My Creatively Random Life

Today is the last day of the Challenge, Yay!  Congratulations to everyone who made it through.  I am really excited to have made it to the end and look forward to next year.  I already have ideas for next years theme. Zenith Definition:  the point above the observer that is directly opposite the nadir on the imaginary sphere against which celestial bodies appear to be projected. Sentence:  Zenith, the point in the celestial sphere directly overhead.             — Henry White Warren Zephyr Definition:  a slight wind (usually refreshing). Sentence:  Nor I. On the contrary, all the allusions to the winds are of the gentler kind,—"balmy Zephyrs," "whispering breezes" and so forth.              — Alexander Pope Zealous Definition:  marked by active interest and enthusiasm. Sentence:  "You are so willing and zealous; but for that very reason I must guard against your enthusiasm carrying you too far."             — Lucy Foster Madison Zest De

Yahoo Definition:  a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture. Sentence:  What I wanted to bring to your distinguished notice is this—that you must not behave like a yahoo in my mathematical set.             —Ian Hay Yeoman Definition:  in former times was free and cultivated his own land. Sentence:   On one extreme was the well-to-do yeoman farmer farming his own land.             — S. A. Reilly Yokel Definition:  a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture. Sentence:  Now, poor people, yokels, clods, cannot love what is incomprehensible to them .             — George Meredith Yore Definition:  time long past. Sentence:  Yore, long ago; generally used in the expression "of yore," formerly, once upon a time.             — Winifred Turner Yelp Definition:  a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog). Sentence:  While faintly heard from somewhere outside there was the yelping, barking, howling whine of a dog. —

Champagne and Lemon Drops Blurb: One woman. Two men. One meddling small town. Raised by her older sister in the small town of Blueberry Springs, all Beth Wilkinson wants is to create a family so big she’ll never be alone. Things are going great until her accountant fiancé, Oz, experiences a family trauma, forcing him to rethink everything from his own career to their nuptial plans—leaving Beth alone. As Beth works to rediscover her former bold and independent self in hopes of reattracting Oz, she catches the eye of the charming new city doctor, Nash. Not only does he see her as she’d like to be seen, but he knows exactly what he wants from life—and that includes Beth. Torn between the two men, as well as two versions of herself, Beth discovers that love and dreams are much more complicated than they seem. Review: I have fallen in love with the town of Blueberry Springs, it's just such a magical little place.  It's the kind of place you can imagine want to live, r

Waggish Definition:  witty or joking. Sentence:   Dinner, however, came, and the little waggish doctor could not, for the life of him, avoid his jokes .             — William Carleton Waif Definition:  a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned. Sentence:   Had they not been poor children, little waifs, they would not have been locked in the cabin to perish like rats.              — Eugene V. Debs Wan Definition:  lacking vitality as from weariness or illness or unhappiness. Sentence:  Tom was leaning back, pale and exhausted, his breath was short, his face gray, wan and wasted.             —Mrs. Henry Wood Wane Definition:  a gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number). Sentence:  India’s biggest producer, reported an 89 percent decline in second-quarter group profit because of waning demand and higher raw material costs at its European operations.             — Business Week (Nov 10, 2011) Welter Definition:  a confused multitude of thin

Now on to today's actual post. Vacillate Definition:  be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action. Sentence:   But the old Napoleon was no more; vacillating almost as if in partial catalepsy, murmuring empty phrases in quick, indistinct utterance, he refused to decide.             — William Milligan Sloane Vacuous Definition:  devoid of intelligence. Sentence:  Why had his brain and senses lain fallow all these months, a vacuous vegetation, an empty consciousness?             — Gilbert Parker Veracity Definition:  unwillingness to tell lies. Sentence:  Professionally speaking, lawyers have been called legal liars, but compared to stock manipulators they are walking examples of truth and veracity.             — Charles Clark Munn Verisimilitude Definition:  the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true. Sentence:  It has every appearance of verisimilitude: you truly believe this woman exists and has been

This post comes a day late as I was super sick yesterday, nasty migraine. :( Ubiquitous Definition:  being present everywhere at once. Sentence:   In the run-up to the launch, Morgan has been ubiquitous, popping up all over the place to promote the show.             — The Guardian (Jan 7, 2011) Umbrage Definition:  a feeling of anger caused by being offended. Sentence:  Such men are easily offended, take umbrage at trifles, and are unforgiving in their resentments.             — John Sherburne Sleeper Unction Definition:  anointing as part of a religious ceremony or healing ritual. Sentence:  Afterward he administers the sacrament of Extreme Unction—last anointing.              — John James Burke Unctuous Definition:  unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech. Sentence:  He had become suave and unctuous, a kind of elephantine irony pervading his laborious attempts at conciliation.               —  Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Unguent De

Tangential Definition:  of superficial relevance if any. Sentence:  It is terrific fun, but its relation to the theme remains tangential at best.              — The Guardian (Aug 26, 2011) Tautological Definition:  repetition of same sense in different words. Sentence:  The expression sounds trite and tautological; but it needs emphasis.             — Various Tessellated Definition:  decorated with small pieces of colored glass or stone fitted together in a mosaic. Sentence:  Passing from one pavilion to another over tessellated pavements, we enter apartments rich in mosaics and all manner of precious stones.              — Henry Martyn Field Theocracy Definition:  a political unit governed by a deity (or by officials thought to be divinely guided). Sentence:  For in theocracies, to the social evil of the offence is added the impiety committed against the Deity and his representative on earth.             — Albert Roville, Albert Torpid Definition:  slow and apa

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links Next month is the launch of Toronto Chapter of  Geek Girl Brunch .  Our launch theme is Avengers and we are pretty darn excited. I am extra excited because I am borrowing a Cosplay from Mike to dress up but that is a whole different blog post.   We have been looking for stuff to make the swag bags for our first  official brunch  extra awesome and some of this stuff falls right in line.  Who doesn't need Avengers Pez dispensers?  Am I right?  Stay tuned for more about Geek Girl Brunch and what my fellow Toronto/Niagara Region Officers and I have in store.  If you are in the area be sure to join us. Pull together a fun-filled, adventurous birthday party with the best team around - the Avengers! With the Avengers Age of Ultron movie in theaters starting May 1st, you're little superhero will be super excited to celebrate with their favorite character!  Avengers Party

Salubrious Definition:  promoting health; healthful. Sentence:  The air is extremely salubrious, and the place has long been remarkable for its freedom from epidemics.            — J. H. Holdsworth Scion Definition:  a descendant or heir. Sentence:  Mr. Papandreou, a political scion whose father and grandfather were also prime ministers, took office late last year.           — New York Times (Feb 7, 2010) Seditious Definition:  in opposition to a civil authority or government. Sentence:   If stones were thrown at the police and seditious cries were raised, it was no more than might be reasonably expected.          — James Anthony Froude Serendipity Definition:  good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries. Sentence:  Serendipity is a recurring theme in Chandler's biography, with one happy accident after another pushing him in a certain direction.           — The Guardian (Jul 11, 2011) Sibylline Definition:  resembling or characteristic of a pro

Lexi Middleton has been socially invisible to her classmates, but starting her junior year, that’s going to change. First, she’s determined to hook a boyfriend, ensuring dates with flowers and possible kisses on the doorstep. Second, she wants to be a writer for the school paper, even though it freaks her out to think of everyone judging her by her punctuation and metaphors. High school is difficult enough—keeping up her grades, dealing with increasing sibling rivalry, and trying to stay out of the way of her personal nemesis, Amberlee—but when Lexi catches the eye of her long-time crush, she also becomes the focus of mean-girl tactics. Caught between who she was and who she wants to be, Lexi must decide how to confront a bully, and choose who to let into her heart. This was the second book I read by the mother/daughter writing team that is Jo Noelle, the first,  Newbie  I enjoyed immensely. Lexi's Pathetic Fictional Life was just as enjoyable but in a different way.  My

Raconteur Definition:  a person skilled in telling anecdotes. Sentence:  He was an excellent raconteur, and his stories had a stamp of their own which would have made them always and everywhere acceptable.                  — Leonard Huxley Recalcitrant Definition:  stubbornly resistant to authority or control. Sentence:  The officials of the state banks especially proved recalcitrant and refused to surrender Government moneys.                — Various Recondite Definition:  difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. Sentence:  On both sides of Lamb, however, there lie literatures more difficult, more recondite .                —Arnold Bennett Rectitude Definition:  righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest. Sentence:  You must be morally upright and of steadfast rectitude.                — The Guardian (Jan 9, 2011) Reminiscent Definition:  serving to bring to mind. Sentence:  Major deals were comp

For me Q is always one of the hardest letters, what about you guys? Quash Definition:  put down by force or intimidation. Sentence:  More than 500 people are thought to have been killed since mid-March as the security forces try to quash dissent.              — BBC (May 7, 2011) Quiescent Definition:  being quiet or still or inactive. Sentence:  Under normal conditions, only a fraction of these blood-forming stem cells are active; the rest are deeply quiescent – asleep.                — The Guardian (Jan 17, 2011) Quintessence Definition:  the most typical example or representative of a type. Sentence:  This composition, in many ways the most wonderful single piece we have from Chopin, is the quintessence of his genius.                 — Walter Raymond Spalding Quisling Definition:  someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force. Sentence:  Naturally enough, the attitude taken up by the Christians earned them fresh attacks from the Quisling followers.   

I feel really great about having made it this far this year. Panacea Definition:  hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases; once sought by the alchemists. Sentence:  The city fathers speak of binglang as if it were a panacea for all of Xiangtan’s ills, from curing tapeworm to solving unemployment.                      — New York Times (Aug 20, 2010) Parsimonious Definition:  excessively unwilling to spend. Sentence:  In allusion to greedy, parsimonious people, who would rather be put to a great deal of trouble than incur a trifling expense.                   — Alexander Hislop Pedagogy Definition:  the principles and methods of instruction. Sentence:  What type of pedagogy, or teaching method, makes me thrive?                   — New York Times (Jan 13, 2011) Perfidious Definition:  tending to betray; especially having a treacherous character as attributed to the Carthaginians by the Romans. Sentence:  Any one who studied her treacherous and perfidious countena

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links Sweeten up the celebration with the new Birthday Sweets party theme from  BirthdayExpress.com ! This chalkboard-inspired theme features a black background with "Birthday Girl" written on it in white and pink. Birthday Express has all the party goodies you'll need to fit any size party and budget to make your chic little girl's day super special.  Birthday Sweets Party Supplies  - Try Birthday Express' brand-new  Birthday Girl Sweets Value Party Pack . It has everything you need including polka-dot invitations and candy stripe candles, to pink crepe paper. Or you might feel like creating more of a customized, one-of-a-kind celebration with chalkboard placemats and the  David Tutera Chalkboard Party Design Kit (326 pieces) .  Birthday Sweets Chalkboard Decor  - Chalk it up to girls just wanting to have fun! The Birthday Sweets party theme includes black c

Obdurate Definition:  showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings. Sentence:  Mr. Oldstone, in particular, exhausted all his powers of persuasion to yet delay his departure, but he found him obdurate.       — M. Y. Halidom (pseud. Dryasdust) Obfuscate Definition:  make obscure or unclear. Sentence:  Yet as we tried to understand, there always seemed to be an obfuscating layer: something or someone was working against comprehension.                    — Time (Dec 11, 2010) Obloquy Definition:  state of disgrace resulting from public abuse. Sentence:  Thus public men are content to leave their reputation to posterity; great reactions take place in opinion; nay, sometimes men outlive opposition and obloquy.            — John Henry Cardinal Newman Oligarchy Definition:  a political system governed by a few people. Sentence:  The track management of this particular university was an oligarchy; was governed by a few absolute individuals.             — J. N. Marchand

Celebrate the Small Things is hosted by  Lexa Cain  along with wonderful co- hosts  Writing Off The Edge  and  The Cyborg Mom . Wow, I haven't been here in ages!  Seems like with all the sick and life in general I haven't felt like there was much to celebrate but you know I have found it this week.  The kids and I made a lasagna for the first time on Wednesday afternoon and it was fantastic!  Ace ate half a pan of it.  The joys of having a pre-teen boy in the house. I started 5k training this week as well, it's my goal to be able to run a 5k by the end of the summer.  If you are laughing now then that means you know me.  But I am serious about this, once the A to Z Challenge is over I am going to start keeping you guys posted about how it is going.  I assure you so far it's been pretty hilarious.   Lot's of fun and exciting stuff coming up though so keep an eye on this spot.  I am back in full force.  This is a blog hop, go check out what everyone else is cel

Nascent Definition:  being born or beginning. Sentence:  The initiative also invests in nascent solar companies, acting as an incubator for small businesses and entrepreneurs looking to bring disruptive new technologies to market.             — Scientific American (Feb 29, 2012) Nebulous Definition:  lacking definite form or limits. Sentence:  “The time for nebulous, unspecified and non-detailed commitments is gone,” Fiat SpA Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said yesterday in London.               — BusinessWeek (Sep 21, 2011) Neologism Definition:  a newly invented word or phrase. Sentence:  Perhaps the solution is to be found in " neologisms", where words are taken from somewhere totally different and given an entirely new meaning.                      — BBC (Mar 8, 2011) Nihilism Definition:  the delusion that things (or everything, including the self) do not exist; a sense that everything is unreal. Sentence:  In her despair she succumbed to

Myropolist  Definition: a perfume dealer. Sentence: I bought my favourite perfume from the myropolist down the street. Machination Definition:  a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends. Sentence:  With life experiences like those behind her, the extreme plot machinations of Hollywood melodrama must have possessed an everyday familiarity for Stanwyck.               — New York Times (Apr 24, 2010) Magniloquent Definition:  lofty in style. Sentence:  The day was spent in magniloquent addresses, which affected the style of ancient types, urgent exhortations to war, poetical orations, rounds of applause, rapturous demonstrations.              — Æneas MacDonell Dawson Malapropism Definition:  the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar. Sentence:   New words are eagerly seized; hence the malapropisms and solecisms so frequently made fun of, without appreciation of their cause.              —  Stephen Sydney Reyno

Oscar Pellegrini is a talented fashion designer with a deadly enemy: his own critical mind. He destroys much of what he designs and has been drifting for years, gradually retreating from the fashion business he loves but holding on to his dreams of success.  A chance meeting with a former girlfriend triggers a creative crisis so deep that Oscar escapes to Russia, where he drinks and despairs like never before. Just when he thinks he has lost everything he discovers a magical machine that turns ordinary outfits into irresistible sartorial triumphs. Oscar takes the machine back to Italy – and before he knows it, he has become famous for his designs, and celebrities and socialites are fighting to be first to wear his gorgeous garments.  But the happily-ever-after ending for the fashion messiah turns into a nightmare when his dresses acquire a life of their own, gaining energy and evil as time goes on. Haunted by his creations, a dark secret he is no longer able to hide, Oscar finds

Latifundium  Definition: a large country estate Sentence: They decided that Aunt May's latifundium in England would be the perfect place for their wedding. Labile  Definition: open to change;  apt or likely to change; adaptable Sentence: The couple was very labile to their new surroundings. Lachrymose Definition:  showing sorrow. Sentence:  She had got rid of her tears before she came down to dinner, but still she was melancholy and almost lachrymose.          — Anthony Trollope Lassitude Definition:  weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy. Sentence:  He told by her very attitude that now there was lassitude, even weariness in her.            — Algernon Blackwood Legerdemain Definition:  an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers. Sentence:  Everything short of this is trick, legerdemain, sleight of hand.            —  Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Knotty Definition:  highly complex or intricate and occasionally devious. Sentence:   I am, at this present writing, perplexed and plagued with two knotty problems in politics.               — Abigail Adams Ken Definition:  range of what one can know or understand. Sentence:  Ah, but the Eyes Divine look long and see far; things beyond the human ken are all revealed.                — Cyrus Townsend Brady Knell Definition:  the sound of a bell rung slowly to announce a death or a funeral or the end of something. Sentence:  "If she dies," he had said, and the words rang in my ears like a funeral knell.          — Guy Boothby Knoll Definition:  a small natural hill. Sentence:  At the very base of the hill or knoll alluded to, they halted.                 — Edward Sylvester Ellis Knave Definition:  a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel. Sentence:  The merchant subsequently turned out a very great knave, cheating Tom on various occasions, and finally broke

Wishing on Baby Dust Infertility stinks. No one knows that better than Megan. After six years of insanity-inducing hormone drugs and desperate prayers, all she has to show for her efforts are enough negative pregnancy tests to fill a bassinet. All around her women are accidentally getting pregnant—like her star piano student—while Megan remains hopelessly barren. Megan’s never felt so alone. But she’s not the only one struggling. Christina has just entered the world of infertility, made worse by the fact her husband isn’t ready to be a father. Their marriage, already hanging in the balance, is being torn apart. Then there’s Kyra, the mother of a precocious three-year-old. She’s shocked to be struggling with secondary infertility. A baby is priceless, but sometimes Kyra feels like she’s being forced to choose which commandment to keep: stay out of debt, or multiply and replenish the earth. When Megan and Christina are assigned as Kyra’s visiting teachers, they all realize tha

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links With Cat's sixth birthday fast approaching I spend a lot of time thinking about what to do for little Miss Diva.  Last year we went all out renting a room and inviting the whole class, planning great craft activities and face painting.  Only a handful of kids showed up and I still have a stock pile of foam domino masks and various other craft supplies. This year we are planning something a lot smaller but I still want to make it super special for her, It's one thing to throw a birthday party, but it's another to throw a completely personalized birthday party that your kiddo will remember for years to come. How to do it? With personalized birthday party supplies from  Birthday Express , of course! They make customizing your designs and party supplies simple, so there's more time to party! Here's how easy it is: After you've found the party them

Finding words that began with J was a little harder than I thought it would be. Jejune Definition:  lacking interest or significance or impact. Sentence:  The works called good are dry and jejune, soon consummated, often of questionable value, and leaving behind them when finished a sense of vacuity.              — Richard Jefferies Jingoist Definition:  an extreme bellicose nationalist. Sentence:  And, hell, I'm no jingoist, but surely we can do better in this country than importing our drugs from Mexico, right?               — Salon (May 25, 2010) Juggernaut Definition:  a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way. Sentence:  Welch transformed GE into a sleek juggernaut that dominated market segments from jet engines and locomotives to finance.            — Washington Post (Aug 1, 2010) Junta Definition:  a group of military officers who rule a country after seizing power. Sentence:   The stock soared 10.2% in London after Mali'

Ineluctable Definition: impossible to avoid or evade: inevitable Sentence: Bumping into Karen at the market was ineluctable. Inchoate  Definition: 1. to be in an initial or early stage; just begun; 2. imperfectly formed or formulated Sentence: The captain's orders were an inchoate series of words that left everyone confused. Iconoclast Definition:  someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions. Sentence:  Jobs is a classic iconoclast, one who aggressively seeks out, attacks, and overthrows conventional ideas.                        — Business Week (Oct 12, 2010) Impecunious Definition:  not having enough money to pay for necessities. Sentence:  It had been quite in keeping with his ideas that the Thornes should taste the bitters of poverty, and know what being impecunious really meant.               — George Manville Fenn Inchoate Definition:  only partly in existence; imperfectly formed. Sentence:  “But when the law is unsettled, inchoate

Can you ever find real love in a virtual world?  Liam Connor, the world’s most famous *** guru, is asked to write a book on Flame, a dating app that’s a lot like Tinder. Liam’s surprised at his publisher’s request. He knows a lot about ***. But he’s been a failure at both love and marriage. Certain he’ll never find true love, he signs up for Flame, only to see his world turned upside down…  Liz Andrews is a curvy, beautiful and intelligent technology executive, who’s moving to Singapore to head up sales for all of Asia. She’s not even thinking of dating -- until her friend convinces her to have one last fling in New York…through Flame.  Sparks fly as soon as Liz and Liam meet and their passion knows no boundaries. Liam realizes that Liz is the true love he has been waiting for all his life. But Liz is hurting from a prior relationship. She needs time to build trust. But with only three days before she leaves New York, is there enough time for both of them?  As Liam and

Day eight of the  A to Z Challenge ! Hebetude  Definition: the state of being dull : lethargy Sentence: His wife thought he was suffering from a classic case of hebetude. Halcyon  Definition: calm : tranquil : peaceful : happy Sentence: There was always a halcyon atmosphere amongst the friends. Hegemony Definition:  the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over others. Sentence:  Chinese officials say the purpose of their military modernization is purely defensive and they have no aspirations toward regional hegemony.                  — Business Week (Jan 10, 2011) Heterodox Definition:  characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards. Sentence:  You will think these ideas horribly heterodox, but if we all thought alike there would be nothing to write about and nothing to learn.           —  James Marchant Hortatory Definition:  giving strong encouragement. Sentence:  For hortatory or inspirational purposes we do not need to make

Day seven of the  A to Z Challenge .  Has anyone noticed yet that I can't draw letters?  That's what I get for trying to do my own graphics! Garrilous Definition: full of trivial conversation.   Sentence: He was not in the best of spirits, for the drink was dying out of him; but his garrulous, inconsequent talk amused me mightily.                 --Frank T Bullen Genuflect Definition: bend the knees and bow in church or before a religious superior or image. Sentence: When you enter, bless yourself with holy water and go quietly to your seat, genuflect on your right knee and enter the pew.             -- Anonymous Gerrymander Definition: divide unfairly and to one's advantage; of voting districts. Sentence: In practice, though, officials in both parties often try to gerrymander districts to help themselves and their parties win more elections.              --New York Times (Sep 7, 2010) Gourmand Definition: a person who is devoted to eating and drinkin

It's the sixth day of the  A to Z Challenge , have you found any really interesting blogs? Flummery  Definition: 1. soft jelly or porridge made from meal 2. unsubstantial writing or talk : mumbo jumbo Sentence: The teacher was unimpressed by the flummery that came out of the student. Flagitious  Definition: 1. shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times; 2. heinous or flagrant, as a crime Sentence: The flagitious murderer was convicted of the crime. Firmament Definition: the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected. Sentence: The firmament above us was without a cloud, and of a darkness almost equal to that which surrounded the moon at 2 a.m.           --John Tyndall Fractious Definition: easily irritated or annoyed. Sentence: The last-minute haggling between 19 countries involved in the test over whether and how to make the test's design available, highlights fractious European Union decision-making.  

Hello all and welcome to the fifth day of the  A to Z Challenge .  I have to say I am really enjoying this whole having a theme thing, much easier than pulling subjects out of thin air every day.  Here come the words. Endemic  Definition: 1. belonging or native to a country or people 2. characteristic of a certain area, region or environment Sentence: Curry is not the only spice endemic to India. Eleemosynary  Definition: 1. of or for charity; charitable; 2. given in charity; having the nature of alms; 3. supported by or dependent on charity Sentence: The school was exceptionally eleemosynary towards the low-income families in the surrounding communities. Exigent  Definition: requiring, demanding, or calling for much attention or action Sentence: The lawyer had an exigent client who demanded his papers immediately. Ebullient Definition: joyously unrestrained. Sentence: The piece opened with ebullient bursts of energy and colour that scampered over harmonica drones p

Welcome to the fourth day of the  A to Z Challenge .  Going strong so far.  Everybody ready to learn some words with me? Desultory Definition: 1. marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose; 2. not connected with the main subject; 3. disappointing in progress, performance, or quality Sentence: The desultory way in which he did his presentation was a disappointment to Professor Ng. Deleterious  Definition: harmful : destructive Sentence: Pollution has a very deleterious effect on the planet. Deliquesce Definition: 1. to melt away or to disappear as if by melting 2. (chemistry) to dissolve gradually and become liquid by attracting and absorbing moisture from the air, as certain salts, acids, and alkalies Sentence: The piles of gray snow from winter have finally deliquesced into puddles of dirty water for spring. Dearth Definition: an insufficient quantity or number. Sentence: In those arid deserts, they suffered from thirst as well as from dearth of provis

It's the third day of the  A to Z Challenge .  Ready to learn some new words with me? Cynosure Definition: a center of attention : someone who directs or guides Sentence: Sally always becomes the cynosure because of her good looks. Contumacious  Definition: stubbornly defiant or rebellious; disobedient Sentence: The contumacious woman wouldn't agree to anything the police officer told her to do. Cacophonous Definition: having an unpleasant sound. Sentence: Shoppers mingle, traders peddle their wares and children play in the street, all to a cacophonous backdrop of roaring motorbikes and honking cars.             -- Reuters (May 9, 2010) Chimerical Definition: produced by a wildly fanciful imagination. Sentence: Indeed during his wild and chimerical attempts for finding out a golden country, it is not improbable that this brave adventurer visited many different places.                  -- Alexander Hewatt   Contemporaneous Definition: occurring in the sam

Tour Schedule House Divided There is a law irrevocably decreed in the state of Alabama that you must choose a team. You're either an Auburn fan or an Alabama Fan. There is no fence sitting or waffling. It’s one or the other. However, it doesn't mean that you can’t fall in love with someone from the opposing side. They even have a name for it ... House Divided. Ellie Eaton and Brady Jackson were just such a couple, but unfortunately they were separated by more than just their loyalty to a university. Against the odds and against the rules, Ellie and Brady dove right into the forbidden current of friendship and then love. Their sweet, innocent romance was one for the storybooks, but old rules and family prejudices ultimately tore them apart, just as they were each ready to depart to their beloved universities, Ellie to Auburn and Brady to Alabama. But years later, when near tragedy strikes, they're brought together again and given a second chance at love, this time