Don't Write!

Oh, April, you brought rain, chaos, ...
and just enough drama to feel like a subplot no one asked for...
and you inspired two near-breakdowns.
Thanks for the lesson in resilience, I guess?
Goodbye, April.
Don't write!

Colonel

The word colonel has one of the weirdest and most delightful etymological journeys in English. 

Here's a little timeline of its linguistic chaos:

Step 1: Latin – columnella

Original word: columnella (a diminutive of columna, meaning "column") - used in military contexts to describe a column of soldiers (formation, structure, order)

Step 2: Italian – colonnello

Italian military borrowed columnella and turned it into colonnello, meaning “the commander of a column.”

Step 3: French – coronel

The French borrowed it but pronounced it as “coronel.” 

Its spelling changed too: colonnello → coronel

Step 4: English – colonel

English borrowed both the spelling from Italian (colonnello → colonel) and the pronunciation from French (coronel). The result is that we spell it colonel but say it “kernel.”

Fun fact:

For a while in the 1500s and 1600s, both spellings existed in English: coronel and colonel.
Eventually, the Italian spelling won, but the French pronunciation stuck.

So today, we salute our colonels with Italian spelling, French pronunciation, and Latin roots. 

Margaret Atwood

Nice!

Here's a linguistic fact I learned a while back from an episode of the television show Criminal Minds. Of course, I did my own mini-research later to make sure...

In Middle English, the word nice meant foolish or silly. Over centuries it zigzagged through meanings like “wanton,” “refined,” and “precise” before settling into the blandly polite compliment we use today. 

Icelandic Alphabet

The modern Icelandic alphabet has 32 letters, but C, Q, W, and Z don’t exist in it. Those sounds simply aren't native to the language.  Good luck spelling “quiz” in Icelandic!

The Icelandic alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, but it includes some unique letters and excludes a few.

Here’s the full Icelandic alphabet:

A Á B D Ð E É F G H I Í J K L M N
O Ó P R S T U Ú V X Y Ý Þ Æ Ö

That’s 32 letters total.

Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ý – considered separate letters, not just accented versions

Þ (thorn)... pronounced like the “th” in "thing", it’s a Viking classic

Ð (eth)... like the “th” in "this"... softer and voiced

Æ... sounds like the "i" in "ice"

Ö... sounds sort of like the “u” in “fur” but rounder.

Icelandic does NOT use: C - Q - W - Z
Those only appear in foreign names and loanwords.

Synonym?

historic & historical

historic = important (a historic event)  

historical = related to history (a historical novel)  

It may seem like a tiny difference, but it matters.

The Weight...

The Weight of Soft Things

This morning, my eyes are open,
but just barely.
There’s a fog
between me and the screen...
and every word I type feels...
like it’s dragging itself across the page.

Since Monday, I’ve been in caretaker mode.

Pishi
— my feline author with very high expectations — 
is recovering from surgery.

The kittens,
all four of them,
treat every waking moment
like it’s a brand new world to explore,
loudly.
Feeding them is a full-time gig in itself.

My two loyal dogs watch it all from the bed,
never judging,
only waiting
for a walk, a nudge, a little time.

There’s no crisis,
no catastrophe...
just a quiet kind of fatigue that settles in
when the to-do list is all soft things:
feed, comfort, clean, cuddle, repeat.

It’s love that exhausts me.
And it’s love that fills the very same cup.

Wednesday Etymology

I posted this about a year ago: 
https://afarinrava.blogspot.com/2024/06/etymology.html

Some people aren't curious about the etymology of words because they think they need to have a deep understanding of linguistics to get it. Etymology doesn't have to be complicated. Here's a quick breakdown of why we call it Wednesday — explained in a way even a curious child could follow.

The word Wednesday comes from Woden’s Day. Woden (similar to Odin in Norse mythology) was the most important god for the Anglo-Saxons, who lived in what’s now England a long time ago. He was known for being wise, magical, and powerful — especially connected to knowledge and writing, so he was a big deal.

Before the Anglo-Saxons, the Romans ruled the land and had already named the days of the week after their gods and planets. Wednesday was dies Mercurii, or “day of Mercury,” named after Mercury — the Roman god of cleverness, travel, and communication.

When the Anglo-Saxons took over, they liked the idea of naming each day after a powerful figure, but they had their own gods. So they matched them up: Mercury was clever, and so was Woden. It made sense to swap him in. 

That’s how Woden’s Day became part of the calendar. Over time, the way people pronounced it changed — Woden’s Day slowly turned into Wednesday. That’s why the spelling looks strange and the “d” is silent. I admit that I always sound out the syllables as I write the word: wed - nes - day. I have all my life... and it's the only word I do that with.

Happy Wednesday!

Work Smarter

Sometimes I switch projects — just to let my brain breathe and work smarter.

First Car Ride

Echo, Hazel, Pasha, Rumi & my loyal Hoppoo and Looloo, all waiting for Pishi...

Steven Pressfield

“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”

Steven Pressfield

Everything's Connected

Sometimes, diving into one topic leads me to unexpected discoveries in all sorts of other areas. A simple search can open up a whole world of history, culture, or insights I didn’t see coming, showing just how everything’s connected and sparking new ideas along the way... which sometimes lead to new projects.

Hazel

Paulo Coelho

"If someone isn’t making an effort to be in your life, don’t try so hard to be in theirs. Let them go. People come and go, that’s life."
Paulo Coelho

Jasmine

On March 29, I posted Jasmine Jitters:
https://afarinrava.blogspot.com/2025/03/jasmine-jitters.html

Today, my jasmine plant has exactly three flowers...
and one of them is already occupied.

Pun First

Book Review

The Voiceless

Writing can be a quiet act, but its echoes carry far. Through words, we can speak for those who cannot — whether silenced by circumstance, history, or fear. Being a voice for the voiceless doesn’t always require a podium; sometimes, it just takes a pen and the courage to tell the stories that matter...

نوشتن می‌تواند کاری آرام باشد و پژواک آن تا دوردست‌ها برسد. با واژه‌ها می‌توانیم از سوی کسانی بنویسیم که آوایی  ندارند — کسانی که برای دگرگونی‌ها، گذشته، یا هراس خاموش شده‌اند. آوای بی‌آواها بودن همیشه نیاز به بلندگو
...ندارد؛ گاهی تنها نوشتن وکمی  دلیری برای گفتن داستان‌هایی که ارج دارند بس است

One Month

The kittens are officially one month old!
Pishi is a proud mama...

Two Perspectives

Perspectives...

Me:
Some mornings,
the sunrise is so spectacular,
I can't help but sit by the window,
open my laptop,
and let the words come pouring in.

Pishi:
Some mornings,
the sky clearly knows I’ve awakened.

It dresses in brilliance,
pours gold across the floor,
and says,
“Yes, Pishi.
The world is ready for your words.”

So I stretch,
yawn,
and allow my editor to open the laptop.
The magic flows from there.

Indie April...

... and Not a Single Sale

Maybe that’s what happens
when you don’t sugarcoat your life
or turn trauma into clickbait.

I’ve written about
childhood chaos,
cabin-building isolation,
linguistic obsession,
loss,
grief,
and finding meaning in mess.

My books don’t come
with fake smiles
or market-tested formulas.
They come with bruises —
with truth.

So no...
I won’t perform for the algorithm.
I won’t package myself as “relatable.”

But...
if you’re tired of polished lies
and hungry for something real,
I’ve got stories
that cut through the noise.
And they’re waiting for you.

#IndieApril #Memoir #IndieAuthor #ReadReal 

Cats & Writing

What do cats and writing have in common?

Both sneak up when you’re not ready.
Both ignore you when you call.
Both destroy things you thought were fine.
Both vanish mid-thought.

I'm surprised writing doesn't have whiskers.

The Prodigal Sun

The Return of the Prodigal Sun

She’s here...
no grand entrance...
no apology
for her absence —
just casually streaming through the window
like nothing happened.
And honestly?
I’m too grateful to be mad.

Hoping...

I'm rolling out the red carpet because I've heard rumors she might make an appearance today. Dear Sun, please come... and stay... for a week... or more... many more.

Flaky Friend

I haven't seen her in a week.
She does that sometimes —
disappear for a while —
and when she does show up,
I suddenly remember
how good things used to be.

Bright, warm, and deeply committed
to hiding behind clouds at the worst times possible,
this giant flaming ball of gas
that lives in the sky
and occasionally honors me with her presence
is, without a doubt,
nature's version of a flaky friend. 

I almost remember what she looked like...
Round?
Yellow-ish?
Warm?
Definitely glorious, though flaky. 

April 4, 2025

Looloo & Hoppoo

Duke Ellington

"Gray skies are just clouds passing over." 
Duke Ellington 

Then & Now

I used to love the rain. I’d walk through downpours without hesitation, letting the water soak through my clothes. I never owned an umbrella; I never saw the need. Even when I had other ways to get home, if it was raining, I walked. The world felt softer in the rain, quieter. Thunder wasn’t something to fear; it was something to admire. From home, I’d listen to it rumble through the sky, a raw display of power.

Now, rain makes me uneasy. My dogs hate it, shying away from the cold drops, shifting anxiously at the sound of water against the windows. Thunder, once thrilling, is now a source of distress for them — and for my cat. Their fear changes how I feel about it. I don’t revel in storms anymore; I watch, waiting for the worst to pass. What I once loved is different now, not because it changed, but because I did.

PPP Reviews

April 2025