I Think

I have practiced economy of words for so long that I abbreviate most things. To make it worse, I have lost much of my vocabulary, practically speaking. This makes book length writing more difficult. Material that I envisioned stretching for whole chapters often ends up being mere paragraphs. It did not help, reading Erskine Caldwell's words on writing. He read the dictionary, cover to cover, yearly, but only after striking out words of more than two syllables. I must have subconsciously taken it to heart, for that reading marks the time my vocabulary began shrinking, or so it seems. Oh, well. I will quit whining and make the best of it.

I've often thought of becoming a writer of romantic fiction under the pen-name "Charles Balmoral", here are a few ideas for assorted novels-

1- "I want to smell you and taste you and eat you and devour you", he groaned.
"Let me just put the cat out first she replied"..

2- Shirley dated a destroyer captain but split because when they made love he exploded with a painful dull thud deep inside her like a depth charge..

3- She then dated a submariner but got fed up of him shouting "Blow main ballast tanks!" at the point of making love..

Sounds like Tom Clancy.

Spring is being jostled, by a rare blast of winter, this week. I awoke to a seventy degree temp, but was advised to tote a jacket, on leaving out this morning. By this time tomorrow, it is expected to be in the thirties. I don't need it.

Once again, I think that edgar needs to reply to my PM's.

Edgar doesn't do replies unless the person who has commented has agreed with him. All part of the great American Debate Team.

EB has got half the forum on ignore because he likes to live in his own little world..

One could be worse than simply being terse.

I concentrated on lyrics for a long time, because I liked the way it tightened up my writing, but now people are complaining, because they are expected to fill in blanks _ "make that leap of understanding," as one reader put it. Oh, well. It could be worse. I could be writing something like The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, for instance.

Ed is concentrating.

One thing worse might require a hearse

Er - Is that Nash or Shakespeare?

I know I heard it somewhere. It's only plagiarism if you remember where you stole it, right?

Always hold onto plausible dependability as long as possible.

That's what George Harrison said, when they asked if he plagiarized He's So Fine.

The supplements and the rest I got - My knee feels almost normal again. I was kneeling and digging, at work, like a younger man. Now I'll probably get hit by a bus.

That Rocky is a puzzle. He doesn't care if its sunny and ninety degrees or cold and raining - He spends half of the day out by the fence in front. He would be in heaven, living on a ranch or farm.

I only just noticed osso's thread, on tree descriptions and paintings of. Got to check it out, later.

I only just noticed that Obama's drone war has not been in the news, lately. Does this mean its no longer news-worthy, or that it has declined in frequency? I need to check on that.

Rocky has the instinct to attack noisy machines. Hair dryers, dish washers, clothes dryers, saws, lawn mowers - All drive him to a frenzy. A few words will make him back off, mostly, now. Not always.

One of my moreno trees has sprouted, from the base. Almost 3" high. I thought it was a weed, until I went to pull it up. I better make a greenhouse of sorts before next winter.

Edgar, I doubt if your vocabulary is shrinking. We all get in a slump now and then, and concise is not a bad word. I think you are being too hard on yourself, or you've been talking to too many boring people. I think you're a genius, and very funny.

You're too kind. We'll see what the next editor has to say about it.