Sith

That's a pretty  rubbish word with which to restart my blog. Sith. Since it is now 'archaic', having been replaced by 'since', there's not much to talk about.
So many things, not just words, are becoming/have become obsolete, that I am given to musing about them. Telephones, for example, have changed beyond recognition since my childhood. Gone are the bakelite dial phones and probably all public phone boxes. I love my slick, convenient smartphone, but would my father recognise it as a phone? I doubt it!
Laundry has also changed, at least for the majority of us. I have a machine that will wash and, if I wish, dry my laundry while I sleep. That's hardly a chore, although my next machine will fold the clothes and put them away.
And music! Any music I want at the touch of a finger, relayed by magic to my wireless headphones. I bet Handel would have loved that!
I am so in thrall to the excitement of modern technologies that I don't see the dangers. But the recent data scandal has made me wonder whether I am worshipping God or the devil?

Cosmology

It's odd that this should be the WOTD, because this morning I sat in bed gazing at the early-morning heavens, using my skyview app, and I could see planets and stars and the International space station, without stirring out of my warm bed. 
Now that is hardly cosmology, but I do love anything to do with the stars and planets. 

Maybe that's why my all-time favourite piece of music is The Planets (by Gustav Holst) and if you haven't heard it, you could find it a rewarding experience to shut yourself in a room and listen undisturbed. I have (somewhere) a film of the Fantasia ilk, where someone had made a film to go with The Planets. I have looked online, and I don't think the one I saw is the Ken Russell film, although it might be.  I will have to look for my DVD recording. 

A mild weekend is forecast, so we are looking forward to a bit more clearing-out of garage, although I have to work tomorrow morning.

Tonight I had a delicious fish and salad dinner, and a rare indulgence of a small glass of cider. Music from Steve Hackett, Steelye Span, The Doors, David Bowie, Wings, - a nice mixed bag. 

Maybe I should ask Neil to theme the music to the WOTD. He could have found quite a few for cosmology (indeed, we had Life on Mars). Now there's a thought for another day. 

Autodidact

I LOVE this word, it sounds so grand and important! An autodidact is a person who is self-taught, and my family is full of them. There's Ruth, who learns foreign languages for fun! There's Christopher, who delights in learning about English history, and always makes it sounds fascinating, not dull like it was at school. Paul loves to learn about long and complicated words and, what's more, can remember them and their meanings and will rattle off a few at the slightest prompt. 

Jacob has taught himself about running, and passes on his knowledge in an excellent blog 'Running Man' where he shares some of his excellent opinions. I suppose we all make an effort to teach ourselves what we can about the subjects that interest us - Julia and her sewing, KC and his breweries, although whether this would count as auto-didactic is open to question.

I can't think that autodidact applies to me in any way, but the word has made me think about my lovely family once more. And that has to be a GOOD THING

Most enjoyable day at work, achieving my goals. Happy to hear that my parcel reached its destination and looking forward to another successful week of food management.

Amative

Hey,  I'm back! WOTD today is 'amative'  which means amorous or disposed to love. I suppose this was bound to happen,  it being St Valentine's day.  But I have always hated the outrageous commercialisation of these traditional dates and Neil and I have never celebrated the day, believing that you don't need to wait until roses cost twice as much as normal and all the restaurants are full in order to declare your love. 
In fact,  today has been productive in a more mundane way.  Jacob spent a few hours decorating and I can see that the bathroom will be finished in a few more days.  We took a drive out with Dad and Tesco delivered my shopping.  I stuck to my diet and cleared up some paperwork.  
Neil made my dinner and loaded the dishwasher,  a surer way to my heart than with a card. So we are not particularly amative, but love is always present.  

Zenith

At last, a WOTD that is easy; we all know what the zenith is... the highest point in the arc of a celestial body, or the culmination or high point of an endeavour.
So as I started writing this blog, with the word 'Zenith' in large letters on my phone in front of me, Neil put on the 2nd side (we're talking vinyl here) of 'Drama', the Yes album that I want to get familiar before it is performed in full at the gig in June. And as ayou know, the first song on side 2 of Drama is 'into the lens' in which you will notice the oft repeated line 'I am a camera'. Zenith make cameras; I love  coincidences like that, I said to Neil. What model did you have?

 

And so it was I came to realise that the cameras are made by ZENIT, not Zenith. I am hoping that zenit is Russian for zenith and I won't seem quite so foolish.
Regular readers of this blog will know how excited I was to be going to see Steven Wilson in concert. I will now own up to being rather disappointed. His album Hand.Cannot.Erase. was based on a news item about a woman who had died in her flat and only found after 2 years. The album imagined her life and the events leading to her death. He had made a film to accompany the music and this was playing on a large screen behind the band. I'm afraid I found this most disconcerting and distracting. It took away much of my enjoyment of the music. Still, we met some nice people and were glad we had decided to book into the Premier Inn - just 5 minutes' walk from the Dome, and a decent night's sleep instead of having to rush home.
Tonight we are enjoying the album without the visuals, as well as the mandatory Yes and more SW.  

Selenology

Today's WOTD - Selenology - is the name given to the branch of astronomy that 'deals with the nature and origin of the physical features of the moon'._from the Greek for the moon - Selene) I am no astronomer (more astrologer!) and have never even possessed a telescope, but I do love the moon. Maybe because it's so close; maybe because human beings have actually stood there, the only extra-terrestial body to have felt our presence.In one sense, I would love to know all there is to know about the moon; another part of me wants to preserve the magic and mystery of its power over us. 

I hope that trips to the moon don't become commonplace in my lifetime.
I have been busy today, I have done Lift Man invoices, all our laundry, paid some bills, tidied the bedroom. Now it is time for a Steven Wilson night, trying to get familiar with his new album!
Weather has been warm and damp, even some sunshine later. So it is with astonishment that I see the pictures of the snow in America. Keep safe everyone!

Presenteeism

I have been a long time without a WOTD, mainly because I have been unwell and haven't felt inclined to chattiness; also I have had a busy time both in and out of work. 
Now today's word - presenteeism - is very appropriate to how things have been. The word means 'the practice of coming to work despite illness, injury, anxiety, etc, often resulting in reduced productivity' or a second meaning of 'working long hours without the real need to'.
We have a philosophy in our office to cover minor ailments; 'take a pill, come to work'. Clearly this isn't designed to cover broken limbs or nasty things like chicken pox, but if at all possible, you come to work. The admin team is only 4-strong and each of us has a vital role to play, which would have to be filled if anyone was absent. I have working conditions that allow me to have any time necessary for GP/hosptal/dental appointments, but I come to work if at all possible. I am proud to say that I coughed and sneezed my way through work for the last 2 months, without taking time off. I can't have been very pleasant company, but I WAS there, and yes, my productivity may have been reduced, but I was still functioning in the team.
I am pleased to say that I am feeling much, much better. Full speed ahead!
Curry and salad for dinner (really!) and music from Steven Wilson (gig in 3 days!),deserves to have the picture slot today  - taken when he visited Music's Not Dead

Yes, Lifesigns, Fish - all have upcoming gigs that we have tickets for, also Genesis and Anathema.