Sending a Myriad of Good Wishes Your Way!

I take this opportunity of thanking my readers for helping me get to the 10,000 mark for total blog views!  Thanks much!!!

Did you know the English language has a name for 10,000?  "Myriad."  Now you know when someone says that they have "a myriad of activities that day", that, in fact, they have 10,000 things to do. 
A mathematician wishing to add to a dinner conversation might mention that "A myriagon is a polygon with 10,000 sides."  Noting the amazement on the glazed over faces of the other guests, the professor of Ancient Languages sitting two seats over would hastily add, "10,000 is represented by  'M' in Greek, and the letter is called 'Murious' which the Romans later converted to 'Myriad.'"  To which the high school kid stuck in between them would roll his eyes while groaning audibly.  
©2012  Jana B Patrick

Dave the Elephant

I painted a Safari scene in my two year old grandson Stephen's room complete with Mt. Kilimanjaro and an assorted menagerie of animals that were un-named as far as any of us knew.

Stephen is one of those perennially happy toddlers that usually gets up from his nap bursting through the door with a brilliant dimpled smile.  Not so one recent day.  Frowning with righteous indignation, he thrust the door open and stated, "Dave the Elephant was LOOKING AT ME!!!"
©10/2012  Jana B. Patrick,  janasrandomwriting.blogspot.com

I think Dave needs sunglasses

In the Eyes of the Beholder

I painted a Sonoran desert mural in my 3 1/2 year old grandson John's room.  He wanted to 'help.'  I outlined a small lizard on a painted rock above his bed and gave him the red paint he requested.  He started out very carefully painting the curling tail then took a big blob of crimson and scribbled the paint brush all over the rest of it.  I quickly said I was pretty sure his mom had lunch ready and he happily trounced out of the room.  I scrubbed off the mess and cursed the fact that the pencil outline also came off.  Rapidly redrawing, I soon had a nicely painted red lizard.
John came up after lunch and looked at the lizard and just beamed at 'his' handiwork and proudly showed it off to his mom. "Look what I painted!"  The scrubbed aura of reddish patina surrounding the lizard adds to it's charm.
Every night artist John kisses it goodnight.
©7/2012  Jana B Patrick

Tune in, Turn on, Drop Out

I haven't watched TV on my own in over 20 years.  I can't.  I don't know how to turn it on.  Even if I did, I couldn't navigate the remote.  'Surf the channels?'  I would drown.

Even if I COULD turn it on, I don't think I would like the content--I would miss the old shows.  A modern 'Leave it to Beaver' would have a whole different meaning...  'The Lone Ranger' today would be about a psychopathic serial killer.  'Father Knows Best': What kid now would seriously EVER watch that? They'd think, "Dad knows sh!t"  or "who IS Dad?"

I'll stick with the hockey and baseball games when my family tunes in.  The only changes there are that the players look younger and younger each year...  
Yippee that the Minnesota Wild just signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter--I'll be watching!
©7/2012  Jana B Patrick

Twas the Night Before the American Revolution

Okay, I wrote this in college.  Must have been during a very boring lecture on Calculus or something.

Twas the night before the Revolution and all thru the town

Colonists were stirring against the British crown.

The Declaration was written and all signed with care

In hopes King George‘s army wouldn't have a prayer.

The Patriots were hunkered, all smug in their cause

With visions of freedom writ in each clause.

Soon out in the colonies there arose such a clatter

The Redcoats shocked to find out what was the matter.

Away to the war Patriots flew like a flash

To tear up the battle field, an enemy to smash.

When what to their wondering eyes should appear

But a Minuteman regiment; thirteen colonies cheered.

More rapid than eagles the horse and riders they came.

And now to recall the instigators by name:

Now Hancock, Adams, Ben Franklin and Lee

Now Wilson, Witherspoon, Ross and Ellery

On Taylor, Clymer, Morris and Morton

On Rush, Smith, Harrison, Rodney and Thorton

Now Gwinnet, Hooper, Wilton and more;

56 signers began a treasonous war!

On the Fourth of July, in Independence Hall

They Signed it, signed it, signed it all!

(P.S.  I dropped out of Calculus...)

©7/4/2012  Jana B Patrick