I saw this on a friend’s Facebook this morning and just couldn’t resist. So corny. So funny. Happy Friday!
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and, with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
“God, bless America. I added the comma and the lowercase “b” because, without them, it seems like we are making a demand of God, rather than approaching God with the humility of a people who have already received so much.”
That, from one of my favorite blogs, “Life After Tampons,” on July 4th. The author, Jennifer Boykin, nailed it and inspired me to write a blog I’ve wanted to compose for some time now: one on writing and all things regarding language and the written word.
Wait! Don’t go! This will be good and not boring. I promise. You have my word!
Language is so important. My daughter is currently witnessing this firsthand as she studies in Spain. Kristen can speak some Spanish and has Spanish roots on my side of the family, but she has quickly learned that it literally is a whole different world over there! She’s amazed by how many people speak English and more likely than not, at least one other language. Most people she’s met are trilingual. You know the joke. What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who speaks one language? American.
Fair enough, but considering the fact that our 50 states don’t speak different languages, (well sort of…more on that later!) we really don’t need to. Imagine, as someone living in Texas, if neighbors in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana all spoke an entirely different language then you. Well, that’s how it is in Europe so a Spaniard knowing French isn’t all that uncommon or surprising. What is remarkable however is, considering English is the official language of the U.S., how we as natives often butcher it up.
This brings us to what I like to call the GaPS we all struggle with: Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling.
The Power of Punctuation
Nothing makes me more angry then using apostrophes when the intent is plural, not possessive.
Drives. Me. Nuts!
Proper punctuation is essential. Consider this. An English professor wrote the words “A woman without her man is nothing” and asked his students to punctuate it correctly. All the males in the class wrote, “A woman, without her man, is nothing,” while all female students wrote, “A woman: without her, a man is nothing.” Amazing, right?
Spell-bound
With today’s computers and spell-check apps, there is no excuse for incorrect spelling. Still, it’s everywhere. I’ve been guilty of it myself. I re-read and preview everything before I post, but I have still caught spelling or grammar errors that slipped by. I hate when that happens!
Grammatically Incorrect
What exactly is grammar? Basically it’s the rules of a language. Sometimes it’s simple, and sometimes it’s confusing. Consider “then” and “than” or “affect” and “effect.” I always have to think about these sticklers. Here’s how I’ve sorted them out: “then” is used for time and “than” is used for comparisons. Meanwhile, “effect” is usually a noun while “affect” is usually a verb. If unsure, substitute either with a verb and if that verb works, use “affect.” I love this stuff and could go on and on (lie/lay, like/as, farther/further, etc.) but I promised not to bore you!
“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.”
Gustave Flaubert
Writing helps me figure things out and it’s a means of sorting through my thoughts. I write down everything. Grocery lists. To do lists. Books I want to read. Quotes I love. I journal. I blog. It’s fun for me and it’s cathartic. It comes easy to me. I know I’m blessed in that way and I’m very grateful.
I also love to edit, which isn’t always common among writers. You usually like one or the other. I happen to adore both, and as anchor Scott Pelley of the “CBS Evening News” says, “There’s no such thing as good writing. There’s only good rewriting.”
“If any man wishes to write in a clear manner, let him first be clear in his thought.”
Johann W. von Goethe
Written or spoken, words are powerful. They say (literally!) a lot about you. Some go so far as to recommend always keeping your words soft and sweet just in case you have to eat them! Seriously though, as author Sonia Choquette wrote, “Your words are the greatest power you have. The words you choose and their use establish the life you experience.”
You don’t have to be timid with your words, just be smart. The quote above, that from day one has been front and center on my carlawordsmith.com website, kinda says it all. Edit both your spoken words and your written words but take a cue from Louisa May Alcott of “Little Woman,” who said, “I like good strong words that mean something.”
Press 1 For English?
More and more, words being spoken in our country are not English. The number of people in the U.S. who speak a language other than English at home has nearly tripled over the past three decades, rising nearly 160 percent. Spanish is by-far the most widely-spoken foreign language, followed by Chinese. More than 60 million people, or nearly one in five in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home.
This may all be good for the “globalization” of America, but it is wreaking havoc in our schools. Should those non-English speakers be taught in their native tongues or in English? There are so many arguments for and against both sides that it would take an entire additional blog on my part to address them all.
To complicate things even more, many Americans say things differently, and I’m not talking just accents. Local colloquialisms are not “foreign” to any of us. Supper or dinner? Soda or pop? Sofa or couch? Ya’ll or you guys? All of this can be found in the “Dictionary of American Regional English,” or DARE. The book has more than 60,000 examples of various phrases, syntaxes, grammar usages, and pronunciations used across our nation, as well as their origins. It is considered a national treasure by linguists and is used by everyone from teachers to dialect coaches to translators. It’s also just fun to read…although it encompasses nearly 6,700 pages. My other favorite reads on this subject? “The AP Book of Style,” which I consider my style bible, and Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style.” Yep, I’m all about style; both for the written word and for the clothes we wear!
Gender Bending
Another interesting area of language is that of the new trend for gender-neutral wording. We are all familiar with “chairman” being replaced by either “chair” or “chairperson,” but did you know it’s now recommended that writers use “handwriting” instead of “penmanship,” “first-year student” instead of “freshman,” and “outdoor enthusiast” rather than “sportsman?” What are your thoughts about this?
Making one think about what word to use is a good thing in some ways though. Increasing your vocabulary is something we should all be working on regardless of our age or profession. In a world obsessed with technology, how refreshing is it to hear actor Tim Robbins praise his dad for turning down a company job so he could continue singing and writing folk songs during the 1960’s. “I told my dad that if he had gone the other route, I wouldn’t have the vocabulary I have.”
“The best kind of fame is a writer’s fame. Just enough to get a good table at a restaurant and not enough for someone to interrupt you while you’re eating.”
Author Fran Lebowitz
Along with playing professional tennis, winning a gold medal, or being a back-up singer in Jimmy Buffet’s Coral Reefer Band, my dream has always been to be a best-selling author. Chances are that’s not going to happen but maybe, just maybe, I can get a job coming up with all those great OPI nail polish names! How fun would that be?!
And speaking of fun, here’s an amusing tidbit to send you off with: there are no words in the English language that rhyme with depth, month, orange, silver, or purple. See I told you this wouldn’t be boring!
Happy Birthday America! Today is the start of a celebratory three-day weekend for most Americans with trips to the beach, neighborhood bar-b-cues, and the shooting of fireworks. Did you know Americans spend nearly $600 million on fireworks every Fourth of July and that all those flashes in the sky have actual names? Here’s a primer to help you look like a fireworks genius tonight:
The Willow
Normally produces trails of silver or gold stars that leave weeping willow-like lines floating down.
The Peony
Often the most common firework, this sphere of colored stars and dots is easy to spot.
The Palm
Aptly named, this boomer looks just like a palm tree when it bursts.
The Spider
My favorite, the spider is fast-burning and shoots stars and lines straight out and in a very powerful manner.
The Chrysanthemum
A virtual “flower in the sky,” this gorgeous firework looks just like the flower it’s named after.
I love watching big displays of fireworks, but I’m not keen on the kind that people set off in streets and parks. I do remember always playing with sparklers as a little girl though, and I still like them. I will be thinking of my “little girl” as she “celebrates” the Fourth in Spain with her fellow Americans!
AMERICA THE INTERESTING
We all know the famous landmarks of our nation…the U.S. Capitol, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc., but today I thought I’d share some lesser known but just as interesting points on the U.S. map.
Four Corners
This is the only place in the country where four states converge…and I’ve been there! Nestled where New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado meet, Four Corners is actually managed by the Navajo Nation and is depicted by a bronze disk embedded in granite. You can stand on top of that disk, making it fun to put each hand and foot in four different states!
The Geographic Center of the U.S.
Two miles northwest of tiny Lebanon, Kansas you’ll find a trapezoidal stone structure and a 10-foot podium that mark the geographic center of the contiguous 48 states. Toto you are in Kansas and you’re smack dab in the middle of the U.S.!
The Mason-Dixon Line
Often thought of as a Civil War battle line, the Mason-Dixon Line was actually drawn up nearly a century before the War Between the States. It all started with a feud between the Penn family of Pennsylvania and the Calvert family of Maryland. Following a court order, the two clans hired English surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon to mark the border of their disputed lands with stone markers beginning in 1763. The markers were placed every mile and crown stones bearing the coasts of arms of both families were placed every fifth mile. Volunteers have today located nearly 200 of the original 230 markers and some 250 years later, the work remains along borders separating Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Southernmost Point
Key West, Florida is home to the country’s southernmost point and a painted concrete buoy marks the spot. Our family visited Key West one Christmas and saw this famous landmark, which draws a million visitors a year. Lines form for photos and nearby sunsets are famous. Amazingly, the buoy sits just 90 miles from Cuba and is located where a Western Union cable once connected the U.S. to Cuba.
THE RIGHT TO BE PROUD
However you celebrate today, try to remember what you’re celebrating and how great a country we are fortunate to live in. Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from England and guaranteeing certain inalienable rights. As written by our forefathers, these rights cannot be taken away or changed and don’t come from man, but from our creator. It’s important to remember that the government does not create rights, it creates laws. Despite our many conflicts and differences, we are all Americans and we should all be grateful for our many freedoms and rights and to call this country home.
Happy Independence Day everyone and God Bless America!
Today’s the day. The day when much of America will stand still at around 3 p.m. CST. That’s when our newly beloved U.S. soccer team will take on their counterparts from Belgium in a win or go home World Cup match.
Never in a gazillion years did I ever think I’d be watching, much less writing about, soccer. I remember watching endless matches of my two nephews but the soccer bug just never bit me. Not even during the World Cup four years ago. Yes, every Olympics I’m there rooting for the U.S.A. but for some reason this year’s World Cup is different. I love seeing the throngs of people gathering in cities across America and I love watching all the YouTube videos.
Yes, I may not be a tried and true soccer fan, but I am a sports fan and I am an American fan. That’s why I’ll be sitting on the edge of my living room seat during today’s game and that’s why I find a new Pew Research Poll appalling.
Not Proud to Be American?!
How can the same country that is boasting more fans in Brazil than any other country have so many citizens who say they aren’t proud to be American? That’s the results of the exhaustive poll, in which an amazing 44 percent of all respondents said they didn’t often feel proud to be American. Ouch.
Here’s how it all came down. Pew divided their samples into right-wing/left-wing categories and when asked if they “often feel proud to be American,” 60 percent of liberals said no while 80 percent of conservatives said yes. I find this shocking, alarming, and actually quite puzzling.
It all brought to mind Michelle Obama proclaiming back in 2008 that “For the first time is my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country.” Really? You weren’t proud when we landed on the moon, when we won the “Miracle on Ice,” or when Sandra Day O’Connor became the first ever female Supreme Court Justice? Double ouch.
What do these people want? They have the White House and the Senate. They got their nationalized health care, gay marriage is being ratified state-by-state, and legalized pot is more and more popular in places besides Colorado. The southern border is virtually open and the national media is firmly planted on their side. What’s scary is that experts says these disgruntled Americans aren’t moving to countries they could maybe be proud of, but instead are hurting America even more by being less willing to do the hard work necessary to make things better. I don’t get it. You think they’d be so thrilled with the state of our country and that conservatives would be the ones upset. Go figure.
I will admit I’m not always proud of America, but I am always proud to be American. In a matter of hours I will be chanting “I believe that we will win” and screaming “U.S.A., U.S.A.” as our boys take on Belgium. Win or lose, I will be proud to be an American.
I was so happy to recently see a photo of a door in a favorite blog I follow. I love doors and windows myself and often photograph them. Great bloggers think alike!
The front door of your house is a visitor’s first impression of you and your home so it’s important to take the time and effort to make the entry to your house a pleasant and inviting one. It’s also worth the money, as doors can be so very expensive!
A clearly defined entry point is paramount. No one likes to have to wander around and wonder where the front door is. A guest should be able to quickly identify a main entrance upon pulling up to your house. The phrase “curb appeal” is suggested in more than just a real estate way. You literally want the front of your home to be appealing. Landscaping should be maintained and your front porch should be considered an extension of your home. Clean it just as you would a kitchen or bathroom.
Spring and summer are the times of year that you can really spruce up your front entry with flowers, seating, and décor. Just be sure to not project the feeling that you are “spilling” out of your house by junking up your front porch. A couple of rockers, a small table, and some plants are suffice.
Lighting is also important. I’m obsessed with lantern-style lights but as long as your choice is functioning and tasteful, you should be good to go. Two other guaranteed front door facelifts include unique house numbers and a decorative doormat. I love changing my out with the seasons!
Now for the physical door itself. I adore painted doors. I’m not a big fan of double front doors but and I tend to lean toward a traditional look. Go with what you like, just be sure the door you choose matches the style of your home.
Here are some of my favorites:
It’s also fun to decorate your door for holidays and change things out for different seasons:
An appealing entrance is both welcoming and attractive:
I’m still working on a new summer wreath, but here’s my home front so far this summer:
I wish you luck and I wish you fun but most of all…
Last Sunday I wrote about hope and the fact that it’s often easy to lose your faith and abandon all hope. I had no idea that a true test of hope and faith in God was going to face me head on in the coming days, and in many ways I failed.
My daughter Kristen left to study in Spain last Wednesday. Me, being the perpetual planner that I am, have been organizing the details of her doing so since…forever. I worked with an expert travel planner at AAA to ensure her flight was booked correctly and was the best one out there. She and I bought her travel items and Googled till we were blue in the face. I’d finished my novena to St. Ann and had friends and family praying. She had a non-stop flight from Dallas to Madrid. Everything was set. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong. The morning of her flight thunderstorms decided to deluge Dallas. Her flight out of Austin was delayed more than two hours and making her connection was in serious jeopardy. Just when I was about to totally lose it, she called and said they were taking off and Dallas-bound. Still, barring a miracle, how would she ever land, taxi, depart her flight and somehow make it to her internationally-bound gate…in 45 minutes…at an airport bigger than the island of Manhattan?!
All I could do was hope. And pray. And swear. And cry.
In the meantime I knew Plan B had to be arranged. I had British Airways on my cell phone and American Airlines on the landline trying to figure out what their plans were should she miss her connection. It’s not like there was another flight leaving for Madrid in 40 minutes. This was going to be a big deal. (For the record, I never spoke to an AA operator after being on hold for more than 30 minutes, but during this same 30 minutes, I was helped numerous times by BA representatives. #nothappywithAmericanairlines!)
I was also on the phone with my dear friend Kathy in Dallas for both support and to ask if she could pick Kristen up should she miss her connecting flight. Did I mention I was balling every time I spoke with Kathy? She, however, was a rock. She assured me all would work out and all would be fine. I can never thank her enough.
Long story short, Kristen arrived Dallas (after taxing for what to me seemed like forever as the flight waited for a gate to open up!), hopped on the Tram, and made it to her departing gate. She called me from inside the plane and told me in Spanish, I’m on the plane! She was so calm and collected the entire time. I cannot say how impressed I am with her. My girl is all growed up.
Now back to me. Did I mention I was a mess???? Let me also add that Smitty was in Chicago so I was solo…doing this all on my own…save for Kathy. At one point I was literally on my knees begging God to perform a miracle and to please let her make her connection. I lit my St. Jude candle and implored upon St. Ann and dear sweet Mary. I was scared and I was angry. I have faced some tremendous challenges and disappointments in the past few months and weeks and I felt like, “Why God? Why now and why me, again?” Even more importantly, why Kristen? All I asked for was for her to be safe and secure. Was that too much to ask?
No, not of God. She made her connection in a most miraculous fashion and was safely on her way to Spain. And, thanks to a snazzy website Kathy told me about, I could literally “follow” her flight path all the way to Madrid. I was in and out of sleep all night doing so but each time I awoke, there was my St. Jude candle, glowing supportively. Never give up it seemed to be saying. God is here.
Yes He was and yes He is. I am still thanking Him.
“Do not worry about anything and have no anxiety. Instead, tell God your needs and thank Him for His answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest.” Phil. 4:6-7
Home of the original Whole Foods, Austin is chalk-full of health food stores. In my own little area of town, we are getting a brand new Sprouts in the coming months…right across from Randall’s!
Before I continue, I need to come clean in that I dread going to the grocery store and do not get excited about a Sprouts, Whole Foods, or even a Trader Joes. And, even among people I know who do anticipate a new store’s opening, their main complaint about these types of stores is that they are so much more expensive than your average HEB. It’s no secret that eating healthy and deliciously on a budget can be hard to do. “Readers Digest” recently ran a list of what to “splurge on” and what to “save on” and I found it interesting and educational. I hope you do too!
Splurge On
Honey. Cheap honey may be cute in its bear-shaped container but it’s also probably full of corn syrup.
Coffee. “Consumer Reports” says Gloria Jean’s and Newman’s Own coffees may be more expensive, but are hands down better tasting then other supermarket brands.
Pasta. You don’t have to spend a whole lot more for chefs’ picks like Barilla or DeCecco and by doing so you will avoid the often mushy mess you end up with when buying cheaper brands.
Extra-virgin olive oil. Always check for a regional seal of certification on the bottle and keep in mind that 50 percent of the olive oil sold in the U.S. may be full of cheap filler oils.
Vanilla extract. True vanilla, with its 200 flavor notes, is your best bet. My favorite isn’t from any store, but from Mexico!
Chocolate. Opt for real dark chocolate and avoid the tempting dollar bars that often combine 20-plus ingredients to make their bar-shaped amalgam of brown chemicals.
Save On
Ground beef. Avoid those “time saving” ready-made frozen burgers, as E. coli is more prevalent in them then in ground beef. Besides, is it really that difficult to form your own patties?!
Cheese. Are you melting or mixing your cheese? Then go cheap! They melt better and you’ll save money.
Everyday oil. When cooking with oil you can usually substitute vegetable or regular olive oil for the much-more expensive extra-virgin olive oil, which isn’t recommended for high heat cooking anyway.
Wine. In a blind taste test, both consumers and wine experts liked more inexpensive wines as much as, if not more so, their pricey counterparts. The Bogle line is one of my favorites.
Baking mixes. A “Consumer Reports” study showed that Duncan Hines brownies from a box are just as good as ones made from pricier gourmet mixes.
Bottled water. Don’t be fooled by the foreign or natural sounding name. Nearly half of all bottled water in the U.S. comes straight from purified municipal tap water, not some natural spring in Oregon or France. You can feel safe buying a store-brand label or better yet, avoid on all that plastic waste and use a simple in-home filter.
Frozen produce. It’s cheaper than out-of-season fresh produce and is often higher in nutrients and better tasting. Frozen broccoli is said to have 35 percent more beta-carotene by weight then fresh broccoli. Here’s a short list of what’s in season when:
Spring: apricots, artichokes, asparagus, strawberries, sweet peas and watercress.
Summer: berries, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, figs, melons, okra, peaches, peas, plums, rhubarb, summer squash, tomatillos, and tomatoes.
Fall: apples, cranberries, dates, figs, mushrooms, pears, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, winter squash.
Winter: Brussels sprouts, fennel, grapefruit, kale, limes, radicchio, tangerines, turnips.
BOUGHT. NOW WHAT?
Once you get home with all your groceries, where’s the best place to put them to ensure maximum life?
Cheese, covered butter, and all dairy products should go on your refrigerator’s top shelf.
Cooked meats and leftovers should go on a middle shelf.
The bottom shelf, which is the coldest, is ideal for eggs, raw meats and poultry, and seafood.
The door of your refrigerator is its warmest part so use it for less temperature-sensitive items like condiments and salad dressings.
Drawers are best for produce, but not all produce, and it does matter what you put in the same drawer, as some emit a gas that may accelerate the ripening of other produce next to them. In general:
Refrigerate
Apples, berries, broccoli, carrots, celery, cherries, grapes, leafy greens, and zucchini.
Don’t Refrigerate
Avocados, bananas, garlic, kiwi, lemons, limes, melons, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions…although…I do refrigerate my onions because it prevents them from making you cry when you cut them!
SELL BY & USE BY
How long does food stay fresh? Dr. Oz’s “The Good Life” warns readers that terms like “use by” often aren’t regulated and even the “sniff test” isn’t reliable because many illness-causing germs don’t always have a scent. Here’s a guide to go by:
In the fridge
1-2 days – raw ground meat
3 days – opened salsa or pesto
3-4 days – roasted chicken, Chinese takeout, cooked veggies, prepared chicken or tuna salad
3-5 days – raw steaks, chops, or roasts; opened deli meat
1 week – cooked rice
3-4 weeks – opened hard cheese, eggs (if they float in cold water, they are old)
5-7 days past “sell by date” – milk
1-3 months – butter
In the Freezer
1-2 months – hotdogs, lunch meats, bacon, sausage, fully-cooked ham
6 months – butter, hard cheeses, nuts
1 year – steaks, chops, roasts
In the Pantry
2-4 days – fresh bread
1 year past expiration date – dry and unopened dry pasta, crackers, and cereals.
1.5-2 years – solid chocolate
20 years – canned soups and veggies
Wow! That’s a lot of info coming from someone who hates to go grocery shopping! Let me know if you have any other tips or tidbits. Happy listing, shopping, bagging, unloading, and putting away! See why I detest grocery shopping! Can’t I just have this guy shop and cook for me?
Do you ever feel like you’ve done all you can and you’ve prayed in earnest and yet your hope is gone? Trust me, I’ve been there. I found this prayer by Helen Smith today that made feel just a tad hopeful though:
Dear God:
As I begin this day let me turn my thoughts to you
And ask your help in guiding me in everything I do
Give me patience I need for my peace of mind
And with life’s cares I hope Dear God, some happiness to find
Let me live for today not worrying what’s ahead
For I trust that you will see I get my daily bread
Give me courage to face life’s trials and not from my troubles run
Let me keep this thought in mind: “thy will not mine be done”
And if some wish I do not get though I have prayed to Thee
Help me to believe and understand You know what’s best for me
I’ve failed many times I know, but when tonight I rest
I hope that I can kneel and say “Dear God I’ve tried my best.”
I know it’s hard to “keep calm” and to “keep the faith,” but when all else fails and I’m feeling neglected or alone, I try to remember that God loves me and that’s all that really matters. Whatever today, tomorrow and life holds for me, I will let Him have control.
Beyond Words 