Heteronyms and homographs prove that you can lead a horse to a can of water, but you can’t make him use a lead pencil

~ nickc324 ~ 4 Comments

It must be difficult to moderate even the moderate portions of the English language.

The language is tricky to read because words often have different meanings and sounds between the first and second times they are read. This tends to make even some of our most distinguished words difficult to distinguish. Often, the buffet of pronunciations buffets and torments me.

If reading content makes you content, then you should know that homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, while heteronyms are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and pronunciations.

I was thinking about this while studying my profile in the mirror today for a minute, so I decided to profile a few of these words in a short (some might even say minute) story. I have yet to perfect my writing skills so that I can write the perfect story, though, so I hope that my subject matter here does not subject you to boredom. Continue reading “Heteronyms and homographs prove that you can lead a horse to a can of water, but you can’t make him use a lead pencil” →

We can all learn some important lessons from cereal

~ nickc324 ~ 20 Comments

I was shopping in the grocery store the other day when I saw something that made me stop faster than the free sample booth.

I was minding my own business in the cereal aisle and thought it was just another ordinary day. Suddenly, though, everything changed when I discovered that the grocery store now has boxes of Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes. It’s all in one cereal!

Continue reading “We can all learn some important lessons from cereal” →

I like my chicken fried, and the memories that come along with certain songs

~ nickc324 ~ 12 Comments

It’s funny how certain songs often become attached to specific memories and emotions.

When my son, Ben, was about to play in his first high school basketball scrimmage back in 2010, for example, I was sitting in a gym in West Virginia with several other parents. Along with the sounds of shoes squeaking, basketballs bouncing and people talking (and sometimes squeaking) that evening, there was music playing over the loudspeakers.

Continue reading “I like my chicken fried, and the memories that come along with certain songs” →

If we had a holiday to celebrate punctuation marks, would it be Apostrophe’s Day or Apostrophes Day?

~ nickc324 ~ 13 Comments

Holidays can be very enjoyable, but they can also be extremely confusing.

It’s wonderful to honor parents, heroes, fools and plenty of other people with these special days, but the lack of clarity about how to spell the names and whether or not to use apostrophes drives me crazy. Continue reading “If we had a holiday to celebrate punctuation marks, would it be Apostrophe’s Day or Apostrophes Day?” →

Winter is a good time to worry, especially if you are a parent

~ nickc324 ~ 9 Comments

When I was younger, I couldn’t understand why my father would worry so much about my siblings and me.

If it was snowing and I was working late at the grocery store, for example, he would want me to go straight home after work. He wouldn’t want to worry about me driving to get something to eat or spending time with friends.

It seemed ridiculous to me at the time.

“What is he worried about? I’ve only gotten stuck in the ditch twice due to snow!” I thought to myself. “He just loves watching the weather reports and worrying about the snow.” Continue reading “Winter is a good time to worry, especially if you are a parent” →

A few important (to me) rules for the grocery store

~ nickc324 ~ 21 Comments

Going to the grocery store may seem like a simple exercise, but there are several rules that should be followed in order to make the most of your shopping experience.

If you’re like me (and why wouldn’t you be?), you want to get in and out of the store in a reasonable amount of time while picking up everything you need. I generally make pretty good time in the store, so I thought I should share some of my tips here with you.

I don’t want to brag, but I have been known to shop at speeds as high as 30 aisles per hour! Continue reading “A few important (to me) rules for the grocery store” →

Top 5 Reasons Winter is the Best Season

~ nickc324 ~ 13 Comments

While some people whine and complain about winter, I choose to focus on the magnificent aspects of this magical season.

I am a positive person who doesn’t see the glass as half empty, but instead as half filled with a delicious liquid and half filled with life giving oxygen.

And while it was difficult to type due to my fingers being so numb from the cold, I worked with our judges to compile the Top 5 Reasons Winter is the Best Season. So, get under a blanket, grab some extra tissues for your runny nose and let’s focus on the fabulous features of winter! Continue reading “Top 5 Reasons Winter is the Best Season” →