Thursday, May. 20, 2004 - 2:07 p.m.

Another New Word!!

Synecdoche-sin ek' du kee-a figure of speech; when a part is used for the whole, or the whole for a part, as in ten sail for ten ships, or a Croesus for a rich man; from doche-receiving from another. If something has that attribute, it is synecdochic, and if one is employing that attribute, they are being synecdochical.

Somehow, I think I am not going to live long enough to use that word in casual conversation. And I learned my lesson well enough not to attempt to use it in a piece of writing. But--that is two great new words I have learned this spring. Unfortunately I have forgotten the other one, which had something to do with having something named after the person. I can look it up in this journal if I start obsessing about it.

I don't go looking for new words; they just find me--serendipitously (which is another wonderful word that snuck up on me many years ago, and that has become familiar enough that I have managed to use it aloud many times in casual conversation. Maybe that will happen with 'synecdoche', but I doubt it. I could find lots and lots of new words if I wanted. The Unabridged Webster's Dictionary sits right by my side as I type this, but that is not really an adventure. Every new word I have learned is lurking there inside the big book, but I rather like being taken by surprise.

We had a big surprise Tuesday. 800 rented a trencher for the new water, and cut through the phone line as he was finishing. It was somewhere that one would never have suspected it to be. He has been very humble about it(for him) and we had a phone repairman fix it just a bit ago. I really wasn't missing it except if I wanted to get online and search something out. I went to the Library the day it happened and checked email, I have all my school stuff finished for a few weeks, and no one ever calls me anyhow, so I probably could have done without it indefinitly.

I have begun my little cleanup projects, throwing alot of junk away in the process. 1d is gooing to have a yard sale soon so perhaps I will just give her alot of this stuff to sell. That will salve my conscience, knowing it will garner her some extra cash. I did all the ironing and watched A Year in Provence as I did so. Then I moved all the boxes 800 moved from the living room by his chair to the family room. I was able to push them under the bunk beds where they are in hiding with all the boxes he moved out of his office when he added some more incubators. Upstairs by his chair is just as crowded again as it was before Christmas. I have given up on that part of the house. I have given up on part of the dining room also as he likes to keep his irrigating boots, egg-washing cloths, tools, hats, bolts, etc.etc.etc. there. I have also given up on the far side of the bedroom as he likes to keep all his clothes there instead of in closets or drawers along with about a 2 ft high accumulation of things on the top of his dresser. That is not a new phenomenon. When we left the coast, I swept off all the stuff from the dresser top into a cardboard box where it has all resided ever since. We won't discuss my side of the room, since I also like to keep all my good junk in reach. The only difference is that the scenery changes on my side, because I am always replacing what is there with what different thing I need there. However, I have made the bed everyday of my married life, so I figure that must count for something.

EE's devotional

newAutumn Leaves

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