Fun with the language..................

The democracy of language, as promulgated in 1943...............

"During this present year about five thousand new words will come into out language.  Intense and dramatic times such as these are always prolific in breeding new words.  The scholars won't mint or invent these new words.  They will just pop up.  The scholars will have nothing whatsoever to say about how they shall be pronounced or spelled, or what they shall mean.  They will be pronounced and spelled and defined pretty much as the public pleases.  If you were to ask the editor of the Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary or of Webster's or the Oxford or any other, 'Who decides about these new words?' this editor would answer, 'You do,' meaning, of course, the many millions of 'you' who use our language."
-as excerpted from 30 Days To A More Powerful Vocabulary, by Dr. Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis

It might make an good contest, figuring out the most fun, or interesting, new words from the past few years.  Without much study, my first nominee would be "omnishambles.....a situation which is seen as shambolic from all possible perspectives."   You can read up on the Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Year for 2012, including ways to include it in your daily conversation, here.

Even more beautiful..............................

At the end of June, 2012 a derecho blew through Licking County with 100+ mile per hour straight line wind.  It was a nasty storm.  Along with many other buildings, St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Granville was damaged.  The Greek Revival styled building, erected in the later part of the 1830's, had recently received significant structural improvements - mostly to insure that the roof stayed where it belonged for another 180 years.  While the old timber roofing system was replaced, the original timbers supporting the plaster ceiling were not.  In the course of the derecho, the unusual wind pressure caused some of those ceiling timbers to crack.  A quick and casual inspection would have shown no damage.  A more studied review would have led one to say, "Wait a minute.  Isn't that part of the ceiling out of level and lower than it used to be?"  A thorough review showed that the entire ceiling was in danger of collapse.  A life, and building, threatening event, should it happen.  The building was secured to prevent occupancy and our friendly insurance agent was called.  Several architectural studies later, it was agreed that the old ceiling must come down, and a new ceiling put back up.  Easier said than actually completed.  Fourteen months later, the ceiling structure has been rebuilt and the church put back together.  Yesterday was the first church service in fourteen months in the restored old Church.  It is a thing of beauty.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Granville, Ohio

The new ceiling is looking pretty sharp

The house was full and the choir was in fine form

Yesterday's service included a brief wedding ceremony.