The Secrets of Sniffing

On the way up to my apartment this evening, a little tan cocker spaniel came barrelling and jingling down the staircase to sniff me all over. There was that minute of suspense when I wondered whether he would like what he smelled or bite my finger off. Fortunately it was the former, and he slobbered

A Stimulus Rhyme

There once were five hundred on Capitol Hill Who tried to agree on a stimulus bill; From No Child Left Behind to the army to WIC, Everyone had a bone to pick.     Making decisions with no outcome model, And the President saying they’d better not dawdle, Each stuck to his theories and crystal

Allowed to Fail

My personal history in school sports is varied and riddled with embarassing moments, from Farm League baseball to high school tennis and everything in between (including ballet, which I have mostly blocked from memory.) So, for a different perspective on the last couple of days’ posts, I thought I’d share examples of the kindness of

Etymology and bats

 I wondered today about the origin of the term, “fired” (a.k.a. laid off). So I looked it up, and according to an online eytmology dictionary , it is a play on the word “discharge” which means both to dismiss from a job and to fire a gun. In my brief search of the Internet, I found a

You Don’t Have to Finish It

My 9th grade English teacher, Mr. Reed, once told us as he handed out the year’s suggested reading list that we shouldn’t feel we had to a finish a book just because we started it. There are too many books in the world to waste your time. Now, that’s a paraphrase; I’m sure he was

Do You?

 What is it that 95% of people say they do, but only 67% actually do?  Hints: – It can be done in the length of time it takes to hum the chorus of your favorite song. – A friend of mine used to warn me about guys who didn’t do it at swing dances.  –

Laughter Yoga

I learned a new word today: gelotology, the study of laughter. I think I’ve found a new career. Several years ago, I ran across a phone listing for a Miss Goodness who lived on Happy Town Road, and I so wanted to be her. I bet she’s a gelotologist.   Laughter is like an apple to