Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Word to the Hodgepodge

It's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge! The fun is hosted by Joyce, so after enjoying my answers, be sure to click on the button to pay her a visit. You can join the fun by answering the questions yourself, then linking up to share the love.


1. Noah Webster was born this week back in 1758....besides the online version, do you own a dictionary?  Do you ever use the hardback copy or is your hunt for a definition strictly online these days?
I'm sure we have a dictionary around here somewhere, but I will admit, I use the online version. I remember receiving a dictionary like the one below as a graduation gift. It was a popular gift back in 1978. I wonder if today's graduates would know what to do with it? I do remember my brother using mine to keep the lid on his hamster's cage, and the hamster chewing the back cover. Hamsters will do that. That's what's called 'eating your words.'

2.  Should public schools ban Halloween celebrations?  What about other holiday celebrations currently under fire?
Our kids (and I) always enjoyed Halloween celebrations at school. That being said, when I was teaching, I understood the disruption to the school day that these celebrations sometimes caused. Not all parents can put together an elaborate costume. Does a teacher really want 28 second graders 'all hopped up' on Halloween candy? Do classroom parties take up too much valuable instructional time? I hope teachers can implement holiday activities that allow all to participate, and promote learning at the same time.

3.  What's your favorite 'dog' movie?
The first one I thought of was Homeward Bound. Our kids loved that movie, and I did too. Such a good story, and a happy ending. I know folks will choose Old Yeller, but I always think of the sad part of that one. I much prefer happy dogs. :)

4.  When were you last somewhere you'd describe as 'too quiet'?
I don't know about the last time, but when I think of 'too quiet' I think of times when the children were little, and it suddenly got 'too quiet.' 
Then I would find something like this:
 Or this:
Those were the days. 
And you may notice that both photos are of Andrew. Hmmmm.....

5.  Are you a neat cook or a messy cook?  In other words do you clean as you go or make a big mess and then deal with it later?
I'm not a neat cook or a messy cook, which means I'm not a cook at all. I do it occasionally, and I'm not that messy when I cook. I'm plenty messy in other parts of the house. Just take a look in my laundry room. Or don't.

6.  Did you hear about Felix Baumgartner, the skydiver who broke the sound barrier via parachute?  Was your first thought  COOL! or was your first thought CRAZY!  Are you adventurous?
CRAZY! I can't imagine what would posess someone to want to do that. I was feeling a little sick in the stomach just watching. Not too adventurous here. My daughter jumped out of an airplane once, and I stayed home and prayed. She landed safely. God is good. I'll bet that's what Felix's mom is thinking too.

7.  What's not a word but should be?
I was having trouble coming up with an answer for this one, so I consulted my friend Google. I learned there is a word for this. An entire website, actually.

 Sniglet (snig'lit) - n. Any word that doesn't appear in the dictionary, but should.
 From the website:
 * A sniglet is a word that should be in the dictionary but isn't. Sniglets are the brainchild of comedian Rich Hall who, with a little help from his friends, wrote a series of books containing sniglets in the mid-eighties. While Rich Hall invented the word "sniglet" itself, sniglets are actually a long-running popular joke in which people make up their own humorous words to define things or concepts that have no "official" definitions. More information can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sniglet
 

Some of my favorites from the website:

Gription (grip' shun) - n. The sound of sneakers squeaking against the floor during basketball games. I always wondered what that was called.
 Pediddel - n. A car with only one working headlight. Our kids always knew this one.
 Brakenoia  (Brak e noia) (v) The act or urge of stepping on the brake on the passenger side of the car. I've done it many times.
 Bumperglints (bump' ur glintz) - n. The small reflective obstacles in the middle of interstate highways which supposedly keep drivers awake and on track. I remember the sound of the car hitting these while driving through the night on vacation.


 8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Darci and Andrew took the kids to Zoo Boo last week, and came to the house looking for some easy costumes for the kids. Since I never rarely get rid of things, I have quite a collection of costumes in the archives.
On the left is Jennifer as a black cat, age (almost) 8, in 1993. On the right, Haleigh, age 2, wearing the same cat ears and collar, and Matthew, age 8, wearing a monkey costume, also from the closet.

 
Here are some photos of the cuteness that Darci shared. Looks like fun was had by all!
 Miss Ella was a ladybug, previously worn by her cousin and sister. A great way to share the love!

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