From the monthly archives:

July 2010

PARSIMONIOUS: stingy

July 31, 2010

I love this graphic.   When you hear that it is meant to depict a parsimonious, or stingy  person, don’t you just want to nod your head and say, “For sure!”?  Doesn’t it smack of Scrooge and Henry Potter all rolled into one?  There is a reason to have intense dislike for such a person who [...]

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THE ECONOMY: a comprehensive term, the meaning of which escapes many people

July 30, 2010

We all talk about it and express our concern about it.  We all know something about it, some of us more than others.  But my suspicion is that…for the most part…most of us have a limited knowledge of what it means when we say the words the economy.  Unless we have studied economics or spent [...]

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VOLARE: fly away

July 29, 2010

I hate it when I get a tune in my mind and can’t get rid of it.  It happens all the time.  Usually I have to think of another song and start singing it to myself to over-ride the original, irritating song.  My wife and I have a deal that we don’t mention the name [...]

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PICALILLI: a pickle of mixed vegetables, esp onions, cauliflower, and cucumber, in a mustard sauce

July 28, 2010

It’s not a word that compares in significance to others I have chosen for comment.  It won’t approach the national economy, the war in Afghanistan, or the machinations of the members of Congress.  I doubt that it occurs in the daily language of the President of the United States, the coach of the Boston Red [...]

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EPHEMERAL: intended to be short-lived, temporary

July 27, 2010

An adjective like ephemeral is one which deserves a place in the “on deck circle” in a writer’s lexicon.  It not only is a useful word, it is one of those words I would label as colorful and beautiful. You might wonder if there is such a thing as a beautiful word; I think so.  [...]

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DISABLED: Challenged to discover new ways to function

July 26, 2010

Today is the observance of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most humane pieces of legislation to take place in the past fifty years.  With its passage and signature of the President the hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities in this country achieved full stature of citizenship and a [...]

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DEPRESSED STORM DRAINS: gutters with a mental illness

July 25, 2010

We were driving along peacefully, minding our own business, when I began to laugh out loud.  Loud enough to wake up my wife who was taking one of her 10 minute naps needed to restore her energy for driving.  I didn’t realize that my laughter was loud enough to awaken her. The subject of my [...]

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CENTURY MARK: celebrating a 100th birthday

July 24, 2010

Yesterday was the 100th birthday of my wife’s cousin.  We were privileged to be among the crowd of friends and relatives who gathered for a celebration of the century mark for this unbelievably chipper and bright woman who has been a major part of my wife’s life for nearly seven decades.  They are kindred spirits [...]

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DIXIE: that land south of the Mason-Dixon line

July 23, 2010

Today we crossed the Mason-Dixon line.  It was no big deal; in fact, it was somewhat underwhelming.  There were several tell-tale signs on businesses for the five miles before the line.  “Mason-Dixon Used Cars, Mason-Dixon Deli, Mason-Dixon Real Estate, and Mason-Dixon Tattoo Emporium.” And then, there it was:  a simple sign on metal legs, reading: [...]

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HUNKY-DORY: everything’s just fine!

July 22, 2010

I have no idea where it came from.  It’s been part of my vocabulary for years.  In fact, I haven’t even thought about it being there, in the sense of identifying it. It wasn’t until I was sending an email to my daughter, responding to a question she had for me.  I started to write [...]

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