Miscellany

OK, it looks like the Annie/Frizzy story has been abandoned. You want to make any more comments, or shall I finish it off? But thanks for the great participation in the Tales of Blogland site. Has anyone but me used Google Earth to find Barueri, Brazil? There's lots of swimming pools although it is set in the foothills outside Sao Paulo. Ni-i-i-i-ice.
Today I officiated at a funeral: the mother of one of my friends from college days. We had to drive south for two and a half hours to get there. Weather was clear and dry, but breezy and cold. She was a generous, kind-hearted woman, and the little chapel was standing room only. She had told her kids, "Don't worry. I am at peace." After the service, my friend told me her mom would have loved the eulogy. It gave everyone a chance to laugh and to cry, to feel powerless and to feel confident. But I am not so good at speaking at funerals. I tend to weep when I think about the mercies of God.
Weekend words Q
"What happened to P?" you might ask. Forget P, I want to talk about Q. Oh all right, then, have it your way. Let's just get it over with. The P-word is panoply. When I wrote an email to my Sunday school class describing our splendid Christmas party, I mentioned the panoply of delicious vegetables and salads. A member of the class replied to all, "From Merriam Webster Online Dictionary: Panoply- a magnificent or impressive array." I couldn't have said it better myself. Now on to Q! Here's a word you may never use, but then again, it can be the right word when all else fails. The word is QUIDDITY. Isn't that wonderful to say? It means "thatness." The dictionary would say something like "the quality that makes something what it is." So what's the quiddity of your latest project? What's your quiddity, for that matter? "Really, sir, this job has many rewarding aspects, but I just cannot continue to deal with the quiddity of it."