The working vocabulary of the average 14-year-old has declined in the last 50 years from 25,000 words to 10,000. Language reflects the depth of our human experience. Because we think in words, are we losing the capacity to say what we feel?
Like, whatever.
Here’s a word that caught my eye—and my memory. Below is a snippet of an article in the upcoming “Smitten” April/May 2012 issue of my magazine.
“It’s the same creativity she puts into caring for her family and writing a blog called …
I think that’s really cool. I’ll have to give it a try myself and see if it helps me remember stuff 🙂 🙂 Have a great weekend. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Marie Bucher (ReeReeBee) says: 01:52 !!!! I love memory games. Thanks for the link.
My mom taught us to use mnemonic devices to remember things at a very young age. It got me through school, piano lessons, etc., etc.
I still come up with CRAZY phrases to commit things to memory. This is a great word and a great tool.
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Girlfriends, there are times when a woman’s mettle is tested, and I contend that only the most mettlesome maidens are up for the task of cow midwifery. Do I get a medal? Nah. But after a long month of doting on Maizy (several times each night), I get to …
Owning a cow for the first time has definitely tested my mettle! Quite a lot of work, Buttercup is! But she is such a sweet cow.
mary says: aaahhhhh she s so adorable
nothing and i mean nothing
is ever as cute as a baby calf.
congratulations
mary jacobs says: aahhhh shes so adorable
nothing and i mean nothing
is as cute as a baby calf
cheryl severeide says: ahhhh Just adorable.. Congratulations Maizy! and Mary Jane 🙂 Love new babies…
Eileen Widman says: The slide show is wonderful. I have never been in a place to see this first hand with a cow. I have seen it with Kittens and puppies though. Still amazing! Then there is the job of being a Doula! Getting to be available in a birth of a human being helping the mother with whatever she needs while the midwife gets to help with the actual birthing. My Daughter Audrey is a Doula.
not calving but many, many, many goat & sheep baby births & helped delivers some, too when mother nature was a bit confused as to how to present a small one. Always a blessing & affirmation of life.
Pretty girl, by the way.
I love unusual words. Pass the slumgullion … with a side order of guttersnipe & puddinhead. :o)
MaryJane says: Pray tell. Do share Shery. What’s guttersnipe and puddinhead????! I fear the worst.
Eileen Widman says: I have always thought of slumgullion as a sort of Nail broth or “whatchagot stew” Fun to see this definition.
I had no idea there were so many types of slumgullion. We were raised on slumgullion..a stick to your ribs comfort food…flat noodles, with ground beef, tomatoes, kidney beans, onion, grn pepper, and lots of salt and pepper. Yummmm!
Cowabunga. Cow Bung?
Cowabunga was first used by Chief Thunderthud, a character of Howdy Doody, around 1954. Surfers later picked it up as their war cry while whipping through the waves. Remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show? ‘Cowabunga, dude’ was all theirs.
Willie borrows the phrase …
chrissi crawford says: Oh how this brings back memories, Cowabunga, and Hey Kids its Howdy Doody time. Princess Summer,Fall,Winter Spring, Buffalo Bob and of course Clara-a-Bell. My brothers and I never missed. Thank you for the walk down memory lane. God Bless!
Eileen Widman says: Cowabunga!!!!! Howdy Doody!! I was given a dvd of some of the old shows for a birthday gift a few years ago. OH How I loved that show, right up there with Starlit Stairway! Sponsored of course by the BOYLE fuel company and Wrigleys spearmint or doublemint gum. Do you remember the jingles for those shows? Boy I do.
if you need coal or oil, CALL Boyle FA81521? Double your pleasure double your fun with Double-mint, Double-mint Double-mint GUM.
MYOHMY!
Mel lif …
Melli … foo … lus?
Nope, that’s not it.
FLU.
M-E-L L-I F-L-U U-S
Mellifluous
Got it!
Now that I’ve untwisted my tongue, here it is: mel·li·flu·us.
Doesn’t that have a sweet ring to it? The fact is, this dulcet adjective is defined as “flowing with sweetness or honey.”
It can also be used to describe a particularly melodious sound (I awoke to the mellifluous song of a meadowlark at dawn.) Think melodious, mellisonant, ariose, euphonious … ahhhhh.
I dare you to use it in casual conversation.
I double dare you to master its other fabulous forms:
mellifluence (noun)
mellifluousness (noun)
mellifluously (adverb)
mellifluently (adverb)
Sweeeet!
Western meadowlark singing mellifluously. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Alan Vernon.
Jan Culton says: “honey” in Spanish is “miel”…that should help me remember what this word means….common Latin roots no doubt. Good word!
Karlyne Landrum says: When my eldest daughter was born, we named her Melyssa Marie. After turning it over his tongue a few times, our good friend Stan said, “Ah, that is a mellifluous name…” I am guessing that this is the first time I’ve spelled it out and written it down, but I have said it lots of times since. What a mellifluous life it is!
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
n). Does it mean …
That’s too cute. I would LOVE an egg scale like this. I wonder where I could find one!!! Have a great weekend. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Heather, http://www.EggCartons.com sells the egg scales. 🙂
Too fun! I think most of my eggs are on the smaller medium side because my neighbor mama friend shares her surplus & hers are gigantic in comparison!