Here is another repeating feature on my blog: What's in a Name?
I am always fascinated by names. Try this Name Trick-- sure to make you a hit at the next party. It has two parts:
1. What is your stage name? Take your middle name and add the name of the first street you lived on. Mine would be Ellen Hartnett.
2. What is the name you would give in a pawn shop? Take the name of your first pet and add your mother's maiden name. I would be Schnapps Versen-- perfect for a pawn shop.
And if you would like to know your pirate name check out this site and take the quiz: http://www.piratequiz.com/ My pirate name came out Dirty Bess Rackham. GREAT NAME!!
And for the Trekkie's--find your cyborg name and avatar: http://cyborg.namedecoder.com 
__________________________OK--on with the blog--
An Obstetrical nurse for years, I heard a lot of name combinations and name trends. Remember the Jennifer craze, the Justin craze, the Emily craze and the Scott craze? The -ew craze for boys' names and the -ah craze for girls' names seem to hit at the same time.
And then there were the names that made me think "HMMM, they had 9 months to think of a name and THAT is what they picked??" Or, "they had 9 months to think of a name and nothing bubbled to the top????" Of course that was me with my second son. He was Little Baby No Name for 4 days. He barely escaped being Justin Preston--and ended up being Stephen Hume. Much nicer.
In all the years working in the maternity unit NO ONE ever named their darling child SUSAN!!! That I could never understand.
In honor of President's weekend I am starting out this repeating feature with the name GEORGE.
From the Greek, GEORGE means "farmer, earthworker". Saint George was a legendary dragon slayer who was supposedly martyred in Palestine. He is the patron saint of England, Portugal and Catalonia.This name has been borne by six kings of England, two kings of Greece, and the first president of the United States, George Washington. Other famous bearers include authors George Eliot and George Orwell (both pen names,) composer George Frederic Handel, and Pacific explorer George Vancouver, composer George Gershwin, and actors George Burns and George Clooney and of course, the 41st and the 43rd presidents of the US.
I have known quite a few Georges--and each of them has given the name a different shine.
#1: George the cat. My friend Jim's mom has an uncanny talent for finding stray animals that end up being just fabulous pets. One of these is her current Top Cat--George.
George has suckered me into opening the door at the wrong time so he could slip out more than a few times-he loves prowling around the neighborhood, in the woods, and who knows where. Thankfully he never brings anything dead home. Since George came to live with Jim's family, a few more strays have shown up but none as gorgeously marked as George. And finally after 8 years, George now jumps in my lap when I visit. He is a great cat!
George #2 is my friend Jorge. A very smart PhD in neuroscience, he traveled all over the world with me on business and proved to be a very cool smart guy. We were the perfect work team--except for one thing--he was a little bit conservative and I was more than a little bit liberal. We just didn't discuss politics more than once a day. Here is Jorge with Bill O'Reilly. How happy does he look???? Just a little too happy, IMHO.
George #3 is someone I have known since the summer of July 93 but did not meet until the summer of 95. This George and I joined an online book group the same day back in 93 when the internet was still relatively young (and overpriced) and we discovered that we were both Mrs Piggle-Wiggle fans as young readers. George is passing on his talents in reading and writing to children everyday as a teacher in Florida.
The most memorable part of my friendship with George #3 (so far)--was our trip to Hawaii to visit him and his wife Vickie when they were living there. What a Hawaiian tour we had!! After dinner at Duke's, George insisted that we go to the Royal Hawaiian piano bar to drink MaiTai's. After all, its the place that made them famous. It just happened to be the day that Frank Sinatra died--so the piano player was playing all Sinatra classics--that was a very special night!! To top it off, George took us to a very neon bar and there were Japanese singers performing Beatle hits--or was it the MaiTai's playing with my mind????
We have visited George and his family in three states, Illinois, Hawaii and Florida and he remains one of my favorite friends to talk about. (George, I know I ended the sentence with a preposition--don't be horrified!!)
George #4 is another work colleague--and undoubtedly one of the best creative writers in a science writing field. Since I don't have a picture of him--I am substituting a SuperHero picture. An avid fan of the comic book genre of superheroes--he will probably create one of his own one day. He actually understands the art of the comic book, its literary value and sees deep meaning in many of the story lines. He also likes scary things!! He tells me the funniest stories--his attention to detail makes the story!!
George #4 always had the best snacks--and would show them off to the rest of the team during long grueling teleconferences. Notice I did not say SHARE!!
The #5 George has come and gone from popular music--but I used to dance in the basement (when no one was looking) to his music when he topped the charts--so he deserves a place here.
Despite his bad public restroom behavior, I still turn the radio all the way up anytime FAITH comes on the radio. It was a terrific song.
And I was not the only one who loved that song--George #6 liked him too.
In the early 90's I had a boss named George--and we both loved Madonna music and George Michael music. Yes, this George #6 loved fast cars, fast music, working hard, and playing golf--he was always on the move. He taught me to trust my instinct, diagnose with confidence--be aware of new ideas and emerging therapies and focus on the pursuit of wellness for each patient in our practice, one by one.
And we did just that!
So that sums up the George's I know.
WAIT!!! THIS JUST IN. . .in the comments section, one of my dearest friends has informed me that he is also a GEORGE--so Jay, you are George #7.
And now, I am going to celebrate Presidents Day with a piece of cherry pie.
Enjoy!
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Cookies for Breakfast? Yes, a dream come true in my next blog. Another of Susan's Favorite Recipes you will be unable to resist.
I felt very grown up when I read and actually could finish a chapter. I guarded that book with my life. (I dont remember losing the book--but somehow we became separated and after years of searching, I was pleasantly surprised to find the entire series at Powell Books in Portland, Oregon.)
Basically, The Old Mother West Wind series of three books cheerfully explains the wonders of nature in a way that small children relish. And--after re-reading the series as an adult--I realized that these books highlight the differences among creatures in nature--concluding that despite differences--all live together quite well in the whole scheme of things.
So as a first grader--with my Christmas book, I learned why skunks are dressed in stripes, why old frogs don't have tails, why brooks "laugh", why a warm breeze is so comforting, why minks have screechy-sounding voices--never meant to sing, and why foxes don't eat fish (their coats are not waterproof and so they just do not go fishing!!).
Old Mother West Wind rewarded the woodchuck for coming up with the most naturally joyful answer--his own little home, warm sunshine and a beautiful blue sky. It is being happy with the things you have. . .its called "contentment".
Now if you would like to know what the most naturally beautiful thing in the world is. . .you will have to read the series for yourself. Old Mother West Wind reveals it in the third book.
Or on nights when my sons are unable to sleep due to burdens of adult life, they may just want to be reminded why brooks laugh, why mice tails are so short, why rabbits wear white patches, and buzzards have bald heads, why the turtle always wins the race and of course, the most beautiful thing in the world.
