It’s December, the last month of the year. Getting through another tough year might involve celebrating and celebrating might also involve some appropriate words.
nimiety: excess, overabundance
galimatias: confused or unintelligible talk
pharaonic: impressively or overwhelmingly large, luxurious, etc.
foozle: to bungle; play clumsily
effulgent: shining forth brilliantly; radiant
specious: apparently good or right though lacking real merit; superficially pleasing or plausible
brummagem: showy but inferior and worthless
encomium: a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly
terpsichorean: pertaining to dancing
shivoo: a boisterous party or celebration
So, celebrate this last month of a challenging year, and let’s hope the new year brings new hope and healing.
For those who follow my postings, you know I appreciate cows. Today is their day. Yup, July 13 is National Cow Appreciation Day.
She enjoyed her flowers thoroughly
To celebrate the cow here are a few facts:
DID YOU KNOW?
There are around 200,000 glasses of milk in a cow? That’s a lifetime estimate.
A mature cow weighs about 1,400 lbs, and stands about 5 feet tall.
A calf can walk within one hour of being born.
A Holstein cow’s spots are unique. No two cows have the same pattern.
Cows don’t sweat. They need to live in cool weather.
By hand you can milk about six cows in an hour or you can milk sixty cows with one person and fourteen machines.
Cows get really thirsty during the day. They drink close to thirty gallons worth of water, which is about a bathtub’s worth.
Cows can eat a lot as well. On a typical day a single cow can eat nine pounds of hay and thirty-five pounds of mixed grasses and grains. They also consume over twenty pounds of mixed grains, salt, vitamins, and minerals throughout the day. No wonder they need so much water!
Cows are boney. There are two hundred and seven bones in one cow. Humans have about the same amount of bones. Hmmm…
Cowabungee they are amazing animals!
Bonus! Here are some cow jokes:
What’s green and black and white all over?
A field with cows.
What did Old MacDonald say when the cow stepped on his foot?
“Ee-ii-ee-ii-ouch.”
What did Old MacDonald say when the cows began to stampede?
“Aaugh, I’m having a herd attack!”
What did he say after the stampede?
“Cows should be seen and not herd.”
* How did the farmer divide up his herd of cows?
He decided between the calves and the calve-nots.
* What did the farmer say to the old cow?
“It’s time you retired. You’re pasture your prime.”
So today when you reach for that glass of milk or spoon up your yogurt or nibble a cheese slice or revel into your ice cream confectionery, salute the cow. The world would not be the same without this udderly marvelous animal.
When the Julius Caesar unit rolls around in sophomore English I ask what students know about the famous (or infamous) Roman. Their lack of knowledge is deplorable. Most think answering “salad creator” is going to win them points. It doesn’t. They are surprised, and some students think I’m joking when I trot out the fact the month of July is named or rather renamed for Julius Caesar.
ThisNot this
Originally July was known as Quintilis, which was Caesar’s birth month. Quintilis means “fifth month” in Latin and in the Roman calendar that is where this month found.
Caesar was a man of action. Gaul is one example. When he wasn’t conquering countries and people he set about improving Roman life. The calendar is an example. It did need attention. The early Roman calendar had a glitch. Once every two years a month lasting 27 or 28 days would be added after February 23 to help even out accrued time. Caesar straightened this out and today’s calendar is pretty much the one he formalized 2000 years ago.
Whether July was renamed as a tribute to his leadership or as a nod to inventing the calendar requires further Googling.
Happy July. Stay cool. Watch out for stray sparkler flickers. Hydrate and wear sunscreen.
Today marks my 💯 milestone! Usually I read about 100 books for the year, but 2020 has influenced my reading habits immensely. Staying at home means I am either working in the yard, writing on the computer, or reading in my hammock. Guess which one garnered most of my dedication?
And the 💯th book is….
No surprise, eh?
Yes, without intentionally doing so, my 💯th book for this year is a book by a Reader writing about reading specifically “The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life.”
Even though school starts for me on Monday, I shall continue reading. I have four more months until the end of the year. Hmm, how many more books can I squeeze in by the Goodreads tally deadline?
What are your guesses?
25?
37?
52?
State a guess in the comments below and we will see what happens by December!
