Monthly Archives: October 2007

paroxysm \PAIR-uhk-siz-uhm\

noun:
1. (Medicine) A sudden attack, intensification, or recurrence of a disease.
2. Any sudden and violent emotion or action; an outburst; a fit.

Mrs. Bumble, seeing at a glance that the decisive moment had now arrived, and that a blow struck for mastership on one side or another, must necessarily be final and conclusive, dropped into a chair, and with a loud scream that Mr. Bumble was a hard-hearted brute, fell into a paroxysm of tears.
– Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist

Paroxysm is from Greek paroxusmos, from paroxunein, “to irritate, provoke or excite (literally to sharpen excessively),” from para-, “beyond” + oxunein, “to sharpen, to provoke.”

This is for parents of toddlers (or teenagers or….). Now you have a fancy word to describe the temper tantrum.

Enjoy. The new word, that is, not the tantrum.

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Lather, rinse, repeat — anyone do this?

Recently, I had the luck to shower alone.

Hohoho, you say, grrrrrrrrrr and meeeeooooww!!

No, it’s not that. Try a 4 year old. A water-loving one.

My point is this time I had time to think, time to read. (so here I am writing; just ask Virginia Wolff about that)

See, no one can say I am not a voracious reader. I read shampoo labels and guess what?

They don’t say “lather, rinse, repeat” anymore. Our four didn’t, anyway.

‘Sup with that? A truer money-maker I’ve never seen: use this product, not once, but TWICE!!

So, my question to you is: DO YOU? Lather, rinse, repeat, that is.

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ten clean things in my house

After reading Janice’s blog, I decided to join Skittle’s Place Heads or Tails for Tuesday.

10 Clean Things in my House…..here we go:

1. my teeth
2. 23 coffee mugs
3. 1 bathroom mirror
4. Kid’s extra princess sheets
5. dog’s water dish (dog is on vacation, sniff, sniff)
…….hmmmmm, this is getting hard….
6. the inside of the washing machine (?)
7. my toothbrush (I hope)
8. 1 large mixing bowl I just cleaned after making cherry pie filling for DH’s birthday pie
9. the sponge from #8
10. the living room windows (okay, in a minute they will be…..)

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the things I do for you, dear readers…..

[my Public Service Announcement]

I recently read about someone drinking a “black velvet,” which is half Guinness and half champagne. Naturally, I had to try this. We just happened to have both on hand, too. In case you are wondering, I read it in a book, not online, and it was a memoir, not fiction, although these days those lines blur…..to put it nicely, Mr. Frey.

Let me just save you the time, friends — Don’t Try This at Home!

In a word: blech.

And I am not anti-Guinness. Why, not that long ago I learned to make black and tan’s and had the photo to prove it. And those are yummmmmy.

And purdy, too, huh?

I have also been known to enjoy what a friend called a snake bite — half Guinness and half cider.

But, black velvet….keep it as a fabric in your life. Or maybe a song. Or maybe artwork. (stop me before I hurt myself!)

But not a drink.

And if you cannot resist making one, tell me what you think! Blech, right?

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and they called it puppy love

I took myself for a walk yesterday. My pooch, the dog who constantly needs img_2629-5.jpg in or out, is on vacation. How she scores one and I don’t is a whole OTHER story. Oy, don’t get me started. I’m a little bitter…

THIS story is about having a need met serendipitously one sunny afternoon. By a gorgeous, affectionate blond.

Okay, it was a golden retriever. I walk by her place about once a week. Normally, Becca is with me and we march on to avoid a dog-on-leash vs. dog-off-leash problem where the dog on-leash wants to frolic with the dog off-leash and thereby chokes herself to death. Or pulls me over into a heap or, worse, into blackberry bushes.
image.jpg
This retriever, she has this squeaky, high bark, not unlike most golden’s barks. Don’t get me wrong. I like goldens. Except for one crazed wacko in Alaska, they are a friendly, lickable likable bunch.

So I am marching along, listening to my podcast, The Business, in which Claude interviewed director Tony Kaye who almost screwed up his entire career by suing New Line Cinema in 1997 when they wanted to release a version of American History X he didn’t like. He wanted his name removed from the project and replaced with a “directed by Humpty Dumpty” credit. He admitted a possible nervous breakdown may have been happening at the time.

But you don’t care about this entertainment news, do you? You want to know about the Puppy Love!

So, I am marching along, yada yada, feeling a little silly walking without a dog, and here comes Pola (I read her name tag. We got close.).

Bark! Bark! That is, squeak, squeak. And rather than hang back on her front porch, she, perhaps noticing I, too, am alone today, immediately comes charging out into the street. (Don’t worry. It’s a relatively quiet street.)

Her blond fur waving and squirrelly tail swaying, she looks happy to see me. I say hello, and I kid you not, I may have had my hand on her back for one second before she flopped down on the street, paws in the air, tail still thumping. Just a big, ‘ol furball ready for the loving.

Oh, yay! Dog lovies! I need this.

Did I mention I missed my dog?

We had our mutual lovies fest for a good while, there in the middle of the street. Me, squatting down, her, sprawled out, four extra fuzzy paws offered to the blue sky. Long enough that when a car finally did go by, the driver rolled down her window, and peering over her sunglasses said, “uh, everything okay, here?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” What? You’ve never seen the meeting of two love-starved creatures before??!

imageboxphp.jpgThere you have it. One woman’s tale (and one dog tail) of how the universe may possibly offer some tiny glimmer of companionship, a small outstretched finger, or paw, just when you need it most. You just have to slow down long enough to greet it.

[P.S., does anyone know this song reference in the title??]

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