28 Things to Do in the Meantime

evening sky, July 2014

"Meantime is middle time. It is an intervening or intermediate period. We associate meantime with a pause, a hiatus, an interlude, a recess from strictly specified action." --Elizabeth Harper Neeld, A Sacred Primer

July is meantime month. With all the summer activities, family time, the great outdoors--where does writing fit in? Sometimes it doesn't! But that's okay. For, in the meantime...

So far in our neck of the woods, July's meantime for us has meant the Ft. Thomas, KY, Fourth of July 5K Firecracker Race/Walk. Hubby ran; I walked. He placed 2nd for males in his age group; I placed 3rd for females in mine. But don't give us too much credit--there were only six people in his age group, seven in mine! The highlight of the day was when our six-year old granddaughter, who was helping at the water station, handed cups of refreshing water to, among others, her grandpa and grandma. (btw, Ft. Thomas has lots of history, especially Civil War era. It's also home to the Blue Marble, a darling children's bookstore that has even replicated the great green room of Margaret Wise Brown's classic, Goodnight Moon. Want to experience a delightful youtube reading of the book? You'll find it here.)

July to this point has also meant a family road trip one state over to a quaint little pre-Civil War canal town, Metamora, Indiana. There we experienced a train ride, canal lore, antique stores, and a number of farm animals in the fields of a nearby farm. We also stopped in a used-book store where I found a treasure: Hospital Sketches, An Army Nurse's True Account of her Experiences during the Civil War, by Louisa May Alcott. This particular volume is a 1993 reprint of work originally published in 1863. I have a number of books on my shelf pertaining to the Civil War, but not one like this. I'm looking forward to a great read.

Ahead, July also means birthday celebrations, movie nights, family needs, and simple stop-and-take-stock moments. After all, we're right smack in the middle of the year. Half the days behind us, half ahead.  What goals have we made progress on? What might we re-evaluate? Maybe our writing has by necessity slowed down. Maybe the itch is there but not the time. Maybe...well, maybe we should just say in the meantime.

"In the meantime" (phrase): during the intervening time; until a later time."

What are some things we can do "in the meantime"? Consider the following 28 possibilities:

1. anticipate

2. abbreviate

3. accomodate

4. aerate

How about:

5. allocate

6. annotate

7. appreciate

8. approximate

Maybe:

9. calculate

10. celebrate

11. contemplate

12. cooperate

Don't forget:

13. decorate

14. delegate

15. deliberate

16. demonstrate

We could say more:

17. generate

18. illuminate

19. incubate

20. initiate

And:

21. liberate

22. lubricate

23. marinate

24. meditate

Finally:

25. percolate

26. punctuate

27. recreate

28. resuscitate!

But please don't exaggerate, frustrate, hesitate, infuriate, procrastinate, vacillate, or vegetate!

(see what a good rhyming dictionary can do for you?)

I dabbled in some wordplay in my meantime. What are some things you do in yours?

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Are You a Lexiphile? (Don't Worry, It's a Good Thing)

clipart courtesy pixabay.com

"Whoever says words can't hurt you has never got hit in the face with a dictionary." --author unknown

Did you know that those of us who love words have a name? We are lexiphiles. 

I just learned that the other day.

Lexiphile (noun) : a lover of words; one who is fascinated by words and language...who derives pleasure from various uses of words...who appreciates the nuances surrounding different words; a person who is extremely interested in dictionaries and lexicography. Derived from the Greek roots for "word" and "love."

Doesn't the word have a nice ring to it? Sounds so, well, respectable!

All of this came to me after receiving a forwarded email the other day with the following list. There's no attribute to whoever compiled the list, but it's for sure someone truly loves to play with words to come up with such humorous combinations:

You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish.

To write with a broken pencil is . . pointless.

When fish are in schools, they sometimes . . . take debate.

A thief who stole a calendar . .. . got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles . . . U.C.L.A.

The batteries were given out . . . free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist married. . . . they fought tooth and nail.

With her marriage, she got a new name . . . and a dress.

When you've seen one shopping center . . . you've seen a mall.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was . . . resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? . . . He's all right now.

A bicycle can't stand alone. . . it's two tired.

When a clock is hungry . . . it goes back four seconds.

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine . . . was fully recovered.

He had a photographic memory . . . which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be . . . exposed in the end.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair . . . she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: . . . a jab well done.

A boiled egg is. . . hard to beat.

You get the idea :-)

So, did you know you were a lexiphile (sometimes spelled lexophile)? How does it make you feel? Which of the above is a personal favorite? Any you could add?

Sites of interest on the subject of lexiphile:
Lexophiles--Are You One?
How to Cultivate a Love of Words
More Word Fun

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