Some Other Words...         January  2020

  

 

So, who here is sick of writing 2019 and having to scratch it out and correct it?  Hang in there, it'll get better.  This month's recipe is good ol' stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. And it's easy.  The cartoon is funny, but a sad reflection of where the bar is for corporations.

The article talks about a glimpse I had into parenting.  It was pathetic!  So, enjoy!

Susan

Give yourself something to smile about!

I've got a new feature on my YouTube channel called - you'll never believe it - A Smile A Day. Subscribe to my channel and every morning at 8am, your inbox will greet you with, well, something to smile about.  Just search my name, A Smile A Day, and then the date, then click on the big red Subscribe  button!

          See this little guy here?  That smile can be yours!
Writing Tip Tip
 
Incomplete Comparisons  Several sites have told me this is a very common grammatical errors that "we need to stop."  I'm not sure what happens if we don't, but I do admit, it bothers me.

These are very big in advertising.  "Faster!" "Better!" "Stronger!"  And I keep yelling at the screen, "Than WHAT?" A 10-day seminar I took was very effective.  So, I took it again the next year. They advertised that it now moved "at triple speed!" Well, since it was still 10 days, I don't know what meant.  

I have also seen this used a lot in business and casual conversation.  If you're going to use a comparison, I strongly advocate for telling us what you are comparing it to.

I Didn't Know It Really Existed

Last week, I saw something I'd only ever heard about.  I saw a face actually crumble.  That was the only word that came to mind as I watched it.  And now I understand at least one reason that parents sometimes spoil a kid, why they might cave into their wishes.

A 5-year-old piano student was playing with her toy snake and not focusing on her lesson.  He father had repeatedly asked her to give him the snake, but she didn't.  When she finally set it down on top of the piano, it slithered right off and slid underneath the piano.  I told the little girl that I couldn't get it from there. (You cannot simply move a piano to the side to get something from behind it.)

There was a moment of silence as she processed that her snake was gone...  Then, the tears and wailing started, and then slowly, bit by bit, the face collapsed in on itself.  First the center of her face sunk in, then the eyes closed up, then everything fell into the hole her sunken mouth and nose had created.  It was like if you grabbed a piece of paper in the center and scrunched it up with your fingers, bit by bit.   I have never seen anything so pathetic.  This picture doesn't capture it, but it was the best I could find.

Anyway, I told the father it was his call, that I could get it back (broomsticks and such).  He opted to leave it there; she had been warned.  I stepped out of the room so they could have a father-daughter talk, and then we continued the lesson.  (After which I did get the snake back for her.)

But honestly, once you see a face crumble right before your eyes, you will never be the same.

January is National ...
Book Blitz * Change Your Stars * Oatmeal * Thyroid Awareness * Unchain a Dog * Mentoring * Learn to Ski and Snowboard * Quality of Life * Menudo                                                                                          ...Month
And National ... 
2nd - Buffet * 3rd - Drinking Straw * 5th - Keto * 6th - Shortbread * 
8th - Argyle; English Toffee * 11th - Learn Your Name in Morse Code * 
13th - Clean Off Your Desk * 14th - Dress Up Your Pet * 16th - Civil Service * 19th - Tin Can * 23rd - Paul Pitcher * 26th - Dental Drill Appreciation * 28th - Pediatrician * 30th - Crosisant             ... Day
Click here for more.


TO YOUR HEALTH

As winter approaches, I've got some reminders of ways to help you stay healthy in cold and snowy weather.  And I know we're going to get a lot of snow this year.  I know this because, for the first time in about 15 years, I do not have a 4-wheel drive.  You know everything I'm going to say here, but we all need reminders.

Lots of water and lots of vitamin C.  Take supplements.  You can't get enough through foods.  The charts may tell you you can, but that's ideally, and the food nowadays doesn't have the same nutrients it did when those charts were put together.

Sleep more.  I know we all want to, anyway, but many of us just don't have the time.   Okay.  But understand, your body doesn't care how good your reasons are.  It doesn't function optimally without sleep and you need more in the winter.

Eat slightly spicier foods.  It heats up your immune system.  

Oh, and going outside with wet hair will not make you sick.  That's an old wives tale. Click here to get more on that.  And click here for more on how to stay healthy in the cold weather.

Glad to have you aboard!  Please invite your friends to join my mailing list so they, too, can get the latest writing and editing tips.  For more on anything in this newsletter, see my blog &/or web site.  And I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn or Facebook!  

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Take care and have fun,

 

 

 

Susan Scher

In Other Words... 

In This Issue
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Refuse to prove
your worth to those who refuse to see it.





Robert Downey, Jr.

Just for Fun
o
We all know words evolve in language. See if you can figure out what these words used to mean. Some fo them will really surprise you.

    zephyr 
    helix
    twirl 
    cylinder


strut, elevator, winglet, rudder

  dredger
  decanter
  terrine
  pitcher


persimmon
papaya
guave
mango


    stem 
    circuit
    filament
    tungsten

circumflex
umlaut
virgule
ampersand


Answers to December:
1)  Sweetheart
2)  Homeless
3)  Food
4)  Fantastical
5)  Spiritual
6) D imwitted

In Good Taste
So, we should be getting winter any time now.  It's the season for soups and familiar, hearty meals. Most of which can be made in a slow-cooker or Instant Pot these days.  So, here's an old favorite: 
Beef Stew.
                    
Ingredients :
   2 Tbsp vegetable oil
   1 lb stew meat, cut into bite-
       sized pieces
   1/4 tsp salt
   4 C assorted fresh veggies, 
       cut into bite-sized pieces 
       (potatoes, onions, celery,
       ...)
   1 can (14oz) beef broth
   1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

Directions :  
1) Brown beef in skillet over 
    med-high heat; remove 
    from  skillet, keep warm
THEN, EITHER:
2) Put everything in slow 
    cooker for 4-5 hours.
OR: 
2) Sauté veggies in remaining 
    1 Tbsp oil, until tender-
    crisp, about 5 mins., add 
    beef, stir in broth; bring to 
    boil, reduce heat to med-
    low; simmer 15 minutes, 
    stirring occasionally
3) Stir in tomato sauce, sim-
     mer  15 mins more, or until
     meat  and veggies are
     tender 

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