~q. shenaynay
We are big fans of George Washington here at the Beehive, and rather fond of Ogden Nash, too. And since my dear daddy shares his birthday with Washington (February 22), and since Nash is just about his favorite poet, it seems only fitting to post the following right this minute, before the clock tolls midnight.
As with so many of Nash's fantastically quirky poems, we find it helps to read this one with the voices of Rocky and Bulwinkle firmly fixed in your head. You could even let them alternate stanzas just to be fair about it and all.
Washington's Birthday Eve
George Washington was a gentleman,
A soldier and a scholar;
He crossed the Delaware with a boat,
The Potomac, with a dollar.
The British faced him full of joy,
And departed full of sorrow;
George Washington was a gentleman.
His birthday is tomorrow.
When approached by fellow patriots,
And asked for his opinion,
He spoke in accents clear and bold,
And, probably, Virginian.
His winter home at Valley Froge
Was underheated, rather.
He possessed a sturdy Roman nose,
And became his country's father.
His army was a hungry horde,
Ill-armed, worse-clad Colonials;
He was our leading President,
And discouraged ceremonials.
His portrait on our postage stamps,
It does him less than justice;
He was much respected by his wife,
The former Mrs. Custis.
He routed George's scarlet coats;
(Though oft by Congress hindered)
When they fortified the leeward side,
He slashed them from the windward.
He built and launched our Ship of State,
He brought it safe to harbor;
He wore no beard upon his chin,
Thanks to his faithful barber.
George Washington was a gentleman,
His birthday is tomorrow.
He filled his country's friends with joy,
His country's foes, with sorrow.
And so my dears, his grateful land
In robes of glory clad him.
George Washington was a gentleman.
I'm glad his parents had him.
~Ogden Nash
February 21, 2007
February 20, 2007
yeah, she's pretty cute.
~q.shenaynay
Everybody say YAY! Beatrice's braces are HISTORY!
She has cheekbones. And she has a dimple we didn't know about, too! She is smiling nonstop. Beatrice is very, very happy.
We'll try to get her to come down from cloud nine tomorrow just long enough to get a photo to post.
Everybody say YAY! Beatrice's braces are HISTORY!
She has cheekbones. And she has a dimple we didn't know about, too! She is smiling nonstop. Beatrice is very, very happy.
We'll try to get her to come down from cloud nine tomorrow just long enough to get a photo to post.
party down!
....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!
The Beehive is two years old this week!
Cake & ice cream & punch & balloon poodles for everyone who sends us a present.
Okay, okay. A comment will do.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!
The Beehive is two years old this week!
Cake & ice cream & punch & balloon poodles for everyone who sends us a present.
Okay, okay. A comment will do.
February 19, 2007
Title
fa-so-la-la
I'm just finishing up my college application essay, in which I am to explain to the Admissions folks how fabulous I am. Now I'm working on what to call it. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at giving titles to things (hence the inauspicious one atop this post), so I wanted to ask all you Insightful and Circumspect types for your opinions. Here's my list of suggestions-- tell me which one you think most apt to get me accepted.
Thank you!
YOU ASKED FOR IT.
All I'm Askin' Is For A Little Respect
I've Been Writing This Stupid Thing For A Week and Meanwhile Anna Nicole Died and Britney Shaved Her Head
An Essay, Wherein I Brag. But Only because You Require it.
And I Won't Litter Your Campus, Either
Look At Me. I'm Hot.
An Essay, By Caitlin. Caitlin Wrote It.
An Essay, Wherein I Introduce myself Properly and Hope you like me.
I Missed The Grammys To Write This Thing
I Would Have To Say World Peace
Oh, And I Have A Cute Boyfriend
An Essay, Wherein I Confine my Fascinating and Expansive Self to a few Well-Appointed Paragraphs
I'm just finishing up my college application essay, in which I am to explain to the Admissions folks how fabulous I am. Now I'm working on what to call it. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at giving titles to things (hence the inauspicious one atop this post), so I wanted to ask all you Insightful and Circumspect types for your opinions. Here's my list of suggestions-- tell me which one you think most apt to get me accepted.
Thank you!
-----------
YOU ASKED FOR IT.
All I'm Askin' Is For A Little Respect
I've Been Writing This Stupid Thing For A Week and Meanwhile Anna Nicole Died and Britney Shaved Her Head
An Essay, Wherein I Brag. But Only because You Require it.
And I Won't Litter Your Campus, Either
Look At Me. I'm Hot.
An Essay, By Caitlin. Caitlin Wrote It.
An Essay, Wherein I Introduce myself Properly and Hope you like me.
I Missed The Grammys To Write This Thing
I Would Have To Say World Peace
Oh, And I Have A Cute Boyfriend
An Essay, Wherein I Confine my Fascinating and Expansive Self to a few Well-Appointed Paragraphs
February 18, 2007
I heart my thesaurus
fa-so-la-la
Here's what the curmudgeonly and thoroughly wonderful Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, which I recommend heartily to anyone in the thesaurus market, has to offer on the tricksy subject of that v. which--
"There is a widespread ignorance about how to use that as a relative pronoun, and two common that-errors are so severe that teachers, editors, and other high-end readers will make unkind judgments about you if you commit them. The first is to use which when you need that. Writers who do this usually think the two relative pronouns are interchangeable but that which makes you look smarter. They aren't, and it doesn't. For writers, the abstract rule that that introduces restrictive elements and which introduces nonrestrictive elements is probably less helpful than the following simple test: if there needs to be a comma before the relative pronoun, you need a which; otherwise, you need that. Examples: We have a massive SUV that we purchased on credit last month; The massive SUV, which we purchased on credit last month, seats us ten feet above any other driver on the road.
The second error, even more common, is worse. It's using that when you really need who or whom. Examples: She is the girl that he's always dreamed of; Daddy promised the air rifle to the first one of us that cleaned out the hog pen. There's a basic rule: who and whom are the relative pronouns for people; that and which are the relative pronouns for everything else... The truth is that, as of 2004, misusing that for who or whom, whether in writing or speech, functions as a kind of class marker-- it's the grammatical equivalent of wearing NASCAR paraphernalia or liking pro wrestling...
Bonus Factoid and Suggestion: It so happens that you can occupy a bright child for most of a very quiet morning by challenging her to use that five times in a row in a single coherent sentence: He said that that that that that writer used should really have been a which. "
Here's what the curmudgeonly and thoroughly wonderful Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, which I recommend heartily to anyone in the thesaurus market, has to offer on the tricksy subject of that v. which--
"There is a widespread ignorance about how to use that as a relative pronoun, and two common that-errors are so severe that teachers, editors, and other high-end readers will make unkind judgments about you if you commit them. The first is to use which when you need that. Writers who do this usually think the two relative pronouns are interchangeable but that which makes you look smarter. They aren't, and it doesn't. For writers, the abstract rule that that introduces restrictive elements and which introduces nonrestrictive elements is probably less helpful than the following simple test: if there needs to be a comma before the relative pronoun, you need a which; otherwise, you need that. Examples: We have a massive SUV that we purchased on credit last month; The massive SUV, which we purchased on credit last month, seats us ten feet above any other driver on the road.
The second error, even more common, is worse. It's using that when you really need who or whom. Examples: She is the girl that he's always dreamed of; Daddy promised the air rifle to the first one of us that cleaned out the hog pen. There's a basic rule: who and whom are the relative pronouns for people; that and which are the relative pronouns for everything else... The truth is that, as of 2004, misusing that for who or whom, whether in writing or speech, functions as a kind of class marker-- it's the grammatical equivalent of wearing NASCAR paraphernalia or liking pro wrestling...
Bonus Factoid and Suggestion: It so happens that you can occupy a bright child for most of a very quiet morning by challenging her to use that five times in a row in a single coherent sentence: He said that that that that that writer used should really have been a which. "
February 16, 2007
A Sketch in Purple Crayon, with thanks to Harold
----
Oh, I know—you don’t remember it.
That’s because it happened in purple crayon.
No, it’s alright. All our best conversations
Are like that. I’m used to it.
I drew us a nice sofa, and two glasses of tea.
I drew you there beside me, I drew
A beautiful friendship
I wrote down all your words in speech bubbles;
But all I had was this purple crayon,
So I’m afraid it’s a bit discoloured--
No matter. One gets used to purple after a while.
*note: this poem was written a longish while ago, but never posted and more or less forgotten. I just ran across it the other day.
February 15, 2007
Bible Pop Quiz!
~q. shenaynay
Can you guess, without looking it up, which book in the King James Bible contains these words?
snuffdishes
network
curious girdle
Virtual pomegranates to all who get it!
Can you guess, without looking it up, which book in the King James Bible contains these words?
snuffdishes
network
curious girdle
Virtual pomegranates to all who get it!
The Prime Directive in Camelot
- Great Scot
As compared to the wonderful literary and biblical quotes that are brought out by the other participants in the Beehive, I recognize that I bring a more low-brow slant to this place. I must confess to great affection towards the various Star Trek series and movies and to all things Monty Python. As a result, I felt compelled to share the following:
Camelot in Space
Enjoy, enjoy and Live Long and Prosper!
As compared to the wonderful literary and biblical quotes that are brought out by the other participants in the Beehive, I recognize that I bring a more low-brow slant to this place. I must confess to great affection towards the various Star Trek series and movies and to all things Monty Python. As a result, I felt compelled to share the following:
Camelot in Space
Enjoy, enjoy and Live Long and Prosper!
while we're thinking about love...
~q. shenaynay
"...we know that [our friends] should have the best of us, our
deepest thoughts, our highest aspirations, so far as we are able to
give these forth... our best is due in varying degrees to maintain
all those relationships, natural, elected, or casual, which make up
the sweetness and interest of our lives."
~Charlotte Mason, Ourselves
"The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost."
~G.K. Chesterton
...bonnet tip to my friend Teresa who shared these with me...
"...we know that [our friends] should have the best of us, our
deepest thoughts, our highest aspirations, so far as we are able to
give these forth... our best is due in varying degrees to maintain
all those relationships, natural, elected, or casual, which make up
the sweetness and interest of our lives."
~Charlotte Mason, Ourselves
"The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost."
~G.K. Chesterton
...bonnet tip to my friend Teresa who shared these with me...
February 14, 2007
February 13, 2007
GO.
...
and go FAST because it won't be in theatres much longer! You really must see this on the big screen. MUST.
GO. Tonight.
and go FAST because it won't be in theatres much longer! You really must see this on the big screen. MUST.
GO. Tonight.
February 12, 2007
justice
~qs
fa to beatrice: YOU! You ate all the mango!!!
beatrice to fa: You have a boyfriend. Therefore I get to eat all the mango.
fa to beatrice: YOU! You ate all the mango!!!
beatrice to fa: You have a boyfriend. Therefore I get to eat all the mango.
February 9, 2007
It's finally happened.
the slightly smaller of those feet is mine. the other is spuddy buddy's.
yeah. you heard me.
February 4, 2007
are you going to the splendid bowl, sir?
So it's over, and once again, I find myself completely befuddled by the world I live in.
???
update: shenaynay offers virtual m&ms to the first person to cite the quote in fa's post title.
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