Howdy, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was plastron. Plastron means, according to Merriam-Webster, a metal breastplate formerly worn under the hauberk or a quilted pad worn in fencing to protect the chest, waist, and the side on which the weapon is held the ventral part of the shell of a tortoise or turtle consisting typically of nine symmetrically placed bones overlaid by horny plates. What the heck is a hauberk? (Note to Self: Add that one to the WOW Word doc containing my “candidates” for future WOWs.

This week’s WOW once again sends off my French “alarms.” So, here’s what I think it means:

chinoiserie: (shēn-ˈwäz-rē, –ˈwä-zə-; ˌshēn-ˌwäz-ˈrē, –ˌwä-zə-) 1. a store full of china 2. a store full of Asian items 3. a store full of chin straps

What do you think chinoiserie means? Go here to give me your best guess!

Wednesday’s Post: How’s that Early to Rise thing going for you? 

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Book Club: I’m starting the Early to Rise Experience, aka MaryAnn’s worst nightmare. Want to find out why she’s squirming? Go here.

Howdy, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW was mimesis. Merriam-Webster Online says that mimesis means imitation or mimicry. That makes sense since the word mime is a part of the word!

This week’s WOW is plastron. Here are my guesses for plastron:

plastron (ˈplas-trən) 1. a superhero made of plastic (Can he be in the next Fantastic Four movie? Maybe the Fantastic Five? 2. a plasma electron 3. a protoplasm computer game

What’s your guess for plastron? Go here to submit your guess.

Wednesday’s Post: Double Nickels…

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Book Club: The March 2015 MIP Book Club Selection must mean I’m a masochist. See why.

Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was abecedarian. Merriam-Webster Online says that it means: one learning the rudiments of something (as the alphabet). I am probably an abecedarian about more things than I care to admit. Exhibit A: I’m typing this while on a plane, which means I have to learn the rudiments of gogoinflight. Let’s just say I’ll probably be an abecedarian about that for more than one flight.

This week’s WOW is memesis. This sounds very sciencey to me. What? You don’t think sciencey is a word? I’m using it anyway. Since science wasn’t exactly my strong suit in school, this should be entertaining for Readerland. Here are my very unscientific guesses for mimesis:

mimesis (\mə-ˈmē-səs, mī-)  1. the biological process which occurs when I sing a do-re-mi scale too early in the morning. 2. what happens to MaryAnn when she drinks a mimosa without a straw. 3. when I become my own nemesis

What are your guesses for mimesis? Go here to tell me how wrong I am.

Wednesday’s Post: Word of the Day

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Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was zeitgeber. This word intrigued a bunch of you! Unfortunately, no one successfully guessed the definition. Merriam-Webster says that zeitgeber is: an environmental agent or event (as the occurrence of light or dark) that provides the stimulus setting or resetting a biological clock of an organism. If that is the case, then clearing brush from lots is a zeitgeber for me!

Today’s word is no “shrinking violet.” Why? Because it’s not exactly a short word! And I feel like I should know abecedarian. Let’s see how close I can get to the true definition:

abecedarian: (ā-bē-sē-ˈder-ē-ən) 1. a person who likes to recite the alphabet 2. a person who does math exclusively with an abacus 3. a person who dares others to recite their ABCs in public

What’s your guess for abecedarian? Go here to tell me about it!

Wednesday’s Post: An odd day…

Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was solatium. Merriam-Webster Online says that solatium is:  a compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings. So this means that when I lose my keys for the 49th time, I should get paid??? If so, I think this is a practice which needs more emphasis in our culture!

This week’s WOW is zeitgeber. Since I never took German and this word definitely has that “flavor,” this could get really interesting for my definition guesses:

zeitgeber: (ˈtsīt-ˌgā-bər, ˈzīt-) 1. the acne on Goober’s face (the younger generation just said, “Who’s Goober?”) 2. the person who pops the acne on Goober’s face 3. gawking at acne in Berlin

I warned you it would be interesting. What’s your definition guess for zeitgeber? Go here to tell me all about it!

Wednesday’s Post: Word of the Day!

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Book Club: Did you know that some Jews do not agree with Zionism? I didn’t! If you, like me, didn’t know this, you might want to go here to read more about it.

Compassion Counseling Center: We opened; had a great Ribbon-Cutting and have now completed 4 counseling appointments with more scheduled for this week! It’s a start. Please pray that we will get to the point where we have about 24 appointments each week–that will give our counselors-in-training the hours they need to graduate on time.

Last week’s WOW was anodyne. No one seemed to know this one, but this is how Merriam-Webster defines it as: not likely to offend or upset anyone; serving to alleviate pain; not likely to offend or arouse tensions; or innocuous. My face plant last week was anything but an anodyne!

This week’s WOW is deracinate. Here are my guesses for the definition of deracinate:

deracinate: (dē-ˈra-sə-ˌnāt) 1. to decelerate 2. to remove the rack of an oven 3. to avoid Racine

Book Club: Did you know that a rabbi in Israel who lived in this century said He had a vision of the Messiah? Go here to read the book about this rabbi.

Compassion Update: We have 3 appointments scheduled! Yay! Do you want to schedule a free/reduced-rate counseling appointment? Go here to do that 24/7/365. Our Ribbon-Cutting will be this Wednesday at 4:30 pm at Oakdale United Methodist Church, 2675 Overhill Drive, Stephenville, TX 76401.  Go to this Facebook page to RSVP for this public event. We open this Thursday, January 15th, 2015 at 9 am!

Today is the DD’s 25th birthday! Difficult to believe that she is a quarter-century old, but alas, she is. She will spend most of her day working with kids, which has been a favorite pastime for her since she was 2 years old. Have a wonderful day, Sweetie!

Last week’s WOW was regnant. Both my niece and DD had a pretty good idea about this one! Merriam-Webster Online says that the definition of regnant is: exercising rule or having the chief power or  of common or widespread occurrence. The aforementioned smart chicks felt it had to do with being regal royalty and they were right!

This week’s WOW is anodyne. Here are my ridiculous attempts at this one:

anodyne (ˈa-nə-ˌdīn): 1. annotating a dynamic sign 2. a sign indicating “No Dining” (which means I’d never see the sign, because I believe in dining everywhere) 3. the diode of anode

What’s your definition for anodyne? Go here to tell me.

Wednesday’s Post: # 8 and # 7 …

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Book Club: What does an 108 year old rabbi say about the Messiah? Go here to find out.

Compassion Counseling Center Update: We officially start on 1/15/2014! Thanks to a “tribute gift” of $ 1000, Compassion begins counseling in 16 days! A tribute gift is a donation made in honor of, or in memory of, someone special to the donor. Go here to see the beginning of the Tribute Gift Page and go here to honor or memorialize someone special to you! Since Compassion is a 501(c)(3) charity, all donations are tax-deductible.

Also, Compassion will have a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 4:30 pm at Oakdale United Methodist Church, 2675 Overhill Drive, Stephenville, TX 76401. YOU are invited! We will have refreshments and tours for all those attending. If you would like to attend, please go here to let me know. Yes, family and friends are welcome! I just need a “head count” for the sake of ensuring enough refreshments for everyone attending.

Book Club: This Friday’s post will be the Slow Reader Friday discussion of Christine Caine’s Unstoppable. This book is quickly becoming one of my favorites!

Compassion Counseling Center: We have $ 760 to raise by 1/15/15. If you would like to help people in our area get much-needed counseling, please go to the link to the right and donate. Memorial/Tribute gifts can be given in honor of a special person in your life and organizations can become a Compassion partner for a contribution of at least $ 500. Our partners and our Tribute honorees will be published on our web site. Compassion is now a 501(c)(3) public charity and U.S. donations to Compassion are tax deductible.

The 12 Days of MIP:  Beginning this Wednesday I will start revealing my favorite blog posts for this year. Do you have favorites? Go here and tell me about why you liked a particular post!

Book Club: Once again, a book comes into my life right when I need it! Have you started reading Unstoppable by Christine Caine? Click here for more details.

Compassion Counseling Center Update: We had our first fundraiser for Compassion this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun. If you wished you could attend, but didn’t, there is still time to participate! Debbie Noel will allow all of us to buy gifts for our family and friends until December 10th (and yes, they can be sent directly to your gift recipient in time for Christmas!) and give her commission and 15% of the sales to Compassion! In addition, she is offering great bargains to all participants. Debbie fought off the flu to make fabulous food and fun for all who attended. Please at least visit here to see the products she offers. Thanks!

Fast Five: I will be posting about the final short book of the Bible–Jude. (Why does a Beatles song always “play” in my head when I see that name???)

Howdy, Word Lovers! One of the counselors-in-training for Compassion Counseling Center said she looked up malversation last week and that I was really close on my 3rd definition guess. Here’s Merriam-Webster’s definition: misbehavior and especially corruption in an office, trust, or commission or corrupt administration. Since my 3rd guess was “a discussion between Congress and President Obama,” I’m putting this in my “win” column on Word of the Week.

This week’s WOW (Word of the Week) is refulgence. Here are my guesses for refulgence:

refulgence (ri-ˈfu̇l-jən(t)s) 1. the gastric response to too many refills 2. reefer indulgence 3. the lovely smell that remains on your hands when you overfill your car gas tank at the gas station

What’s your guess for refulgence? Go here to submit your guess.

Wednesday’s Post: Hey, Jude…

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