Christmas with its razzle-dazzle of colored lights, music, family gatherings, and gift-giving has ended for another year, and spring is in the air. Ray and I actually saw robins four days ago on January 19 while walking in the park. They’re just passing through, but how I appreciate their taking the time to vacation a bit here in Central Texas! A robin’s song brings about a certain nostalgia for my roots in northern Illinois. And, when we returned home, I was lucky enough to hear that beautiful song from some distant woods across the street. How lovely it was!
Time to clean out gardens and add sand, manure, and mulch to the soil. The days are getting longer which means I can enjoy being outside that much more. I was able to do the above in our four landscaped timbered “gardens” facing the street on the next lot. There, I have planted a Dynamite Red crepe myrtle, two rosemary bushes and a purple lantana in each enclosure.
Then, several crepe myrtles, sage bushes, grow in front of the house with two Italian Cypress flanking the driveway. On each side of the house, I planted two Nellie Stephens hollies with Burford hollies extending across the front of the house. In between nestle several lantanas. I’ve already fertilized most of them in front and in back, so they’ll all welcome the good “food” as the rain we’re expected to receive in the next two days soaks the nutrients into their soil.
Ray is in the process of mulching the entire back yard in which I’ve planted many crepe myrtles and other shrubs. We still have to construct the patio and after that he has a huge project planned, the cedar fence around the perimeter of our property.
He has completed unpacking and getting his workshop all set up. I’ve even got a corner and table for my own doodlings! With all the windows in there, we’ll always have plenty of light for our work.
That’s all the news for now! Take care of yourselves!
Patricia
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Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, December 4, 2011
In the Holiday Midst
This is my favorite time of the year and not just because my birthday and my son's birthday add something special to the season, falling one week before Thankgiving. There is Thanksgiving and Christmas, of course, with all our family present. Nothing, not career, skills, talents (some of which helped me through difficult times in my life) can compare to the joy of family. So, to prepare, perhaps in my giddiness, I actually baked thirteen pies this year. Yes, thirteen. It sounds a little goofy as though I just lost all semblance of good sense, but once I got started, well, it just went from there.
It all began with the apples. Once I saw those large, round and delectable looking Jonagolds piled high in the produce section of the grocery store at 77 cents per pound, I lost track of how many I SHOULD buy. They have the exactly right combination of sweetness and tartness that I look for in a pie apple. Granny Smiths are too sour and Red Delicious are too bland, and most of the rest of the apples fall in somewhere in between the two. But, Jonagolds are perfect, and I bought enough for six pies, not noticing (perhaps by design) that the beautifully rounded red spheres were three times as large as regular-sized apples. At home in the kitchen, once the peeling and coring began, I ended up with way more apples which necessitated way more dough for crust and the result? Thirteen pies.
I planned to freeze most of the pies and serve two at Thanksgiving, two at Christmas, one each for my three children, and then we would eat the extras for the next few months. And, if we had company, it would be nice to serve homemade apple pie with a large spoonful of frozen vanilla yogurt or a dollop of whipped topping.
To add to the holiday fun, our great grandson visited us for a week at Thanksgiving and in his seven year old eagerness, helped me decorate two Christmas trees, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. So, we rang in the holiday season as soon as we could.
Ray loves the holidays too, and I'm thankful for that. I knew someone previously who was depressed by Christmas which was very sad for him and for everyone around him. However, Ray and I are like two peas in a pod when it comes to family and festivities--we love indulging in it all, and we wish for you all a very, very joyful holiday full of love and good times!
Love, Patricia
It all began with the apples. Once I saw those large, round and delectable looking Jonagolds piled high in the produce section of the grocery store at 77 cents per pound, I lost track of how many I SHOULD buy. They have the exactly right combination of sweetness and tartness that I look for in a pie apple. Granny Smiths are too sour and Red Delicious are too bland, and most of the rest of the apples fall in somewhere in between the two. But, Jonagolds are perfect, and I bought enough for six pies, not noticing (perhaps by design) that the beautifully rounded red spheres were three times as large as regular-sized apples. At home in the kitchen, once the peeling and coring began, I ended up with way more apples which necessitated way more dough for crust and the result? Thirteen pies.
I planned to freeze most of the pies and serve two at Thanksgiving, two at Christmas, one each for my three children, and then we would eat the extras for the next few months. And, if we had company, it would be nice to serve homemade apple pie with a large spoonful of frozen vanilla yogurt or a dollop of whipped topping.
To add to the holiday fun, our great grandson visited us for a week at Thanksgiving and in his seven year old eagerness, helped me decorate two Christmas trees, one for upstairs and one for downstairs. So, we rang in the holiday season as soon as we could.
Ray loves the holidays too, and I'm thankful for that. I knew someone previously who was depressed by Christmas which was very sad for him and for everyone around him. However, Ray and I are like two peas in a pod when it comes to family and festivities--we love indulging in it all, and we wish for you all a very, very joyful holiday full of love and good times!
Love, Patricia
Friday, July 22, 2011
Are You Ready to Try Something Different?
Hi Everybody,
Don't you wish that humanity would figure out a way to co-exist? To live together in peace? To live in a world where pain is nonexistent?
Neale Donald Walsch's book The New Revelations: A Conversation With God addresses this topic, as well as other problems humans have struggled with since the dawn of the human race.
There are many common sense solutions that if implemented could change the way humans think about themselves and others, solutions that could change the world for the better. Read on, if you're interested in the future of the human race! (-:
The following is from The New Revelations:A Conversation With God by Neale Donald Walsch.
pp. 116-118
(God)
[T]here is nothing that I do want. And this is what you cannot understand or refuse to accept.
There is nothing that God wants or needs.
God demands nothing, commands nothing, requires nothing, compels nothing. Teach this in your seminaries and your madrasas.
God neither orders nor requests, insists nor expects, anything. Tell this to your young.
I am the Author of Everything. I am the Creator and the Created. There is nothing that is that I am not. I have no need to give orders to anyone.
To whom would I give orders? There is no one to command but Me. I am the All in All. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. And whom would I punish were my orders not kept? Would I use my right hand to slap my left? Would I bite my nose to spite my face?
Your teachers and your doctors of law, your priests and your ulamas, tell you that God is to be feared, for He is a vengeful God. You are to live in fear of God's wrath, they say. You are to tremble in His presence. Your whole life you are to fear the terrible judment of the Lord. For God is "just," you are told. And God knows, you will be in trouble when you confront the terrible justice of the Lord. You are, therefore, to be obedient to God's commands. Or else.
Most of you, therefore, spend much of your adult lives searching for the "right way" to worship God, to obey God, to serve God. The irony of all this is that I do not want your worship. I do not need your obedience, and it is not necessary to serve me.
These behaviors are the behaviors historically demanded of their subjects by monarchs--egomaniacal, insecure, tyrannical monarchs at that. They are not Godly demands in any sense, and it seems remarkable that the world hasn't by now concluded that the demands are counterfeit, having nothing to do with the needs of Deity.
Deity has no needs. All That Is is exactly that: all that is. It therefore wants, or lacks, nothing----by definition.
If you choose to believe in a God who somehow needs something--and has such hurt feelings if He doesn't get it that He punishes those from whom He expected to receive it--then you choose to believe in a God much smaller than I. You truly are Children of a Lesser God.
(Walsch)
Then you haven't given us "orders"?
(God)
No. It was human beings who felt they had to give human beings orders, in order to keep order. And the best way they knew how to get people to follow orders was to say that they came directly from God.
There were also those who sincerely believed that they were receiving directives from God about how life should be lived, and what they said that they received was passed on by others in good faith. Yet, this does not mean that what was passed on was always accurate, nor does it mean that the person who claims to have been the original recipient of these revelations was infallible.
(Walsch)
Any more than this book is infallible.
(God)
That is correct. That is exactly right. Any claim of infallibility for this book would be inaccurate.
(Walsch)
It would be inaccurate to say that this book is accurate.
(God)
Yes.
(Walsch)
So this book is accurate when it says that it is inaccurate.
(God)
That's clever, and that's another yes.
(Walsch)
So if it's inaccurate, why should I believe it?
(God)
You should not believe it. You should apply it and see what works.
Incidentally, put every other writing that claims to be a communication from God to the same test.
pp. 184-185
(God)
And so, you have imagined a God that separated humans from Him, because He was not happy with humans. This is what humans do to each other when they are not happy, and you have concluded that God would do the same.
This idea of The Great Separation created in you the experience of being separate from each other as well. I have already explained to you how this happened.
Human beings knew--they intuitively understood; they had a cellular memory of the fact--that they were one with all life. One with the Earth, and one with the creatures of the Earth. One with the sky, and one with everything in the sky. one with the divine, and part of that which is divine.
Then the stories of separation began. As I earlier explained, these stories arose out of humans' early experience. Religions codified that experience, transforming myth into dogma. The illusion of your separation was complete. Separation from God and separation from all life.
Modern religion has had a chance to break that illusion, to lead you to the truth. But modern religion has chosen to stick with the teachings of pre-modern times, to retain the dogma of hundreds and thousands of years ago. And so, modern religion has failed modern man.
If you are courageous, if you are very brave, you will allow a New Spirituality to enhance your religious experience. This spirituality will not reject outright your traditional religious teachings, but enlarge upon them and alter some of the teachings that you agree no longer apply or no longer function.
p. 186
(God)
You have accepted that you are Separate From God not because you have experienced that you are separate, but because you have been told that you are--by organized religion.
p. 222
(God)
It is not that humans do not want to live according to life's truest principles, it is simply that it is impossible for humans to do so when these basic principles are so clouded over by their beliefs that humans cannot even know what the principles are.
In short, human beings are trying to live the truth through beliefs that are false. In this, they have set themselves an impossible task. And that is why so much of life on your planet is not working.
Now please let me acknowledge here that some of your life on Earth is working. You have grown and evolved and become a grander version of humanity. You have learned from some of your mistakes, you have progressed in some ways, and you have become in some ways a magnificent species. And, as I said earlier, you have done this against all odds.
That is why it seems such a shame to see you making collective choices at this point in your development that could so drastically and negatively impact the life of your species as you know it--if not completely end it.
Those humans who understand deeply what is now going on see that the saddest part of all this is that so much could improve so quickly with a few simply changes in the things you choose to believe.
p. 283
(God)
Do not let a moment go by in which you have an opportunity to tell someone how magnificent they are. Do not let an opportunity pass in which you may offer praise. Give people the gift of self-esteem, and you will have given them a gift that many cannot find a way to give themselves. Yet when they find themselves through you, and return to their own most glorious vision and their own grandest idea of who they really are, they are lost no more, for you have returned them to themselves. Once they were lost, but now they are found.
To change people's behavior, change people's ideas about themselves. To change people's ideas about themselves, change their beliefs about Life and about God.
If you think that you were born in sin, are a sinner now, and will be a sinner always, how are you most likely to act? Yet if you believe that you are One with God, that you walk in step with the Divine, how then, will you behave?
I tell you this: You are an angel.
You are the angel for whom someone is waiting today.`
Walsch, Neale Donald. The New Revelations:A Conversation With God. Atria Books, New York, 2002.
Don't you wish that humanity would figure out a way to co-exist? To live together in peace? To live in a world where pain is nonexistent?
Neale Donald Walsch's book The New Revelations: A Conversation With God addresses this topic, as well as other problems humans have struggled with since the dawn of the human race.
There are many common sense solutions that if implemented could change the way humans think about themselves and others, solutions that could change the world for the better. Read on, if you're interested in the future of the human race! (-:
The following is from The New Revelations:A Conversation With God by Neale Donald Walsch.
pp. 116-118
(God)
[T]here is nothing that I do want. And this is what you cannot understand or refuse to accept.
There is nothing that God wants or needs.
God demands nothing, commands nothing, requires nothing, compels nothing. Teach this in your seminaries and your madrasas.
God neither orders nor requests, insists nor expects, anything. Tell this to your young.
I am the Author of Everything. I am the Creator and the Created. There is nothing that is that I am not. I have no need to give orders to anyone.
To whom would I give orders? There is no one to command but Me. I am the All in All. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. And whom would I punish were my orders not kept? Would I use my right hand to slap my left? Would I bite my nose to spite my face?
Your teachers and your doctors of law, your priests and your ulamas, tell you that God is to be feared, for He is a vengeful God. You are to live in fear of God's wrath, they say. You are to tremble in His presence. Your whole life you are to fear the terrible judment of the Lord. For God is "just," you are told. And God knows, you will be in trouble when you confront the terrible justice of the Lord. You are, therefore, to be obedient to God's commands. Or else.
Most of you, therefore, spend much of your adult lives searching for the "right way" to worship God, to obey God, to serve God. The irony of all this is that I do not want your worship. I do not need your obedience, and it is not necessary to serve me.
These behaviors are the behaviors historically demanded of their subjects by monarchs--egomaniacal, insecure, tyrannical monarchs at that. They are not Godly demands in any sense, and it seems remarkable that the world hasn't by now concluded that the demands are counterfeit, having nothing to do with the needs of Deity.
Deity has no needs. All That Is is exactly that: all that is. It therefore wants, or lacks, nothing----by definition.
If you choose to believe in a God who somehow needs something--and has such hurt feelings if He doesn't get it that He punishes those from whom He expected to receive it--then you choose to believe in a God much smaller than I. You truly are Children of a Lesser God.
(Walsch)
Then you haven't given us "orders"?
(God)
No. It was human beings who felt they had to give human beings orders, in order to keep order. And the best way they knew how to get people to follow orders was to say that they came directly from God.
There were also those who sincerely believed that they were receiving directives from God about how life should be lived, and what they said that they received was passed on by others in good faith. Yet, this does not mean that what was passed on was always accurate, nor does it mean that the person who claims to have been the original recipient of these revelations was infallible.
(Walsch)
Any more than this book is infallible.
(God)
That is correct. That is exactly right. Any claim of infallibility for this book would be inaccurate.
(Walsch)
It would be inaccurate to say that this book is accurate.
(God)
Yes.
(Walsch)
So this book is accurate when it says that it is inaccurate.
(God)
That's clever, and that's another yes.
(Walsch)
So if it's inaccurate, why should I believe it?
(God)
You should not believe it. You should apply it and see what works.
Incidentally, put every other writing that claims to be a communication from God to the same test.
pp. 184-185
(God)
And so, you have imagined a God that separated humans from Him, because He was not happy with humans. This is what humans do to each other when they are not happy, and you have concluded that God would do the same.
This idea of The Great Separation created in you the experience of being separate from each other as well. I have already explained to you how this happened.
Human beings knew--they intuitively understood; they had a cellular memory of the fact--that they were one with all life. One with the Earth, and one with the creatures of the Earth. One with the sky, and one with everything in the sky. one with the divine, and part of that which is divine.
Then the stories of separation began. As I earlier explained, these stories arose out of humans' early experience. Religions codified that experience, transforming myth into dogma. The illusion of your separation was complete. Separation from God and separation from all life.
Modern religion has had a chance to break that illusion, to lead you to the truth. But modern religion has chosen to stick with the teachings of pre-modern times, to retain the dogma of hundreds and thousands of years ago. And so, modern religion has failed modern man.
If you are courageous, if you are very brave, you will allow a New Spirituality to enhance your religious experience. This spirituality will not reject outright your traditional religious teachings, but enlarge upon them and alter some of the teachings that you agree no longer apply or no longer function.
p. 186
(God)
You have accepted that you are Separate From God not because you have experienced that you are separate, but because you have been told that you are--by organized religion.
p. 222
(God)
It is not that humans do not want to live according to life's truest principles, it is simply that it is impossible for humans to do so when these basic principles are so clouded over by their beliefs that humans cannot even know what the principles are.
In short, human beings are trying to live the truth through beliefs that are false. In this, they have set themselves an impossible task. And that is why so much of life on your planet is not working.
Now please let me acknowledge here that some of your life on Earth is working. You have grown and evolved and become a grander version of humanity. You have learned from some of your mistakes, you have progressed in some ways, and you have become in some ways a magnificent species. And, as I said earlier, you have done this against all odds.
That is why it seems such a shame to see you making collective choices at this point in your development that could so drastically and negatively impact the life of your species as you know it--if not completely end it.
Those humans who understand deeply what is now going on see that the saddest part of all this is that so much could improve so quickly with a few simply changes in the things you choose to believe.
p. 283
(God)
Do not let a moment go by in which you have an opportunity to tell someone how magnificent they are. Do not let an opportunity pass in which you may offer praise. Give people the gift of self-esteem, and you will have given them a gift that many cannot find a way to give themselves. Yet when they find themselves through you, and return to their own most glorious vision and their own grandest idea of who they really are, they are lost no more, for you have returned them to themselves. Once they were lost, but now they are found.
To change people's behavior, change people's ideas about themselves. To change people's ideas about themselves, change their beliefs about Life and about God.
If you think that you were born in sin, are a sinner now, and will be a sinner always, how are you most likely to act? Yet if you believe that you are One with God, that you walk in step with the Divine, how then, will you behave?
I tell you this: You are an angel.
You are the angel for whom someone is waiting today.`
Walsch, Neale Donald. The New Revelations:A Conversation With God. Atria Books, New York, 2002.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Don't Forget to Say "Thank You, Thanks, I Appreciate You"
Hi,
When we were children, we were taught to be courteous, and that meant saying "thank-you." However, I've discovered even more benefits from saying thanks!
One benefit that comes from being grateful is better health. I believe that if we thank our own cells for working so hard and diligently for us, we will have better overall health.
Left to its own devices, in most cases, the body heals itself.
Consciousness, within us and without, must be concerned for our welfare and as a result, want to work for our benefit. How might we encourage our cells? By thanking them every day, by talking to them and by telling them how much we appreciate them.
You might think they wouldn't "hear" us or "understand," but think about the intelligence in one cell and how it communicates with the intelligence in another cell in the body in order to keep the "machine" (our body) running. There has to be incredible cooperation among the cells to ensure that the overall organism (our body) thrives.
Our cells want to see us heal and thrive, and they want to ensure their own normal lifespan, as well. And when it is time for a cell to die, they will pass on the information needed for a new cell to carry on the work.
Stop and see if you can visualize them as they work. Send some loving thoughts to them. See them as healthy. And, thank them every day.
And, when we don't feel well, when we're sick, if we've been diagnosed with some serious illness, think about your cells working to stay healthy. See them as healthy and vibrant. This will encourage them and give them a boost. Stop what you're doing for a moment to say "Thanks, guys! I appreciate all your work and effort on my behalf very, very much. And, mean it when you say it!
And, while we're at it, let's thank that Consciousness, that Spirit, All That Is, God, Whomever or Whatever you want to call It-- for this huge blessing, for this healing spirit embedded within us.
That's all for today,
Much Love, Patricia
When we were children, we were taught to be courteous, and that meant saying "thank-you." However, I've discovered even more benefits from saying thanks!
One benefit that comes from being grateful is better health. I believe that if we thank our own cells for working so hard and diligently for us, we will have better overall health.
Left to its own devices, in most cases, the body heals itself.
Consciousness, within us and without, must be concerned for our welfare and as a result, want to work for our benefit. How might we encourage our cells? By thanking them every day, by talking to them and by telling them how much we appreciate them.
You might think they wouldn't "hear" us or "understand," but think about the intelligence in one cell and how it communicates with the intelligence in another cell in the body in order to keep the "machine" (our body) running. There has to be incredible cooperation among the cells to ensure that the overall organism (our body) thrives.
Our cells want to see us heal and thrive, and they want to ensure their own normal lifespan, as well. And when it is time for a cell to die, they will pass on the information needed for a new cell to carry on the work.
Stop and see if you can visualize them as they work. Send some loving thoughts to them. See them as healthy. And, thank them every day.
And, when we don't feel well, when we're sick, if we've been diagnosed with some serious illness, think about your cells working to stay healthy. See them as healthy and vibrant. This will encourage them and give them a boost. Stop what you're doing for a moment to say "Thanks, guys! I appreciate all your work and effort on my behalf very, very much. And, mean it when you say it!
And, while we're at it, let's thank that Consciousness, that Spirit, All That Is, God, Whomever or Whatever you want to call It-- for this huge blessing, for this healing spirit embedded within us.
That's all for today,
Much Love, Patricia
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Garrison Keillor's essay on his (mild) stroke
There are so many talented writers, many of whom I'd like to pattern my writing after, one of whom is Garrison Keillor, however. On such a serious subject as a stroke which Keillor suffered, he manages to describe the experience with some humor.
http://www.menshealth.com/health/garrison-keillor-stroke/page/2
http://www.menshealth.com/health/garrison-keillor-stroke/page/2
Our Language
Hello,
R. and I, in our continuing quest to keep our brains (retired from our professions but not retired from life!) as vital, healthy, and flexible as possible, have been working crossword puzzles for over three years now. It's amazing how the brain adapts to solving these puzzles because we work them much faster now than we did when we first started (We were considerably slower then). As English majors, we are fascinated by word origins (etymology) and word science (linguistics). So, we're reaping a huge benefit every time we consult the dictionary.
When I taught Composition II, I incorporated a chapter on "The History of English" which demonstrated the adaptability and constantly changing dynamics of the English language. New words are added every day, and we routinely use words that came from other languages (Latin--and the Romance languages, German, Greek, Native American, and African, just to name a few.
Patricia
The following paragraphs are found at the links below each.
---------------------------------
Where do new words come from? How do you figure out their histories?
Etymology
An etymology is the history of a linguistic form, such as a word; the same term is also used for the study of word histories. A dictionary etymology tells us what is known of an English word before it became the word entered in that dictionary. If the word was created in English, the etymology shows, to whatever extent is not already obvious from the shape of the word, what materials were used to form it. If the word was borrowed into English, the etymology traces the borrowing process backward from the point at which the word entered English to the earliest records of the ancestral language. Where it is relevant, an etymology notes words from other languages that are related ("akin") to the word in the dictionary entry, but that are not in the direct line of borrowing.
How new words are formed
An etymologist, a specialist in the study of etymology, must know a good deal about the history of English and also about the relationships of sound and meaning and their changes over time that underline the reconstruction of the Indo-European language family. Knowledge is also needed of the various processes by which words are created within Modern English; the most important processes are listed below.
Borrowing
A majority of the words used in English today are of foreign origin. English still derives much of its vocabulary from Latin and Greek, but we have also borrowed words from nearly all of the languages in Europe. In the modern period of linguistic acquisitiveness, English has found vocabulary opportunities even farther afield. From the period of the Renaissance voyages through the days when the sun never set upon the British Empire and up to the present, a steady stream of new words has flowed into the language to match the new objects and experiences English speakers have encountered all over the globe. Over 120 languages are on record as sources of present-day English vocabulary.
http://www.aolsvc.merriam-webster.aol.com/help/faq/etymology.htm
----------------------------------------
and
Word Origin - A View of World History
Word origin study is a fascinating way to discover the history of language and of a people. Learning where words in a language originated can tell us a lot about early influences on a society. Word origin in the English language, for example, indicates that this culture originated from many others. Many of our most commonly used words are Latin based, but come from countries as distinct as Italy, Spain and France. Their incorporation into our language is indicative of the exploration, invasion and emigration, reflecting world history on a large scale.
Word Origin - A View of Cultural Diversity
Word origin knowledge, according to Joseph T. Shipley, author of Dictionary of Word Origins (Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1967), is "to know how men think, how they have fashioned their civilization. Word history traces the path of human fellowship, the bridges from mend to mind, from nation to nation." Word origin can be inspired by influences as diverse as conquerors, commerce and cliques. Since the beginning of time, people have longed to search out unknown territories. Unfortunately, human nature and its lust for power caused many of those discoveries to lead to war in the desire for conquest and superiority.
Word Origin - A View of the Times
Word origin in America today shares its base with England, but has developed its own personality through its multicultural heritage. It's a topic that can fascinate students of history and students of language. Writers, in particular, find their skills enhanced by understanding the roots and national origins of words. Such knowledge enriches our ability to comprehend meaning, especially in reading classic literature from times past.
Because we are a people in flux, new words are being added to our menu choices almost daily. Some turn out to be "slang" that is temporary in nature, so it fades in time. Other terms become part of a culture's vernacular based on frequency of use as well as a change in that culture's way of life, such as many of the words and phrases connected to our current computer-based lifestyle. These words, such as "multi-tasking," "interfacing," and "online/offline," were either unknown or have enhanced their meanings in the last 20-30 years.
http://www.allabouthistory.org/word-origin.htm
R. and I, in our continuing quest to keep our brains (retired from our professions but not retired from life!) as vital, healthy, and flexible as possible, have been working crossword puzzles for over three years now. It's amazing how the brain adapts to solving these puzzles because we work them much faster now than we did when we first started (We were considerably slower then). As English majors, we are fascinated by word origins (etymology) and word science (linguistics). So, we're reaping a huge benefit every time we consult the dictionary.
When I taught Composition II, I incorporated a chapter on "The History of English" which demonstrated the adaptability and constantly changing dynamics of the English language. New words are added every day, and we routinely use words that came from other languages (Latin--and the Romance languages, German, Greek, Native American, and African, just to name a few.
Patricia
The following paragraphs are found at the links below each.
---------------------------------
Where do new words come from? How do you figure out their histories?
Etymology
An etymology is the history of a linguistic form, such as a word; the same term is also used for the study of word histories. A dictionary etymology tells us what is known of an English word before it became the word entered in that dictionary. If the word was created in English, the etymology shows, to whatever extent is not already obvious from the shape of the word, what materials were used to form it. If the word was borrowed into English, the etymology traces the borrowing process backward from the point at which the word entered English to the earliest records of the ancestral language. Where it is relevant, an etymology notes words from other languages that are related ("akin") to the word in the dictionary entry, but that are not in the direct line of borrowing.
How new words are formed
An etymologist, a specialist in the study of etymology, must know a good deal about the history of English and also about the relationships of sound and meaning and their changes over time that underline the reconstruction of the Indo-European language family. Knowledge is also needed of the various processes by which words are created within Modern English; the most important processes are listed below.
Borrowing
A majority of the words used in English today are of foreign origin. English still derives much of its vocabulary from Latin and Greek, but we have also borrowed words from nearly all of the languages in Europe. In the modern period of linguistic acquisitiveness, English has found vocabulary opportunities even farther afield. From the period of the Renaissance voyages through the days when the sun never set upon the British Empire and up to the present, a steady stream of new words has flowed into the language to match the new objects and experiences English speakers have encountered all over the globe. Over 120 languages are on record as sources of present-day English vocabulary.
http://www.aolsvc.merriam-webster.aol.com/help/faq/etymology.htm
----------------------------------------
and
Word Origin - A View of World History
Word origin study is a fascinating way to discover the history of language and of a people. Learning where words in a language originated can tell us a lot about early influences on a society. Word origin in the English language, for example, indicates that this culture originated from many others. Many of our most commonly used words are Latin based, but come from countries as distinct as Italy, Spain and France. Their incorporation into our language is indicative of the exploration, invasion and emigration, reflecting world history on a large scale.
Word Origin - A View of Cultural Diversity
Word origin knowledge, according to Joseph T. Shipley, author of Dictionary of Word Origins (Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1967), is "to know how men think, how they have fashioned their civilization. Word history traces the path of human fellowship, the bridges from mend to mind, from nation to nation." Word origin can be inspired by influences as diverse as conquerors, commerce and cliques. Since the beginning of time, people have longed to search out unknown territories. Unfortunately, human nature and its lust for power caused many of those discoveries to lead to war in the desire for conquest and superiority.
Word Origin - A View of the Times
Word origin in America today shares its base with England, but has developed its own personality through its multicultural heritage. It's a topic that can fascinate students of history and students of language. Writers, in particular, find their skills enhanced by understanding the roots and national origins of words. Such knowledge enriches our ability to comprehend meaning, especially in reading classic literature from times past.
Because we are a people in flux, new words are being added to our menu choices almost daily. Some turn out to be "slang" that is temporary in nature, so it fades in time. Other terms become part of a culture's vernacular based on frequency of use as well as a change in that culture's way of life, such as many of the words and phrases connected to our current computer-based lifestyle. These words, such as "multi-tasking," "interfacing," and "online/offline," were either unknown or have enhanced their meanings in the last 20-30 years.
http://www.allabouthistory.org/word-origin.htm
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
About That Time
The forecast is for a low of 38 degrees on Thursday evening, so I hauled several potted plants into the garden shed to protect them in case it drops even further: a banana plant, four Bird of Paradise, and four purple lantanas. Normally, they wouldn't be bothered by freezing temps, but since they're in pots, they're more vulnerable.
I haven't decided whether to put the other three banana plants inside or not since low temperatures can't hurt the bulbs, but since they're in pots, who knows how they might handle the frost? So, that'll be a job for tomorrow before R. and I go celebrate my birthday and my son's birthday (as I've always said...the best birthday present I've ever received) with our family.
There is an excitement which starts to build right around my birthday: One week to Thanksgiving and then a month until Christmas. I'm looking forward to the holidays with R. and with family.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love, P.
I haven't decided whether to put the other three banana plants inside or not since low temperatures can't hurt the bulbs, but since they're in pots, who knows how they might handle the frost? So, that'll be a job for tomorrow before R. and I go celebrate my birthday and my son's birthday (as I've always said...the best birthday present I've ever received) with our family.
There is an excitement which starts to build right around my birthday: One week to Thanksgiving and then a month until Christmas. I'm looking forward to the holidays with R. and with family.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Love, P.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Global PenFriends
In September, I was happily surfing away online and happened upon a "Global PenFriends" site offering the opportunity to correspond with people all over the world. I began browsing amongst the neverending lists of correspondents (females within my age range, more or less) who lived all over the world and who had sent their short biographies in to the site.
Within a month, I found myself writing to three different PenFriends. Two live in New Zealand, and one lives in Australia. I didn't plan to limit my correspondence to people who lived in the Southern Hemisphere; it just happened that they were the ones who were interested in writing me. I did write to one lady in Russia but never heard back from her.
These women love to write, and usually with three to four days, they've answered my letter with a single spaced two to two-and-a-half page e-mail message. We all have a lot in common, I've found.
Among the things I've learned is that Australia has a female prime minister, Julia Gillard, and that Hilary Clinton has recently visited New Zealand. My friend wrote that as is the tradition, Mrs. Clinton was "challenged" by a group of Maoris with a powhiri ritual. She said she hoped Mrs. Clinton wasn't surprised (I think that's the word she used) by the powhiri. Well, I immediately looked up "powhiri" and found that it's a rather stern greeting by the Maoris to basically find out whether the visitor is "friend" or "foe." And, I reassured her that I was sure that not much would daunt Mrs. Clinton and that she probably enjoyed the experience! http://maaori.com/misc/powhiri.htm
I also learned that Secretary of State Clinton signed an agreement for closer relations with New Zealand, which I think is great.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4996440&c=POL&s=TOP
It's interesting that at the time my NZ penfriend wrote and gave me this information, I hadn't heard or read one single thing about Hilary Clinton being in New Zealand, and I read our Austin American-Statesman and scan the New York Times every day. Also, I watch the news on television. (Then, just a couple of days ago, I saw an item on aol news online about an interview of Mrs. Clinton by some young people in New Zealand.)
It's also interesting that my penfriends are puzzled by the behavior of the tea-partiers and wonder why the "partiers" are so angry. They admire President Obama and feel much sympathy for him. They also talk with much gratitude about their own national health care system. So, in my letters, I try to explain our political system, and in return they fill me in on their country's customs, politics, etc.
My NZ correspondent told me that NZ is comprised of the North Island and South Island and that the movie Lord of the Rings was filmed in the mountainous South and that the section on the Hobbits was filmed in the North Island where she lives and where the country is flatter and more conducive to farming. It's also dairy country.
All in all, it's a wonderful way to find out about the world, especially since I've had to go to Wickipedia and to maps of New Zealand and Australia several times to increase my knowledge about their countries. I highly recommend it.
P.
Within a month, I found myself writing to three different PenFriends. Two live in New Zealand, and one lives in Australia. I didn't plan to limit my correspondence to people who lived in the Southern Hemisphere; it just happened that they were the ones who were interested in writing me. I did write to one lady in Russia but never heard back from her.
These women love to write, and usually with three to four days, they've answered my letter with a single spaced two to two-and-a-half page e-mail message. We all have a lot in common, I've found.
Among the things I've learned is that Australia has a female prime minister, Julia Gillard, and that Hilary Clinton has recently visited New Zealand. My friend wrote that as is the tradition, Mrs. Clinton was "challenged" by a group of Maoris with a powhiri ritual. She said she hoped Mrs. Clinton wasn't surprised (I think that's the word she used) by the powhiri. Well, I immediately looked up "powhiri" and found that it's a rather stern greeting by the Maoris to basically find out whether the visitor is "friend" or "foe." And, I reassured her that I was sure that not much would daunt Mrs. Clinton and that she probably enjoyed the experience! http://maaori.com/misc/powhiri.htm
I also learned that Secretary of State Clinton signed an agreement for closer relations with New Zealand, which I think is great.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4996440&c=POL&s=TOP
It's interesting that at the time my NZ penfriend wrote and gave me this information, I hadn't heard or read one single thing about Hilary Clinton being in New Zealand, and I read our Austin American-Statesman and scan the New York Times every day. Also, I watch the news on television. (Then, just a couple of days ago, I saw an item on aol news online about an interview of Mrs. Clinton by some young people in New Zealand.)
It's also interesting that my penfriends are puzzled by the behavior of the tea-partiers and wonder why the "partiers" are so angry. They admire President Obama and feel much sympathy for him. They also talk with much gratitude about their own national health care system. So, in my letters, I try to explain our political system, and in return they fill me in on their country's customs, politics, etc.
My NZ correspondent told me that NZ is comprised of the North Island and South Island and that the movie Lord of the Rings was filmed in the mountainous South and that the section on the Hobbits was filmed in the North Island where she lives and where the country is flatter and more conducive to farming. It's also dairy country.
All in all, it's a wonderful way to find out about the world, especially since I've had to go to Wickipedia and to maps of New Zealand and Australia several times to increase my knowledge about their countries. I highly recommend it.
P.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Q Effect Workshop
July 24, 2010
R. and I attended a great workshop at church. It ran two hours yesterday evening and then all day today. Given by Gary Simmons and Rima Bonaria, it utilized the concept of quantum science to demonstrate how one can create wholeness and healing.
The two facilitators were open about incidents in their own lives and gave us many poignant examples to help us understand the concepts.
All this fits in perfectly with Eckhart Tolle’s works and Jane Roberts’ books on Seth who maintained first of all that we have the power to create our reality. From what has been discovered about the wave and the particle, it appears that physicists are now catching up with New Age/Ancient Wisdom philosophy. We have a workbook and 21 days to practice what we learned. (Click on above title.)
Thanks, Gary and Rima and Unity Church.
R. and I attended a great workshop at church. It ran two hours yesterday evening and then all day today. Given by Gary Simmons and Rima Bonaria, it utilized the concept of quantum science to demonstrate how one can create wholeness and healing.
The two facilitators were open about incidents in their own lives and gave us many poignant examples to help us understand the concepts.
All this fits in perfectly with Eckhart Tolle’s works and Jane Roberts’ books on Seth who maintained first of all that we have the power to create our reality. From what has been discovered about the wave and the particle, it appears that physicists are now catching up with New Age/Ancient Wisdom philosophy. We have a workbook and 21 days to practice what we learned. (Click on above title.)
Thanks, Gary and Rima and Unity Church.
Our Summer of 2010
What a great summer! We looked up from our busy-ness the other day and could hardly believe the end of the first week in July had arrived [This was written July 9, 2010]. A major reason the time has flown by is that we’ve had our six year-old ggrandson for the past six weeks (minus two weekends).
We had to return him to his parents this afternoon. )-: Sad for us, but happy for them.
Gosh, it’s quiet now! We’re used to having this energetic little person pop into our bedroom each morning to announce that he’s up and ready to use our bathroom and then ready for Pappy to start his “Batman” video!
Three weeks ago, we took him down to our local library for some Batman comics. We had called previously and were told they carried them in bound volumes on the shelves. Also, there were Batman videos. Libraries aren’t like they used to be! I remember when librarians looked with disdain upon Nancy Drew books, much less comic books. As a kid, I devoured comics whenever I could get my hands on them. My mother would take us to visit our cousins, and I would find their stack of comics and sit and read until I’d finished the complete pile.
Pappy read E. some comics each night before bedtime, and E. would watch two or three Batman videos in the morning before breakfast. Between E. and Pappy, they carefully measured out all the videos so that he’d see them all before he had to go home.
Some time ago, I’d gotten him started reading our large volume of combined “Dick and Jane” stories. Today, he actually went on his own to his bedroom to get the book before we took him home . He wanted to read some more out loud. By the time, we met his Mom, he had read ¾ of the book, so I feel confident about his reading ability when he enters 1st grade in August. He had learned a lot as well from his kindergarten school work.
A day or so after he first arrived, we opened our front door one morning to see a turtle right outside the door, looking as though he wanted in. I took Mr. T. out to the back yard where we now see him or her occasionally. (We have a certified official backyard habitat.) From that point on, E. wanted me to “google up” as many turtles and sea creatures as I could find on the internet. Oh, and that was the second turtle to whom we’ve provided accommodations. A couple of years ago we rescued one off the street, let him live in our back yard over the winter and then returned him to the woods in the spring. Hmmm…turtles and elephants are my token animals, so who knows what’s going on and who’s going to turn up next? (-:
Two days ago, we took E. to the beach at a local lake. While we were in the water, a very large turtle poked her head above water and watched us for while. E. would have paddled straight for shore, but I reassured him the turtle was more afraid of us, so we splashed and paddled until a dark and ominous cloud accompanied by a much cooler breeze appeared, and I decided we’d better call it a day for swimming.
The first two weeks in June we took E. down to the local park and pool for swimming lessons. He really loved that, especially since after the lesson, he could go over to play at the water park with the myriad shapes and sizes of water jets and then go with Pappy to get chocolate covered doughnuts with sprinkles. Hey, Pappy liked that, too!
In addition to going swimming several times (once at Jim’s pool over the 4th of July), we all, for the first time ever, rode the light rail coming back from downtown Austin. It’s an hour’s trip each way. We took the bus downtown since the light rail left our local station so early in the morning. (The first time, my husband drove us downtown, and he drove back while we rode the train.) E. loved riding the bus and the train, and we saw deer and wild turkeys along the route coming back both times we rode.
While downtown, “Extreme Pita” located right off 6th and Congress became our favorite place to lunch. E. could get pita with cheese which looked and tasted just like a cheese pizza, his favorite kind.
This last visit downtown, rain poured down on us as we left the restaurant. Luckily, we had taken two umbrellas which still weren’t enough. E. had his own, and Pappy and I had to share, resulting in our getting soaked by the time we walked several blocks to the train station. But, it was fun!
On the 4th, Jim sent some sparklers home with E., and we lit two per night for several nights. He talked about the sparklers with much anticipation during the day and mentioned how “exciting” they were.
In between all of this activity, he and I played numerous games of “Authors,” checkers, and Chinese checkers, as well as baseball outside and basketball inside. E. has learned the names of Longfellow, Thackeray, Hawthorne, Twain, Cooper, Tennyson, Alcott, Poe, Dickens, Shakespeare and others since we began playing “Authors.”
I found several great online children’ sites where he played games: Nick at Night Kids and PBS kids. Many of them teach as well as entertain.
On television, he watched PBS programs during the day, and I marveled at those imaginative people who have designed such creative ways to teach children. I never thought anyone could improve on the teaching methods of the early Sesame Street programs.
He rode his scooter, and whizzing down the hill now, he has really improved his balance since the last time he was here. The scooter will carry us, as well, so we just pull up the handle and ride it, especially if he is too tired to lug it up the hill on the way back.
He brought his Wii with him and we set it up in our den, so he bounced around a lot, “playing” football, throwing passes, managing interceptions and having a great time. Then, if he were particularly excited about a certain play, he’d come and have us watch while he hit the “replay” button.
Several times, we’d go out into the yard with his bat, and I’d pitch him balls. He would have stayed out for hours in the heat, so I had to limit how many balls I would pitch, and he was agreeable to that. After he hit them, he’d run and get the balls, which suited me fine!
He helped me pick patio and grape tomatoes from the vines and also helped scrub potatoes for potato salad to take to Jim’s.
E. is at the age where he makes “jokes” that really aren’t, but I guess that he has to go through this stage to get to where he makes connections that are actually funny. The latest thing now is telling one or the other of us that a spider is in the bathroom or his Mom is driving up, or whatever and then saying when we respond, “Gotcha!” So, we laughingly gave him back in kind.
This past six weeks, E. and Pappy became closer, and many times he wanted to do things with Pappy rather than me, which I think was good. He also wanted to do everything Pappy did, such as lying upside down on the inversion table each morning to improve the back (it also helps with the circulation). So, Ray slid the feet up on the table to fit a six year old and they both were upside down for several minutes each morning.
Over the past weeks, my husband has mentioned often how much joy E. gives us and also the possibility that E. may be the only grandson he will ever have, so he’s thankful we have him in our lives.
So now, as we return his little table and chair (where he sometimes sits to eat while watching his favorite tv show) up to his bedroom, as I return the rubber ducks to the bathroom closet (he’s abandoned these in favor of playing with a flexible power ranger in his bath), as I remove said power ranger hanging by the arm from the shower hose and stash it away with the ducks, as I contemplate with sadness throwing out the ducks and then realize how much I want to hang on to his baby and toddler-hood, as I return the myriad balls—nerf and others—to his closet, as I break the balloons (they’ll deflate by the time we next see him, anyway) he batted and kicked back and forth in the upstairs den, using them as soccer balls, as I return three of his “Hot Wheels”(a cherry red pickup, a blue stripped-down hotrod, and an orange racing car complete with stripe) to his room, as I empty out the remaining canned chicken and noodles which I “doctored” for his lunch yesterday with my homemade vegetable soup-- as I do all these things, I also realize how much he missed his parents and how happy he was to see them, and I’m very thankful that he has a great family life.
But, there was an inordinate amount of laughing and joking during the past six weeks, and we feel blessed to have had E. that long. We cemented even stronger, a loving and close relationship that we’ve enjoyed with him since the day he was born. Thanks, K. and B.
Love,
P.
We had to return him to his parents this afternoon. )-: Sad for us, but happy for them.
Gosh, it’s quiet now! We’re used to having this energetic little person pop into our bedroom each morning to announce that he’s up and ready to use our bathroom and then ready for Pappy to start his “Batman” video!
Three weeks ago, we took him down to our local library for some Batman comics. We had called previously and were told they carried them in bound volumes on the shelves. Also, there were Batman videos. Libraries aren’t like they used to be! I remember when librarians looked with disdain upon Nancy Drew books, much less comic books. As a kid, I devoured comics whenever I could get my hands on them. My mother would take us to visit our cousins, and I would find their stack of comics and sit and read until I’d finished the complete pile.
Pappy read E. some comics each night before bedtime, and E. would watch two or three Batman videos in the morning before breakfast. Between E. and Pappy, they carefully measured out all the videos so that he’d see them all before he had to go home.
Some time ago, I’d gotten him started reading our large volume of combined “Dick and Jane” stories. Today, he actually went on his own to his bedroom to get the book before we took him home . He wanted to read some more out loud. By the time, we met his Mom, he had read ¾ of the book, so I feel confident about his reading ability when he enters 1st grade in August. He had learned a lot as well from his kindergarten school work.
A day or so after he first arrived, we opened our front door one morning to see a turtle right outside the door, looking as though he wanted in. I took Mr. T. out to the back yard where we now see him or her occasionally. (We have a certified official backyard habitat.) From that point on, E. wanted me to “google up” as many turtles and sea creatures as I could find on the internet. Oh, and that was the second turtle to whom we’ve provided accommodations. A couple of years ago we rescued one off the street, let him live in our back yard over the winter and then returned him to the woods in the spring. Hmmm…turtles and elephants are my token animals, so who knows what’s going on and who’s going to turn up next? (-:
Two days ago, we took E. to the beach at a local lake. While we were in the water, a very large turtle poked her head above water and watched us for while. E. would have paddled straight for shore, but I reassured him the turtle was more afraid of us, so we splashed and paddled until a dark and ominous cloud accompanied by a much cooler breeze appeared, and I decided we’d better call it a day for swimming.
The first two weeks in June we took E. down to the local park and pool for swimming lessons. He really loved that, especially since after the lesson, he could go over to play at the water park with the myriad shapes and sizes of water jets and then go with Pappy to get chocolate covered doughnuts with sprinkles. Hey, Pappy liked that, too!
In addition to going swimming several times (once at Jim’s pool over the 4th of July), we all, for the first time ever, rode the light rail coming back from downtown Austin. It’s an hour’s trip each way. We took the bus downtown since the light rail left our local station so early in the morning. (The first time, my husband drove us downtown, and he drove back while we rode the train.) E. loved riding the bus and the train, and we saw deer and wild turkeys along the route coming back both times we rode.
While downtown, “Extreme Pita” located right off 6th and Congress became our favorite place to lunch. E. could get pita with cheese which looked and tasted just like a cheese pizza, his favorite kind.
This last visit downtown, rain poured down on us as we left the restaurant. Luckily, we had taken two umbrellas which still weren’t enough. E. had his own, and Pappy and I had to share, resulting in our getting soaked by the time we walked several blocks to the train station. But, it was fun!
On the 4th, Jim sent some sparklers home with E., and we lit two per night for several nights. He talked about the sparklers with much anticipation during the day and mentioned how “exciting” they were.
In between all of this activity, he and I played numerous games of “Authors,” checkers, and Chinese checkers, as well as baseball outside and basketball inside. E. has learned the names of Longfellow, Thackeray, Hawthorne, Twain, Cooper, Tennyson, Alcott, Poe, Dickens, Shakespeare and others since we began playing “Authors.”
I found several great online children’ sites where he played games: Nick at Night Kids and PBS kids. Many of them teach as well as entertain.
On television, he watched PBS programs during the day, and I marveled at those imaginative people who have designed such creative ways to teach children. I never thought anyone could improve on the teaching methods of the early Sesame Street programs.
He rode his scooter, and whizzing down the hill now, he has really improved his balance since the last time he was here. The scooter will carry us, as well, so we just pull up the handle and ride it, especially if he is too tired to lug it up the hill on the way back.
He brought his Wii with him and we set it up in our den, so he bounced around a lot, “playing” football, throwing passes, managing interceptions and having a great time. Then, if he were particularly excited about a certain play, he’d come and have us watch while he hit the “replay” button.
Several times, we’d go out into the yard with his bat, and I’d pitch him balls. He would have stayed out for hours in the heat, so I had to limit how many balls I would pitch, and he was agreeable to that. After he hit them, he’d run and get the balls, which suited me fine!
He helped me pick patio and grape tomatoes from the vines and also helped scrub potatoes for potato salad to take to Jim’s.
E. is at the age where he makes “jokes” that really aren’t, but I guess that he has to go through this stage to get to where he makes connections that are actually funny. The latest thing now is telling one or the other of us that a spider is in the bathroom or his Mom is driving up, or whatever and then saying when we respond, “Gotcha!” So, we laughingly gave him back in kind.
This past six weeks, E. and Pappy became closer, and many times he wanted to do things with Pappy rather than me, which I think was good. He also wanted to do everything Pappy did, such as lying upside down on the inversion table each morning to improve the back (it also helps with the circulation). So, Ray slid the feet up on the table to fit a six year old and they both were upside down for several minutes each morning.
Over the past weeks, my husband has mentioned often how much joy E. gives us and also the possibility that E. may be the only grandson he will ever have, so he’s thankful we have him in our lives.
So now, as we return his little table and chair (where he sometimes sits to eat while watching his favorite tv show) up to his bedroom, as I return the rubber ducks to the bathroom closet (he’s abandoned these in favor of playing with a flexible power ranger in his bath), as I remove said power ranger hanging by the arm from the shower hose and stash it away with the ducks, as I contemplate with sadness throwing out the ducks and then realize how much I want to hang on to his baby and toddler-hood, as I return the myriad balls—nerf and others—to his closet, as I break the balloons (they’ll deflate by the time we next see him, anyway) he batted and kicked back and forth in the upstairs den, using them as soccer balls, as I return three of his “Hot Wheels”(a cherry red pickup, a blue stripped-down hotrod, and an orange racing car complete with stripe) to his room, as I empty out the remaining canned chicken and noodles which I “doctored” for his lunch yesterday with my homemade vegetable soup-- as I do all these things, I also realize how much he missed his parents and how happy he was to see them, and I’m very thankful that he has a great family life.
But, there was an inordinate amount of laughing and joking during the past six weeks, and we feel blessed to have had E. that long. We cemented even stronger, a loving and close relationship that we’ve enjoyed with him since the day he was born. Thanks, K. and B.
Love,
P.
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