Hiatus

 Please excuse my recent paucity of posts. I went up to the mountains for a bit to escape the heat:

I will resume presently...

 

A Yummy N/A Drink

This is a wonderful non-alcoholic drink we found at Aldi. It mimics an Aperol spritzer, which is right up there in summer popularity with Compari & Soda in Italy. It has a sophisticated tartness to it, but it's also slightly sweet. I love it! Try some if you're so inclined and have an Aldi nearby...

Flowers (LOTS of flowers)

Bright colors at bargain prices, uh-oh I'm in trouble.  I overdid, but the outcome was lovely... and large.  At first I couldn't get the lighting right at the usual location, bouquet was too big.  So I went out to the conservatory.*  Later I got the lighting right inside and took even more pictures.  Overdid the pix too.  Enjoy!

*We have an enclosed terrace/balcony thingy, and we've never known what to call it. It's not really a balcony, or a terrace, or a porch, etc., and we kept on calling it different things. We finally settled on the British "conservatory" which we decided was the most apt term (even though it's 3 stories above ground).

 

Major Tourist Attraction

Obviously, a must-see for the visitor to the nation's capital.

(WARNING: Viewers might find this video frighteningly boring) 

 

New Toy

The only question is: Do I send one to Mitchell (https://movingwithmitchell.com/) as a Christmas present for the cats... 

 

Environmental Concerns

We here in Fairfax County are merciless when it comes to invasive species...

If you see an adult spotted lanternfly, take a photo, kill it, and report it to the Grounds Committee. At least one resident has spotted this bug. Fairfax County advises residents who encounter spotted lantern-flies to “squash, stomp and smash on sight.”

The Wisdom of Age

One of the residents in our condo complex recently celebrated his 100th birthday. There was a nice write-up in the complex's newsletter, containing the predictable questions of what did you do to live so long and such.  The payoff was in the last question asked, which I copy below:

Q. What are the important lessons you have learned in life to date?

A. Set goals and work to reach them. Learn to like and be kind to everyone. Avoid    depression with interpersonal activity, do not be jealous, because (as they say in the mental health clinic) “Jealousy and paranoia will destroy ya.” Find a wonderful life partner. Rx for a long life: Do not smoke, use minimal alcohol, and do not date married people.

 Hmmmmmm... 

This Week's Flowers

 Decided to go simple and easy this time.

Then I thought they looked a little sparse, so I added some foliage.

Better Weather

After untold weeks in the high 90's (32º+C.) we've hit a nice run of mid 70's to 80 (21-26C.) It's safe to walk around now, so I went down to the river to have a look see...

Seen better days, but haven't we all. 

The heat and afternoon storms have produced jungle-like conditions.

And soon it will be time to reseed the AstroTurf...

The Phases of a Classicist's Life

 CLASSICAL

  

LATE ANTIQUE

 

BYZANTINE

 

... And the Leftovers

 

Flora Reducta

The same bouquet as back on the 25th, sorted and revived. 

 

Ah, the 4th Estate!

 Nice to see the British Press can still rise to the occasion when needed…

https://www.nationaljournal.com/s/729167/trump-embarks-on-the-first-ever-family-business-trip-by-a-president/ 

On the Very Small (revised)

1. tiny
2. teeny
3. wee
4. teensy
5. teeny-tiny
6. itty-bitty
7. teeny-weeny
8. itty-bitty-teeny-weeny
9. itsy-bitsy
10. teensy-weensy
11. itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny
12. itsy-bitsy-teensy-weensy

On the very small

A while back, I became vexed at the lack of organization and specificity regarding colloquial expressions in American English for "very small".  I mean, just how big was the folkloric Itsy-Bitsy Spider?  Would it be larger than an itty-bitty spider, or smaller?  Is teeny-weeny smaller than teeny, or merely an emphatic form of teeny?  Such things bother me, especially given my penchant to systematize everything that enters my eyes, ears, or mind.

So, I took it upon myself to develop a hierarchy in this regard, listed below.  The expressions are in decreasing order of size (#1 being the largest and #8 the smallest).  I would be interested in obtaining feedback on this before going public with it.  Thanks!

1. tiny

2. teeny

3. teeny-tiny

4. itty-bitty

5. teeny-weeny

6. itsy-bitsy

7. teensy-weensy

8. itsy-bitsy-teensy-weensy

A Little Creepy

...but Interesting, kinda like me.

  

This Week's Flowers

Trader Joe's had some lovely mixed bouquets, and I got carried away. I bought two and recombined them--which turned out to be more work than expected...