I'm Talkin' To You

Colloquialism~~is an expression not used in formal speech, it is a manner of speaking, or writing that is characteristic of familiar "common conversation". Wikipedia
Colloquialism~~a. expression. b. a local or regional dialect expression. Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Colloquialisms can be words such as: "ya'll," or "gonna". They can also be phrases such as: "ain't,"or "nothin". They can also be a full expression such as: "There is more than one way to skin a cat." Wikipedia
In the south there are many, many, of these "expressions".
"Goodnight nurse."
"Merciful heaven's."
"My stars and garters."
"Hotter than a six shooter."
"I'm gonna box your ears."
"Shore nough".
"I'm fixin to go to the store."
"What chew talkin bout."
I looked on two websites and found other regional "expressions". You can learn Hillbonics the dialect of southern West Virginia, examples are:
"Pull up a cheer,"
"Set a spell,"
"It's rainin like a big dog,"
"Iffen you peart off to me agin I'm goin' to wear you out."
In Yorkshire, England their "expressions" is called Yorkshire isms, and examples are:
"I've seen better-legs on-a table." (A woman who has ugly legs.)
"E's got a munkon." (He's a little upset.)
"O'Reyt." (Are you alright.)
"Get a benny on." (To get upset, or angry.)
I love to hear these "expressions" they continually make me laugh, I often wonder how in the world the saying originally got started, like did someone really try to skin a cat?

Quote

"When I feel bad I like to treat myself. Clothes never look any good, food just makes me fatter. Shoes always fit." author unknown

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http://awell-wateredgarden.blogspot.com

Three More!

"Inheritance" by Natalie Danford
The book goes back and forth between the voices and the stories of Luigi and his daughter Olivia. Luigi was an Italian immigrant that left his country with a secret, a secret that his daughter Olivia will discover after his death. Olivia's mother died when she was young, she was raised by her father, later when Olivia is an adult she cared for her dad until he died, he had Alzheimer's. After her father's death she finds out that her father had been hiding a secret, she traveled to Italy to "unlock a door", but she also discovers a new understanding of a man that she thought she knew.
"American Creation" by Joseph J. Ellis
I must admit that I speed read this book, it was a library book that I needed to return.
The American founding lasted from 1775-1803. During this time was the American Revolution and the birth of this nation. With the completion of this "birth" came the displacement and
removal of the Native Americans, as they were moved farther west to make room for the expansion of the colonists. These Native Americans were already decreased in numbers from the numerous diseases that the colonists had brought to this country, those that were left were to be cleared away and in some cases annihilated. The book does touch on several characters that are considered the "founding fathers" of this nation.
"Amish Grace-How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy" by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher
This book was for me an unforgetable and memorable one. Why? their are those people that say "I forgive you", and then their are those people that not only say the words, but they live their lives on this pledge. How would you feel if someone in cold and calculating manner murdered your children? I cannot, nor do I want to imagine the pain and anguish of suffering that would come from this horror. On October 2, 2006 during school time, a man that was known in the community walked into an Amish school in rural Pennsylvania, dismissed the adults, and the boys, and opened fire on the young girls. Their were 5 girls killed, 5 injured, 1 of those injured is severely disabled. The Amish were immediate in their response to forgive.
"Forgiveness forgoes the right to vengeance. Pardon releases an offender from punishment altogether. Reconciliation is the restoration of a relationship, or the creation of a new one, between the victim and the offender."
"Forgiveness is both a short term act and a long term process."
The book does go into greater detail about the killer, and also his family. The book also gives a thorough teaching on the Amish belief and culture. The Amish focus on the literal interpretation of the teachings of Jesus, with special emphasis on the Sermon on the Mount.

Getting Caught Up!

My aunt Beverly had told me about a book she was reading entitled, "The Dark Side of Camelot" by Seymour M. Hersh. Of course when the term Camelot is used I know the reference is used mainly for John F. Kennedy and his term as President. I have not read any other books, yet, on John F. Kennedy. This book is a controversial expose' on JFK, his brother Bobby, their father Joe, and also the maternal grandfather of JFK and Bobby. This book was more of a slant towards their sexual escapades with other women and their calculating decisions for power and money. The book does touch on the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban missle crisis, the re-election campaign, Lyndon Johnson, Hoover the head of the F.B.I., and the hidden relationship the family had with the mafia and Sam Giacano.
"The Johnstown Flood" by David McCullough
Every book I have read by David McCullough has been outstanding in the research behind the book, the fluid writing, the drawing in and keeping the interest of the reader. One of the books that David McCullough wrote is now a mini series on HBO, "John Adams". On May 31, 1889 at 4:07 pm the wave hit Johnstown, Pennyslvania. At the center of the wave the height was thought to be at least 30 feet. There was a heavy, strong wind that proceeded the wave that snapped trees, destroyed houses. There was also a dark mist that surrounded the water. Some of the people could see the horrifying behemoth that was coming towards them, some were able to scramble up the hills to be above the danger, others were able to climb up to the upper stories of houses, or buildings, or barns. All of them could hear the deafening roar of the water coming. There are many survivor stories in the book, each with their own account of the tragedy that they witnessed, but each had a powerful story to tell.
In the end the official death total was;
2, 209,
99 whole families died,
396 children 10 or less died,
98 children lost both parents.
Many of the dead were never identified, the last victims were found in 1906. The book does explain the events that happened that led to this unforgetable national tragedy.
"Pocahontas, Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepreneur, Diplomat" by Paula Gunn Allen
This book is written with a Native American perspective, the author is of Native American heritage. Pocahontas was born around 1597 and died at age 21 in 1617. We have all heard in school the story of Pocahontas risking her life by covering John Smith with her own body in order to save his life. The author explains that Pocahontas was a "beloved woman" and because of this she had a deciding say in what would happen to Smith. A "beloved woman" or medicine woman held significant power, these women also owned great fields of corn, squash or beans. They distributed all food and goods, including what was garnered by men in hunting and fishing. They designed and built dwellings and the lodges for gatherings. Smith had assumed from his English world that she was the daughter of Powhattan and he had mercy on Smith because of what Pocahantas had done. Pocahontas did marry a white man, her second marriage, and they had a son, she traveled to England with her family, she became sick probably with a respiratory infection and died. This book is well researched and inticing as it is written with the Native American perspective.

One Season is Completed and Another Has Begun

Today is the first day of Spring, it is also the day before Good Friday. I have several books to post, books that I read during my Mother's illness and then death. My Mother had had Alzheimer's since at least 1992, she was diagnosed in 1996, and in 2002 we placed her in a nursing home. Mother had been in the end stage of this disease the last year. Mother had had a respiratory virus since the beginning of 2008 and had had 2 rounds of antibiotics. On February 12 she became very ill, gasping for breath, her blood pressure and other vital signs were bad, we also found out the upper part of her lungs were not working and she could also no longer swallow. She stablized as far as her breathing was concerned, but her body was shutting down, with her inability to eat or drink because she could not swallow, the waiting began for us, because death was coming soon for her. Mother lived nearly 3 more weeks. My Dad and I would go to see Mother everyday and sit with her, everyday looking for a new sign that the end was near. Hospice and the nursing home kept us updated, everytime the phone rang we wondered if it would be the nursing home calling to tell us she had died. It was a heart wrenching experience to watch someone very slowly die, you know that it will happen, but when? The last few days that she was alive she already looked dead, but yet she still breathed, her heart was still beating. It is interesting, surreal, the things that I thought about when I was watching Mother die; I thought about my own mortality, I thought about the memories that I've had with her, I wondered what was still keeping her alive. The thought that penetrated me the most was the certainty that all of us will someday die, we are not given a choice as to how, or when, or how long this will take; but we do have a choice about where we will spend eternity, and eternity is a very, very, long time. Mother died at 2:25 p.m. on March 2, once again my Dad and I went to the nursing home and sat with her and waited for the funeral home to come and pick up her body. When I first saw Mother after she had died my first thought was "this is not my Mother", my Mother has gone home, this is just the broken shell of a body that she had been in-prisoned to for far too long. I touched her body and it was still warm; but, no more breathing, no more beating heart, it is over, completion, for her and for us. This season of suffering for her, and for us as well, is completed, finished. I can with all honesty say that I have no further words to say to her and no more songs left to be sung. The night before she died I went by myself to visit Mother, I rubbed her arms, I kissed her, I sang to her, I read several scriptures to her, and I whispered in her ear to tell Jesus thank you. Why, thank you? because it was an honor to be her daughter, and an honor to have taken care of her. When I made the decision several years ago to help my Dad care for Mother I thought I was blessing them, but a wonderful and awesome thing has happened, I truly have received the greater blessing!