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Last Name- Eckert: What does the "Eckert" name mean?
German: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements
agi ‘edge’, ‘point’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’.

Last Name- Jardot: What does the "Jardot" name mean?
Sorry, we have no information on this name.
-- Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press

From MSN Family Web Site:
History of surnames: The Chinese were among the very first cultures to adopt the use of hereditary surnames (around 2800 BC). But the custom didn’t quite catch on in Europe, at least not until the Venetian aristocracy made it popular sometime between the 10th and 11th centuries AD.
Types of surnames: Most surnames fall into one of four categories. Patronymic surnames such as Johnson pass from father to son (literally, "Son of John"). Occupational surnames such as Cook or Miller stem from an individual’s livelihood. Topographic names such as Forest or Ford identify habitation. There are also a few surnames that derive from individual characteristics or nicknames, Small and Stern for example.
Patterns in surnames: There are many ways a surname could have evolved over centuries. One possibility is migration. A Roman name may have traveled to France and hence to England where it was later Anglicized. Case in point: the surname Lawrence went from Laurentius (Roman) to Laurent (French) to Lawrence (English) and then to Lowry (Scottish). There is also natural etymological evolution. For example, a Middle English spelling may have evolved to a modern English spelling (e.g. Stiward to Stewart).

This is a story or snippet told many times and now put down on my page for posterity...

As my kids were growing up we went through the usual multiple bouts of colds and flu. At times it was daunting, trying to work and balance sick kids, school and day care. I remember remarking to my supervisor once that I came to work to rest, and that I saved my sick leave for when my kids were sick- going in to work sick myself. Once school started each fall, the onslaught would begin.

In the mid-90s I went to the doctor's office after getting a cold or flu from the kids that had percolated long enuff in my sinuses to become an infection. I relayed this scenario to the doctor, who promptly informed me that we could not possibly have had the flu, because the flu NEVER starts until February, January at the earliest. I was also informed that it was highly unlikely I had a sinus infection, but they would humor me by checking my white blood cell count- they would show me! I was on a roll, so I asked if my kids could get a flu shot, since they got sick so often- yikes! What an idiot I apparently was, and so open about it. Of course my children could not get a flu shot, they needed to get the flu so that they could build up their immunity. Hmmm.

I can't remember if I bit my tongue, or if I had the audacity to ask how it was that I kept getting the flu from my kids after having had ample opportunity to build up my own resistance. At any rate, my ideas were resoundedly rejected. I did get an antibiotic prescription, what with the high white blood cell count and all...

A couple years later I saw a PBS special on the Swine Flu epidemic of 1918, which started as a trickle in March and became an epidemic that fall. Whatever... just watch out for chickens- and get your kids a flu vaccination.

As I know more of mankind I expect less of them, and am ready now to call a man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly. -Samuel Johnson

I have always liked fall, with its crispness and color. Great weather for explorations.

Yesterday Jay went in for jury duty (he was not picked) and I lounged about (my day off) then ran some errands. Later we went out and Jay dragged me downtown for a treat- to see a new statue I was unaware of. Click the picture at left to see it...

How lucky for me that he is such a voracious information hound. Yes, very lucky.

"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend upon the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving."- Albert Einstein

There have been plenty of not fun things about in the news of late.
Now that is an interesting sentence, isn't it? Time for some chuckles...

Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address,
you turn down the volume on the radio?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."- Groucho Marx

If peanut butter cookies are made from peanut butter, then what are Girl Scout cookies made out of?

Do you have your Halloween cotume yet? Need a fresh idea?

Well, here's a great one, especially for those attention-seekers out there: go as the old "Operation" game.

Click either picture for the whole story. Later man.

"I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy."- Richard Feynman

Jay and I have many, many projects in mind. It is amazing how our teeny, tiny house is capable of holding so many ideas for projects.

At present, we are adding on to my side of the bedroom closet. My friends and Jay's have said, "Ah yes, a woman needs more closet space...", as if this were a fact known by all. I don't have all that much stuff, relatively speaking, I just need a little bit more storage space... And Jay is kind to address my needs (that may seem only like wishes to him) and work diligently on this project.

A woman who has no way of expressing herself and of realizing herself as a full human has nothing else to turn to but the owning of material things.- Enriqueta Longeaux y Vasquez

Only 40 percent of Americans can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite any of the four authors of the Gospels. Three quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that 'God helps those who help themselves'. That is, three out of four Americans believe that this uber-American idea, a notion at the core of our current individualist politics and culture, which was in fact uttered by Ben Franklin, actually appears in Holy Scripture. Few ideas could be further from the gospel message, with its radical summons to love of neighbor.- excerpt from an article in Harper's by Bill McKibben.

I remember watching TV in 1978 and seeing for the first time one of the new breed of "Christian" shows, maybe it was the PTL Club. The show sent a wave of fear and horror through me and I exclaimed out loud that its message was dangerous. The message of righteousness, exclusion and materialsim was indeed frightening and the danger its ideas of persecution hold remains with us today in a way my mind was only imagining almost 30 years ago. I recommend reading the Harper's Magazine article- click on the picture at right if you are interested in reading its entirety.

"When people are loving, brave, truthful, charitable, God is present."- Harold Kushner

My work partner, Mary Bradley, is a very professional nurse who I will soon miss, as she is retiring at the end of November.

Mary has a wonderful sense of humor and sent me this lovely Halloween picture, which I thought I should share with everyone as a way of wishing them:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



"We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true."- Robert Wilensky

Our first wedding anniversary was on Monday. I took this week off and we celebrated, played, and worked about the house.

On Sunday the 16th I drove down to Seattle to see a play at the Intiman Theatre with Kira. It was wonderful to see and be with her again, as I had not heard from her for several weeks. She told me she did not want to bother me because her car engine had blown up, she couldn't work and lost her job, and she had been in the hospital with a kidney infection. Oh, okay. She didn't want me to think she only called when she needed something, so didn't call at all. Kira made it through her travail, got her dad to pay for an engine, got a new job, got well- proud I am of Kira. We saw The Grapes of Wrath at the theatre- one of my favorite books as a teen ("there ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There is just stuff people do"). The play was very well done, we both liked it, and it reminded me of what I had liked so long ago.

On Monday Jay and I celebrated our anniversary with a lovely dinner out to the Wild Garlic restaurant in Bellingham- a classy, yummy affair. Jay gave me a beautiful necklace with apricot agate stones- yes, very nice, thank you.

On Thursday we took the opportunity to go on the beautiful fall drive up and over the mountains to Leavenworth on a weekday- sans touriste! It is a gorgeous drive at any time of year, with white water, mountains, trees... Thursday was warm and sunny, and the leaves of the deciduous trees were primarily bright gold- even prettier in the evening light. We looked through the tourist shops, including a chocolate shop with a very snooty gentleman who told us his Swiss chocolates were better than any in the world (we bought 6 truffles), and had a yummy dinner. On our way back west over Stevens Pass we found ourselves zooming down from the 4000 foot elevation and having to hit the brakes to slow down to the 60mph speed limit around those treacherous curves. We slowed even more when the state patrol came up behind us with lights aflashing, only to go on by and stop up ahead amidst flares. We came to a stop behind a short line of cars and after a while were waived on, passing a semi on its side, the cab hung over the side of the mountain. Yikes. The Everett Herald carried a short piece about the accident today. Our own trip was less eventful than the trucker's, we enjoyed ourselves together once again. For photos of our outing, click on the lovely photo Jay took of me up at the left, working hard at the computer...

Our land is more valuable than your money. As long as the sun shines and the waters flow, this land will be here to give life to men and animals; therefore, we cannot sell this land. It was put here for us by the Great Spirit and we cannot sell it because it does not belong to us.- Blackfoot chief, (c. 1880)

I wrote back in July about our bathroom remodel- getting it mostly done and functional as my folks arrived for a visit- remember? care? Well, since I am documenting more than most care about anyhow, I go on, or back to that momentous time...

Click on the picture of Jay at left for bathroom remodel pictures and info!

"The craftsman does not always build toward a prior vision. Often images come in the process of working. The material, his hands - together they beget."- M. C. Richards

I met an elderly man today, nothing unusual about that, but he was wearing an interesting t-shirt. It seems like I rarely run into elders wearing t-shirts with sayings or jokes on them. There were a number of words, no pictures, on this man's t-shirt. It read:

COMPOST
A Rind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.

Yet another person who enjoys words... The picture at right is of the corner of our compost bin.

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."- Rudyard Kipling

Will Clegg graduated from Eaton Rapids High School with me in 1971. He was very a good friend of my boyfriend, Jack Rule, and so we hung out together a fair amount. As time and life went on Will stayed back in Michigan and became a Methodist minister, while I became a social worker and moved out west to Washington.

With the assistance of the world wide web, Will and I reconnected and have conversed over the last few years- and he kindly performed the ceremony for Jay and I a year ago when we married at my parents' home. Will sent us an email of congratulations and well-wishes for our one year anniversary today, and today I also received an envelope from my mother containing an article from the Lansing State Journal about Will's father, Wayne, and how he has worked to restore an old windmill on his farm. The picture of the windmill at left links to a larger image of the same photo. The underlined newspaper name above links to part of the article, the online paper does not include the picture of Wayne Clegg and its accompanying text that reads: "Wonderful Windmill: Wayne Clegg, 89, appreciates his newly restored windmill. The fan was imported from Omaha, Neb., and the project spanned four months. Clegg has lived in the property more than 60 years." A nice article of recognition and acknowledgement.

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral."- Antoine de Saint Exupery

Barbara traditionally has a costume party to celebrate Halloween. This year the party was on Saturday; Jay and I enjoyed the exceptional parade of costumes there- pictures soon to follow.

Have a great day, and Happy Halloween!

"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."- Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

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