Etymology

Etymology is super fascinating to me. Partly because it's awesome but mostly because I am a huge nerd. Today, for some strange reason, I was pondering the origins of "Olly Olly Oxen Free." (Because it's something I say frequently, obviously :o))

It appears that origins are muddled. Some say that "oxen" is actually a childish corruption of "all in" and that the phrase is actually "Everybody all in free." Indicating that it is okay for the hide-and-seek game participants to abandon their hiding places without losing the game. Some say that the call is really "Olly Olly, all in free" and the "olly" is merely a loud call to make sure all players are aware that the round is over. Other opinions are that Olly, olly oxen free is really "All ye, all ye outs are free" or "Alle alle auch sind frei" which translates to "Everyone, everyone is also free".

I think I will stick to olly, olly oxen free because really it's the only chance I ever get to say oxen.

Kick the bucket is also interesting. It is said to make reference to a hanging; where the bucket is kicked out from under a person who is then left to die. However it appears that the use of bucket in this sense may have come from the french word "buquet" which means balance. To kick the bucket means to upset the balance or to die.

Anyway, that is your random fact for the day. What is the etymology of your favorite word or phrase?

Sara

The Grammatical Roller Coaster Strikes Again!

Hello all of my fantastic fans (just kidding; I know you're not my fans and rather are required to read my blog by virtue of our friendship). Today's post has been brought to you by the letter Q because I like the word quintessential. Today I crawled from the depths of despair to bring you the Quintessential personal ad from, yes it's true, our dearest friend Craig.

Do not pass, Go to jail! - m4w - 26 (You get what you ask 4.)

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Just don't pass a so called secret around like a a get out of Jail free card! Because I never gave anyaway! Thats why You, do not have happyness, But I do, for you seem to want to be like the rst of em, so you can fuck the rest of em and not me any more, well may once for old times sakes! lets meet up at the bored walk, or the park place, your choice hit me up Latter BOO B00 boo ur Teddy!n MymAd Hatter!!! Midday<><><><>


What the, what the, what the HELL is this man even talking about!? There are 30 mistakes in a paragraph containing less than 100 words. I tried to count how many words there actually were but I wasn't entirely certain on what the word count would be for terms such as "Teddy!n MymAd Hatter". I estimated, so sue me. He spent a lot of time developing his conjunction skills "do not" but forgot the "e" in "rest". He spent time capitalizing "But" (in the middle of a sentence nonetheless) but has ghastly hatred for the "t-h" portion of them. Why Mr. Hatter? Why do you hate "t" and "h"? Together with "e" and "m" they make a family. I simply do not understand you, your logic, or your similes. I hate your unnecessary commas, the angle bracket art that you used to close your post, and most of all how I don't hate you, not even a little bit..
          ....not even at all.
Sorry, I was channeling Julia Stiles for a moment.

Seriously though, why bother with any punctuation or capitalization. Write the whole darn thing in one sentence with no punctuation. I have seen it done before many times and I must say it is much preferable to the grammatical roller coaster I am on after reading this mess.

Well that is is is all for the day,
Until next time

Sara!mkasdfMyamDG Officer

For a family I love.

Last Monday on an evening with a perfect yellow moon, a new person took his first breath. I wasn't there but as the new baby's big brother, auntie, and cousin got out of the car a message came from Grandma that read "IT'S A BOY". At which time we piled back in the car and went to Wal-Mart to purchase some boy clothes.

We went to visit the baby a few hours later. His mom was beautiful and radiant as she always is holding a perfect baby with a shock of dark hair. As I held this nameless miracle in my arms I couldn't help but stare and in the reverent quiet of that hospital room that eight pound baby held the attention of all present.

We don't know who he will be, how he will be, or if he will ultimately look more like his mom or his dad but it doesn't much matter because he has the gift of the best mom life could offer, a big brother who can teach him all the best parts of boyhood, and a whole lot of other people who fell in love with him from the first moment that they knew he would exist. No person could ask for a better beginning to what will be a wonderful life after all his name is Hebrew for "He Will Laugh" and we all know how I feel about laughter.

Congratulations Matt and Erika! Welcome to the world Isaac Alan Grice; I am so excited to see you grow!

The Song I Sung Myself.

Many people think they know my story, many actually do, and some have no idea. I tell it unabashed, unashamed, and unedited. I tell it not because I am a "victim" of domestic abuse but because my story is important to who I am, who I was, and who I will be. I tell it because I hope someday a woman that feels hopeless will hear it and choose to say, "no more, no way, not me."

I married a man thinking my love would change him; that if I gave him everything I was that he could love me too. Not only was I naive, I was stupid. I allowed my fear of being alone (at 18 nonetheless, what a ridiculous notion) get in the way of my judgement.

It didn't take long before an innocent disagreement turned into a reason for him to strike me. His anger, gas lighting, and general disrespect of me quickly changed from something that I didn't understand and wanted to help fix into something so frightening and dangerous that they could make the 9 months I was with him into a lifetime movie.

But I reached into my then 19 year old self and extracted my last seed of self esteem. I called my best friend who has to this day never said I told you so (even though she did, tell me that is). I sat on the bed at her mom's house and told her everything. The next two months I let the seeds of self respect and confidence germinate. We were divorced two days before what would have been our one year wedding anniversary.

I am sad to say I made those vows to a man who hurt me but I am so very thankful that I had the strength to leave him. To tell him that his behavior were unacceptable and that I did not, would not, and could not put up with it.

I heard this song by Mumford and Sons the other day and it made me cry. This was the "argument" I had with myself when I was deciding to leave. The "I" was the voice in me that was trying to break out and the "you" was the unsure person I had become.
I know that this interpretation is probably not what Mumford and Sons intended but it's what it meant to me. The YouTube video of the song and the lyrics are embedded below.

It's empty in the valley of your heart

The sun, it rises slowly as you walk

Away from all the fears

And all the faults you've left behind

The harvest left no food for you to eat

You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see

But I have seen the same

I know the shame in your defeat

But I will hold on hope

And I won't let you choke

On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain

And I will change my ways

I'll know my name as it's called again

Cause I have other things to fill my time

You take what is yours and I'll take mine

Now let me at the truth

Which will refresh my broken mind

So tie me to a post and block my ears

I can see widows and orphans through my tears

I know my call despite my faults

And despite my growing fears

But I will hold on hope

And I won't let you choke

On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain

And I will change my ways

I'll know my name as it's called again

So come out of your cave walking on your hands

And see the world hanging upside down

You can understand dependence

When you know the maker's hand

So make your siren's call

And sing all you want

I will not hear what you have to say

Cause I need freedom now

And I need to know how

To live my life as it's meant to be

And I will hold on hope

And I won't let you choke

On the noose around your neck

And I'll find strength in pain

And I will change my ways

I'll know my name as it's called again

I am a better person; not in spite of what happened but BECAUSE of what happened. I reached into myself and found out that I am worth so much more than this. I found strength that I didn't know I possessed. My lesson was bought with pain and those are the kind that a person cannot forget.

To the women in a situation where a man mistreats, hurts, or abuses you just know that there IS help, you CAN be loved, and YOU have the strength inside to decide how you want to live your life. After all, this important and beautiful life is the only chance we have.

Domestic violence does not discriminate. It happens to women no matter their race, religion, or socio-economic status.

October is domestic violence awareness month. For the love of your neighbors, coworkers, and the lady behind you at the grocery store; be aware.

<3 Sara

Knowing.

Have you ever put on your most comfortable sweater and spent the last few hours of a regular evening doing things that didn't exactly need to be done right away simply for the pleasure of knowing the outcome? Every move you make so absolute, deliberate and comfortable that you can grasp the peace inside when everything else feels like it is never going to be your way. You run the dishwasher even though it isn't full because you know that the dishes will be clean. You put away clothes that have been in the basket for two days because you know the feeling of accomplishment you get when your  closet is organized. You fold until there is a perfect stack of fresh towels. Because no one can do it like you can. You know how to make it just exactly how you want it and it's the only thing in life that you know will be exactly how you like it.

And then, Pandora plays the perfect song and it's okay again. Sure, I wish I was in love with my best friend. I want to find my Gerry or my Wesley. That for once I was someone's exception instead of someone's rule. That I would wake up tomorrow and would have a love at first sight moment with someone at Tesoro. Oddly specific...

But don't make fun because I am about to tell you my greatest fear: I am scared that I will never find who I am looking for. I know "they" say that as soon as you stop looking then it will find you. The lady bug theory like you're in a meadow and you know that there are lady bugs but you cannot find any until you lie down to take a nap and when you wake up you're covered in them.

Knowing the outcome is not an option. Loving the adventure of being washed, folded, and put away...well, I am hoping that is the key to being happy no matter what.


Even still I hope. I believe it exists. In the words of He's Just Not That Into You's Gigi:

Girls are taught a lot of stuff growing up. If a guy punches you he likes you. Never try to trim your own bangs and someday you will meet a wonderful guy and get your very own happy ending. Every movie we see, Every story we're told implores us to wait for it, the third act twist, the unexpected declaration of love, the exception to the rule. But sometimes we're so focused on finding our happy ending we don't learn how to read the signs. How to tell from the ones who want us and the ones who don't, the ones who will stay and the ones who will leave. And maybe a happy ending doesn't include a guy, maybe... it's you, on your own, picking up the pieces and starting over, freeing yourself up for something better in the future. Maybe the happy ending is... just... moving on. Or maybe the happy ending is this, knowing after all the unreturned phone calls, broken-hearts, through the blunders and misread signals, through all the pain and embarrassment you never gave up hope.