Grammar groans, grosbeaks, and a poem
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
As I started to put my thoughts into my Wrambling Words notebook in preparation for writing this version of Wiser’s Wramblings I recalled a word I wanted to include as part of my continuing topic of weird words or those that offer some difficulty in their pronunciation. The word I had used recently, and that came to mind was subtle. No, I’m not describing the word as being subtle, I’m using the word specifically to mention. I love that word as it describes other words and their intended use, as well as it describes some of our behavior. “Subtle” fits into that category of words like “irony” and “sarcasm” as it doesn’t jump right out into your face…or mind…as having been said or meant. Sarcastic or ironic words are subtle. They sneak into your thoughts unintended, often not even recognized.
The main reason I thought to mention the word subtle was the fact that unless you know how to spell it, you cannot spell it correctly. By that I mean that it is impossible to sound out phonetically.
To pronounce it correctly you have to make it sound like it is spelt “suttle” not “sub-tle.” The spelling of the word is as subtle as the word itself.
Proper word pronunciation brought to mind another word incorrigible which was high-lighted in a TV Comedy where the dialogue went something like; “That guy is incorrigible.” The comedic host replied; “Don’t encourage him.” I just tested my, and my wifes memory asking which comedian used that phrase. I will now leave this writing to see if Grandma Google remembers.
I’m back and had no luck finding the exact exchange I recall but there were several other examples using those two words in the same context as I suggested. When I looked up the formal definition, not wanting to put my thoughts and words into play, I came up with; ” a person with tendencies of ‘not being able to be corrected, improved, or reformed’. ” The earliest evidence for the use of “incorrigible” is from before 1340, in the writing of Richard Rolle, hermit and religious author.
I’m sitting in the Sun-Bird room as I typically do in the warmer weather months and the sun came out just a couple of minutes ago. Not wanting me to miss it, my wife who was in the semi-dark kitchen, came out and said, “the sun just came out.” I replied to her; “You bring the sunlight into my life.” I seem to recall a 60’s or 70’s song with that theme.
Speaking of which is a great segue into a pending weekend “Peace-full” presentation upcoming this Sunday at the Grace United Church. Annette (Nettie) White has put forth the dream of bringing many area musicians and performers to present a series of performances surrounding the theme of bringing Peace to the area and the world. Nettie is a pro at putting performances like this together through her affiliation with the Palmer Opera House in Cuba.
The 3:00 PM mixed performance concert will consist of several area musicians and performers presenting at the Grace United Church on North Main Street in Wellsville, NY. The full advertisement poster has been presented through the Wellsville Sun many times so you can find more information by browsing through this media site.
My “Wrambling Ideas” notebook, with thoughts accumulated through the week had only three items listed before sitting down with my cup of coffee thinking about the planned (or not-planned) activities for the day. Within a half hour my list became populated with nine more topics.
As at least one continues to bless us with his company, I will continue to write about one male Grosbeak as long as he is with us. Lately we have one male sub-adult who is beautiful in an ugly way. As he continues to ‘morph’ from fledgling to adult his changes are noticeable to us. Right now, he has “brown shoulders and wings, Black back and tail feathers, and the signs of the red coloring on the chest characteristic of an adult male Grosbeak. We presume he is loading up preparing to head south as he has been on the feeder incessantly. It fills our hearts with the joy and appreciation of “all God’s creatures, big and small.”
Scanning (with my eyes not my electronic device which is busy enough) through my note list trying to figure out which item is best to follow that topic. I guess I’ll go with a Grammar Grin.
Stopping at a local gas selling business establishment the other day to get gas as, it had the best price in the area, I noticed a little sign attached to the gas pump. It read “paraphrasically” (another Wiser-word) “No more prepays as we have had to many drivers just drive off too continue.” The note writer was aware of differing “to, too, two” usage but got mixed up placement wise with the appropriate one, and which one to use where, and had them switched.
In addition to the batch of corn purchased at Bob’s recently, which was great by the way, we also got a few tomatoes. The subject of this subject is to comment on the preparation of this fruit before eating. If I am slicing the tomato for eating, I have found that if you sprinkle a little salt on the tomato, it brings out the sweetness. I had several tomato plants of two different varieties planted. One of those was supposed to produce large tomatoes. It didn’t. Big Boy tomatoes are supposed to be…well, Big. I think the largest tomato, of the few the plant delivered, was about the size of a tennis ball. Admittedly that was on me as I never gave thought to the idea of prepping the soil with some fertilizer, or anything else except water for that matter. Given our dry summer I didn’t even provide enough water for the tomato plants to drink. They got even with me, I guess.
Weather forecast for today and the next few days is calling for rain. We’ve had rain a couple of times lately, but it stops and dries up quickly enough for me to go out and sweep up my, or actually my neighbors, leaves. The rain merely serves to knock the leaves down. I have decided to do the leaves in several smaller batches as they are easier to sweep and handle.
My wife told me this morning that I was “a pain in the…” and then hesitated before choosing “neck” out of the two common choices available. I suspect she would rather have spoken the other and maybe under her breath she did.
I got a late start to my writing this morning as I was “blessed” with one of the more uncomfortable symptoms of this “Occipital Neuralgia”, that being vertigo. I’m quite used to the effects of that affliction as it had been a nighttime visitor for years before I discovered that Meclizine, which is often used by travelers who are prone to “car sickness.” It helps if you remember to take it.
Members of both sexes will understand this next topic. Guys, if you are typical, you leave the seat up at the repository where you “relieve” yourself. Ladies, you are a victim if you happen to visit the same facility without being totally aware of your surroundings and/or look around before parking. I know when I have succumbed to that household violation right away no matter how far in the house I am away from that room. The colorful stream of loudly vocal proclaimed displeasure can probably reach the heights of the atmosphere, if not higher. At those times my name is prefaced by many other expletives.
As I sit here in my writing chair I glanced down at my little bowl of candy. I think my nightly munching on the sweets is a replacement of the sugar in my system by the beer I used to drink turning into sugar alcohol. I guess, despite the alcohol component it is a throw back to the days of watching my grandfather reading his paper and occasionally reaching over to take a lemon drop hard candy out of the bowl benext to him. We “dasn’t” touch his lemon drop candy. Good thing my grandmother always had a plentiful supply of cake nearby. The cake always had a sugar glaze on it, and I don’t recall there ever being any other type of frosting.
I’m going to end with a topic that has been experienced and expressed to many unwitting people for my entire life. This phenomenon, experienced only by this family is called “The Wiser Jinx.” What is the Wiser Jinx you might ask. It is a powerful, overriding curse that causes no physical harm and is only experienced mentally and emotionally. It manifests itself in many places, but its primary focus is on the stores we frequent and the TV Programming we wanted to watch. It’s only impact on others is when they try to do something basic, or that they had “always done” and it doesn’t work. In our lives it appears as; A TV program that we like, being canceled or taken off the air. Another example is finding a product that we really like, and it is then discontinued and no longer available. I can give dozens of examples of those two. Where other people get involved is in their trying to do something involving us and it doesn’t work. As soon as they say, “That’s never happened before” or “That has always worked”, or “I could always do that,” we advise that they are victims of the Wiser Jinx.
I recall one experience well. I was in the hospital for an outpatient procedure where the nurse had to draw blood. After several attempts and failing to successfully hit the vein she gave up and asked another nurse to perform the task. The 2nd nurse was successful and exclaimed to me, showing her surprise, when Nurse X couldn’t do it, that “she is the one that trains all of the others on how to do that.” The Wiser Jinx.
I leave you now with a picture of this week’s Grosbeak shown above on the feeder and with a poem written for a predecessor which was in a similar situation.
I’m Now All Alone
I sit alone here, where are the rest?
I woke one morn in empty nest.
Though slumbered late I thought it best,
But sit alone here, where are the rest?
The flock that migrates to this place,
No longer see my smiling face.
I must have been lost in the race.
By flocks that sadly leave this place
I sit alone here on this day.
I know not how to find my way.
My fate will likely make me stay.
I sit alone here on this day.
I came to be upon this land.
I chose not why on here I stand
But be that what may, on here I stand.
I’m proud to be upon this land
