Wordplay Wednesday™ May 6, 2015 – with a Greek Twist

Do you take a ZARF with your coffee?

While it sounds like the bark of an overly excited dog, unless you hail from the Eastern Mediterranean you may not be clued in to the ZARF's true finger-saving definition.

ZARF: n. small metal holder, used in the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean region, i.e., Greece, Turkey) to hold a cup of hot coffee.

Steeped in ancient history, we’ve often seen ornate metal holders for coffee cups, in formal settings (for tea, as well); but it also applies to the cardboard cone that embraces Styrofoam cups at your local coffee shop.

Now you know what to call the once nameless “thingy” that saves your fingers from burning as you hurry to work with your favorite steaming beverage. So do you enjoy gourmet coffees? You'll LUV Briki Coffee House ...

Anyone can write a book ~ What are you waiting for?

Memories and attitude make us uniquely human.

Writing them down is what sets us apart as individuals. ~ LinDee Rochelle

Were you teased as a youngster for writing in your “diary” or keeping a “journal”? Did your little brother break the lock and read it? (Like mine did.) Did you dig out your old ones recently, and think, wow, I had some great ideas … maybe I can update them …?

Writing is often one of those “love / hate” human practices. I truly believe it’s an innate trait in order to love it. While you may be in the class that fairly abhors it, you can make it work to your advantage – and you might find you can tolerate the process to express yourself, if not outright learn to enjoy it.

Those who kept the once-ubiquitous diary or journal have a head start, for sure. But what did we write? Memories and attitudes. 

It was interesting research, reading the various “expert” opinions about any differences between a diary and a journal. 

“When I was a kid” (I know young’uns hate that preface), the perceived (pre-teen) notion of a diary was something giggly girls kept about their inane daily experiences, in gushy, blushing prose. A journal was a scientist’s or other professional’s experimental log or recording of a journey (think Captain Kirk’s Star Trek logs); and young guys simply didn’t write. (You realize, I hope, this is tongue-in-cheek, with a chuckle. But I'm serious about your book.)

Change is in the Air ...

Hello! Thank you for visiting PenchantForPenning.com. We have a new home which is always exciting. So let's celebrate!

But before we do, we'll have a learning curve and need time to settle in ... sigh ... please bear with me as I establish our fresh new site on a different system and hopefully make it better than ever!

The following information also pertains to:

     – BlastFromYourPast.net
     – 39AndHoldingClub.com
     – WomenWritersWorldwide.com

No, you are not in the wrong place. Yes, things, they are a-changin’. One thing that is constant, is change, right?

And EVERYTHING is ch-ch-ch-changing for me this year, including the moving and upgrading of my websites.

I am undertaking a monumental job – rebuilding ALL of my websites – at the same time. Call me crazy (and many do), but when my last webhost company’s servers crashed for five days, I had to take matters into my own non-techie hands. 

If you were looking for something specific, want to check my schedule for an appearance, or excited to chat about publishing your book - need an editing quote? - feel free to contact me via email or phone (in California), 858-292-5288.

Otherwise, look for this site to be rebuilt (new, fun, fresh!) asap. Have suggestions? Tell me! I hope you’ll return and enjoy our achievements in change.