One of my favorite scenes from Friends is the one where Joey is trying to apologize to Ross, but he says "I'm sorry" using air quotes. Classic encapsulation of how people can misuse the quotes.
I just saw this offering on the Blogger Dashboard: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. Though it seems to cover only misused quotation marks, it has the feel of Lynn Truss's book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves. You can view - and submit - examples of abused quotation marks, and the blogger's commentary is pretty funny, too.
(In case you're wondering, yes, that 's IS supposed to follow Truss, as Lynn Truss is ONE PERSON. Hence, the singular possessive 's is correct!! You don't just put a lone [plural] apostrophe at the end just because the word ends in s. Read your Strunk & White, people!)
Sorry. My favorite English class in college was Modern English Grammar.
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label English. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Meant To Be
I bought a purse today.
For many women, this is not a momentous occasion. But the last time I bought a purse was 4 years ago. I just don't buy purses; I have enough already: formal black, casual black, and brown. No special matching purses - too much effort to switch everything from one purse to another just to match my outfit du jour.
I don't buy makeup either, except to replace something that ran out. I think I'm still on the same bottle of nail polish that I bought in college. The last time I bought jewelry, it was only because I had a gift card to a store I never visit; I never find anything I like at this particular store, but I needed to use the gift card. Jewelry was the only thing I found that I liked. (Wouldn't have bought it without the gift card, though.)
It's not because I'm not a "girly-girl" or because I'm not feminine; it's more a matter of laziness and other things I'd rather do than figure out which shade of eyeshadow looks best on me. I'd rather read a book or organize something (or better yet, use the money to buy an orange freeze from Steak N Shake). I'll buy (reasonably priced) shoes or clothes like any normal female - just not a LOT of them, and not at department stores.
But I was at the Mall of Georgia this week to meet some friends, and we went around to the department stores looking for a blouse for one of the friends. We wandered into the handbag section, and there it was: the handbag that called out my name. I picked it up. Tried it on over the shoulder. Peeked inside at the paper stuffing. Knew that the bag and I were MFEO.* Agonized over buying the bag, as its price was more than I was willing to spend. Nothing like a Dooney & Bourke bag, mind you - which I had never heard of until this trip to the mall; holy cow, who spends that much on a picking BAG?? - but still, the price was more than something you'd find at, say, Wal-Mart or Target, my usual shopping haunts.
Eventually, the fact that the bag was not miraculously on sale combined with the knowledge that John would Probably Kill Me if I bought this purse since I'd already taken advantage of the 88 cent sale at JC Penney, I Walked Away from the bag. I spent the rest of the day thinking about the bag. I told John, with mingled pride and regret, the story of The Bag. I thought about the bag the rest of the week.
On Friday, John said, Why don't you buy the bag.
Today, we bought the bag.
And I have to say, I love my new bag. It is not my usual shade of monochromatic. It is pretty and Shabby Chic-ish and matches almost everything I wear.
This episode reminded me of a small exhibit of handbags in the museum at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. On display were artists' ideas of what type of handbag Shakespeare's female characters would have owned, based on the character's personality and behavior. Viola, Hermia, Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Hero, Juliet, and so on - each had a handbag on display. An interesting idea for an art exhibit. It was difficult to get a quality photo since they were under glass, but I did get a picture of Juliet's bag (since Romeo & Juliet was next on the lesson plans at the time).
I don't know if my bag "matches" me, but I do like it. A LOT. And the best part, a hidden perk I didn't discover until I got home: a paperback book can fit in there, along with my big wallet! I guess it really is my kind of bag.
Darra really didn't care much about the new purse. She just wanted to sleep.
*If you don't know what this means, your cultural knowledge is sadly lacking. Go watch Sleepless in Seattle already!!
For many women, this is not a momentous occasion. But the last time I bought a purse was 4 years ago. I just don't buy purses; I have enough already: formal black, casual black, and brown. No special matching purses - too much effort to switch everything from one purse to another just to match my outfit du jour.
I don't buy makeup either, except to replace something that ran out. I think I'm still on the same bottle of nail polish that I bought in college. The last time I bought jewelry, it was only because I had a gift card to a store I never visit; I never find anything I like at this particular store, but I needed to use the gift card. Jewelry was the only thing I found that I liked. (Wouldn't have bought it without the gift card, though.)
It's not because I'm not a "girly-girl" or because I'm not feminine; it's more a matter of laziness and other things I'd rather do than figure out which shade of eyeshadow looks best on me. I'd rather read a book or organize something (or better yet, use the money to buy an orange freeze from Steak N Shake). I'll buy (reasonably priced) shoes or clothes like any normal female - just not a LOT of them, and not at department stores.
But I was at the Mall of Georgia this week to meet some friends, and we went around to the department stores looking for a blouse for one of the friends. We wandered into the handbag section, and there it was: the handbag that called out my name. I picked it up. Tried it on over the shoulder. Peeked inside at the paper stuffing. Knew that the bag and I were MFEO.* Agonized over buying the bag, as its price was more than I was willing to spend. Nothing like a Dooney & Bourke bag, mind you - which I had never heard of until this trip to the mall; holy cow, who spends that much on a picking BAG?? - but still, the price was more than something you'd find at, say, Wal-Mart or Target, my usual shopping haunts.
Eventually, the fact that the bag was not miraculously on sale combined with the knowledge that John would Probably Kill Me if I bought this purse since I'd already taken advantage of the 88 cent sale at JC Penney, I Walked Away from the bag. I spent the rest of the day thinking about the bag. I told John, with mingled pride and regret, the story of The Bag. I thought about the bag the rest of the week.
On Friday, John said, Why don't you buy the bag.
Today, we bought the bag.
And I have to say, I love my new bag. It is not my usual shade of monochromatic. It is pretty and Shabby Chic-ish and matches almost everything I wear.
This episode reminded me of a small exhibit of handbags in the museum at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. On display were artists' ideas of what type of handbag Shakespeare's female characters would have owned, based on the character's personality and behavior. Viola, Hermia, Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Hero, Juliet, and so on - each had a handbag on display. An interesting idea for an art exhibit. It was difficult to get a quality photo since they were under glass, but I did get a picture of Juliet's bag (since Romeo & Juliet was next on the lesson plans at the time).
I don't know if my bag "matches" me, but I do like it. A LOT. And the best part, a hidden perk I didn't discover until I got home: a paperback book can fit in there, along with my big wallet! I guess it really is my kind of bag.
Darra really didn't care much about the new purse. She just wanted to sleep.
*If you don't know what this means, your cultural knowledge is sadly lacking. Go watch Sleepless in Seattle already!!
Friday, November 17, 2006
English Major Strikes Scrapbook Gold
When I joined blogland, I wondered how writing posts would affect writing in my journal. After four months of blogging, now I know: I haven’t been faithful to either medium! This from the person who, while a teacher, bemoaned the lack of time for anything as introspective as writing in one’s journal or creating a short story. I actually got excited when I had to write an email to parents about their child’s bad behavior – here was a challenging writing assignment with potential negative fallout far beyond a mere failing grade from a professor. Motivation, anyone?
Rachel’s determination to spend more time writing served as a contrast to my lackadaisical attitude toward my own writing. I only work part-time, I don’t have children (yet) – why am I not taking advantage of this season in my life?! It will never come again!
I need to be more intentional about writing regularly – in my journal, on my blog, and now, with scrapbooking.
One thing that I like about Simple Scrapbooks magazine (my new interest since Scrapbook Answers went under) is its emphasis on journaling and narrative. The editors may showcase too many 1-picture layouts (my pet peeve), but they do stress the importance of putting your thoughts and descriptive memories on the page; they even devote entire books to that end. Surprisingly (or not?), the truly creative scrapbooker is not only visually artistic, but a verbal artist as well – one who tells a story or makes you think, in addition to providing a feast for the eyes.
This page (p.79, Sept/Oct 06, Simple Scrapbooks) stood out because of its visual simplicity as well as its verbal ingenuity. There are only so many belly pictures you can take while one is pregnant (seems to me, without speaking from personal experience), but this page goes beyond showing belly size. [Disclaimer: No, this is not an Announcement of any kind. But I am looking forward to the day when I can STOP adding disclaimers!!!! Sheesh, you people!] If you can’t read the words on the page, it says this:
right now, i miss being able to lay down on my stomach.
i miss being able to see my feet.
i miss my old pooch. i miss
being able to get a full
night’s rest. i miss
being able to just get
around. but i know that
in less than two
months…
i'll miss all
your little kicks
and squirms. i'll miss
looking forward to
that next ultrasound.
i'll miss knowing that i
can keep you safe inside.
i'll miss being able to take you
everywhere with me. funny how things work, huh.
Funny how writing that seems so simple can be so complex.
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