MOTHERS' DAY MUSINGS

Happy Mothers' Day!  I was lucky growing up.  Three marvelous ladies gave me maternal love.

My Mother, Doris.

My Grandmother Alice.

My Aunt Marjorie.

I think about them all the time.

If you live in the DC area, today and next Sunday you can join in the resurrected "Round the World Embassy Tours."

Thirty Countries will open their embassy doors to visitors.

Seven of them are labeled "must see's" by The Washington Post - Iraq, Eritrea, Thailand, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Mexico and The Czech Republic.

That reminds me of years ago when I took the tour.  As part of the tour, we got to meet some American hostesses.  I shook hands with many of them, including one whose name tag read "Mrs. T. Marshall."

As a fan of Associate Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, I asked if she was his wife. She said, "Yes."  I became flustered and said, "I really like him."  Mrs. Marshall said, "So do I."

(Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American to sit on the Court and served from 1967 to 1991. One of his many quotes about his job was, "You do what you think is right and let the law catch up.")

Puzzle Fun

Francine S. sent me some Evan Birnholtz crosswords to solve. One was amazing.  Only the Down clues were given. The solver needed to discover the Across clues answers from the missing Across clues.  Sound like a tough task?

Thankfully the Down clues were, on the whole, not very tough, but it did require some mental gymnastics to finish the puzzle.  Clever puzzle construction as usual from Evan. IMHO

Funny Words?

Lossless - no detail has been lost in the data compression process (Geek Speak?)

Smize - smile with your eyes (coined by supermodel Tyra Banks whose facial expression must remain fixed when modeling.  She learned to smile with her eyes so that her facial expressions would not change.)

Degringolade - no it's not a Norte Americano Senorita... it means - a downfall or a rapid decline or deterioration (as in strength, position or condition.

Would anyone use that word in conversation?

Sockdolager - no, it's not a place to store a glass of beer ... it means - a forceful blow or an exceptional person or thing. 

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