Tag Archives: #atoz

A-Z Challenge: Z is for Zest

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
© by Raymond Alexander Kukkee [caption id="attachment_1428" align="aligncenter" width="727"]Zest -the ultimate flavour Zest  -Concentrated flavour[/caption] Z is for Zest.  It's spring. Can you feel it?  Hope. The exhilaration, the excitement, the unknown element  saturating the air  in the springtime?  It's the zest.  Dreams of warm, sunny weather, sandy idyllic beaches, dancing under the stars,  and warm breezes bearing hope.  The zest for life itself,  the big plan.   What has that to do with an orange, you ask? When was the last time you tossed away an orange peel without thinking about it? The zest of an orange or lemon is the outer, concentrated layer of the peel that contains virtually all of the flavour that can be found in  the peel. Smart chefs and bakers recognize the zest contains the highly-concentrated flavoured orange or lemon oil--a veritable jewel-box of flavour.   The rest of the peel, the white pulp, offers little taste.   What has that to do with life? The fact is, the exciting part of life, the zest - like the zest on the orange or lemon can be found living out on the edge;  on display for all to see, and hopefully to taste and enjoy. The colour, the joy, the flavour. The excitement. Let us equate zest to life experience--and what we do with our lives, bucket list included.   The rest of life is bland and ordinary by comparison --consumed by  structure, daily routine, work,  obligations, bills, problems, health issues, and stress.  We deal with the basic structural requirements for survival. Under the zest, the rest of the orange also has purpose, structure, juices and  uses, even the totally bland white peel, but the characteristics of zest render it special, worthy of thought and taste. The concentration of flavour makes  life tasty, interesting and special.   Scrape some zest off and taste it; taste life, while you're at it;  you'll see it's worth doing.  Go for it.  You may be surprised.  Why discard the best part of life? Zest is the extra joy, zing,  and excitement available to you not only on your oranges and lemons,  but also in life itself.  Think about it.   I'm thinking we must strive to take full advantage of it. That's why  Z is for Zest. Is that Incoming I hear? Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons +
Posted in Humanity, Life, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A-Z Challenge: Y is for Your, You’re, and Yore

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee
© 2013 by Raymond Alexander Kukkee. 1820-Country-Wedding-John-Lewis-Krimmel.jpg
In days of yore:   1820-Country-Wedding  by  John-Lewis-Krimmel  (1786-1821)
  Y is for Your, You're, and Yore too.  In days long gone, days of yore that would be, it may be recorded that  the English language was much admired for it's trickery and common-sounding words now known as homophones. Perhaps they came with a wink or  a wee  inclusion of the Irish, Scot, or Welsh. Today one might be more tempted to use the dialect version of 'your'   being   ' 'yer'   --as in  "up 'yer kilt".   Go figure. 'Tis why the language is beautiful, is it not?" Unlike in the days of yore,   your improper selection of the correct synonym or  homophone could result in revelations of illiteracy in the upper class,  or at the very least, might  earn one  poor grades in  middle school accompanied by  a dunce cap and  immediate and stern admonishments from buttoned, top-hatted and  bespectacled teachers of English.  All of that for poor writing skills. Your mind image here might be Scroogified, at best. Today most people do not bother;  we are are displeased only if such perturbing defects  bother one's  sense of grammar, wizzardly protocol or self-entertainment with faded memories of an arcane language once perfected.   Should you always write what you think is right, and pay no attention otherwise to other purveyors of chicken-track scribbles?  Hm...that reminds me. See what good comes out of yore? Perhaps you're one of the contented and secret,  quill-yielding, literate lunatics  fascinating old geezers people that delight in,    twisttittiling the twistification  of wordlings and wordettes  words to salsify your own  wintickling wonderful but  whackified weird sense of parsnipperies   particularities in prose,  adding spice to life, and creating bad habits  which you shall  wear to the gravy.  Habitually?  Off to the nunnery with you, we laugh raucously. 'Tis  in black and white habits are written. Do you have any favourite homophones?   Ready or not, you're on the right track.  Get used to it, Jack.   Be unique.  Your secret will be safe with me, just like in times of yore.   That's why  'Y' is for 'Your, You're and Yore.   Is that Incoming I hear? photo credit:   Wikimedia commons +
Posted in Life, Reflections, Writing Life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments