chock-a-blog

purple prickly pear blossom playground creosote backyard dove nest

baksheesh \bak-SHEESH\, noun: 1. A gratuity, present or tip. 2. A gratuity, tip, or bribe paid to expedite service. verb: 1. To give a tip. That's just a damn cool word. No longer do I over-tip. Now I over-baksheesh.

plucky \PLUHK-ee\, adjective: 1. Having or showing pluck or courage; brave. Origin: Plucky is originally boxing slang from the 1800s, from the meaning "heart, viscera" as that which is "plucked" from slaughtered livestock. Application: The word I use to describe myself in the context of my summer undertaking: the care of children in my own home. Others prefer to describe me as nearsighted, foolhardy, suicidal, overly optimistic... By the end of the summer I may be experiencing the word's origins. But today, with my first day of in-home care for 13 children a whole week away, I'm plucky: courageous, excited, kamikaze.