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The thing with reading quite a bit is that you pick up a number of new words for your vocabulary. What I find even more interesting is that once you come across a new word, then you see it everywhere. In the last four or five books I’ve read, the following words have appeared several times.
meme (n) – an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.
As a matter of fact, I saw this word again today while reading an article about the “Sh*t Girls say. . .” phenomenon that has exploded all over YouTube. Weirdly enough, every time I see the word meme, in my head I always say meem. Now I have doomed myself to say it incorrectly, especially when I’m trying to impress someone with my wordiness.
peripatetic (n) – pedestrian, traveller
Really? This seems like a gratuitous use of an inflated synonym. Just say pedestrian, or someone having a walk-about. Especially when you use the word in such a way that there aren’t any context clues to help me figure out and then I get all douchey by whipping out my iPhone to look it up on my dictionary app. Yes, use of the iPhone that is unrelated to making phone calls, sending emails, checking your position on the GPS, or entertaining your child while you get the grocery shopping done leans towards douche-baggery. Sorry, I don’t make the rules.
scrofulous (adj) – having a diseased, run-down appearance; morally contaminated; affected with scrofula.
*head slap* Of course that’s what it means! I think I read this word first in “The Witch’s Daughter” by Paula Brackston. The story takes place in England, so I figured scrofulous was a British word that had an American counterpart. You know like the way the Brits say “boot” instead of “trunk” or “crisps instead of “chips” or “Kate Middleton” instead of “Girl, eat a damn sandwich and step away from the eyeliner”.
I’ve gone 33 years and not once ever heard or seen the word scrofulous before. Then *poof* at least twice in two different books over the course of a week. Say it out loud, just once. “Scrofulous”. The prefix (if it can be called that) scrof- reminds me of how people describe how voraciously they’ve been eating. You know, “Oh man, I was so hungry. When I finally ate, I was like scrof, scrof, scrof. . .”
And yes, I’m laughing at myself, by myself, for typing that sentence.
Scrof, scrof, scrof is like Om, nom, nom but only if you are so hungry you’re about to gnaw on your own forearm. I’ve been that hungry before. All decorum goes out the window.
So, I’m wondering what word or words I’ll come across next. I’m about a quarter of the way through “A Clash of Kings” and haven’t seen any of the aforementioned words. Of course, this book is teetering on 900 pages, so there’s still time. I did read a post at PIWTPITT where the author describes Donald Trump as a megalomaniac. Not my first time at the rodeo with that word, but haven’t seen it in a while. Such an awesome word. “Megalo-” is kind of melodious when taken on it’s own. Megalo, megalo, megalo. . .like some word an old curmudgeon (ooh, curmudgeon!) would say to himself repeatedly as he contemplated a chess move while worrying a pawn in his scrofulous fingers.
See what I did there? Now, how to work all three into one sentence. . .
For some reason, I have really been into bees lately. More specifically, the bee motif. I’ve been stung enough to know that these little winged creatures are best admired from a distance or when they’re serving as inspiration for a crafty project. There is just something about Apis Melifea that makes a really striking theme. Several years ago, Restoration Hardware featured embroidered bees on a number of there bath towels and linen sets. We scored a king size duvet and sham in a champagne color with white bees emblazoned on it.
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I love this set and am loathe to part with it even though the sun has pretty much faded it into a ombre facsimile of what it once was. SN: What drives me nuts is that this is such a popular set and yet, RH discontinued it and has no plans of bring it back. Believe me, I’ve checked in the stores. Numerous times. Had I known that it would be discontinued, would I have at least closed the curtains to protect it from fading? Maybe a couple of times, but this is a girl who throws hand wash only items in a laundry bag on the gentle cycle and crosses her fingers.
Anywhoodle, I’m really into bees and am thinking that’s going to be the theme for #3. Morgan had giraffes, Coever had. . .um. . .oh yeah, pickles and ice cream, so it’s only fair that Trip (short for Triple) has his/her own banner. Thankfully, there is quite a bit of bee stuff out there; of course, most of what I’m looking at is with me in mind. I mean, I’m the Queen Bee around here. . .(sorry, I couldn’t resist).
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So, I had every intention of jumpstarting 2012 with some posts: a Monday message, a few recipes, a couple of funny tidbits about the girls and what they’ve been up to. And then, on the last day of the Christmas Break 2011, I cracked open the first of George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Fire and Ice, the first book being. . . “A Game of Thrones.”
And cut to me still sitting on the sofa, turning pages.
I didn’t check my email.
I didn’t get on Pinterest.
I didn’t get on Facebook.
I didn’t watch TV.
I may have fed the family a time or two, but mostly, I read.
And I read.
And I read.
Seriously, it’s not like I didn’t watch the HBO series with the rest of the world. The entire first book is exactly what I saw Sunday after Sunday. And yet, I still couldn’t put it down. Craig had warned me; he and his brother had read the books way before the show came out, but they had returned to them just as the series was starting. Keep in mind, these books top off at about 900 + pages in paperback. We’re talking door-stops here, and yet both of them just burned right through it. So, I picked up my copy of book one and that was all she wrote. I couldn’t.stop.reading it.
I finished the first book yesterday and busied myself with some long overdue chores just so I wouldn’t inhale the second book. Given our book-wormish tendencies, I didn’t doubt we had the entire series somewhere upstairs on a shelf. I had seen the last two books, most recently released, come into the house via Amazon not that long ago. I even remember chastising Craig, gently imploring him to take his time reading it because the next book wasn’t going to be released for a while (he didn’t listen, but I can’t say that I blame him; a good book is a good book). Anyway, I folded clothes. I put laundry away. I cleaned up the Christmas crap decor and stored it in the attic. I straightened up the playroom (don’t even get me started on that disaster). I did everything I could think of to keep myself from bee-lining to the office and ripping the book of the shelf. When I had finally put in enough work, I went straight for shelf only to find, it wasn’t book 2 at all. It was book 3. What the what?
Remember all those boxes left-over from the great office clean-up? Yeah, I went rooting through those looking for the book. It was ridiculous; “A Clash of Kings” became my Holy Grail for the afternoon; I had to find it. I even texted Craig at work like, “Stop fooling around. Where’s the book?” His response?
“Are you kidding me? You finished Game of Thrones already?”
Uh, yeah.
So, no “Clash of Kings” in the house. What to do? What to do? I got online and checked the public library. Success! They had one copy on the shelf. Now, I knew I could put a hold on a book via on the online system, but I needed that book. As in right now (yes, I am totally outing myself on how crazy I am). I called the library and asked how soon I could get the book if I placed an online hold. The lovely librarian explained that the online hold would have go through a cycle, blah, blah, blah, or he could just pull it for me now if it was available and I could pick it up later on.
Ka-ching! I know what our after-school activity was going to be!
Between securing the book and right now as I type this, I haven’t had a chance to crack into yet. You know, there was homework to be done, kids to feed, the usual. Plus, I was feeling kind of badly that everyone else on my blog-roll has updated their blogs with Happy New Year/Back to the Blog/Did You Miss Me type posts. I had nothing say since I’d been so absorbed in Winterfell, King’s Landing, Riverrun, and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.
Whoa. . . I really just said that. Next I’ll be going to Toys ‘R Us for my very own Dungeons and Dragons playset.
Boy, another holiday season has come and gone. It really does feel like just the other day we were unpacking the moving truck and hauling boxes into our new house. I remember telling Craig, even on that blistering July day, I really wanted to have Christmas in our new house this year. That Craig, he always delivers.
The girls have been out of school for close to two weeks. I had envisioned them spending a few days with my parents while I got the rest of the holiday festivities in order, but unfortunately, my mom fell ill and my folks weren’t able to make it up for Christmas. It was different not celebrating with them, but my in-laws filled the house with their presence and presents. Family is family and that’s is what makes the memories.
The girls were staying up way past their regular bedtime over the break, even getting to stay up to wait for their Uncle Brandon to come in from NYC late Christmas Eve. While they waited for him, they prepared for the arrival of another favorite fellow of theirs.
Then, with much pleading and cajoling, we got them to go to bed. Teeth brushed, pajamas on, snug as bugs in their make-shift camp-out on the floor. Their heads hit the pillow and the silence was golden.
Why yes, Coever sleeps with an eye pillow. Beauty rest assured.
In the morning, the girls showed remarkable restraint and let everyone sleep in until about 7:15. Everyone was pretty agreeable to that time frame, though I did think Mo and Co were going to shank Brandon when he didn’t get out of the bed after their multiple attempts to rouse him. While we waited for him to come to get up, the girls were content to decimate their stockings before the main event.
And finally, to the gifts! Months and weeks of carefully hiding and wrapping, storing, and planning on my part: decimated in a matter of minutes. Their smiles and cries of, “I got what I wanted! I got the whole set!” — priceless.
In the aftermath of the great unwrapping, there was food, lots of food. Remarkably, we showed restraint this year and just had a modest brunch followed by a deliciously cooked dinner from my dear hubby (I like how at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Craig helms the kitchen!).
There was lots of loving to go around, too.
And the requisite silliness that comes with a revolving door of family and friends.
In the midst of all of this, I realized I have been living the past two weeks like it’s my first time home on a college break?
Sleeping in? Check.
Shuffling around in yoga pants all.day.long? Check.
Grubbing down on food? Check.
Hitting up the movies? Check.
Reading books? Check.
Date night with the hubs? Check.
Spending time with family? Check.
Generally avoiding schedules and just letting the day unfold? Check and check.
I weaned myself off of Pinterest and Facebook a bit, too. Talk about Christmas miracles. The past two weeks have been great and it seems appropriate that it all comes to a close just as this year does, too.
I can’t even begin to remember where I was 365 days ago. Despite years of conditioning to improve myself as the new year rolls around, this time last year, I kept it realistic and adopted a “new year, same Hilary” mentality. That was not a hard resolution to follow.
In truth, however, I did do some things this year that lead to a better me.
*I started a business and am enjoying the successes that have come with it.
*I wrote more. Last year, I blogged 80 times. This year, this post included –128.
*I broke some old habits (nail biting) and picked up some new ones (Pinterest).
*I stayed active and hung up my running shoes in favor of kettlebells.
*I flossed. . .occasionally.
*I was a better wife and mother than I was last year.
Not a bad go round, if I do say so myself.
So I’m sitting here in the living room New Year’s Eve with Craig dozing across from me on the couch. Our tree is naked, save a few strands of lights. It’s shedding like it knows we’re about to haul it out to the curb and it wants to leave a few thousand reminders of its presence. The ornaments and the scant decorations we did have up are ready to be tucked back into the attic. The fridge is puzzle of ziploc bags and tupperware containers of leftovers, gonna-eat-its, time-to-toss-its and a few cans of Fresca. The girls are up to their eyeballs in Christmas: Part Deux at my parents house. 2011 is steadily putting one foot in front of the other, coming to a graceful end, while 2012 is stretching out it’s hammies in preparation for the journey ahead.
I’m ready.
Oh! I almost forgot. I started another new project, but it won’t be ready until June. Here’s a preview:
Happy New Year!
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Eat dessert. Give out hugs. Get some kisses. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Say “I love you.” Drive safely. Smile. Take lots of pictures. Have seconds. Take a nap. Put away your phone. Play cards. Play a board game. Really listen. Share. Continue a tradition. Start a new one. Be in the moment.
However you choose to celebrate this time of year, do so wholeheartedly. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas filled with the family, the friends, the food, and the fellowship that brings you joy and love.
Merry Christmas!
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I need to invest in something sparkly and fun. I haven’t worn anything with sequins since 1984 when a handful of 4 year olds and I performed “Kids are People, Too!” during Miss Ryder’s School of Ballet spring recital. I’m not saying I’m retiring my black, gray, and navy staples. It’s just time to add a splash of “wheeeeee!’ into the mix. I’m ready to twinkle this holiday season.