Happy Birthday Momma!

I say "momma" but I wonder if that's what I'd call you if you were alive - or would I say Mom or Mother, or a combination?

I'm called all three names by my three children, depending on what kind of mood they're in.
"Oh Momma." When they are feeling more sentimental.
"Oh Mom." When I've done something they're not too pleased with and usually for general usage.
"Oh Mother." When I've really embarrassed them.
It's more the tone that says it all.

I also wonder when I'm long gone and it's my birthday, will my kids celebrate it anyway?

Over the past 43 years since you've been gone, I know I didn't acknowledge your birth every year.  Sometimes the day presses on my heart and I can't let it slip by.

 Happy 96th Birthday!

 image from http://www.freepik.com/

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What are you called and does it matter to you? Or what do you call your Mother? Does it matter to her?

New Words

One of my critique buddies scribbled "sounds trite” on my piece. I was too embarrassed to say, “What’s trite?” I sort of understood what the word meant, but I wanted a better understanding so I wouldn’t be trite again. I got up and pulled the dictionary off the bookshelf. Okay, I didn’t. I wanted to. I like books better than the computer, but instead I opened up the laptop, searched the Internet for dictionary.com. These are the things I love about the Internet. Information at your fingertips. I don’t utilize the Internet as much as I could for the very reason, I’d never get anything accomplished, other than stuffing my already full brain with more info. Not that that’s a bad thing.

Trite: lacking in freshness, archaic, rubbed or worn by use. Hackneyed; dull

synonym: ordinary

antonym: original

Okay, it’s worse than I thought. I don’t want to be ordinary and dull in my writing. Now I have to admit, I didn’t know the meaning of hackneyed either, which I want to pronounce: hack-an-eyed (sounds like something my mom would have said when frustrated with her sewing: "Oh hack-an-eyed!") but it’s hack-need, I know. And the meaning of hackneyed: made commonplace.

When I’m reading a page-turner book and come across a word I’m not quite sure the meaning or simply haven't heard before, I am too lazy to get the dictionary. I want to keep on reading. I say to myself, “Oh, I’ll go back and look that up later.” I also get the jest of the meaning based on the sentence. And as you’ve seen by what I did looking up trite, it leads to looking up another word. I’d spend all day with my nose in the dictionary.

That is a poor decision on my part—not looking up the meaning of words—and it’s no wonder my vocabulary stinks.

Now that I’m going to school for Web Development, I MUST know certain words. Some of these words aren’t exclusive to programming. These are words one should know anyway… like integer. Integer means whole number. Seems most folks know that, but I didn’t. I thought it was a programming term and wondered why that couldn’t just say whole number.

I’d like to excuse myself for not knowing integer because: A) I’m not good in Math, more so Algebra and beyond. [Ah, not really an excuse]; B) I only know basic Math [Well, there are whole numbers involved in basic Math, but I never knew integer.]; C) The last Math class that I had in 9^th grade, I was more worried about a girl in there who frightened me. And D) That Math teacher had the personality of a soap dish [and that might be giving him a little more than he deserves]; Oh and don’t forget: E) That was all the Math requirement needed to graduate from high school. [Having no real guidance, that was it for me for Math.]

Since I’m lacking in my writing due to learning coding, maybe I’ll pick a random word from the dictionary and blog about it. Increase my vocabulary and get a little writing accomplished.

What about you? Do you look up words when you’re reading?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Image from: http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/valentines/

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday, however, I don't make a big ta-do about it. It's my favorite because it's all about love. What's not to love about love? So Happy Valentine's Day everyone, especially to those having a difficult time. 

Sending love your way...

School and Other Stuff

Dear Mom,

School is going well, and as I figured, it is consuming most of my time. Hence, it’s already February! Haven’t blogged in three weeks, barely do any social media. I feel like a hermit.

Everyone who said I’d love school was right. However, my brain is on overload. Today I’m going to make flash cards to remember all the important lingo that goes with HTML and programming.

The other night when I was in the ER, I watched the nurse inputting info into the hospital system. All I could think of was the person who created that program had to be a Master Geek—and I use that term ‘geek’ in the highest regard of respect—considering how little I know at this point and how long it takes me. I marvel at what goes on behind the scenes.

I was hoping to display a program I’m working on for class as you creative folks might find it fun. Maybe next post.

Ever since school started, I’ve been dreaming in codes.

Needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway, I’ve managed only two weeks of the Mindful Writing Challenge. I was going to sketch daily… uh, that stopped too. I talked about writing an essay a day… errr, well, maybe I wrote five (rough at that). My weekly blog is more like monthly. Blog reading… hmmm, I try. Oh and I had to change my comment thing where you must enter the garbled words to comment because the spammers were bombarding me.

I want to thank Kathy from Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy for awarding me, which I may not deserve any longer (perhaps when school is over). Her blog is chock full of all kinds of things.

Sending love to my friend Kim who’s going through a difficult time. And my cousin, Jane.

My friend Michele makes beautiful stars—I had her make me some blue ones for my little Christmas tree (that I put away just a week ago). 

Aren’t they beautiful? Let me know if you’d like some for your tree and I’ll hook you up. You know, Christmas will be here before we know it at the way time is flying by. She makes star jewelry too.

And last, but not least, although I’m sure I’m leaving a bunch of stuff out, but I’ll be attending a spiritual seminar here in St. Louis, Missouri in mid-February. If you’re so inclined, it’s free for guests. The guest speaker, Linda Anderson is an author. The seminar may or may not be your cup of tea, but I’m sure you’d enjoy Linda’s talk.

Hope everyone is healthy and happy! Now back to homework...