Bird-Feeder and Birdbath
00/09/01
Along the north side of our house there are a row of bushes close to the house. The bushes near the window by our dining table are trimmed so they do not grow above the lower part of the window. Thus we have a nice view of the grassy lawn and a couple of tall trees nearby. The bird-feeder we recently put in our yard hangs from a pole that was set into the ground next to the bushes. On the pole below the feeder there is a hemispherical guard to keep squirrels from climbing up and eating there. The feeder is made of plastic and has a red roof and four transparent sides, at the bottom of each there is a small ledge. When the roof is taken off and birdseed is poured in, a little bit comes out into each of the four ledges on which the birds can stand and eat. We enjoy watching the various kinds of birds fly from the trees or bushes to these ledges. Some birds join other birds when eating, but there are others that seem to chase rivals away when they come to eat and we think they are exhibiting some selfish human characteristics. A short distance away, we have also placed a birdbath. Twenty-five centimeters off the ground, it has a short rim around the edge, a rock in the center and a couple of centimeters of water in it. Located just outside the window where my desk is situated and where I am now typing this message, I am able to watch some birds taking a bath during this hot summer season. Jesus taught that since God is aware of all that happens even to a couple of sparrows, he certainly knows our needs as well (Matthew 10:29-31). (162)
Cardinals
00/09/03
While sitting at our table eating breakfast or supper, we enjoy looking through the window and watching different kinds of birds come and eat at the bird-feeder nearby. Among them are a couple of cardinals. Both male and female cardinals have a reddish bill and a crest, but males also have bright red feathers. In fact, the word "cardinal" may denote a dark red color, but the English word is derived from a Latin word meaning "hinge" and its primary meaning is "of foremost importance, pivotal." A cardinal truth of Christianity is that the almighty God is like a loving father. A "cardinal number" is an ordinary number used in counting, such as 1, 5 or 28, but an "ordinal number" indicates the position of the number in a series, such as 1st, 5th or 28th. There is still another meaning of "cardinal". In the Roman Catholic church, a "cardinal" is a member of an elite group of men ranking in authority just below the pope and it is the "College of Cardinals" that chooses the pope. As a humorous example of the kind of confused conversation that may take place between people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, an interesting article from a Japanese newspaper 42 years ago when the Cardinals were meeting in Rome at the same time the professional baseball team from St. Louis was playing in Japan told of the conversation between an American and a Japanese who did not realize that they were talking about the activities and international influence of these very different kinds of "Cardinals". (172)
High School Class Reunion
00/09/06
A "union" is an alliance of persons, parties or political entities for mutual interest or benefit. Marriage is one kind of "union" and a federation of states, such as the United States of America, is another kind of "union". A "reunion", however, is not only a "reuniting" of such entities; it may also denote a gathering of the members of a group that have been separated. It is customary for the classes of elementary schools, high schools or colleges to hold periodic "reunions" in certain special anniversary years. I graduated from high school in 1945. Since I resided in Japan, I was unable to attend the 25th and 40th reunions of that class. I made a visit to my hometown a couple of months prior to the 40th reunion, however, and a class member who was on the preparatory committee for that gathering secretly made a videotape of me giving a prayer before the meal to be served at that reunion which surprised those in attendance when they saw it. My wife and I returned from Japan to attend the 50th anniversary of that class five years ago and recently we drove over 1,500 kilometers to attend the 55th year reunion in my hometown. Along the way, we drove in five different states and visited with friends and relatives. There were a little over one hundred students in the Class of '45 and about 35 of them plus their spouses attended the reunion, which included a picnic lunch. I enjoyed meeting and talking with old friends, some of whom I had not met for about fifty years. (177)
Labor Day
00/09/08
The word "labor" is an example of words that are generally spelled differently in British and American English. In British English, it is spelled l-a-b-o-u-r, but its pronunciation and meaning remain the same. Its primary meaning is "physical or mental exertion" but it may also denote "the physical efforts of childbirth". A special holiday called "Labor Day" to recognize the contribution of workingmen and women in society has been observed in the United States since 1882 when a parade of 10,000 workers was held in New York City. In the United States and Canada Labor Day is observed on the first Monday of September although many other countries observe it on May 1st. It was to attend a class reunion that my wife and I returned to my hometown over the Labor Day weekend. While there, we also attended the talent and beauty contest to select the Festival Queen, the Annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast, the two-hour long Festival Parade and the Fireworks Display in the evening. As usual, we stayed at the home of my sister, whose husband (my boyhood friend) has served as mayor of the town. During the weekend festivities, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. was on display in the Veterans' Memorial Park. According to the classical translation of Matthew 11:28, Jesus invited all who "labour and are heavy-laden" to come to him and promised to give them "rest". Christians believe that that invitation and promise remain valid today. (178)
Brass Quintet
00/09/10
Among the residents of the Penney Retirement Community are many talented musicians who can play a variety of musical instruments. Some of them are members of the Sunshine Band which plays on various occasions. Not only do we enjoy listening to the music produced by resident musicians, however. Periodically outside groups are invited to perform for the community. Recently, a brass quintet from the Jacksonville Navy Band put on a program here. Wearing their white navy uniforms, they sat on chairs on the platform. The term "brass quintet" indicates how many musicians were in the group and the kind of instruments they played. The regular instruments played by the five men were: two trumpets, a trombone, a French horn and a tuba. But at times, the trumpeters put down their trumpets and picked up another brass instrument I had not seen before. It was similar to a trumpet or a cornet but had a slightly different shape. After the concert, I asked one of the trumpeters what that instrument was called and his answer was: "a flugelhorn". From my unprofessional perspective, a flugelhorn resembles a cornet, which is shorter than a trumpet. Like a cornet or trumpet, a flugelhorn also has three valves, but it has a special shape. A bugle, which has no valves, is the common brass instrument used in the army or navy. In the Old Testament, a ram's horn was used both in battle as a military signal (Joshua 6:1-20) and in worship to make music to the Lord (Psalm 98:4-6; 150:3). (176)
Mason-Dixon Line
00/09/13
Comparing maps of the United States of America and Japan, we find the U.S.A. is divided into 51 governmental units and Japan into 47. In the U. S. A., there are 50 states (a few of which [Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia] are officially designated "commonwealths") and the District of Columbia, the capital. In Japan, 43 of the prefectures are called "ken", 2 metropolitan units are called "fu", while the capital is a "to" and the large northern island is a "doh". Looking at the boundaries between the units, we find an interesting contrast. None of the boundaries in Japan include a straight line. Natural boundaries, such as rivers or mountain ranges, form the borders, while many American states have straight line boundaries. One of them is the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Because of disagreement on the border of these two territories before they became states, an English court appointed two astronomers, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, to survey the area and determine the boundary. The boundary they designated at 3943' 26" north latitude became known as the Mason-Dixon Line, and this, in turn, became known as the dividing line between the slave states and the free states prior to the Civil War. Even today, it may be used to distinguish the South from the North. Ideally, all human beings are of the same human family, but divisive lines are sometimes drawn between people of different nationalities, ethnic groups or religions that may reflect or cause hostility between them. (138)
Trip Report
00/09/16
On the recent trip we took from our retirement community in the northern part of the southeastern state of Florida to my hometown in the northeastern corner of the midwestern state of Illinois, we drove in nine different states, seven of which lie south of the Mason-Dixon Line and are thus known as southern states; six of them were members of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. According to the car's odometer, we traveled for 2,755 miles, or 4,435 kilometers. We chose to go by a somewhat circular route rather than a more direct, linear one because we desired to make a number of stops along the way. Thus, we were able to visit a couple who, for about three years, had lived across the street from us in Nagoya forty years ago when the husband was working for the United States Air Corps. We spent a night in their house in Alabama. The next night, we stayed in the southern Illinois home of a nephew who had arranged for me to return to the U. S. from Japan to officiate at his wedding four years ago. We also stopped at the homes of my older brother and eldest sister. In my hometown, we stayed at the home of a younger sister where my youngest sister stopped in to see us. On our return trip, we spent a night in the home of an older sister in North Carolina, so we were able to meet all of my siblings on this trip. At the church we attended church with my older sister and her husband on the morning of our return, we unexpectedly met a couple who are friends of two couples we know well at this retirement community. (179)
Counts and Counters
00/09/17
"Counts" and "counters" are also words that have interesting homonyms. In some European countries, a "count" is a nobleman whose rank corresponds to an "earl" in England. It would be unusual to see such a "count" standing behind a "counter" in a store for, in this case, a "counter" is a flat surface on which business is transacted, food is served or money is counted. As a verb, "count" means to number or to take account of and a "counter" is an electronic device that automatically counts. The term "count on" means to rely or depend on. Soon after I began this "Timely Words" homepage, I tried to get a "counter" attached so I would know the number of "hits" it received each day. Both because of my own ignorance regarding things related to computers and because of the kind of computer I use I had trouble accomplishing this aim. During a recent visit of our son, who knows computers well, I "counted on" him to help me but he is not well acquainted with my kind of computer. This resulted in various problems and changes that may have caused some difficulties for readers, but I think the aim was finally attained. I am very grateful for the time and energy he expended and apologize for any inconveniences experienced by readers. If you find these messages helpful, I encourage you to inform others of the homepage address and, along with me, watch the number on the counter continue to increase. (181)
Tennis in Retirement
00/09/19
It is important for people the age of my wife and me to get regular exercise to keep our bodies in good condition. While in Japan, I used to ride my bicycle regularly to meetings or on various errands as well as play tennis once a week. My wife got her exercise while teaching pre-school children all day long. Since retiring, my wife tries to go for a walk through a wooded area for about half an hour early in the morning and I try to play tennis for a couple of hours twice a week. Most of the players are older than I; a number of them are in their eighties and a couple are almost ninety. At times, after a player makes a particularly skillful shot, I may jokingly say to him or her, "Why don't you act your age?" There are only two tennis courts available, so when there are more than eight players, we must take turns to play. Needless to say, the main purpose of our playing is not to win games nor break records but to get some good exercise and enjoy ourselves. We often talk to one another while playing and, most of the time, are not so particular about minor details. We may let obviously mistaken calls stand without argumentation about whether the ball dropped behind the line, in front of the line or on the line. In fact, the eyesight of some players is not so good and to some of them we must speak very loudly, or yell, in order to be heard. In his letter to his younger helper, Timothy, the Apostle Paul noted that "physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things" (I Timothy 4:8). (160)
Mist/Fog/Haze/Smog
00/09/22
Although an 9-hole golf course is located in a central are of the campus of this retirement community, the tennis courts are situated on the edge of the campus. A street runs along one side of the courts and the Penney Farms Town Hall with a garage for the fire engine is located on another side. On the other two sides there is a wooded area with very tall trees. While playing tennis, we may see various kinds of birds flying in the sky and at times our attention is diverted from the game to observe some natural spectacle. One foggy morning, I raised the question of what was the difference between "fog" and "mist" or "haze". The question was not answered on the tennis court, but I did some research after returning home. And I found out that "mist" is a mass of fine droplets of water in the atmosphere near the earth's surface. "Fog" is a more dense concentration of water vapor, similar to a cloud but close to the ground. "Fog" obstructs visibility more than "mist". "Haze" may include smoke or dust along with the water vapor. When the smoke of an industrial area is added to this condition, the result is "smog". This artificial word is derived from combining "smoke" with "fog" to denote the unnatural and unhealthy atmosphere created by inconsiderate industrialization. As we grow older, our minds may become a bit misty, foggy or hazy, but by keeping our eyes directed toward the eternal source of light, we will be able to find our way through the confusion. (161)
Doorman/Chairman/Usher
00/09/28
Many hotels, restaurants, apartment houses or meeting places employ a man to be in charge of the entrance, or door, of the building. He is called the "doorman". A "chairman", however, is not an employee who takes care of chairs. Rather, he is the one who sits on the most highly respected chair in the room and presides over the meeting. In some meeting places, including theaters, concert halls and churches, there are "ushers" who meet people at the door and usher them to a seat. Some nouns ending in "er" denote a person who performs the action indicated by the verb to which the "er" is added. For example, a "greeter" at the door of a church greets people as they enter. A "singer" may sing in the choir or in the congregation before the "preacher" preaches the sermon. In the case of "usher", however, there is no verb to which the "er" has been added. This word is derived from a Latin word meaning entrance. At both the regular Sunday morning worship services and the irregular commemorative concerts held in the church at the center of this Penney Retirement Community, there are men and women who are designated "ushers" and who wear tags with the word "usher" on them. Such ushers are not employees, however. They are church members who have been asked to serve as ushers for a month at a time. Ushers' duties include greeting people as they enter the church and handing them the order of service which will be followed on that day. My wife and I have also taken our turns to serve as ushers. (144)
Dictionaries/Words
00/09/29
One of the memorable sayings of one of my favorite university professors was: "The next best thing to knowing the answer is to know where to find the answer". Those regular readers of these "Timely Words" compositions are aware of my interest in words and their development, including the origin of words, their meanings, pronunciations and usage. For that reason, I often make use of one or more dictionaries, which are a couple of the most important books on my book shelf. The word "diction", rooted in a Latin word meaning "to say", denotes the "choice and use of words in speech or writing". In one of my dictionaries, the definition of "dictionary" is: "A reference book containing an explanatory alphabetical list of words . . . with information given for each word, including meaning, pronunciation, etymology and often usage guidance." Since living languages continue to change, new editions of dictionaries continue to be published. In the new edition of the "Random House Webster's New College Dictionary", there are hundreds of new words included among its 207,000 entries. Changes in the meaning and usage of words are also relevant factors underlying new translations of the Bible that continue to be published. Christians believe that an understanding of Biblical truth is essential to an understanding of life, its purpose and end and how to live a truly meaningful and happy life. In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is called the "Word" because he so fully and faithfully revealed the character of God. (147)