Words I Love / Laugh At / Enjoy

Winkle -- As in, "We'll just winkle that oyster right out of its shell." -- mainly British.

Earbob -- I heard someone from the South refer to their earring as an "earbob" -- great word!

Noggin -- As in, "Get that through your noggin, kiddo."

Frabjous, beamish-- See Lewis Carroll's poem, "Jabberwocky," for more inventive words.

Cobalt -- Interesting fact: the name "Cobalt blue" comes from Middle High German kobolt = an underground goblin (cobalt was thought to be detrimental to silver ores).

Glimmer, shimmer --I like the sounds of these words.

Gnarled -- Ditto.

Flim-flam -- "Don't let the flim-flam man sell you a gold watch..."

Belly button -- Innie or outie?

Dingle -- "The night above the dingle starry" -- from Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas.

Snickerdoodle -- Mmm, nothing like snickerdoodles hot from the oven.

Quicksilver -- Originally referred to mercury, the only metal that's liquid at room temperatures. In the comments section, tell me some of your favorite words, ok?

Murphy Monday

An after-school hug.

The Cathedral

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral."
--Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Along The Way

Pictures from our 26 kilometer training walk this Saturday:

A Friendly Duck

View Of Heidelberg From Philosopher's Way

Reflections In The Neckar River

Heidelberg Old Town Bridge Gate

My Latest Bicycle Sightings

Caught sight of a man with a white curly beard, a la "Father Christmas," out riding his bicycle tonight. He was holding a wooden pipe as he pedaled past me, and took a few leisurely puffs as he rolled down the lane. He looked quite at home sitting on his Fahrrad, smoking that pipe!

A few weeks ago, right in front of our row house, I saw a mom on a bike, teaching her little girl to ride a training bike. Many folks here ride around with their small dog (or dogs) in a basket attached to the bicycle. So, guess what? This girl had a miniature basket on back, with her own dog riding along...





A plastic German Shepherd.

Wish I'd gotten a picture.

Ichabod Crane

For your viewing pleasure, a photo of Ichabod, the Crested Crane. He lived on our mission station in Burundi and followed us around. I just have a few memories of Ichabod. Here he is, paying a royal visit to our sandbox--that's me in the back and Annie Stewart (with curls) up front.

These birds are beautiful, with a golden corn-tassel type of adornment on top of their heads and striking black, white and red facial features. My photo's not in color, but look here for a glimpse of the Crested Crane's full glory.

Up the Mosel

A few photos from a drive up the Mosel River valley several weeks ago:

We ran into a group of American bicyclists who were cruising the river on a barge and taking day trips ashore. They were mostly in their late sixties and seventies, it appeared--all of them fitted out in spandex gear and cycling shoes. Hope I'm as energetic at that age.

For lunch, we followed a Rick Steves suggestion, and ate at Restaurant Haus Lipmann in Beilstein. Wonderful mushroom soup and an even better view of the water!

The grapes were just ripening, and I couldn't resist plucking one or two (or more). Still plenty left for the wineries and the birds.

ps. Click on the top photo, it's got lots of detail--that's the town of Cochem.

I Had To Say Something

In the online catalog of latest titles for Anno Domini -- if you click on the link and scroll down, you'll find my picture book, "The Gift," illustrated by Tommaso d'Incalci. They're selling it this season at the Frankfurt Book Fair!

Pink Martini

I first saw Pink Martini perform in Portland, Oregon -- at one of the downtown arts festivals. This is a song Anna and I sing quite often around home when the mood strikes.

Chickpeas and Ginger

Chickpea salad sounds like a good dish to take to my Thursday morning women's group.

Have you toasted your own spices before? After watching the video, I can't wait to toast some cumin seeds and mix up the salad. The various colors (red pepper, purple onion, cilantro, etc) definitely add to the overall appeal.

Not Too Picky

I thought I'd tell you an old story about Murphy.

A few years ago, Anna was in our bathroom flossing her teeth. The floss stuck in a tight spot, and Anna tugged hard, only to feel her entire filling give way. It popped out of her mouth and onto the bathroom floor.

Before Anna could react, Murphy dashed in and grabbed her filling off the floor. Then he swallowed it.

It all took place too fast for me to process. When Anna told me what'd happened, I could only say "Yuck. Disgusting."

Our dog is not a picky eater. I hate to think what would happen with an entire set of dentures.