fulsome- word of the day

fulsome \FUL-sum\, adjective:
1. Offensive to the taste or sensibilities.
2. Insincere or excessively lavish; especially, offensive from excess of praise.

He recorded the event in his journal: "Long evening visit from Mr. Langtree--a fulsome flatterer."
-- Edward L. Widmer, Young America: The Flowering of Democracy in New York City

Concealed disgust under the appearance of fulsome endearment.
-- Oliver Goldsmith, The Citizen of the World

Fulsome is from Middle English fulsom, from full + -som, "-some."

foggy walk

It's a lovely sunny afternoon here, but the rim of clouds over the hill tells me that it's foggy by the lake. I'm going to take advantage of my new freedom to go for a walk. Come along, but only if you can keep quiet.


They've put up new flora plaques. Let's learn some botany.

It's a beautiful misty afternoon at the lake.

Listen, I hear the tapping of a red-breasted sapsucker.

At the end of a dog-leg from the main trail, we come to the dunes. The ocean is right there above the tree line, but the fog is hiding it.

As we round the corner by the parking lot, the sun is breaking through the mist.

Thanks for coming along.

Rose

perfidious- word of the day

per·fi·dy [ púrfidee ]
noun

Definition:
deliberate treachery: treachery or deceit ( formal )

[Late 16th century. < Latin perfidia < perfidus "treacherous" < per fidem decipere "deceive through trustingness" < fides "faith, trust"]

per·fid·i·ous [ pər fíddee əss ] adjective

Friedrich Nietzche- quotes

The Christian resolution to find the world ugly and bad has made the world
ugly and bad.

The Gay Science, section 130

The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher
esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.

The Dawn,
section 297

What else is love but understanding and rejoicing in
the fact that another person lives, acts, and experiences otherwise than we
do?

The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of
defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.

The Gay Science, section 191

another favorite rose

I have been having trouble uploading photos, but this compressed file worked fine, so here is another favorite of the pictures I took at the rose garden with Mother and Father.

I vacillate between wanting to air my gripes about their visit and wanting to just move on. It was very nice to spend some time with them. I hadn't seen them in over a year. It seems our weekly+ telephone chats have kept me pretty happy. I guess I just got tired from not getting as much sleep as I'm used to and being so productive all the time, what with two cooked meals a day, chauffering, tour guiding, game playing, walking and whatnot. It makes me wonder if j. isn't right and I'm really not equipped to have children.

As things so often happen, it seems our 'gardener' showed up to do the lawn nearly the moment Mother and Father pulled out of the driveway. On a more positive note, the new stereo equipment has arrived and we will have a working stereo and television once more, which is just in time, since all I want to do is vegetate on the sofa watching movies for a while. I must stock up on junk food.

Sorry I was absent during the visit. Time to get my blogging feet under me again. Some of you should be expecting calls from me. That works well with vegetating.

Rose

another disturbing dream journal

A mentally handicapped boy suddenly dies from an arrhythmia at church. He is taken home by his father and two church members and shrouded and toasted with milk in a very strange variation of communion. I sit at the very out of tune piano and play Precious Memories very poorly while the family dresses for the funeral. Suddenly the boy struggles out of the shroud and sits up and asks for gospel music to be played. Everyone is upset at his recovery. They now rush to get ready for church. His mother appears for the first time with a very small nursing babe. There are many other children. They use the garage door to enter and exit the house. I can't find my shoes and finally run out barefooted. At church, the teacher is upset because she has lost her anonymity. I attempt to analyze the boy's telemetry strip. The tracing shows many unheard of rhythms before settling into atrial flutter after his recovery.

Sronnoc Esor

(My dream is broken as Father and then Mother knock on the bedroom door to say they are leaving for home.)

playing hooky and loving it

As predicted, work was relaxing compared to entertaining Mother and Father. My urge to spout obscenities for no particular reason has blossomed in their presence so that every night at bedtime, j. is treated to a whispered litany of all my favorites. I spent a few hours with a blind patient in her ninth decade who couldn't remember she was in the hospital, but was enlightening on details of local history. I got to see some work friends who I've missed in the few weeks since I worked last. I made a little cash & then I came home and went to sleep while Mother and Father went to church. I was happy to wake up with both kitties cuddled nearby. I opted out of church this evening without bothering to offer an excuse, which is why I have time to type in this much-neglected-of-late blog. It's nice to have a moment to myself.

Does this mean I think I'm more important than God? Well, at the moment, yes. Are my priorities out of whack, as Mother and Father might have, but in fact restrained from pointing out? If I thought so, I'd be at church right now. Would I rather listen to j. snore than listen to the reverend drone? Most decidedly.

(As an aside, Is blogger beta worth it? It doesn't seem to be.)

Rose

very busy

It is hard work entertaining my parents. Here is a taste of what we've seen. I am working tonight. That could be a rest.

Rose

another fine day

I woke up at the crack of dawn with j. this morning. It was raining, so I thought we would have to cancel our plans, which all involved outdoor activities. It stopped raining and cleared up by midmorning and we headed off to see the ocean, a rose garden, some black turnstones, pelagic cormorants, seals and sea lions, among other things. We went to a Greek restaurant for lunch and Father had hummus for the first time, which he thoroughly enjoyed. The lentil soup, however, was too spicy for him. Mother and I enjoyed panini sandwiches and bhaba ghanouj, which was delicious. They plan to stay until early next week. It's early to bed for me to rest up for more adventures. Poor j. doesn't know what to make of all this early rising and early go-to-bedding.

RC

nothing to be nervous about

I made it through two church services today, and enjoyed the day otherwise. The important thing is, Mother and Father enjoyed the church that I chose. I thought the guy said some pretty spurious stuff, like claiming that tornadoes and hurricanes are God's punishment on America for having legal abortion. He was also pretty negative. When I go to church, I guess I like to hear a reminder to be a good person or something like that. We talked too much today about how vengeful God is supposed to be for my taste. There was also some singing that I considered to have dubious claim to be music. Al things considered, it was a good result. j. didn't go to church, and there was no questioning about the whys and wherefores of our worship habits or lack thereof.

In the afternoon, we went to see a house that we might be renting and then we played bocce in the yard. I never played it before, but I got the set specifically for this visit, knowing that Father has to be doing something active a certain percentage of the time. Mother won the game by about six points.

We had another late dinner- at least 8:30- and now it's time to "hit the hay" so we're ready for another full day tomorrow. I'll be exhausted by the end of this.

Rose

nervous- dream journal

I was at some kind of hospital where everyone was in wheelchairs. I didn't have the impression that I was working, but I was one of only a few people who could walk. I must have been nervous about something, pacing the halls continuously.

I was supposed to get a ride with my old BJU roommate, Leigh. I was very tired and wanted a bowl of coffee before we left. I went into the store and had to wait in line to order. I lost my temper when a few people shoved into line in front of me. After I ordered, I had trouble finding the place to pick it up. I passed a little movie theater that was under the mall with the stadium and screen right out in the hallway. Leigh's father was in her car and she told him that he wasn't supposed to be there and said, "I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again. Get away!"

Sronnoc Esor

p.s. Leigh had a great relationship with her father, but I must be nervous. Off to church this morning.

rc

visitors

Mother and Father rang the doorbell this evening at nine o'clock as I was just getting ready to drain the pasta. We hadn't expected them for several days yet, and their cell phone wasn't getting reception, so we didn't get any calls from them. It does happen to be the weekend I took off work, though. It's good to see them and I'm looking forward to showing them around tomorrow. For now, I must get my rest.

Rose

Saints and Angels

This song talks about real love and true religion. I don't believe either one is what we commonly think of them as. Love isn't perfect, but it is powerful. I've learned that it has more power for me than a God that I can't see. So that makes j. a saint and an angel to me. I've loved this song for a long time; hearing it again tonight brought a warm feeling to my heart.

Saints and Angels
by Victoria Banks
(recorded by Sara Evans)

We're only human, baby
We walk on broken ground
We lose our way,
We come unwound

We're turnin' circles baby
We're never satisfied
We fall from grace, forget we can fly
But through all of the tears that we cry
We'll survive

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

I love your imperfections
I love your everything
Your broken heart, your broken wings
I love you when you hold me
And when you turn away,
I love you still, and I'm not afraid
Cause I know you feel the same way
And you'll stay

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

These feet of clay
They will not stray

Cause when we're torn apart
Shattered and scarred
Love has the grace to save us
We're just two tarnished hearts,
But in each other's arms
We become saints and angels

Listen to the recording here.

Rose

fanfaronade- word of the day

fanfaronade \fan-fair-uh-NAYD; -NOD\, noun:
1. Swaggering; empty boasting; blustering manner or behavior; ostentatious display.
2. Fanfare.

George Manahan made his debut this week as music director of New York City
Opera, and it is difficult to imagine someone laying claim to a major podium
with less of a fanfaronade.-- Justin Davidson, "A Director's Toil Pays Some
Dividends", Newsday, September 21,
1996

But like a demure singer in a long gown who is surrounded by chorus girls
in sequined miniskirts, the statue may seem slightly lost amid the
fanfaronade.-- Richard Stengel, "Rockets will glare and bands blare to celebrate
the statue", Time, July 7, 1986

Fanfaronade derives from Spanish fanfarronada, from fanfarrón, "braggart," from Arabic farfar, "garrulous."

left behind- dream journal

I was running late getting ready for school. Father was waiting outside in the pickup with Mr. Clean and Robin. I finally ran out with my things in my arms and Father pushed the door open and began pulling away, calling for me to jump in. I yelled that I couldn't get in while the truck was moving and just stood there watching him go. He lost control of the truck temporarily and went careening through the neighbor's large lawn before getting back on the road. I decided to ride my bike to school, ten miles or so. I rode along, frequently going onto the burm and once even into the creek, but it didn't affect me any, I just kept going. I got to Father's school, where we caught the second bus, took a shower and packed my lunch, and caught a ride with some friends.

Sronnoc Esor

(This event is not entirely unprecedented by reality. Father would get very impatient and pull forward in the driveway as if he was leaving. )

I'm a Great Aunt.

No, I'm not complimenting myself. My husband's neice (and therefore mine as well) just had her first baby. I'm on the fast track to something here. I've only been an aunt for ~5 years and I've already been promoted to great aunt. Meanwhile, I'm just waiting to be a mother.

R.C.

horse in the bed- dream journal

I was at work. There were nine patients and I had to take care of all of them. The two other nurses who were there weren't allowed to help me. I was very busy with a tube feeding for a while, but things finally slowed down. I noticed a man had gotten out of bed and was walking into my bedroom. I helped him find the bathroom. Later on, when I had gone to bed, the man came wandering into the room again, but this time he looked like a horse, part white and part rusty brown. The horse got in bed with me. Then it tried to bite me. I screamed and woke myself up.

Sronnoc Esor

brownies cockaigne

Here, for Ms. J, is my favorite from-scratch brownies recipe, which I found on the web but now have learned comes from The Joy of Cooking. For extra flair, pour half the batter in the pan, freeze until hard, spread a layer of all fruit raspberry jam, add the rest of the batter, and bake as indicated. Also, thanks to Nuthatch for the Golden Squares recipe. Delish. (Only three ingredients, Ms. J; near impossible to mess up!)

Brownies Cockaigne

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup pecan meats (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit

Instructions
1. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from
heat.
2. Cool this mixture. If you don't, your brownies will be heavy and
dry.
3. Beat eggs and salt until light in color and foamy in texture.
4. Add sugar and vanilla gradually and continute beating until well
creamed.
5. With a few swift strokes, combine the cooled chocolate mixture into the
eggs and sugar. Even if you normally use an electric mixer, do this
manually.
6. Before the mixture becomes uniformly colored, fold in the flour.
7. And before the flour is uniformly colored, stir in the pecans
gently.
8. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan for about 25 minutes.

Rose

abuse of cuisinart- the story tells itself

a little gripe

Ever since j. has been training at the gym, he has allowed the owner, Ayjay, to use our car to run little errands in town like getting lunch or going to his parent's house to shower. He lives at the gym and there is no shower there. Well, today j. went to get some stuff out of the car for a client and it wasn't there. Ayjay had been gone for an hour and a half. He decided to go shopping in a town 25 miles away: that's a fifty mile trip. Then he had the nerve to wonder if we wanted money for gas. At the current price of gas, that's seven or eight bucks.

Well, although I scored an 82 in cooperation and only a 47 in assertiveness, it's there that I choose to draw the line. Unless Ayjay wants to make payments and put gas in the car, he isn't using it. The man is 36 years old and he acts like a child. What should I expect from someone who can't even remember the birthdays of his children?

Rose