Word of the Week – Scalawag

Word of the Week – Scalawag

by | Jun 29, 2015 | Word of the Week

Scalawag is one of those words that we think of as being a very old-fashioned insult–and it is…but it’s not quite as old as some might think.

Meaning “disreputable fellow,” scalawag only dates from 1848. It originated in American union jargon, and though where it came from isn’t quite clear, it’s thought that it may have been borrowed from the Scotch scallag–a farm hand or rustic. Scallag, in turn, is derived from Scalloway, one of the islands with Shetland ponies, which were deemed undersized and worthless–so to call someone a scallag, and then a scalawag, was to insult their worth. During the Civil War, Southererns used the term as an insult against white, Southern-born men who were not Confederates.

Remember When . . . We Made Paper?

Remember When . . . We Made Paper?

by | Jun 24, 2015 | 17th-19th Centuries, Remember When Wednesdays

It’s my day at Colonial Quills! So you know what that means. =) For a bit of fun history, hop over there, where I’m talking a bit about the paper-making process in Colonial America.

These days there’s a lot of talk of going “paperless.” Why? Because
paper clutters things up. We have stacks upon stacks of it. Reams
sitting, waiting to be used. In my house, there are desks full to
bursting with sketches and crayon drawings on paper of all weights and
colors and sizes. Need a bookmark? Grab a slip of paper. Need to make a
note? Grab a Post-It. Everywhere we look, there it is: paper.

But paper wasn’t always so bountiful, nor was it cheap, nor was it made
from wood pulp like today’s paper usually is. Paper, in Colonial days,
was like most things: precious, and coming as a result of much toil.

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Word of the Week – Aluminum V. Aluminium

Word of the Week – Aluminum V. Aluminium

by | Jun 22, 2015 | Word of the Week

One of my husband’s favorite shows is Top Gear–the British version. Being a car show, they have cause to say lots of things that are different than how we say it in America. Boot, bonnet…and aluminium instead of aluminum. On one particular show, the presenter is talking about an American car and quotes that it’s made from “aluminum–whatever that is.”

First, it made me laugh. Then it made me wonder why we say it differently. Looking up the answer made me laugh again. =)

Sir Humphry Davy coined the word aluminum in 1812, taken from the Latin alum. In 1809 he’d called this metal alumium, but he changed it for reasons unknown, and American kept this second incarnation of his word. Editors that same year, however, amended it still further:

Aluminium, for so we shall take the liberty of writing the word, in
preference to aluminum, which has a less classical sound. [“Quarterly
Review,” 1812]

So there we have it. Aluminum didn’t sound classical enough. Love it. =)

Remember When . . . I Got Married?

Remember When . . . I Got Married?

by | Jun 17, 2015 | Remember When Wednesdays

(This is an updated repost from, gosh, FIVE years ago! Man, time flies!)

Fourteen years ago today, I pledged myself to David. The man I loved since we were 15, the man I knew with all that was in me was The One. Sometimes, I think he’s much more than that.

It seemed an appropriate day to muse (not for the first time, I know) on Love–and to share some of the awesome pictures from our gorgeous beach wedding. =)

Through my life, I’ve known a lot of love.

That feeling that Mom and Dad will always be there, always encourage, always believe in my dreams–even when those dreams defy convention (like when I get engaged at 17 and married just before I turn 19).

I’ll always have a place on Daddy’s knee.

Mom will always be there carry my burdens with me.

That knowledge that for every storm (like the one that raged up the coast the day before The Day) in life, God sends me a rainbow.


That we have friends and family willing to travel hundreds of miles to share our Joy. And that after traveling all day, they’ll put more hours into decorating the rental house hosting our big day.

Love is looking into David’s eyes and knowing, each and every time, that this is the man God planned for me, and for whom I was planned. Knowing we are perfectly matched, perfectly balanced.

Love is that security that comes with resting my head on his shoulder.

Love is laughing over nothing, rejoicing in each moment.

It’s dancing barefoot in the sand when you forget your shoes for your own wedding (ahem, David!;-)

It’s standing together, beside all those that matter. It’s standing together always, through whatever the years bring you.

These days, love is also cuddling warm little bodies with damp curls pressed against your cheek, it’s watching graceful ballerinas beam with pride. It’s running “scared” when little “dinosaurs” chase you through the house–and looking over into each other’s eyes and thinking, “This is us. These are ours. This is family.”


Love is building a life on much more than one day. It’s building a life on every day.

Thank you, Lord, for all those you’ve put in my life. For my family, for my friends. For editors and agents who believe in me. For those who know how to read my heart in the lines that I write.

Thank you most of all for the man who bends over backwards to make my dreams come true–who not only believes in them with me, but who chases them down for me when my legs begin to fail.

David–you’re my everything. Here’s to way more than 14 years to come!
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