Posh is an example of such a word myth.  It’s fun to think that a word meaning luxurious came from rich English passengers on the P&O Lines who requested “port out, starboard home” to keep their delicate skin out of the sun.  However, according to etymologists, there’s no foundation for this popular belief.  See, Online Etymology Dictionary: Posh for more details.

There are also entries for some of our “colorful metaphors,” as Spock calls them.  Even Van Halen had a little fun with it by titling one of their albums For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.  I’ve also heard the phrases, “for use of carnal knowledge” and “fornication under consent of the king” as the explanation of how the word came to be in our vocabulary.

So, the next time you receive an e-mail with some acronomic (I made that word up) explanation for a word, have a good laugh, but please don’t take it at face value.  Oh, and post it in the comments, just because it isn’t accurate doesn’t mean you can’t share.

Jessie

And, if you’re heading to Lora Leigh’s Reader Appreciation Weekend Sept. 9-12, I have some goodies as prizes for Trista Michaels’ Treasure Hunt.  One of them is a short story entitled, Corene. It’s a science fiction piece, an off-camera scene from a novel I’m working on.  Far different than my romance writing, but I think the winners will enjoy it.

Corene

As a bit of trivia, the character in the story is named after my great niece, and it is her picture that graces the cover.

I also have another short story up for grabs in the Treasure Hunt.  It’s an erotic romance short story.

Imago

As another bit of trivia, the heroine, Brenwyn, is named after my cousin’s wife, Brenda.  And again, it is her picture that graces the cover.  The tattoos are real, and only a small portion of them are shown.

If you can’t make it to RAW, I’ll have copies at the Roane County Writers Festival in downtown Kingston, Tennessee the first Saturday in October.

Now, off to important stuff.  I’ve got to get my cheat sheet ready for my fantasy football picks.  The draft is next week, and despite my love for the Colts, I know the individual players don’t make the best fantasy picks.  So, my team won’t be the mini Colts.  I do like to win.

Jessie

It had an ethereal feel, even without seeing the video, that took it beyond a mere pop song. With it’s passionate & tortured lyrics. How could this not not touch your heart and lead you in the supernatural directions of love?

And if you only hold me tight
We’ll be holding on forever
And we’ll only be making it right
Cause we’ll never be wrong together
We can take it to the end of the light
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don’t know what to do and I’m always in the dark
We’re living in a poltergag and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight

What? That’s the way I originally sung the song, with probably millions of others. Now, it wasn’t really our fault that we heard the lyrics that way. After all, the movie, Poltergeist had just come out the year before, in 1982. So, I went to the end of the light and lived in a poltergag. It was totally appropriate for my young angst about life, love, and happily ever after. I think all young girls could identify with poltergag in the context of the song as a tumultuous chamber of the soul, ready to explode at any moment.

It wasn’t until years later that I realized that it was the “end of the line” and “powder keg.” Of course, those make much more sense, but they also take away some of the mysticism of the song.

Sometimes, I still sing it that way.

Jessie

I kept humming it when we got back to the office, and after about an hour or so, I finally remembered the name of the song. You guessed it, The Streets of Laredo. Now that I finally had a name, I looked it up on YouTube. Wow! There are several different versions of the song. And I watched all of them with tears in my eyes.

Then I discovered something that no “Daddy’s girl” should ever have to face. He had part of the lyrics wrong. Apparently, he didn’t remember all of them and just filled in with other parts of the song that fit. So, I sat at my desk, making the strange sound that’s somewhere between a laugh and a choked cry and decided to keep singing it the way Dad did.

Now, here’s the freaky part. I got home that night and DH had the television tuned to the western channel. You’ll never guess what movie was on. Yep, The Streets of Laredo.

Now, I’m not so much of a believer of messages from the grave, but this coincidence was just a little too much to ignore. The song is basically a cowboy who is dying and who wants to tell his story to a young gunslinger to keep the young gun from the same fate. A “learn from my mistakes” theme, if you will. Dad had several mantras, and one of them was “work smart, not hard.” When he used it, he meant learn from my mistakes, or learn from what I’ve learned and save yourself some time and trouble.

So, what do I think he was telling me?

Get off your butt and finish the damn book.

Yes, Daddy.

Now, on to my picks. The Who is the half-time entertainment, and they have an extensive amount of material to choose from, but I’m giving it my best shot. (My favorite, Mama’s Got a Squeezebox, probably won’t make it.)

Baba O’Riley

Magic Bus

The Kids Are Alright

You Better You Bet

Who Are You

Go Colts!

Jessie

I was an ADHD child. My grandfather has his arms to either side of me to keep me in one place.

I was never a tea party type of girl, which probably explains why the teacup is toppled.

My great grandfather is using a cane. Not long after this photo was taken, he was bed ridden. Less than a year later, he passed away. I inherited the hospital-type bed he had. It’s got a metal frame, and the mattress is a lot higher than most beds.

The screen door at the back of the house was actually to an enclosed porch. My great aunt was a child care provider and this area was a play room of sorts for the kids. This is also where she made pickles. There was always a bucket of cucumber slices soaking in lime next to the door. I love homemade bread & butter pickles.

The garage (left building) housed a 1953 (we think) Chevrolet, brown and tan. The seat fabric was gaberdine, the scratchy stuff. This is probably one of the few times that “she only drove it to the store and church” was true. Although, I do remember that she did drive it to Knoxville once. When my aunt passed away, the car went to a nephew. The tires had completely rotted and had to be replaced before it could be moved out of the garage. 

My great-grandfather was a carmudgeon. Although, you can probably tell that from his expression. He delighted in getting me to do things that would get us both in trouble.

The back yard is completely fenced in.

There was a clothesline that ran down the left side fence, and my great aunt used it regularly.

And, my memory is a little fuzzy on this, but I believe there was a small shed in the back left corner. I’ll have to check on that.

One photograph. Years of memories.

Jessie

eight-page worksheet.

So, after he took her to the doctor, they started searching for the old registration. They were both in the car looking in the glove box, the compartment between the seats, etc., when DH found something. He didn’t know what it was, and neither did Mom. It had a little red button on the top, and Mom told DH to push it. I’m sure she thought it was some sort of air freshener.

It was mace.

She said he got the worst of it, because it was right in front of his face, but she was still coughing when she called. After they scrambled out of the car (another Kodak moment missed), she remembered that her sister bought it for her years ago. Her sister passed away in 2002, and suffered from dementia brought on from Lewy-Body Disease for about 18 months prior to her death. So, I’m thinking the mace must have been in the car for about 10 years. Apparently, it doesn’t lose its effectiveness.

Lesson Learned: Don’t push strange buttons.

Jessie

Age, I’m sure, is playing a big factor in the Colts’ decision to let these two stellar players go, and while I can almost understand the situation with Harrison, the situation with Saturday makes me wonder.  

It’ll be interesting to see how this all shakes out.

Jessie

After the intense craving I had for fast food a few weeks ago, I have to admit that I caved. In fact, I cave once a week, but otherwise I’m eating healthier. I’m working my way to only caving in once every two weeks.

Well, today was my cave day. I went all out at Sonic, including the hot fudge cake sundae.

Now, I want a nap, and I wonder why. With the sugar (from the sundae and the cherry limeade), the chocolate, and the coffee I should be on a rush and a little jittery. In fact, I’m having a hard time just keeping my eyes open.

I think I’ll go splash cold water on my face. See if it helps.

Have a great weekend!
Jessie
On the iPod - Reminiscing, Little River Band