Month: April 2020

So if anyone needed any proof that my mind/memory is not what it once was, then here is the proof!

The inspiration for my original blog about names was a name that I ran across and then I totally forgot to even mention it in my post. SMH

We had quite a long online chat going with our internet provider last week, trying to install a new box that they sent out for us. Supposedly very simple to install. Yeah, well maybe for a teenager, not so simple for the old ladies it turned out. Our chat helper was named “Damanjeet” Which I had to google of course, a masculine name from the Punjabi area (India). His grasp of written English was quite good and we were eventually able to get the TV back up and running, bless his heart.

But the name gave me a chuckle….can you see his mom yelling out to the yard ?? DAM DAM DAM where are you? well, I can’t help it..thats how my mind works!

Cousin Kathleen reminded me of another name in our family tree that I missed. Eufersine, yeah that’s another winner in the odd name category! Some others I had forgotten about too, like Marvelton (Another super hero!) and Cashmer and one of my personal favorites, Teckla, she was one of my grandma’s cousins and I remember her talking about her. I always that it was an unusual name.

So on another subject, our neighbors across the street aren’t doing so well with their social distancing. Last nite they had a big blow up slide thingy set up and a whole bunch of kids over for a party. Not the first time they have had company over during the “stay at home” either. Hope they keep it over there if they all get sick. Gosh.

This morning we had our front landscaping refreshed with the areas all scraped out and new barricade cloth put down and lots of big ole rocks on top. They sure did a nice job and the 4 of them knocked it out in a couple hours. It would have taken us days so very glad we hired that project out. They originally were supposed to be here a couple weeks ago but they got put on non essential status and had to cancel , but now are back to work.

The only glitch was that they started at 8 a.m.—way too early for all the commotion they caused with our doggies. But we are happy it’s another thing off the do to list!

Till next time!

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” is a popular reference to William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet seems to argue that it does not matter that Romeo is from her family’s rival house of Montague, that is, that he is named “Montague.

Having lived with an unusual name and being interested in family and genealogy research, I have always had an interest in names, especially unusual names. So many times I have wished that I had a name like Mary Jones! It is amazing the different pronunciations that people can come up with for my name. I especially have to pay close attention when waiting for an appointment to see how they will pronounce my name. This sometimes means that I wait to see if any one else gets up or wait for them to try saying it again! I have been called LaRue, LaRee, Larry, and the every popular Lorraine! And having a long German name for the second half doesn’t help the process either!

One of my favorite stories for my name mispronunciation was a regular customer that got it in his head that my name was Lorraine. I just answered to that for quite a spell, but then one day, I said to him, you know my name is LaRae, not Lorraine, no N. Well, I thought he understood me, but from that time forward, guess what he called me!? Yep, No N. Might have been better just to let it go, ya think?

So in the family tree, some of the more unusual names are Agrippa, Cletus, Halaron, Thrasilla and my personal favorite, Twinkle Claramae. I don’t even have a comment for that last one but it makes me smile when ever I see it, so good job to the namer of that child!

I grew up with a young man named Eldean, which I didn’t find unusual at the time, but after living all these years and never meeting another Eldean or even hearing of any one else by that name, I guess that qualifies for unique! To me that name sounds like an alias for a super hero, hm….not sure why, as I have never seen the gentleman in question changing clothes in a phone booth, so my apologies for my flight of fancy there! But best keep on eye on him anyway.

Nicknames and shorteners are another issue entirely. Sister Patricia goes by Patti, but other Patricias are called Pat or Trish or Tricia so you have lots of options there. So many of the kids that I grew up with had nicknames, indeed some I’m not even sure what their actual names were. I remember Smokey and Sparrow and Tex for starters, Oh and PeeWee and Pedro, gosh there were a lot! LOL

I am sure you all have your favorite “Odd” names, so be sure to share!

We are mostly practicing our social distancing here in Tupelo. Spending lots of time at home working in the yard. Its hard to stay indoors and do anything when the weather is so nice. So far the violent storms have steered clear, but we continue to be blessed with too much rain. Gas prices are very nice, I think 1.40 was the latest price, makes a person want to take a road trip! I wonder how long it will take to go back up once all the travel restrictions are lifted. Not long would be my guess!

Keep safe everyone and keep smiling!