Wacky Word Quiz

Well, the earth’s rotated many times since I’ve last posted one of these. I thought it might be time to open that bulging door under constant strain against the clutter. It guards the tomb of antiquities, commonly known as the storage closet.  

Here goes. Ouch! Mind the bowling ball . . . cue the slapstick canned laughter. Now where is it? Oh, yes, there it is! I see the yellowed and curled corner of the pages belonging to the, ‘Dictionary of Oddity’s.’ It’s lying just beneath my sister’s possessed Teddy Ruxpin (batteries not needed) . . . “Your kids will love it! Pleeeeease, just take it!”

An ‘80’s lawn dart has staked it’s one pound metal spike through the bruin’s heart, but good old Teddy bears it with a grin. With trembling hands, I yank out the dart and cast the slow cackling beast and spear into the garage, where lawnmowers go to die.

The dart has punched a hole right through a warning label at the page’s header. ‘Do—- use these words in real life.’ I know it’s missing a word and some letters, but the dart has spoken.

Just a few things to refresh some memories or if you’ve never played: please try to avoid looking up the words/ enter the letter of your guesses in the comments/ I will be back in a day or so with the answers/ have fun!

On your mark, get set . . . bang! Now read and type, really fast!

Fartlek

A: an activity runners do when they switch between sprinting and jogging

B: to renege on a deal after secretly negotiating another offer from a different party

C: an obsolete measurement used in England to determine the distance between dales

D: eighteenth century slang term for a pickpocket

Bumber Shoot

A: another term for the water shoots on a Banyan Tree

B: nineteenth century expression for an incompetent person

C: umbrella

D: the game of dice from which Yahtzee was derived

Abecedarian

A: someone who is of the belief that portholes to other earthly realms exist

B: an uncommon term from the middle-ages used to describe an aristocrat who turns his/her back on their birthright in exchange for the life of a commoner

C: an obscure religious sect that archeologists believe may have lived and worshipped in the Tibetan Mountains

D: anyone currently learning the alphabet

Skirl

A: the loud wailing sound produced by bagpipes

B: the behind-the-heel toe tap dance move performed in Hasapiko Dancing

C: the stitching used to secure the lace to a 1920′ era Flapper Cloche Hat

D: to curtsy in a clumsy manner

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Review of Variety Is The Spice Of Life: A Blend Of Poetry And Prose, by Sally Cronin

We’re just climbing out of a deep freeze that saw temperatures plummet to below -30 Celsius, that’s around -22 Fahrenheit for my southern friends. I can hear your teeth chattering from here.

So of course, I went skiing with my Dad. Just a pair of Canucks wrapped like Egyptian mummies, snow pants crinkling like cellophane giftwrap, careening downhill, as a toothy wind whistled across our goggles and helmets. A tad bit loopy? Perhaps. But a bonding and pleasant memory forged, another chapter written in our life stories . . . that’s a certainty.

In my opinion, that’s precisely what this wonderful compilation of poetry and short stories is about. A blend more satisfying than a cup of freshly brewed specialty coffee on a sunny back yard deck in late June. Perhaps I’m being watched by a marmalade cat who disapproves of my intrusion into her afternoon routine of prowling the garden.

The world spins billions of individual tales every day; most go unnoticed. That caterpillar munching on that leaf may struggle with a desire to remain wingless, despite the insistence of the butterflies that his inclination is unnatural.

Guilty secrets, locked for decades, in the conscience of an elderly woman are laid bare for a beloved few, while a village holds its collective breath as it awaits some devastating news.

We never know when a smile or small act of kindness may save a life.

Reading this book is like sitting on the front porch with a trusted friend as he shares some cherished lore. Every now and again, he pauses to give you an earnest glance before speaking in a gentle voice. “And this is the way of things, not all bad, and not all good.”

I recommend this book to those who appreciate fine wordsmithing about discovering gems hidden in the guise of the mundane.     

Have I enticed you to learn more and grab your copy? Yes? Then please read on to meet Sally and click on the links.

Sally Cronin is the author of sixteen books including her memoir Size Matters: Especially when you weigh 330lb first published in 2001. This has been followed by another fifteen books both fiction and non-fiction including multi-genre collections of short stories and poetry.

As an author she understands how important it is to have support in marketing books and offers a number of FREE promotional opportunities on her blog and across her social media. The Smorgasbord Bookshelf

Her podcast shares book reviews, poetry and short stories Sally Cronin Soundcloud

After leading a nomadic existence exploring the world, she now lives with her husband on the coast of Southern Ireland enjoying the seasonal fluctuations in the temperature of the rain.

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Review of, The Sons and Daughters of Toussaint, by Keith Madsen

First off I want to start out by saying we had crazy weather last evening. I’m talking a major snowstorm and a thunderstorm at the same time! It’s called ‘Thundersnow’ and this is the first time I’ve personally witnessed it. Nothing like the sight of a blizzard backdropped by flashes of lightning, let me tell you.

But now I’m moving on to discuss a place that never sees snow, and a story that will nest in your heart forever.

Interested? Please read on!

Here’s the Gist:

In this commercial fiction novel with an historical backdrop, The Sons and Daughters of Toussaint, Isaac Breda seeks to renew the revolution of his famous forefather, Toussaint Louverture. He is depressed that a revolution which had so much potential, and which had cost so much, seemed to have so little to show for it. He resolves to start a non-violent revolution to make their freedom real. In the first half of the novel, the story is told by alternating chapters between historical sections, telling the story of Toussaint and his compatriots, and contemporary sections, where Isaac seeks to renew Toussaint’s spirit in his people. Isaac’s story intersects with that of his best friend’s beautiful sister, Marie-Noëlle. At first she is mainly focused on moving to the United States and making her fame and fortune in modeling. But her character develops into a powerful agent of change herself. When Isaac dies at the hands of entrenched interests in Haiti, the revolution falls on her shoulders. The immense challenge transforms both her and her country.

My Thoughts:

When I was a kid, my dad went to Haiti several times to help with a number of construction projects. While he often told me stories about his experiences, two things stick out in my memory. The photos of treeless and eroding mountainsides, with small shanties built at their bases, and the resilience of the people.

This is exactly what I found on the pages of this inspiring novel. A nation that has struggled to gain a foothold in the climb towards democracy, despite being under constant assault by dictators, gangs, and natural disasters.

Madsen paints a vivid and accurate picture of the trials and triumphs of a land under constant pressure, and it starts with the historical revolution led by Toussaint Louverture. As a student of history, I appreciated the switching perspectives between Toussaint’s day and the twenty-first century revolution led by Isaac. Bravery in the face of tremendous danger is realistically tempered with the protagonist’s bouts of self doubt and discouragement.

Buoyed by the courageous support of the people, his closest allies, and the love of his life, Marie-Noelle, Isaac finds the strength to face the monsters. With an eye towards changing the national political landscape and Haiti’s global reputation, Isaac learns to savour the smaller victories. One scene depicts him standing beside a litter free river that had once been choked with garbage. The locals had banded together for the clean up. He smiles even though his ultimate goal remains distant.

But this is about more than just one man, and the hearts of the people continue to beat strongly long after he’s gone. Marie continues what Isaac began as she lives up to the bold statement, “Nou pa pè!”

Meet Keith:

I am a retired minister, living in East Wenatchee, Wa., who teaches chess to children, works for AmeriCorps, teaching about the Opioid Pandemic, AND writing fiction!

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Oh, and there’s also one that’s fallen over.