CDmX91lO109ZMWGZrHJvd1Tg6JYeJzkx9wh=s1174" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1174" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2ikl21sEAf381uajy7i5ooolC-lbXwE36ZcSuAY_O3Ug9PTk026a9747opQpO7fDunUdTsIFnZS3LEH9qndsUjE-D8j-i3zkM13vs3Lz-EpBFDXOQxuNGDSbumYUV_4JnzqjXoSBxL86Un02rViVl9CDmX91lO109ZMWGZrHJvd1Tg6JYeJzkx9wh=w261-h174" width="261" /></a></div>As an adult Mom was once astute and aware enough to notice that I seemed to be "stuck." She gave me the book, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. On the flyleaf she wrote, "For Bish, Follow the way, Love Mom." In most everything I have had published, there is a secret three word phrase I use to honor her. Can you guess what that phrase might be?</div><div><br /></div><div>She lived a long and wonderful 93 years and though she's been gone from this plane of existence for ten years, I still miss her and long to hear her voice, her laughter, and long to feel her hugs. She didn't get to see any of my published books and stories, but she's there, lurking in the pages, peeking out from behind the words and I know she is smiling.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div>And now some news. You know how things change, right? I'm not at liberty just yet to fully explain, but it has to do with health (not my own, I'm fine) and I'm going to be pre-occupied. Because of that, I'm not sure when I'll be posting again. Who knows I might show up next month, but then again it might be several months before you read my glittering words again.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so, on that note, I bid you adieu for now. </div><div><br /></div><div>Take care, everyone. Be safe. Be thankful.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today I'm thankful for this day. What are you thankful for?</div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-57024631408840577412022-01-05T04:30:00.253-06:002022-01-05T04:30:00.219-06:00IWSG, News and Onward into the fog...er New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a _blank="" href="https://erikabeebe.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=">Erika Beebe,</a> <a href="https://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/olgagodim.wordpress.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Olga Godim,</a> <a href="http://sandracox.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sandra Cox,</a> <a href="http://thefauxfountainpen.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sarah Foster,</a></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Chemist Ken!</a></span></span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></span></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is<span style="font-family: inherit;">:</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?</b></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The only thing I regret about my "writing career" (if you can call it that) is that I didn't start submitting and looking for an agent when I was younger. Though I've written on and off most of my life, I didn't make the effort to get "mainstream published" until I was much older - I won't say how old because now I'm REALLY old and I don't seem to have the drive to spend hours every day at the computer. </div><div><br /></div><div>That said, I'm happy and content with what I've done so far. Maybe some other things will get published, maybe not. Either way, it's okay.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSzdOLOB4AEzKg_LUzAG7zNJ5fYhW6XWZytsPsZHt7xmHiYUO5QRRv5jeujfxOoaiF_xrLJCyg1n1u0aDnmUjj65tVqPxC2lGXJppbmT_co-4_oKlHriYhLplBoZ9edVKchiqaS_TD9sBE8Q_Gh2oJx85XdGS5PK4RoYTCQcXNIxPBB6k5rRcOi1le=s350" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="262" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSzdOLOB4AEzKg_LUzAG7zNJ5fYhW6XWZytsPsZHt7xmHiYUO5QRRv5jeujfxOoaiF_xrLJCyg1n1u0aDnmUjj65tVqPxC2lGXJppbmT_co-4_oKlHriYhLplBoZ9edVKchiqaS_TD9sBE8Q_Gh2oJx85XdGS5PK4RoYTCQcXNIxPBB6k5rRcOi1le=w203-h271" width="203" /></a></div><span><div style="color: black;">On that note I'm pleased to share my article in the travel magazine, <a href="https://online.flippingbook.com/view/233466648/54/" target="_blank">Destination: US Virgin Islands.</a> This article is about how my grandparents came to own Trunk Bay, considered to be one of the most beautiful and most photographed beaches in the world, and how my grandmother ran a guest house there for years, without electricity.</div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><div>So, Happy New Year, to me!!</div><div><br /></div><div>This is my second article with this travel magazine. You can read my first article from 2020, <a href="https://view.epageview.com/?docid=410f8a34-fbe9-43d6-9b8b-14e31bdcac3f#pub/page113" target="_blank">HERE</a>. The company did not print a magazine for 2021 so it was a pleasant surprise to be invited to write an article for the 2022 issue.</div></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5N26jGDz-NXo_n0xSRP4jZZ0E7m9IoZPOL_1dIH4HzJlubdTBki-YiegC1ZXzWYtHfwckDXoSzJLwqu0Q9ozzQri2tAv3iOlOFMSR2Fs_PeJRQuuSTuImOGnf4Wp0yj42e6zsq_ZjIxaNGSWkAX3-1iOSOzSDaPTZTphvSU-xvd9jGGG3CCPHnzyJ=s1024" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5N26jGDz-NXo_n0xSRP4jZZ0E7m9IoZPOL_1dIH4HzJlubdTBki-YiegC1ZXzWYtHfwckDXoSzJLwqu0Q9ozzQri2tAv3iOlOFMSR2Fs_PeJRQuuSTuImOGnf4Wp0yj42e6zsq_ZjIxaNGSWkAX3-1iOSOzSDaPTZTphvSU-xvd9jGGG3CCPHnzyJ=w384-h288" width="384" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;">Trunk Bay was my first home. This is </div><div style="color: black;">place where I learned to swim, body serf, and fish off the rocks with a handline.</div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;">This is probably explains why you can take the girl out of the islands, but you can't take the islands out of the girl. </div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tomorrow is Three Kings Day, a holiday celebrated with much gusto in Puerto Rico. </div><div style="text-align: center;">My mother was one of those children who put straw and water under her bed for the camels </div><div style="text-align: center;">only to wake in the morning to find presents.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Three Kings Day to all!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfjWJxLcEdPZXlhWyVUb7oJn0tz8VEI-z3pmrHKwbvlO4-yS8qsDquKD3t5WEMG8wjdP1_pfmhODguEKouAc7NHZ75A5O69F3PxlHUyiShSMm3AQMe6BuApgGYBBLpjlUleWvL-e1fTG6A7PdY0vcDLIsH-oSnL6fgwTiD7pmSA_cKe7u70eAjYkBu=s900" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfjWJxLcEdPZXlhWyVUb7oJn0tz8VEI-z3pmrHKwbvlO4-yS8qsDquKD3t5WEMG8wjdP1_pfmhODguEKouAc7NHZ75A5O69F3PxlHUyiShSMm3AQMe6BuApgGYBBLpjlUleWvL-e1fTG6A7PdY0vcDLIsH-oSnL6fgwTiD7pmSA_cKe7u70eAjYkBu=w639-h427" width="639" /></a></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">Today I'm thankful to be here and to have made another revolution around the sun.</div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">There is SO much to thankful for, despite what the news says or what people complain about.</div><div style="color: black;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">Now it's onward into 2022. Who knows what it will bring? More of the same? </div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">Something worse? Something better? </div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">Whatever comes, </div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">may we all be a calm during the hard times and joyful during the easy times. </div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;">I pass on this Tibetan Buddhist prayer to one and all.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light; font-size: large;"><b>May you be at peace.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light; font-size: large;"><b>May your heart remain open.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light; font-size: large;"><b>May you awaken to the light of your own true nature.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light; font-size: large;"><b>May you be healed.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Shadows Into Light; font-size: large;"><b>May you be a source of healing for all sentient beings.</b></span></div><div style="color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Happy</b></span> <span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>New </b></span><span style="color: #04ff00;"><b>Year </b></span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Everyone</b></span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>!</b></span></span></div></span></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-16961253308130265332021-12-01T09:17:00.001-06:002021-12-01T09:17:53.411-06:00IWSG, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a _blank="" href="http://www.pjcolando.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=">PJ Colando,</a> <a href="http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Diane Burton,</a> <a href="http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Louise – Fundy Blue,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://worddreams.wordpress.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jacqui Murray!</a></span></b></span><b><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">In your writing, what stresses you the most? What delights you?</span></span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div>I don't know if I'd say it stresses me out, but editing, revising, rewriting are what I least like to do. What delights me the most is an idea that develops into a story or novel. I love the process of research, taking notes, working on my form of a very rough outline and then writing. That other part though? Not so much.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div>Still haven't done any writing (sigh) but I'm just not going to sweat it. I'm enjoying the clouds.</div><div><br /><div>It's hard to believe it's December. For me, this year seems to have gone by much faster than other years. Was it only six months ago I got vaccinated? Yesterday I got the booster. Because I have Crohn's, an autoimmune disease, I got a full dose (didn't know that was going to happen) instead of a half dose. Today my arm is extremely sore, so sore I can hardly move it. But, it's a small price to pay for a little extra protection. </div><div><br /></div><div>I leave you today with a selection of unusual Christmas trees. No matter what your religious or non-religious beliefs are, may this month and the New Year bring you peace and joy. May each of us do one something that helps another human being, or that leaves this planet, our only home, a little bit better than it was yesterday. If you're interested <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multinational_festivals_and_holidays#December"><b>here is a list </b></a>of all the holidays and celebrations that happen in the month of December. So, saying Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings is perfectly appropriate.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-VAxu-hsmodkuMxl33WfmJJiPlQge2PJGHlFbz8nabIT1k8dE-3Pj3QGGP0AKyrAsWh5IxKDPeNwDvxb-PGyt56S-tZx4Hfu4FAF8eLd-eDgnBovfBWYcsPJpYtMmKnPaw6ujorzyaE/s357/425510_447897938592082_619161822_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="300" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-VAxu-hsmodkuMxl33WfmJJiPlQge2PJGHlFbz8nabIT1k8dE-3Pj3QGGP0AKyrAsWh5IxKDPeNwDvxb-PGyt56S-tZx4Hfu4FAF8eLd-eDgnBovfBWYcsPJpYtMmKnPaw6ujorzyaE/w249-h296/425510_447897938592082_619161822_n.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizK5ptQy7sQA_2NbYLd3WmgFtfDKeMKbAqwbcv4SUT_JzK_VhRHQWn-M3ED5et2cRg2MSQHmTBsGCkgYZS1wWBizdOsw-O-XEFvT7kZQ0ySEcD-DMd7oAodrWawqAxRvuFzXZWY1WMibk/s689/10802042_743413562403745_8753289890818271893_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizK5ptQy7sQA_2NbYLd3WmgFtfDKeMKbAqwbcv4SUT_JzK_VhRHQWn-M3ED5et2cRg2MSQHmTBsGCkgYZS1wWBizdOsw-O-XEFvT7kZQ0ySEcD-DMd7oAodrWawqAxRvuFzXZWY1WMibk/s320/10802042_743413562403745_8753289890818271893_n.jpg" width="232" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7W8FeR66KHdti9mL0iYrApwGyseM88IsQVDeXkzKJOrQUdPsfzAY8MD1jHWuQCN4-BGHPY5_GeUmFgjxg6gd7aUv5h6pQNNlxz3haxjqMUysggOJVsT159lacOXl7mIWufYQ0hfggkg/s1500/12339546_10153496481399039_2186552796628447117_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7W8FeR66KHdti9mL0iYrApwGyseM88IsQVDeXkzKJOrQUdPsfzAY8MD1jHWuQCN4-BGHPY5_GeUmFgjxg6gd7aUv5h6pQNNlxz3haxjqMUysggOJVsT159lacOXl7mIWufYQ0hfggkg/s320/12339546_10153496481399039_2186552796628447117_o.jpg" width="90" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJPLo9gaQAfA1K2FJFfhmVmei27Uoojze8VnE62QTi1ODtfiRZ32-vjWqahWHBC15p_hJzqb-mIbUCAY7Gqanz6mVzMy-HEDdbCJDiX6XR498RvWHX9cWRlzYmWCjDw3mH4377rIc80o/s960/12274761_10153804431853331_752999490038245830_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJPLo9gaQAfA1K2FJFfhmVmei27Uoojze8VnE62QTi1ODtfiRZ32-vjWqahWHBC15p_hJzqb-mIbUCAY7Gqanz6mVzMy-HEDdbCJDiX6XR498RvWHX9cWRlzYmWCjDw3mH4377rIc80o/s320/12274761_10153804431853331_752999490038245830_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX3uKWkwkogDueGSen2cMtjN_acotU8dzbiRZSafPANlVGdN1bWba2-MQ0S8Y1XyqufqqQ8zpaOjNW3EjE_JZeIdPzato3sLDXyA-CQqMxp1iHJFW__Klm1Bc4jtUAbXeLu9IDwXJwf4/s847/10406729_10152532621396868_2824620481170040637_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="605" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwX3uKWkwkogDueGSen2cMtjN_acotU8dzbiRZSafPANlVGdN1bWba2-MQ0S8Y1XyqufqqQ8zpaOjNW3EjE_JZeIdPzato3sLDXyA-CQqMxp1iHJFW__Klm1Bc4jtUAbXeLu9IDwXJwf4/w195-h273/10406729_10152532621396868_2824620481170040637_n.jpg" width="195" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjtn3JGfa0M4ge3E2Ea8MYuea5uLbMAvPMyBo_c2JVkF6lHwijp8_bVPLmBN1-pEjawT85_ms6tGGxje-WN5GFSHH2ROgaxKdgnFCHi4uH4f7lc3PHS26obqDWBF5mQF0E5IWuXcgg7w/s960/261815932_3538622583031066_1996004898981440069_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjtn3JGfa0M4ge3E2Ea8MYuea5uLbMAvPMyBo_c2JVkF6lHwijp8_bVPLmBN1-pEjawT85_ms6tGGxje-WN5GFSHH2ROgaxKdgnFCHi4uH4f7lc3PHS26obqDWBF5mQF0E5IWuXcgg7w/s320/261815932_3538622583031066_1996004898981440069_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />I'm fondest of the button tree... Which one do you like?</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;">***</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div>I would say, right now, that I'm particularly thankful for the much needed positive news from my gut doctor.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>What are you thankful for? What delights or stresses you about writing? Planning anything special for Christmas or the Holidays in general? </div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-13208339384322672312021-11-03T04:00:00.105-05:002021-11-03T04:00:00.180-05:00IWSG, Being Thankful because it's Thanksgiving After All<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:<b style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a _blank="" href="http://kimlajevardi.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=">Kim Lajevardi,</a> </span></span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Victoria Marie Lees,</a> <a href="http://joylenebutler.com/blog" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Joylene Nowell Butler,</a> <a href="http://erikabeebe.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Erika Beebe,</a></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://leelowery.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lee Lowery!</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"></span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: center;" /></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>What's harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">For me, hands down, writing the blurb is THE hardest thing to write along with the tag line. Titles have always been easy for me. In fact many of my stories, whether they be short or long, have come to me through a title that settled in my head and wouldn't go away. </span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Well, it's November. Soon enough it will be Thanksgiving. 2021 is almost over. I can't say it's been pleasant, but it hasn't been all that unpleasant either.</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Time moves forward and I'm being dragged along in it's wake whether I want to not. One thing I know for sure is I'm homesick for the islands and long to spend time with my sister, cousins, and friends. It's been four years since last I visited all due to hurricanes Irma and Maria and then COVID. </span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Maybe sometime next spring. At least, I'm putting the thought out there into the Universe and hoping the wake will carry me in that direction. I'm sorely in need of a sea bath, which is when you wallow in the water, just sort of half sit and half float and soak in the goodness. You can, if you want, take the soft, fine sand and give your skin a gentle scrub. The best exfoliant there is. It's what these people are doing at Linqvist Bay on St. Thomas. (Yes there is a "v" following that "q", it's Danish after all.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK17JCz5gTdSJtocsOP2wVOXZJCc45jmccDM8MAqoAeN12sezhcBEPfY1lcSB_YSZVxU8_6dVjavxGcowC3okRGFM6Irshem5oEcVDUJ015QkhSFqdINpPeKRYnsYBgMn_6qinxFjN0J8/s640/Thatch+Cay.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK17JCz5gTdSJtocsOP2wVOXZJCc45jmccDM8MAqoAeN12sezhcBEPfY1lcSB_YSZVxU8_6dVjavxGcowC3okRGFM6Irshem5oEcVDUJ015QkhSFqdINpPeKRYnsYBgMn_6qinxFjN0J8/w640-h480/Thatch+Cay.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTHf9maoXhF0yjhHJEo90tiTmRptwNA-VjbowMSRkEtFXu_eFPZyA0qgZcwJQOo0f0gK0xPbWXQtIvDg4IuMjPzM_5qVCkeA_5UtpIEnqUc5bneBQRTr42PLx0i-h9fpFb7TwXy4YePg/s640/IMG_2583.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTHf9maoXhF0yjhHJEo90tiTmRptwNA-VjbowMSRkEtFXu_eFPZyA0qgZcwJQOo0f0gK0xPbWXQtIvDg4IuMjPzM_5qVCkeA_5UtpIEnqUc5bneBQRTr42PLx0i-h9fpFb7TwXy4YePg/w640-h480/IMG_2583.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbam8vrev6lQtHhn3EulxwtoMomlXlkGryfupbWyoiHUtjA5SrAzpOTfk19yX4u1Q39dkA2A3dLMnvwPTDoWRsON7I2FBCUhyphenhyphenxVFh8CKAiz861e4wrhOO15eUwYU7_lOLulKwe5imVpA/s640/IMG_2584.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbam8vrev6lQtHhn3EulxwtoMomlXlkGryfupbWyoiHUtjA5SrAzpOTfk19yX4u1Q39dkA2A3dLMnvwPTDoWRsON7I2FBCUhyphenhyphenxVFh8CKAiz861e4wrhOO15eUwYU7_lOLulKwe5imVpA/w640-h480/IMG_2584.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;">In the mean time, after all, I have SO much to be thankful for, as in:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">Washing dishes:</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;">It means</span></div><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit;">I have food that makes them dirty</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have hands to wash them with</span></div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have running hot and cold water to wash them in</span></div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have money to pay the water and electric bill and buy the soap and food</span></div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a sink to wash them in</span></div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a window to look out when I wash the dishes</span></div></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;">I have a roof over my head</span></div><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit;">I have a house with a window</span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">I have a yard with a view</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">What are you thankful for? Which is harder, coming up with a title or writing the blurb? Have any hopeful "goals" for 2022?</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-35722229995322588772021-10-06T07:02:00.001-05:002021-10-06T17:41:40.389-05:00IWSG, Being Thankful, Get Together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"> <b><span><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><b><a _blank="" href="http://jemimapett.com/blog/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;">Jemima Pett,</a><span style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;"> </span><a _blank="" href="https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;">J Lenni Dorner,</a><span style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Cathrina Constantine,</a><span style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center;"> </span><a href="http://www.ronelthemythmaker.com/blog/" style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ronel Janse van Vuuren,</a><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>and </span><a href="http://playoffthepage.com/" style="color: #2b00fe; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Mary Aalgaard!</a></b></span></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is:</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b> </b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><b>In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This one's easy. For me it's graphic sex, language, violence. Since I mostly write for children and teens I don't see the need to perpetuate the negatives of life. I'm more about passing on a little wonder and magic. Call me old-fashioned, or a hippy, but I'm more about peace and love. Particularly in this day and age, it seems, it's what the world needs more of. I'll leave the those other topics, and the language that goes with them, to other writers.</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div>On that note I leave you with this song, written in1964 by Dino Valenti who was in the band Quicksilver Messenger Service. It was first recorded by the Kingston Trio that same year. The Youngbloods didn't recorded it until 1966 and released in July of 1967. The summer of '67, was momentous for me, and this is one of the many songs from that time that had an impact on my 17 year-old brain. It not only has a beautiful melody, the words are pure poetry. </div><div><br /></div><div>57 years after being written (FIFTY-SEVEN YEARS!!) it is still relevant, still beautiful, and still has meaning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Come on people now</div><div>Smile on your brother</div><div>Everybody get together</div><div>Try to love one another </div><div>Right now</div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GdxUIZOzd5E?start=8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
Love is but a song to sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at you command
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #2b00fe; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I'm thankful that we've had more rain. Fall is coming. There are morning hints in the coolness of the air and there is the ever so slight fading of green in the leaves. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span face="Roboto, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #030303; letter-spacing: 0.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are you thankful for? In your writing, is there a line you won't cross? Are there any songs from your childhood/youth that had an impact on you?</span></span></div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-55688233496485139032021-09-01T04:00:00.158-05:002021-09-01T04:00:00.253-05:00IWSG, Labor Day, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
<br />
Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
<br />
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts:<span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"> <b><span><span style="text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a _blank="" href="http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=">Rebecca Douglass,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://journalingwoman.blogspot.com/%E2%80%9Dtarget=" style="text-decoration-line: none;">T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman,</a> <a href="http://www.literaryrambles.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Natalie Aguirre,</a> <a href="https://reprobatetypewriter.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Karen Lynn,</a></b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cleemckenziebooks.com/blog/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">C. Lee McKenzie!</a></b></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;" /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">First off, money has never been a deciding factor of </span><span style="color: #191919;">success</span><span style="color: #191919;"> </span><span style="color: #191919;">for me. Sure fortune (though I'm not sure about the fame) would be nice, but it's not necessary. For a long time, I thought success meant having a book published. But somewhere a long the way someone said, if you've been published, no matter the media, you are a successful writer. That kind of put a little kick in my step because I realized the first things I ever got published were in my high school year book: a poem on the flyleaf and two short articles - I was after all the yearbook editor. Since then I've had many stories and articles published in newspapers, newsletters, and magazines. So, self-publishing my books was kind of like the chocolate syrup on my chocolate ice cream. </span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEJhY-xw_Ind0_3Ea0pSUxlRbwlQQ4xUBPFlYvM0-C2IaK0iqsim9FsqQOSWqvZfodwb5iq7KWrdWOpyvDIyK4JGM_qKjDWugN7w-kh02Z73_nJ2FUv0Ibaa4w7C958ISooSGEMxT1RU/s2048/destination+2020+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1544" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEJhY-xw_Ind0_3Ea0pSUxlRbwlQQ4xUBPFlYvM0-C2IaK0iqsim9FsqQOSWqvZfodwb5iq7KWrdWOpyvDIyK4JGM_qKjDWugN7w-kh02Z73_nJ2FUv0Ibaa4w7C958ISooSGEMxT1RU/w151-h200/destination+2020+cover.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Speaking of magazine articles. Way back in 2019 I wrote an article for the 2020 edition of the prestigious travel magazine, Destination. (You can read that article <a href="https://view.epageview.com/?docid=410f8a34-fbe9-43d6-9b8b-14e31bdcac3f#pub/page113">HERE</a>.) Due to COVID and travel restrictions, no 2021 edition was printed. But guess what? I've been asked to write an article for the 2022 edition! So I'm excited about that and the subject matter is very dear and close to my heart.</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On this Labor Day Weekend, I send out my prayers to all those affected by Hurricane Ida. They will be laboring for a long time and this weekend will not be one of rest. Please consider donating money and or goods to a reputable and legitimate charity. <a href="https://www.knoe.com/2021/08/31/how-donate-safely-hurricane-ida-relief/">Here's and article on how to donate safely.</a> My favorite place is the Salvation Army. You can donate <a href="https://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/">HERE</a>. </div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div><div>I'm thankful that we have not had a single 100 degree day this summer. It has been a very nice, though unusual, summer. Rather balmy and more humid. I think our hottest day was around 94. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What are you thankful for? How do you define success as a writer? Any Labor Day plans?</div>Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433839509609523237.post-52783409222310029222021-08-04T04:00:00.001-05:002021-08-04T04:00:00.295-05:00IWSG, Ray Bradbury, Being Thankful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKYyp4akT5COO0NYCCDtxpLTkNJb2jvjCvBxyT0OyH-4pKg1N1wp237Iqnhe2NNzShpkz_Io5-dCglc1jOzwkVOSBFdZcX2nmqJbEZGc0cVKbycixYP2e87b-6-7yc6C7YFxT4m2fm28/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Posting the First Wednesday of every month, the <span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></a>, </span>is the brainchild of <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #7243ce; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></a><span style="color: #191919;">. </span>YOU can sign up <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">HERE </a>to participate.<br />
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Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.<br />
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Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: <b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;"></span></span></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a _blank="" href="http://www.pkhrezo.com/blog%E2%80%9Dtarget=">PK Hrezo,</a> <a _blank="" href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.xn--comtarget%3D-c59f/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Cathrina Constantine,</a> <a href="http://www.pjcolando.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">PJ Colando,</a> <a href="http://kimlajevardi.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Kim Lajevardi,</a></b><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"> and </span><b style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sandracox.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sandra Cox!</a></b></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #191919;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">This month's question is: </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit;">What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?</span></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">I love Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I have first edition (1990) copies in both hard and paper back. I used to do an occasional blog post called "Titles to Write By," t</span><span style="color: #191919;">he idea for which came directly from Bradbury's book.</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;">Back in August of 2016 I wrote this post, which I'm sharing part of here, because 1) I'm lazy. 2) It's appropriate.</span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;"><b>Titles to Write By</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #191919;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguC99m47cnYZYm-TsR-QNuK_rLja8uik0CTeTu6GvrTjFEOtm4hce0BW_a7xD9F3QQmD6Kh4qSDVpVeVTddywU9GNEIDMJBWxYUWwSG3K8xkRuTlXgl4Q1woVQ2hH7ZKskrX5CvS7oP0s/s1600/Titles+to+Write+By.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguC99m47cnYZYm-TsR-QNuK_rLja8uik0CTeTu6GvrTjFEOtm4hce0BW_a7xD9F3QQmD6Kh4qSDVpVeVTddywU9GNEIDMJBWxYUWwSG3K8xkRuTlXgl4Q1woVQ2hH7ZKskrX5CvS7oP0s/s320/Titles+to+Write+By.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">"Titles" is an occasional blog post in which we play with a single word and turn it into, what else, titles! Afterwards the object is to pick one of them and write a little something.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">It was Ray Bradbury, in his book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Writing-Releasing-Creative/dp/0553296345">ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING</a>, who taught me about making lists of words and turning them into titles. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 17.9861px;">For no particular reason today's word is: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large; line-height: 17.9861px;"><b>Olympic</b></span></span><br /><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">Well, there is a reason for using Olympic. One is that I've watched more of the Summer Olympics this year than I ever have in the past. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's because there's been nothing better on TV. Whatever the reason, it's been a delight to see so many records broken, so many gold medals won. The U. S. women's gymnastic team, the women who won gold in the relay race, watching Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky swim for gold, all were awesome. And lastly, getting to see Usain Bolt win his 9th gold for Jamaica was icing on the cake.</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">So, here are some titles to write by using the word Olympic and its various variations. </span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">Sunrise at Olympus Mons</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">Say Olympic Enough Times and it Starts to Sound Funny</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">Olym Pic, Photographer</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">Olympia: The Winner Who Limped to Victory</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">Olympic Hurdles Writers Face and How to Hurdle Them</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">A Visit to Mount Olympus: How I Survived The Gods</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">The Olympic Garden</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;">The Olympic Heart</span></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 17.9861px;"><br /><br />Her heart leapt, an Olympian sized pole vault, when he leaned in and whispered, "I love you."<br /></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>***</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>Being Thankful</b></span></div>
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Today I'm thankful for</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">MORE RAIN!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">I am also VERY thankful that hubby is doing much better. I was more than a little frazzled last month, but things are settling down and we are both breathing easier. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Thank you, everyone, for all your kind words last month. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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What are you thankful for? What's your favorite book on writing? Have you been watching the Olympics? Do any of my titles inspire you? Care to share some titles of your own? </div></div>
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Bish Denhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.com16