I'm Speechless

What I'm reading: Rita entry 3 of 9.

On the drive to the Y this morning, I had a chance to observe one of those rare central Florida occurrences. Frost. On the lawns, on the cars, on the rooftops. We've even turned the switch on the thermostat to "heat", something that doesn't happen every year. I'd rather bundle up or sit by the fire (not that those presto logs give off much heat), so the heat doesn't kick in all that much, but it's set to keep the house above 60 inside during the day, and a tad warmer before bedtime and right before we get up. Although from a purely economic standpoint, I think the electricity we'd use running the heat for a couple of days would be a lot less than the cost of those logs! However, the bigger picture says less electricity use leaves a smaller carbon footprint. And it's nice to drag out some of those warm clothes. Around here, they go out of style long before they're worn out. Good think I don't care much about fashion. Cheaper that way, too.

What does this have to do with the title of today's post? Absolutely nothing. But cold weather is such a rarity that I thought it deserved a paragraph. My 'speechless' doesn't refer to the talk I'm giving Saturday at the Ridge Area Arc Tea, either. When I posed the 'what should I talk about?" question to my Sunday Panera friend, she asked if I'd considered the Frankie and Ryan interviews. I had, and since she said she really loved them, that tipped the scales. I read them out loud (ugh) to time them, and they'll both fit within my suggested timeframe, with time for a bit of an intro and questions.

So what am I speechless about? This blog. I could abso-effing-lutely (that's a demo of one of yesterday's vocabulary words, by the way) not believe that someone is censoring a retirement community library. I've got relatives in assisted living places, and I hope and pray nobody there is doing what that woman did.



Interested in the 'answers' to yesterday's word questions? Click "more" to see them. I'm nice-I already matched the word with the definitions for you.

And yes, "Homicide - Hussey" will be back tomorrow! Please check in.
Keep Reading...

1. pandiculation: An instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning

2. flaneur: One who strolls about aimlessly; a lounger; a loafer.

3. pervicacious: Refusing to change one's ideas, behavior, etc.; stubborn;
obstinate.

4. fungible: (Law) Freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an obligation. Interchangeable.

5. bricolage: Construction or something constructed by using whatever materials happen to be available.

6. fatidic: Of, relating to, or characterized by prophecy; prophetic.

7. diablerie: 1. Sorcery; black magic; witchcraft. 2. Representation of devils or demons in words or pictures. 3. Mischievous conduct; deviltry

8. imprecation: The act of imprecating, or invoking evil upon someone. 2. A curse.

9. louche: Of questionable taste or morality; disreputable or indecent;
dubious; shady.

10. lubricious: Lustful; lewd

11. fugacious: Lasting but a short time; fleeting.

12. quidnunc: One who is curious to know everything that passes; one who
knows or pretends to know all that is going on; a gossip; a busybody.

13. digerati: Persons knowledgeable about computers and technology.

14. sesquipedalian: . Given to or characterized by the use of long words. 2. Long and ponderous; having many syllables.

15. brummagem: Cheap and showy, tawdry; also, spurious, counterfeit.

16. favonian: Pertaining to the west wind; soft; mild; gentle.

17. gallimaufry: A medley; a hodgepodge.

18. rebarbative: Serving or tending to irritate or repel.

19. adumbrate: To give a sketchy or slight representation of; to outline. 2. To foreshadow in a vague way. 3. To suggest, indicate, or disclose partially. 4. To cast a shadow over; to shade; to obscure.

20. tmesis: the interpolation of one or more words between the parts of a compound word

More on Censorship, and Assorted Odds and Ends

Continuing with the Banned Books Week theme, some more quotes on censorship:

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it."
-- Mark Twain

"Adam was but human - this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden. The mistake was in not forbidding the serpent; then he would have eaten the serpent."
-- Mark Twain

"All these people talk so eloquently about getting back to good old-fashioned values. Well, as an old poop I can remember back to when we had those old-fashioned values, and I say let's get back to the good old-fashioned First Amendment of the good old-fashioned Constitution of the United States -- and to hell with the censors! Give me knowledge or give me death!"
-- Kurt Vonnegut, author

"The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book."
-- Walt Whitman

"There is no such thing as a moral book or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all."
-- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

"The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame." Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

"An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all." -- Oscar Wilde

How many of these books have you read?

And, as for what's going on around home:

I've added a new Behind the Scenes entry on my website for When Danger Calls. Sometimes ideas for books aren't so much ideas for books, but rather ideas for things that might happen in books. I tend to think of scenes, or even lines of dialog, and write around them.

For anyone who saw the gorgeous challah my daughter baked (from Tuesday's post), be it known that while she was out, her dog ate the rest of it. Yes, she should have made sure it was out of reach. But she came home and found crumbs everywhere (except in the dog's bed). He left her dessert alone.

After a few days of research, I'm closing in on the end of my current manuscript. I'd hoped to get it done before I leave for Washington on Monday, but since I'm not on deadline, I don't want to sacrifice quality just to get to 'the end.' Although since it's only a first draft, I might see if I can barrel on through. (This is where we give thanks for the hubby who says 'no problem' if I say, 'find your own dinner, I'm writing.)

However, I'm going to 'lose' a whole writing day on Saturday because my RWA chapter is having an all day workshop on characters. As always, I'll try to post my notes, but no promises as to when, since I'll be busy packing. I'm really looking forward to spending the first 4 days of the trip with one of my long-time best friends from jr. high and high school. The kind of friend where distance and time don't seem to make a difference; you pick up as if you'd never been apart.

And, last on today's list:
Want a free e-book? All Romance eBooks will be giving special promotion codes on November 1st. All you have to do is go to their site and register. So, if you've been wanting to try a new author, this is a great chance to do it for free. (And, yes, all my current books and short stories are there -- check my website, find one that interests you, and you can have it for free.)