Words, words...and memories
We do words, play with words, compare words, and craft words. We were a very verbal family, and we liked puns, parodies, songs, poems, quotes, and multisyllables.
We siblings wanted to do something fun for our folks, and it's probably no great surprise that my sister Carolyn came up with an idea which centered on words, a Wordle. This, if you have never had the pleasure, is a construct of words as a "cloud" which can originate as an existing text--in which case the algorythm pumps up the size and placement of those words which occur most often, or you can set up your own input. She asked us to send in those words and phrases which evoked memories and associations for us growing up, and she would create a--drum roll, please!--Unique Wordle to present as a keepsake. We understood that not every suggestion would make it, due to the limitations of space, and anything we wanted together had to run without spaces, as all one word, though we could capitalize where we wished, as long as we did not break with a space.
Some of the things that made it were, Kissinginthekitchen (see here) HonktheHorn (see Alison here), Kringle (our traditional Christmas breakfast, ordered from real Danes in Wisconsin), StonesInYourStomach (offered here, but I actually wasn't the one who sent that in!), Stollen (German sweet Christmas bread which Mom makes every year) and ArmadillosLoveMarshmallows. The names of the two wards they lived in without moving anywhere, places we went, and mishaps we survived (BrokenDowninMooseMountain) (Saschatchewan, where we were stranded for five days and lost the time we would have had in far more beautiful places.) Snicklefritz ! (No idea if anyone besides my mother says that.) PileatedWoodpeckers (three feet tall, no lie, and we had them in the back yard often--and they were LOUD). Does anyone else remember bubble lights?
A lot of these revolve around Christmas, as I look at them. Food, activities, traditions. What does that say about the memories that come forth? Be sure and make some happy ones of your own.
One of the things that I sent in, that drew a blank with a sibling, was "Life is real, life is earnest." That's what my mother would say if we were whining that I'mtootired/it'snotfair/whydoIhavetodoit/thisisnofun. Tsk, "Too bad, chum-- life is real, life is earnest, and you still have to (do your chores, wait your turn, cover your responsibilities). Her version of 'Tough luck, kiddo.' I was way older when I found that this was from Wordsworth, and was a statement of hope: "Life is real, life is earnest, and the grave is not its goal. Dust thou art, to dust returneth, was not spoken of the soul." I had figured it was a quote from somewhere, though.
Oh, those armadillos? The worst place we ever stayed at in our camping travels, in terms of the condition of the facilities, was also one of the unique experiences. It was on a Seminole Indian reservation, and after dark we had built a campfire in the firepit. We were roasting marshmallows, sitting around and debating as always how they were best done--burning, carefully rotated to an even crispy doneness, lightly browned, etc.--when we realized that we were not alone. There were armadillos, plural, coming closer. One of us tossed over a marshmallow and it was eaten, followed by more, and a few more. I think there were three animals or more, but I'm not sure. We had a riot with the process, trying not to startle them or laugh out loud and scare them away. It was an enchanting surprise.
We siblings wanted to do something fun for our folks, and it's probably no great surprise that my sister Carolyn came up with an idea which centered on words, a Wordle. This, if you have never had the pleasure, is a construct of words as a "cloud" which can originate as an existing text--in which case the algorythm pumps up the size and placement of those words which occur most often, or you can set up your own input. She asked us to send in those words and phrases which evoked memories and associations for us growing up, and she would create a--drum roll, please!--Unique Wordle to present as a keepsake. We understood that not every suggestion would make it, due to the limitations of space, and anything we wanted together had to run without spaces, as all one word, though we could capitalize where we wished, as long as we did not break with a space.
Some of the things that made it were, Kissinginthekitchen (see here) HonktheHorn (see Alison here), Kringle (our traditional Christmas breakfast, ordered from real Danes in Wisconsin), StonesInYourStomach (offered here, but I actually wasn't the one who sent that in!), Stollen (German sweet Christmas bread which Mom makes every year) and ArmadillosLoveMarshmallows. The names of the two wards they lived in without moving anywhere, places we went, and mishaps we survived (BrokenDowninMooseMountain) (Saschatchewan, where we were stranded for five days and lost the time we would have had in far more beautiful places.) Snicklefritz ! (No idea if anyone besides my mother says that.) PileatedWoodpeckers (three feet tall, no lie, and we had them in the back yard often--and they were LOUD). Does anyone else remember bubble lights?
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| Deciphering their Wordle (Bryan's photo) |
A lot of these revolve around Christmas, as I look at them. Food, activities, traditions. What does that say about the memories that come forth? Be sure and make some happy ones of your own.
One of the things that I sent in, that drew a blank with a sibling, was "Life is real, life is earnest." That's what my mother would say if we were whining that I'mtootired/it'snotfair/whydoIhavetodoit/thisisnofun. Tsk, "Too bad, chum-- life is real, life is earnest, and you still have to (do your chores, wait your turn, cover your responsibilities). Her version of 'Tough luck, kiddo.' I was way older when I found that this was from Wordsworth, and was a statement of hope: "Life is real, life is earnest, and the grave is not its goal. Dust thou art, to dust returneth, was not spoken of the soul." I had figured it was a quote from somewhere, though.
Oh, those armadillos? The worst place we ever stayed at in our camping travels, in terms of the condition of the facilities, was also one of the unique experiences. It was on a Seminole Indian reservation, and after dark we had built a campfire in the firepit. We were roasting marshmallows, sitting around and debating as always how they were best done--burning, carefully rotated to an even crispy doneness, lightly browned, etc.--when we realized that we were not alone. There were armadillos, plural, coming closer. One of us tossed over a marshmallow and it was eaten, followed by more, and a few more. I think there were three animals or more, but I'm not sure. We had a riot with the process, trying not to startle them or laugh out loud and scare them away. It was an enchanting surprise.
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