Books and Birds and Names, Oh My!

Nicknames stick to people, and the most ridiculous are the most adhesive. ~ Thomas C. Haliburton

My daughter received her own copy of "The Magic Faraway Tree" a couple of days back and immediately began reading. Yesterday, she approached me and said, "I don't think that's the same book." Concerned, I asked why. She replied, "Because the character has a different name. They call him 'Rick', but he used to be 'Dick'."

Oh.

You see, this is a newer released edition of the story. The one she read was released in the forties, prior to our oh-so politically correct society. I explained that "dick" is a slang term for a man's penis, and that both "Dick" and "Rick" are short for Richard, so the publisher probably changed it to keep the poor child from being teased.

Good grief.

I had a good friend who used to go by the name of "Gay" (because, oddly, that was her name -- and Gay, I'm not talking about you... you STILL go by your name -- good for you!), but ended up adding in her middle name as well, making it "Gaylynn" because she was tired of people tittering when they spoke to her.

I read Pink Ladies Blog yesterday and saw this post regarding names. Not that it has anything to do with my post, but it was really quite cute. :-)

My SIL was concerned when naming her child -- she didn't want the names to rhyme, so she'd think of every possible nickname to the names she chose, and finally found a name she liked AND that wouldn't rhyme with her surname.

I worried that the initials would spell something obscene or joke-worthy. I didn't want my DD to have vowels beginning any of her names, so even after she was married and had a new initial, she wouldn't spell things like GAS or ASS or FAT or PIG or whatever.

Kids are cruel. Adults are worse.

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I worked a little more on my 1953 story. I finally have a germ of an idea for a decent conflict (not just sending my hero to the front -- which would have been tough, since I've deliberately set the story to happen as the war comes to an end). I actually HAVE a hero, with a name and everything (and it's not something that will make you titter). I still only ended up with about 300 new words, but it's a start.

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Apparently the baby Hairy Woodpeckers in our neck of the woods have fledged. Other birds babies may have left the nest as well, but the Hairy WP's are unique (to me) in that they bring their babies to the suet hangers and teach them how to use them.

It's adorable. The fluffier-than-the-adult birds sit in the tree and peep and the grown-up pecks at the suet and then feeds them until they catch on. I watched one baby try and miss hitting the suet basket a half dozen times. Twice he tried to land on the shepherds hooks I hang them from and slid to the ground, once he tried to cling to the adult bird already on the basket.

I'm easily amused -- I think I must have watched the goings-on for half an hour. I wish the other birds would bring their babies, though last year my cardinal pair brought their son. I saw him again once this spring and then he must of taken off in search of a wife.

I'm certainly no pro like Birdchick, but I really enjoy my birds. If we do relocate, I will worry about them. A lot. I know, I know, they survived without me before... but still...

What about you? Have any hobbies? What do you spend you "spare" time doing?

Have a happy Saturday!